For a definition of this sub-category, click here.

Albany Law School: Albany Law School

Homeless Assistance Project - This project assists residents of a homeless shelter by preparing for, and representing them at, hearings to appeal home relief denials. Members of the law school's clinical and non-clinical faculty supervise the students.

Veterans Legal Assistance Project - Students assist clients of the Albany VA Medical Center with any legal problems they may have. The students have their own office space at the medical center and are supervised by members of the law school clinical faculty, non-clinical faculty, and other students.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program - During the tax season, student volunteers provide free income tax assistance to the disadvantaged.

American University: Washington College of Law

Action for Human Rights - Organizes several experiential learning projects throughout the year, as well as the annual Alternative Spring Break trip in which students spend a week providing pro bono services to underserved populations outside of the DC area.

Clinical Program Translators - Students provide translation services to clients of WCL's clinical programs and help explain the legal concepts involved in each client's case.

Genocide Teaching Project - Students visit area high schools to educate students about the genocide in Rwanda and the rule of law.

Marshall-Brennan Fellows - Marshall-Brennan Fellows, named in honor of the late United States Supreme Court Justices Thurgood Marshall and William J. Brennan, are selected in a process that seeks to identify second- and third-year students who have excelled in constitutional law and have a passion for teaching young people. These Fellows teach a course on constitutional rights and responsibilities in Washington, D.C. public high schools. The course is called "We the Students" and is based on a casebook authored by WCL Professor, Jamin Raskin, entitled We the Students: Supreme Court Cases For and About America's Students. The course focuses on Supreme Court cases that directly affect the lives of high school students and includes a special curriculum about the history of voting rights with an intensive focus on problems of political representation for citizens living in D.C.

Street Law - Students teach legal rights and concepts to low-income community members and high school students.

Students United - Students are involved with several aspects at Oak Hill, DC's detention facility for juveniles. Work ranges from representation at disciplinary hearings to one-on-one tutoring to beautification projects. Legal work is supervised by lawyers not on staff or faculty at the law school. The project has no budget but has received a large amount of publicity for its work within the District.

UNCAT Participation - Selected students conduct legal research, draft documents and accompany Dean Claudio Grossman to participate in and attend meetings of the United Nations Committee Against Torture in Geneva each fall.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA)- Students help area Washington residents with their tax forms on a walk-in basis. An initial training is conducted in the school's library by local area practitioners. Advice is given at a downtown library convenient to those who need the service. Members of the law school's clinical and non-clinical faculty provide supervision for the students. About 75 students participate each year.

Appalachian School of Law: Appalachian School of Law

A weekly conflict resolution program in the Buchanan County elementary schools, using the curriculum designed by Streetlaw, Inc. Peer mediation is a large part of the conflict resolution program. The program provides training in the skills necessary for children and adults to resolve interpersonal conflicts peacefully, without having to have someone else decide the outcome of the conflict. Law students selected for the program receive 14 hours formal training in conflict resolution and teaching skills.

Town of Grundy Buchanan County Project. Law students work on projects of interest to the local government. Past projects have included analysis of the economic impact of the Law School; review of the Army Corps of Engineers Proposal for Grundy Non-Structural Flood Control Project; research on the path of the proposed bike trail to determine property acquisition and/or easements for the ISTEA grant; assistance with national media coverage; and review of Industrial Development Authority contracts.

Appalachian Agency for Senior Citizens. Law students have assisted in the development of a Legal Services Resource Guide for older adults and their family members with valuable information about legal issues that affect personal autonomy.

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program through which students work as child advocates in the Virginia and Kentucky legal systems. The students receive guardian ad litem (GAL) training.

Students may submit a proposal for approval of a project to Ms. O'Quin.

Arizona State University: Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law

ACLU at ASU – The ACLU Pro Bono Organization works with the Arizona Civil Liberties Union to provide legal research and assistance to protect and preserve civil liberties. This program offers students the opportunity to work with volunteer lawyers in the community on current civil liberties issues projects and litigation.

Advocacy Program for Battered Women – Students assist attorneys in providing legal information and referrals to domestic violence victims at 8 valley women's shelters.

Arizona Justice Project – Volunteers assist in reviewing criminal cases to determine whether there is a possibility of overturning convictions.

