University of Akron C. Blake McDowell Law Center
University of Akron
C. Blake McDowell Law Center
150 University Avenue
Akron, OH 44325
www.uakron.edu/law/
Law School Pro Bono Programs
Contact Information
William Rickett. Esq.Staff Attorney, Civil Litigation Clinic Director and Pro Bono Coordinator
wricket@uakron.edu
(330) 972-7189
Category Type
Formal Voluntary Pro Bono Program Characterized by a Referral System with a Coordinator
Description of Program
Akron's program has a faculty coordinator, the director of the School of Law's Civil Litigation Clinic, who devotes time to coordinating, assisting in recruiting and placement of students with pro bono interest and in keeping track of volunteer hours. The Student Bar Association helps coordinate student activities. Many student organizations include public service activities as part of their regular programming. The Akron Public Interest Law Association devotes almost all of its time and energy to pro bono pursuits.
Location of Program
The University of Akron School of Law Legal Clinic
Staffing/Management/Oversight
William Rickett, Staff Attorney, Director of the Civil Litigation Clinic and Pro Bono Coordinator
Funding
The School of Law's Civil Litigation Clinic director devotes a portion of his time directing the pro bono program. He facilitates the overall program, obtains opportunities and recruits students for these opportunities. He makes regular classroom visits to promote pro bono ideals and specific opportunities. He maintains a website which focuses on student, alumni and faculty pro bono activities, and current opportunities. The website contains profiles of alumni who devote considerable time to pro bono activities, students who have volunteered for pro bono projects, including Gulf Coast hurricane relief, and detailed descriptions of the pro bono projects in which the faculty is engaged. www.uakron.edu/law/nblc/probono.php.The School of Law provides space for student groups to meet and provides faculty advisors for them.
Student Run Pro Bono Groups/Specialized Law Education Projects
The Akron Public Interest Law Society devotes all of its efforts to various pro bono projects.Street Law is a joint endeavor of the Akron Bar, the School of Law and local public schools to teach students law and citizenship. It brings local attorneys and law students into the area's public schools in a partnership with high school and middle school teachers. The program also has a summer component for elementary students (camp law school), middle school and high school students (the minority pipeline program). The program has been recognized as a national model by Lexis.
Faculty and Administrative Pro Bono
The School of Law hosts Faculty Brown Bag Lunches on a regular and frequent basis. Many of these lunches focus on pro bono opportunities for the faculty. They share information with each other about projects in which they are currently involved and are made aware of other opportunities in the community and beyond and are encouraged to volunteer for those activities. Following the dean's approval for the use of faculty time on pro bono projects, secretarial support is available for faculty in the preparation of amicus briefs, legislative support and proposals, bar association committee reports and CLE materials.The current president of the Akron Bar Association is a School of Law faculty member, whose top priority is pro bono service, not only from the School of Law's faculty, but from the larger legal community.
Faculty members serve as chairs and reporters for local, state, national and international bar and professional committees, give many hours of time to giving legal assistance to the poor at area homeless shelters, and assist with other public service projects.
The Faculty Evaluation Criteria and Procedures recognize the importance of service to the profession and community in reappointment, tenure, promotion and salary decisions and incorporate the AALS Statement of Good Practices for law professors, encouraging pro bono service.
Faculty members serve as advisors to student groups, including those devoted to pro bono causes.
Awards/Recognition
The pro bono coordinator tracks the total number of student pro bono hours through a standardized reporting form given to all students. The students with the highest number of pro bono hours each year as determined by this compilation are recognized in the annual Honors and Awards booklet and given a monetary award funded by faculty and administrator donations. The Aileen McMurray Trusler Professorship which is awarded to a tenured full professor in recognition for her/his public service and pro bono work. The current holder is actively involved in death penalty work.
Community Service
Student groups work with faculty advisors and others to organize and coordinate community service activities. Faculty take active roles in projects such as Habitat for Humanity, tutoring, and food, clothing, and toy drives, but students are primarily responsible for the projects.
Law School Public Interest Programs
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Contact Information
Jay Levine, Ph.D.Director, Career Planning & Placement
jay10@uakron.edu
(330) 972-5320
Certificate/Curriculum Programs
Public Interest Centers
Public Interest Clinics
The Legal Clinic provides assistance to low income clients in the following specialty clinics:Appellate Review Office
Trial Litigation Clinic (misdemeanor criminal defense)
New Business Legal Clinic - deals with clients with tenant landlord actions as well as domestic relations cases.
