Drake University School of Law
Drake University
Drake University School of Law
2507 University Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50311
www.law.drake.edu
Law School Pro Bono Programs
Contact Information
Trisha A. FillbachDirector of Career Development
515-271-4119
Trisha.Fillbach@Drake.edu
Category Type
Formal Voluntary Program Characterized by a Referral System with Coordinator
Description of Program
The Law School's Career Development Office advertises pro bono opportunities. In addition, The Student Bar Association is offered space and supplies for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program. Other public interest organizations, including the American Constitution Society are offered space to hold group meetings.
Location of Program
Drake University Law School's Career Development Office serves as the central location. The Office works in collaboration with the Dean's Office, Admissions Office, and Financial Aid to ensure students interested in public interest courses and/or employment.
Staffing/Management/Oversight
Director of Career Services Office oversees program.
Funding
Office space is offered to the VITA program when it is up and running.
Student Run Pro Bono Groups/Specialized Law Education Projects
Drake Law Women's Pro Se Domestic Abuse Program - After attending an evening's training, law students assist women seeking court protection in filling out the necessary paperwork and helping the women work through the process (without providing legal advice).Student Bar Association / ABA - A Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program is offered annually.
Various Students - After training, students serve as volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates.
Faculty and Administrative Pro Bono
A faculty member is expected to contribute public and professional service within the legal community to improve society and meet important public needs, which includes providing pro-bono legal services, government service, public service consulting, legislative drafting, or other forms of voluntary non-compensated service to the community.
Awards/Recognition
Supreme Court Day Celebration - The Ferguson Prize Gold($1000) and Silver ($500) are presented to the students who best exemplify the commitment of Drake Law School and the legal profession to public service, and who has rendered outstanding, primarily legal assistance; to eligible individuals or groups in the Law School Clinic; or to the other public service projects integrated with the Law School. The William and Ellen Cooney Hoye Award ($500) is presented to the graduating student who in the opinion of the faculty demonstrates the greatest promise as an advocate.
Drake encourages public service and will award a certificate to any student who completes 35 hours of public service during his/her law school career. The students' names are included in the graduation program as having received the certificate.
Community Service
The Christian Legal Society sponsors various community service activities, including a mitten tree in December and serving meals at a local homeless shelter. The Public Service Scholars, SBA, and the NAACP annually host the Halloween Hoops Shoot Out Party for between 200 - 275 inner city children.
Law School Public Interest Programs
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Contact Information
Carole TillotsonAssistant Director of Career Development
(515) 271-4974
carole.tillotson@drake.edu
Room 185, Opperman Hall
Trisha Fillbach
Director of Career Development
(515) 271-4119
trisha.fillbach@drake.edu
Room 184, Opperman Hall
Certificate/Curriculum Programs
Effective with this fall’s entering class, students must complete 60 hours of public service during their law school careers to obtain the Public Service Certificate. This is an increase from the 35 hours required for the certificate in the past.
Public Interest Centers
Middleton Center for Children's Rights - www.law.drake.edu/centers/default.aspx?pageID=aboutMiddletonCtrMiddleton Children's Rights Center - www.law.drake.edu/centers/default.aspx?pageID=aboutMiddletonCtr#center
Agricultural Law Center - www.law.drake.edu/centers/default.aspx?pageID=aboutAgCtr
Constitutional Law Center - www.law.drake.edu/centers/default.aspx?pageID=aboutConLawCtr
National Training Center for Public Service Attorneys - Hosts NITA conference for public service attorneys annually
Public Interest Clinics
Advanced Criminal Defense ClinicAdvanced Criminal Defense Clinic
Children's Rights Clinic
Criminal Law Clinic
Elder Law Clinic
General Civil Practice Clinic
Externships/Internships
Over a dozen, including: Prosecutor, Environmental Law, Federal Public Defender, Ethics, Insurance, Independent, Probate, Securities, U. S. Attorney's Office, Administrative Law and Judicial Clerkships.
Classes with a Public Service Component
- First-year Trial Practicum
- Environmental Litigation.