AZ Attorney General Satellite Outreach Project – The Community Services Program of the Office of the Attorney General includes satellite offices throughout Arizona. As the first university-based office, student volunteers (including non-law students) make it easier for the public to access information on consumer fraud, civil and victims' rigthts, and other matters affecting our most vulnerable members of the community and the general public.

Black Mesa Trust Legal Project – The Black Mesa Trust is a non-profit corporation dedicated to preserving the water resources of the Navajo and Hopi people. Black Mesa Trust is an organization born out of concern for the depleting water supply and its long range implications on the health and viability of the Black Mesa ecosystem and native people.

Crime Victims' Legal Assistance Project – Students work in conjunction with attorneys to provide legal advice to victims of crimes.

Criminal Defense Mentor and Pro Bono Program – This program represents an alliance between students attending ASU College of Law and the Maricopa County Public Defender's Office. Students generally work on specific case assignments independantly, or may work as a group on a large-scale project.

De Colores – Students assist attorneys in providing legal information at domestic violence shelters. Spanish speakers preferred. This program is coordinated by the Chicano/Latino Law Student Association.

Disability Law Project – The purpose of the Disability Law Pro Bono Project is to consider all matters of legal interest that relate to the subject of Disability Law and the Disabled in Law.

Elder Law Project – The Elder Law Pro Bono Project works with the Arizona Attorney General's Office, the Governor's Advisory Council on Aging, local and regional centers that assist the elderly, and local law firms. The project provides legal research assistance to help educate senior citizens regarding their legal rights and help prevent them from becoming victims of fraud, as well as provide assistance with legal documents, such as living wills.

Eloy INS Detention Center Project – Students teach immigrants detained by the Immigration and Naturalization Service how they can represent themselves in immigration court. This program is coordinated by the Chicano/Latino Law Student Association.

Employment Law Project – The goal of this group is to educate both employees and employers about their respective rights in the workplace, as well as work with the EEOC in advocacy work, educational seminars, and research.

Family Lawyers Assistance Project – FLAP provides assistance to individuals who are representing themselves in family court matters such as paternity, child support, divorce, and custody.

Guardian Ad Litem – Law stduents work in conjunction with volunteer attorneys through the Children's Law Center.

Homeless Legal Assistance Project – Volunteers work with staff at the shelters to identify residents' legal needs. Students interview residents to screen their needs before presenting them to valley-wide attorney volunteers. Attorneys address the residents' concerns by providing advice, referring them to outside resources, or assigning research projects to the students. Volunteers follow up as needed to help the clients resolve their issues. The Homeless Legal Assistance project also provides non-legal assistance by sponsoring various food, clothing and necessity drives as well as other projects.

Junior Law – Students present cases heard by the U.S. Supreme Court to 7th and 8th grade students.

Street Law – Sudents teach law-related courses to local inner-city junior high and high school students. These programs are coordinated by the Black Law Students Association and the Chicano/Latino Law Student Association.

Student Animal Legal Defense Organization – SALDO is dedicated to preventing animal abuse through legal action. Students help attorneys with research, litigation, and lobbying. They work on projects that help companion, wildlife, and laboratory animals. SALDO members also help organize CLEs on animal law.

Students for Reproductive Rights – Our mission is to join students with community leaders to work for the protection of reproductive rights including but not limited to sexual education, contraception, abortion, and access to clinics such as Planned Parenthood.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) – VITA is sponsored by the American Bar Association Law Student Division. Training for the student volunteers is conducted by certified public accountants. VITA volunteers from the College of Law assist taxpayers in preparing their tax returns. Most of the taxpayers are ASU students, including many foreign students, and local community members.

Volunteer Legal Assistance for Artists – Created from an identified need in the community, this project will provide free online information for artists and those affiliated with artists, such as managers, curators, and venue owners. http://www.ArtsAdvocacy.org

Ave Maria: School of Law

Barry University: School of Law

Baylor University: Baylor University Law School

Boston College: Boston College Law School

The public interest student organizations listed below (see: “Student Public Interest Groups”) occasionally create pro bono opportunities.