Civil Litigation Clinic (tenants and domestic relations)
For further information, see www.uakron.edu/law/clinical.php
Externships/Internships
The University of Akron School of Law Legal Clinic places students for credit in any public setting or not-for-profit setting where there is an attorney present to supervise the student. In addition, if a student identifies a site, we explore the opportunities and arrange for the placement.Externships and Internships are coordinated by staff of The Legal Clinic. Academic credit is given to students who work 90 to 120 hours per semester at a public interest, public sector or non profit organization under the supervision of an attorney. There is also a classroom component to this.
The Public Interest Fellowship Program is designed to support the public interest endeavors of students in terms of related work experiences. It is an opportunity for students to gain relevant public interest experiences and legal skills. The Program is run three times a year, i.e., during each semester as well as summer. Students select the public sector, public interest or non profit organization that they wish to have their legal training (under the supervision of an attorney). The students are given consideration for an award based upon their hours worked and available funding. Public Interest Fellowships take place at legal services offices, non profit organizations, e.g., AARP Legal Counsel for the Elderly as well as at local, state and federal government offices.
Classes with a Public Service Component
Capital Punishment SeminarStudents may opt to assist the professor in preparing petition(s) for certiorari on behalf of indigent deathrow inmate(s).
Clinical Seminars where students receive academic credit for their work in public interest, public sector or nonprofit organizations under the supervision of an attorney.
Public Interest Journals
Public Interest Career Assistance
The Law Center offers the following:
- Career consultations relative to public interest areas and programs inclusive of our Public Interest Fellowship; and
- Clinical Seminars which take place exclusively in governmental, public sector or not-for-profit entities;
- The Bliss Institute of The University of Akron which assists in the placement of students in government, interest group and lobbying organizations.
The Career Planning & Placement Office assists with various pro bono and public interest employment opportunities. Public interest employment opportunities are posted at all levels, including attorney positions, clerking opportunities and fellowships.
The Career Planning & Placement Office coordinates registration for The University of Akron School of Law students who wish to attend and participate in the Annual Equal Justice Works Conference and Job Fair.
- First Monday Program: This program is generally run by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers student group. The Career Planning & Placement Office has, in the past, participated in this public interest-based program.
- The University of Akron School of Law Annual Government Information Fair includes the participation of Community Legal Aid, the local Public Defender's Office, etc.
- Students attending the Midwest Public Interest Career Conference had the opportunity to interview with over 50 public service agencies and government employers. Registration fees for this conference are paid by the Law School.
Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAP)
Post-Graduate Fellowships/Awards
Law School Funded:
Graduate Student Funded:
Other Funding Sources:
Term Time Fellowships/Scholarships
Law School Funded:
Semester long Public Interest Fellowships
Graduate Student Funded:
Other Funding Sources:
During the 2005-2006 academic year, twenty six stipends were awarded to individuals working in public interest related work. The total of the awards was $24,876.During the 2006-2007 academic year eighteen awards were made which totaled $17,600.
Summer Fellowships
Law School Funded:
Summer Long Public Interest Fellowships
Graduate Student Funded:
Other Funding Sources:
Student Bar Association Auction; Samuel Willis Reece Foundation; Malkin-Koosed Public Interest Fellowship Funding.
Student Public Interest Fellowships which provide stipends for students working in public sector placements. These stipends are funded by the Samuel Reece Willis Foundation, the Student Bar Association Auction and the Malkin - Koosed Public Interest Fellowship. These sources together generate in excess of $30,000 per year for the fellowships.
Extracurricular and Co-Curricular Programs
During the 2006-2007 academic year students were provided the opportunity to attend various public interest programs including Amraker Public Interest Law Retreat, Midwest Public Interest Career Conference and the Midwest Public Interest Law Retreat.
Student Public Interest Groups
Akron Public Interest Law Society (APILS) is highly involved in public interest endeavors. Activities include inviting public interest related groups to speak at the Law School. APILS members have volunteered at the CASA Guardian Ad Litem Program of Summit County as well as Community Legal Aid. APILS members have been involved in a Pro Bono Research Project, mediation at the Akron Municipal Court and have worked in a homeless shelter's soup kitchen. Members of this organization have attended Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair, Public Interest Law Conference at The University of Virginia, etc.The Student Bar Association (SBA) - The SBA has been involved with public interest issues, e.g., raising money for funding Public Interest Fellowships, a cooperative working relationship with Habitat for Humanity ,etc. Law students have made trips to New Orleans to assist in the post Katrina efforts.
Other activities include:
Students from the Asian-Latino Students Association and from the Black Law Students Association tutor school children in the local area. A Red Cross Blood Drive at the Law School is coordinated by Law Association for Women (LAW). LAW also coordinates, food, clothing and gift drives to area shelters and agencies. Phi Alpha Delta conducts two canned goods drives. NACDL coordinates public interest speakers at brown bag dinners. Street Law students work with attorneys and high school teachers to teach academic courses in the high schools on law and public citizenship.
