Emory University School of Law
Emory University
Emory University School of Law
1301 Clifton Road
Gambrell Hall
Atlanta, GA 30322
www.law.emory.edu
Law School Pro Bono Programs
Contact Information
Janette B. Pratt,Administrative Professor for Field Placement
Emory University School of Law
Atlanta, GA 30322
404-727-6785
jpratt@law.emory.edu
Category Type
Formal Voluntary Pro Bono Program characterized by a referral system with a coordinator
Description of Program
Students are encouraged to undertake pro bono projects. Those who accrue 25 hours of pro bono work over the year are recognized at a ceremony in the spring. Those who work 75 hours over three years are recognized at graduation with pro bono medals. Pro bono opportunities are posted on the public interest web page or may be initiated by student groups. Students submit pro bono hours on a timesheet to the coordinator, Professor Pratt.
Location of Program
The program is coordinated by Professor Pratt, Director of the Field Placement Program.
Staffing/Management/Oversight
Professor Pratt oversees the program with assistance from her program assistant and from student research assistants.
Funding
Law school budget
Student Run Pro Bono Groups/Specialized Law Education Projects
The Emory Public Interest Committee is a student-led organization that coordinates a wide variety of public interest/pro bono activities. In addition the Homeless Advocacy Project provides legal assistance to the homeless population of Atlanta under the supervision of attorneys at the Georgia Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty. The Immigrant Assistance Project seeks to provide information on federal immigration laws and policies to members of the Emory University community and those individuals seeking asylum, temporary or permanent residency or citizenship in the United States. Student Legal Services provides free legal counseling to current Emory students, staff and faculty.
Faculty and Administrative Pro Bono
Awards/Recognition
Pro bono: Annual recognition ceremony and medals at graduation for students meeting the pro bono hour requirement. Public Service: The Dean's Public Service Awards recognize at graduation up to ten students who have distinguished themselves through activities undertaken on behalf of the public interest either at the law school or in the wider community.
The Public Interest Advisory Group selects a third year student each year as the recipient of an award recognizing outstanding public service.
Community Service
Service Juris - For this day, Atlanta's legal community teams up for a day of service. Teams from Atlanta law firms, law schools, courts and bar associations join together to accomplish a project, such as beautifying a neighborhood charter school. The Student Bar Association sponsors annually the collection of holiday gifts for area homeless children.
Black Law Students Association sponsors an annual blood drive in February as part of Black History Month.
Legal Association for Women Students sponsors an annual fundraiser to aid a local rape crisis center and battered women's shelter.
Law School Public Interest Programs
Back to top
Contact Information
Sue McAvoyPublic Interest Advisor
Office of Career Services
404-727-5503
smcavoy@law.emory.edu
Certificate/Curriculum Programs
Suggested public interest curriculum provided to Emory law students; for more information see www.law.emory.edu/pi.
Public Interest Centers
Project on Affordable Housing and Community Development - Seminar where students researched and worked on numerous issues within the general rubric of affordable housing and community development for class credit, pay and pro bono work.
Public Interest Clinics
Barton Child Law and Policy Clinic Indigent Criminal Defense
Juvenile Defender Clinic
Turner Environmental Law Clinic
Externships/Internships
Second- and third-year students students in the field placement program are placed as interns with public service organizations such as the ACLU, Atlanta Legal Aid, Georgia Legal Services, the Southern Center for Human Rights, the Georgia Center for Law in the Public Interest, Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers, and the Pro Bono Partnership Atlanta. Third-year students may be placed with a district attorney, a public defender, or with the U.S. attorney's office and may try cases under supervision pursuant to local, state, or federal rules. All of these internships receive 3 credits. These placements are carefully selected, monitored, and evaluated by the administrative professor for field placement in order to provide practical lawyering experiences with the supervision of highly qualified and experienced attorneys. Students integrate substantive learning with the practice of law and develop their legal skills through exposure to many different kinds of law practice.
Classes with a Public Service Component
Federal Housing Policies and Homelessness
Public Interest Journals
For a complete list, visit www.law.emory.edu/pi.
Public Interest Career Assistance
The school offers a variety of support services including:
- Public Interest Job Search Program (for 2Ls/3Ls in September; for 1Ls in November) -- Introduces students to the public interest job search process, including an explanation of the wide selection of resources at the Career Services Office. Students also learn about job search strategies, summer job ideas, funding, networking, and much more. This program is available only to Emory Law School students
- Extensive public interest careers materials available
- Staff support provided to EPIC - Emory Public Interest Committee
- Co-sponsor (with EPIC) Public Interest Mentor Program
- Facilitate students' participation in federal work study program
- Post public sector job listings on-line for students and alumni
-
Georgia Law School Consortium Public Sector Career Fair -- This career fair is geared specifically towards students searching for public interest jobs. It is co-sponsored by the Emory Public Interest Committee (EPIC) and three other Georgia law schools. The career fair generally takes place in February.
For a description, please see http://www.law.emory.edu/cms/site/fileadmin/uploads/plandescription.pdfLoan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAP)
Law School Funded:Post-Graduate Fellowships/Awards The Barton Child Law and Policy Clinic offers a two-year post-graduate public interest fellowship to a law school graduate who is one to three years out of law school.
Graduate Student Funded:
Other Funding Sources:
Law School Funded:Term Time Fellowships/Scholarships Graduate Student Funded:
Other Funding Sources:
Law School Funded:Summer Fellowships Yes.
Graduate Student Funded:
Yes
Other Funding Sources:
Fellowships are funded through outside contributions solicited by students from individuals, firms and corporations and are matched by the Law School.
Also, the Emory Summer Child Advocacy Program that places students in child advocacy offices in Georgia is 100% funded by federal grants under the Childrens' Justice Act.
Public Interest Dinner Series - A select group of 1st Year students have dinner with the Public Interest Advisory Group to learn about particular public interest topics and opportunities.Extracurricular and Co-Curricular Programs Brown Bag Lunch Series - Sponsored by the Emory Public Interest Committee, this lunch series has guest speakers on a public interest topic.
Public Interest Conference - A one-day public interest conference in the fall with panels arranged on a public interest theme.
American Constitution SocietyStudent Public Interest Groups Emory Public Interest Committee
Student Legal Services