Shelter Legal Services Foundation at Boston College provides pro bono, and often emergency, legal services to the homeless, veterans and low-income women. Students from BC Law and four other Boston-area law schools work together to operate five weekly legal clinics in Boston and Cambridge. Working directly with clients, students handle client-counseling & interviewing, legal research & writing and representation at hearings. Under the direction of staff attorneys and practicing attorneys who volunteer, students handle a variety of legal issues including, housing, child support, social security benefits, immigration and bankruptcy.

The Post-Deportation Human Rights Project, based at the Center for Human Rights and International Justice at Boston College, is a pilot program designed to address the harsh effects of current U.S. deportation policies. The Project aims to conceptualize an entirely new area of law, providing direct representation to individuals who have been deported and promoting the rights of deportees and their family members through research, policy analysis, human rights advocacy, and training programs. Through participatory action research carried out in close collaboration with community-based organizations, the Project addresses the psycho-social impact of deportation on individuals, families, and communities and provides legal and technical assistance to facilitate community responses. The ultimate aim of the Project is to advocate, in collaboration with affected families and communities, for fundamental changes that will introduce proportionality, compassion, and respect for family unity into U.S. immigration laws and bring these laws into compliance with international human rights standards.

Immigration service trips have been a part of Boston College Law School since 1988. Each year a group of Boston College Law students spend their spring break week volunteering with immigration legal aid providers around the country. In 2008, thirty-nine students worked at ten different host organizations in eight cities, all of which provide legal assistance to persons in detention as a result of immigration matters and who are currently facing deportation. The Immigration Spring Break Trips which have been student-run and coordinated since 1988. In order to fund the Immigration Trips, students worked throughout the year to fundraise. All funds were once again matched this year by a generous contribution from the Law School Fund.

Navajo Nation Spring Break trip is organized by the Native American Law Student Association. A group of students spent spring break week working at five placements within the Navajo Nation. The placements included: Navajo Nation Department of Justice, Community & Economic Development; Navajo Nation Department of Justice, Government and Human Services; Navajo Nation Supreme Court; Office of the Public Defender; and Navajo Nation District Court.

New Orleans Spring Break trip. Students work for the week at various placements in New Orleans.

Boston College Law School has a strong commitment to pro bono and in addition to encouraging law students to participate in pro bono, the school organizes pro bono opportunities for alumni. In 2008 and 2009, alumni and students volunteered at housing court to provide one-day legal assistance for people who could not afford to hire an attorney but had a critical need for help.

Boston University: Boston University School of Law

Shelter Legal Services

Law students interview clients and manage civil legal cases, under the supervision of an attorney, at one of four weekly legal clinics. Clients need help on a variety of issues, including family law, housing, disability, unemployment and immigration.

Children and the Law Society

The mission of Children and the Law is to foster an awareness of the legal issues facing children, and explore how the law and lawyers can best advocate for the welfare of all children. The group sponsors presentations from experts in the field and helps BU Law students find opportunities in Boston-area juvenile advocacy programs. For more information please write to childlaw@bu.edu.

Massachusetts Transgender Legal Advocates

Massachusetts Transgender Legal Advocates is a small group of law students and lawyers committed to addressing the needs of low income transgender people in Massachusetts. MTLA recognizes that a lack of public awareness about trans people can make it difficult to navigate the legal system. Our legal team is composed of trans folks and their significant others, family, and friends. To contact the project: transgenderlegaladvocates@gmail.com (or leave us a voicemail message at 617-450-1353).

Student Hurricane Network

For the past two years BU Law has sponsored a pro bono volunteer trip to New Orleans during Spring Break. Students have worked with various legal organizations including; the New Orleans District Attorney’s Office, the FEMA Trailer Survey and Mapping Project, The New Orleans public Defenders Office and the Louisiana Justice Institute.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program

Veterans Advocacy Project

The Veterans’ Advocacy Network is partnering with the Massachusetts Bar Association to connect veterans with volunteer lawyers trained by the MBA in veterans’ benefits law. The intake assistance project is an opportunity for law students to help with this effort. Students will receive training where they will learn some basics of veterans’ benefits law and how to conduct an initial client interview. Trained students will be supervised and staff the MBA’s phone lines on specific days conducting intake interviews for veterans with disability claims, or referring them to other sources of legal assistance.