Public Interest Journals
Constitutional Law Symposium Issues 52 and 53 Drake Law Review (2004 and 2005)Drake Journal of Agricultural Law (Volume 9, No. 3, 2004) and (Volume 10, No. 1, 2005)
Public Interest Career Assistance
The new Director and Assistant Director were not hired until after the 2005 academic year. However, during 2004-2005, students were provided with individual counseling, public interest employer panels, and group meetings regarding funding opportunities for summer. In addition, students had access to a full resource library of public interest opportunties. Students also attended off-campus public interest job fairs.
Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAP)
The Law School is committed to 6 full-tuition Public Service scholarships each year (2 for students in each class, 1L, 2L, and 3L) and to 4 three-quarter tuition Public Service scholarship each year (2 for students in each of the 2L and 3L classes).
Post-Graduate Fellowships/Awards
Law School Funded:
The Law School is committed to 6 full-tuition Public Service scholarships each year (2 for students in each class, 1L, 2L, and 3L) and to 4 three-quarter tuition Public Service scholarship each year (2 for students in each of the 2L and 3L classes).
Graduate Student Funded:
Other Funding Sources:
Term Time Fellowships/Scholarships
Law School Funded:
Drake University committed $100,000 in Federal Work Study funds for Community Service in 2006 and 2007.
Graduate Student Funded:
Other Funding Sources:
Summer Fellowships
Law School Funded:
Since 1997, the law school has secured grant funding to support a Summer Poverty Law internship. This grant provides paid internship opportunities for nine Drake law students in 2005 with Legal Services Corporation offices in Iowa and with local and state agencies representing children in need of assistance. In the summer of 2005, interns had full-time work (400 hr.) at $15 per hour. The internship qualifies under the Iowa Supreme Court Student Practice Rule as law school-supervised academic experiences because of faculty supervision; however, because students are paid through grant funds, the students do not receive academic credit. In addition, for more than ten years, the Law School has committed scholarship funds to support summer public interest internships. For the summer of 2005, the law school authorized scholarship funding to support four externships and three Legal Clinic Howard Fellows internships. The externships permit work in a range of public interest programs anywhere in U.S.
On June 19 the Iowa Supreme Court awarded $52,000 in IOLTA grant funds to the Drake and University of Iowa Law Schools (split equally) to support the Summer Poverty Law Program for FY 2007. This grant serves as the “match” for the Federal Work Study funds. In the summer of 2007, eleven Drake Law School interns will have full-time work at $15 per hour for seven weeks with Legal Services Corporation offices in Iowa, and many of these internships will continue during the academic year. Another half dozen Drake law students participated in similar paid summer 2007 internships with the Iowa Attorney General and other public service agencies funded through the Federal Work Study monies.
In addition to the federal work study funds secured by the school, the Law School's, Agricultural Law Center secured federal funds that supported an additional eight interns with stipends of $2,500.
Graduate Student Funded:
Other Funding Sources:
Since 1997, the law school has secured grant funding to support a Summer Poverty Law internship. This grant provides paid internship opportunities for nine Drake law students in 2005 with Legal Services Corporation offices in Iowa and with local and state agencies representing children in need of assistance. In the summer of 2005, interns had full-time work (400 hr.) at $15 per hour. The internship qualifies under the Iowa Supreme Court Student Practice Rule as law school-supervised academic experiences because of faculty supervision; however, because students are paid through grant funds, the students do not receive academic credit. In addition, for more than ten years, the Law School has committed scholarship funds to support summer public interest internships. For the summer of 2005, the law school authorized scholarship funding to support four externships and three Legal Clinic Howard Fellows internships. The externships permit work in a range of public interest programs anywhere in U.S.
Extracurricular and Co-Curricular Programs
Bi-weekly Public Service Scholarship Program speakers The Dwight D. Opperman Lecture Series
Bi-weekly Public Service Scholarship Program speakers
Constitutional Law Symposium
Agricultural Law Symposium
Student Public Interest Groups
American Constitution SocietyAsian Pacific American Law Student Association
DAPIL
Drake Law Democrats
Drake Law Outlaws
Drake Law Republicans
Drake Law Women
Environmental Law Society
Hispanic Law Student Association
International Law Society
National Black Law Student Association
Public Interest Scholars
Student Bar Association
Student United for Consumer Advocacy
Students United for Consumer Advocacy
The Federalist Society