Earthrights International

Brigham Young University: J. Reuben Clark Law School

The law school's student-developed and student-run Pro Bono Alliance matches volunteer students with volunteer attorneys to work on pro bono cases provided by a local legal services organization.

The student-run Community Law Help for Immigrants program does regular intake and screening of legal problems for local immigrant populations.

The student-run LawHelp phone line allows people in need of legal assistance to schedule appointments for the local bar association's Tuesday Night Bar program.

Brooklyn Law School: Brooklyn Law School

Brooklyn Law School Students Against Domestic Violence -- This organization is dedicated to providing legal assistance to battered women. The Battered Women's Project organizes and staffs a legal helpline that provides domestic violence victims with information on legal action and referrals to social agencies. Students work closely with practicing attorneys. Students also work with attorneys on pro bono cases for indigent battered women dealing with issues such as divorce and custody

California Western: California Western School of Law

The California Innocence Project. This law school volunteer program operates out of the Institute for Criminal Defense Advocacy of California Western School of Law, directed by Justin Brooks, 225 Cedar Street, San Diego, CA 92101, (619) 525-1485, fax: (619) 615-1443, jbrooks@cwsl.edu. Students work alongside practicing criminal defense lawyers to seek the release of wrongfully convicted prisoners in California. The law students assist in the investigation of cases where there is strong evidence of innocence, write briefs in those cases, and advocate in all appropriate forums for the release of the project's clients. Training is provided by faculty.

Street Law San Diego. In California Western's Street Law Program, second and third year law students teach local high school students about aspects of the law that they will need to know as teenagers and as they become adults. Topics range from how laws are made and administered, to specific issues in criminal law, criminal procedure, juvenile justice, and the First Amendment.

Law High. Since 1991, California Western School of Law has partnered with inner city San Diego public schools on this program. The "motivation has been to reach out to minority and other populations who are unlikely to believe that either law school or higher education is open to them." The goal of the program is to "encourage the students to learn to have aspirations for themselves, to take control of their lives and their futures, and to set higher educational goals than they might on their own." CWSL students have a central role as Law High mentors. "They have planned the program, acted as role models, and offered guidance and an ear for the younger students." Sessions last two hours and are held at the high school, at the law school, and at the federal courthouse. Approximately 25 high school students and 25 law students participate. There are exercises, lessons, speakers and an exciting mock trial before a federal judge. Contact: Marion Cloete, Associate Director of Diversity Services, diversity@cwsl.edu.

Campbell University: Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law

Project for Older Prisoners (POPS): the purpose of this group is to evaluate the need for the continued incarceration of tertian older prisoners. Students screen letters for type of offense and acceptance of responsibility. For prisoners who are good candidates for early release, the students prepare a thorough report, which includes input from the victim, to the parole board recommending early release.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program: independent of the IRS, this program provides free tax return preparation to individuals with special needs, such as the elderly, the disabled, the poor, and those who speak little or no English.

Texas Immigration Appeals: Campbell's Law Students Civil Rights Research Council works through the American Bar Association and the Texas State Bar to provide legal assistance, during school breaks, to some of the thousands of applicants for asylum being detained by the Immigration and Naturalization Service in South Texas, pending their asylum hearing. Students are assigned cases and begin their work well before traveling to Texas. After arriving in Texas, the students work under the supervision of licensed attorneys and participate in the INS hearings.

An Innocence Project program is in the initial states of development.

Capital University Law School: Capital University Law School

Case Western Reserve University: Case Western Reserve University Law School

Street Law -- This is a practical program of law-related education aimed at engaging high school students in a critical examination of their rights and responsibilities. It involves law students in discussions surrounding practical legal problems, contemporary legal issues, and the ramifications of breaking the law. The underlying goal of the program is for the young students to gain a sense of belonging to society. The law students, working closely with the teachers, teach at least one to two hours a week for six weeks at a local high school.

Catholic University of America: Columbus School of Law

CUA Innocence Project - The Catholic University of America Chapter of the Innocence Project, affiliated with the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project, was founded in 2002. Members typically are assigned a matter in which they must determine if an actual innocence claim exists. Working closely with the faculty advisor and expert supervising attorneys, student members investigate facts, review trial transcripts and pleadings, and eventually formulate legal arguments which asserts a client's factual innocence. The group meets regularly with a faculty advisor to evaluate the progress of cases and to discuss strategies in proving innocence.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA)- Tax preparation for low-income persons.

Chapman University: Chapman University School of Law

Charleston School of Law: Charleston School of Law

City University of New York: City University of New York Law at Queens College

Asian Pacific American Law Students Association - Organizes student participation in projects of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

Cuba Delegation - Fundraises and sends students on law-related public service trips to Cuba

Domestic Violence Coalition - Runs the Court Advocacy Project in which trained students assist domestic violence survivors seeking protection orders in Family Court.

National Lawyers Guild - Coordinates student involvement in Street Law Project.

The Mississippi Project - Student volunteers work with community and public interest groups in the Mississippi delta during the break between fall and spring semesters.

Cleveland State University: Cleveland-Marshall College of Law

Cleveland Bar Association's Education Initiative - Students, faculty, staff and alumni work in the Cleveland Public high schools on one or more of the following initiatives (law firms and the bar association pick up some of the expenses): 1) Street Law: Law students and volunteer lawyers work with high school teachers to team-teach practical law in the social studies elective called Street Law. 2) Proficiency Exam Preparation: Law Students help prepare students to take the citizenship portion of the state-mandated proficiency exam that students must pass to receive a diploma. 3) City Mock Trial Program: Law students serve as legal advisors to help prepare student teams for competition. Law students also sit with municipal court judges and attorneys to serve as mock trial judges. 4) Mural Project: Law students help high school students paint a mural showcasing their interpretation of the law.

Homeless Legal Assistance Project - Students go to shelters and assist pro bono attorneys in addressing legal issues and rights to homeless people.

International Services Center - Students and alumni provide legal assistance to people seeking asylum to the United States.

Women's Re-Entry Program - Law students work with women recently released from incarceration. Law students conduct intake, make referrals, and assist with legal decisions that the women make concerning housing, custody, employment, criminal, and social security issues.

College of William and Mary: Marshall-Wythe School of Law

Institute of Bill of Rights Law Student Division – Hampton Roads School Program (educational curriculum on Bill of Rights taught in middle and high schools in southeastern Virginia)

Student Legal Services – Referrals to assist with legal needs of members of William & Mary community

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance – Assistance to area residents in preparing tax returns and answering tax-related questions

Columbia University: Columbia University School of Law

Asylum Workshop - Under the direction of the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell, teams of Columbia students prepared the factual record and brief the legal issues involved in complex asylum cases that bring human rights violations from around the world into the U.S. legal arena.

Bringing Human Rights Home Project - Project Director Cynthia Soohoo linked students to various initiatives directed by members of the Bringing Human Rights Home Lawyers' Network. These initiatives employ human rights strategies in domestic advocacy and policy-making, and encourage U.S. compliance with international human rights law. Projects included the New York City Human Rights Initiatives.

Civilian Oversight of Police Project (COPP) - New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) and other lawyers from the NYC Police Roundtable supervised a team of Columbia students advocating on behalf of complainants reporting police misconduct to the Civilian Complaint Review Board. Students interviewed complainants, collected evidence required at their hearings, and represented complainants in front of the CCRB.

Domestic Violence Project - Battered Immigrant Women Project - Participants represented abused immigrant women seeking residency status under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self-petition process. Students are assigned a client and complete the petition from beginning to end, learning skills such as interviewing and drafting affidavits.

Domestic Violence Project - Courtroom Advocates Project - Students served as advocates in Family Court for domestic violence victims. Students helped victims draft and file petitions for Orders of Protection, educated them on their rights and safety precautions, and advocated for them during court appearances. Adjunct Professor Dorchen Leidholdt and Jennifer Friedman (CLS '98) trained and supervised the student advocates.

Domestic Violence Project - Uncontested Divorce Workshop - Students handled uncontested divorces for Sanctuary for Families under the supervision of Linda Lopez. If the divorce is contested, students had the option of assisting the attorney in court.

IMPACT Voter Enfranchisement Project - Participants conducted research on voter protection issues. In partnership with Bronx Defenders, students educated community residents and implemented existing re-enfranchisement procedures.

International Center for Transitional Justice Project - Students performed legal research and writing on many different issues related to strengthening transitional justice. The ICTJ's projects focus on documenting human rights abuses, establishing truth commissions, prosecuting violators, reforming abusive institutions, providing reparations for victims and promoting reconciliation.

Legal Outreach, Inc.'s Mock Trial Program - Students coached junior high school students from School District 5 (mainly Harlem) in competitions that make up a key part of Legal Outreach's effort and curriculum to inspire and prepare young people to go to college. Adjunct Professor James O'Neal guides the coaches.

Manhattan District Attorney's Office - Students assisted ADAs in the investigation, preparation and prosecution of a variety of criminal cases in Manhattan, including larceny, domestic violence, sex crimes, narcotics and homicides.

New York City Law Department Project - Students assisted attorneys in any one of 17 divisions, including Environmental Law, Legal Counsel (counseling City Hall and City agencies), Affirmative Litigation (high-profile litigation commenced by the City), Appeals, Labor & Employment, Economic Development, Juvenile Prosecution, Bankruptcy, and the World Trade Center Unit (defending tort claims brought against the City arising from the WTC attack).

RightsLink - An outgrowth of Columbia's Human Rights Internship Program, the project provides legal documents and research to grassroots organizations throughout the world. Directed by a student board, Columbia students worked with the guidance of Columbia faculty.

Society for Immigrant and Refugee Rights Asylum Intake Project - Students helped attorneys from Catholic Charities conduct intake interviews with asylum seekers, and assisted in all research necessary to determine the viability of client cases.

Special Immigrant Juvenile Case Initiative - Law students trained to interview juveniles went to court to conduct preliminary intake interviews with youth seeking Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status. Students helped lawyers from Legal Aid's Immigration Unit, the Door Legal Services, and Catholic Charities to streamline the intake process for SIJ cases, and track case assignments.

Tenant Rights Project - Students assisted attorneys at the West Side SRO Law Project in improving the housing conditions of low-income tenants in Manhattan Valley and the larger Columbia University community. In addition, students developed a pilot project with HELP USA's Fair Housing Justice Center to involve students in fair housing issues.

U.S. Attorney's Office Project - Students gained first-hand exposure to trial litigation in the public sector. Students worked closely with Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the investigation, preparation, and prosecution of criminal cases in federal court in Manhattan. Depending on the assignment, students helped prosecutors by researching and drafting trial and appellate briefs, and by preparing for hearings or trials.

Unemployment Action Center - A nonprofit, student-run organization where students work with unemployment insurance claimants throughout NYC who are appealing denials of their unemployment compensation. Students interviewed clients, researched applicable law, conducted direct and cross examinations, and gave closing statements before an administrative law judge.

Youth Justice Association - Zero Tolerance Initiative - Law students, under the supervision of lawyers from Queens Legal Services Corporation, represent Queens and Harlem youth who have lost access to schooling as a result of student discipline proceedings and unlawful exclusion from school.

Youth Justice Association -Education Advocacy Project- Students worked with attorneys from the Legal Aid Society-Juvenile Rights Division, specializing in education issues relating to children in foster care, often utilizing the Birth to Three and Early Intervention federal programs. Following training by attorneys, students are assigned individual cases.

Cornell: Cornell Law School

American Constitution Society - Held training sessions for lawyer and law student volunteers who wanted to act as Election Day poll monitors. Several students travelled to Pennsylvania to act as poll monitors on election day.

Students for Marriage Equality - SME is a group dedicated to fighting for marriage equality in the state of New York and to educating the Ithaca community about the legal issues surrounding marriage equality. Several students committed significant volunteer hours helping Ithaca City Attorney Marty Luster research state and federal claims and important civil procedure tactics for how the city could realign itself in the lawsuit to be on the side of the plaintiffs (since the city was a necessary defendant to the initial claim).

Creighton University: School of Law

• Teen Court
• Street Law Program at the Boys and Girls Club
• VITA

DePaul University: College of Law

Community Service Initiative/Louise Project - Community Service projects both in and out of the legal community

SBA Student Service Day - Various community service projects

Drake University: Drake University School of Law

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.

Drexel University: College of Law

SPIN – Student Public Interest Network

Duke University: Duke University School of Law

Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Advocacy Project - Students work with the Durham Crisis Center, volunteer with domestic violence legal aid attorneys, and sponsor awareness programs on domestic violence and sexual assault.

Guardian ad Litem (GAL) - Students are trained by the GAL office and certified by the court to represent children who have allegedly been abused or neglected. (In 2005-2006, a related project started called the Guardian ad Litem Litigation Project.)

Innocence Project - This Project, begun in the fall of 1999, is a collaborative effort with the UNC School of Law. It has grown into a separate non-profit organization, the NC Center on Actual Innocence. The project remains primarily student-run, with faculty advisors from both law schools and a volunteer Executive Director. The students review, investigate and pursue innocence claims of prisoners incarcerated in North Carolina.

Refugee Asylum Support Project (RASP)- Students investigate the conditions in home countries of those seeking asylum in the United States and do other immigration-related projects for organizations serving low-income immigrants.

Street Law Project - Law students teach the Bill of Rights and the American Court System in the Social Studies classes of local high schools and middle schools, as well as other sites such as an alternative school for juvenile defendants and a literacy center.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) - The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program is a student-run project which assists low-income individuals in completing their income tax forms and in claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit. Volunteers are recruited, trained and tested, and provide services from January through April every year.

Emory University: Emory University School of Law

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.

Faulkner University: Thomas Goode Jones School of Law

Each student organization at the law school has a service project for the school year.

Florida A&M University: College of Law

Florida Coastal School of Law: Florida Coastal School of Law

Guardian ad Litem Program

The Prisoner Legal Research Project – This organization is sponsored by FCSL's NAPIL chapter.

The Women's Legal Assistance Pro Bono Project – This group is a partnership of the FCSL's Women Law Students' Association students and the Jacksonville Women Lawyers' Association.

Florida International University: University College of Law

Florida State University: Florida State University College of Law

Fordham University: Fordham University School of Law

Death Penalty Project (DPP) – The DPP was established in August of 1995 to provide a forum for Fordham Law Students to contribute to the New York State and New Jersey capital punishment and criminal justice systems. The DPP focuses on the provision of adequate defense representation to capital defendants, appellants and death row inmates. Student volunteers have worked with the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Capital Defense Office in New York City, the Capital Defense Unit of The Legal Aid Society, and the pro bono department of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. The Project also organizes panels and symposia to educate the Law School community about capital defense representation, capital prosecution, and criminal justice and jurisprudence.

Domestic Violence Advocacy Center (DVAC) – Founded in September of 1993, DVAC became a member in 1997 of the Law School Domestic Violence Consortium of Manhattan (D.V. Consortium). The D.V. Consortium is a project of the Lawyer's Committee Against Domestic Violence. The members of DVAC recognize that domestic violence is a pervasive and ongoing threat to the lives of many women and children. The center is a student-run organization that assists victims of domestic violence with family court matters through two programs: the Courtroom Advocates Project and the Uncontested Divorce Project. In addition to providing legal advocacy, law students also participate in educational and community service activities. The center is run by a student Board of Directors and receives additional support from two supervising attorneys and administrative members of the PIRC.

Family Court Mediation Project (FCMP) – The FCMP was established in January of 1995 by Clinical Professor Jacqueline Nolan-Haley who teaches the Mediation Clinic at the Law School, along with three students who had completed training in the clinic. Currently, the Project is located in Bronx Family Court and functions as an autonomous and self-contained mediation service for the people of the Bronx. The FCMP is designed to provide necessary custody and visitation mediation services to the public free of charge. As a secondary goal, the project educates and disseminates information to the public about mediation. Trainings for student mediators are conducted with the participation of Fordham Law School clinical and adjunct professors. These same professors supervise the student mediators.

For more information on all groups, please see http://law.fordham.edu/ihtml/pirc-2stugrou.ihtml?id=281

Housing Advocacy Project (HAP) – HAP is dedicated to providing law students with the opportunity to advocate for the rights of low-income tenants in public housing in New York City. The Project was founded in the summer of 1994 by two second year law students working in conjunction with several professors, the Director of the PIRC, and the Managing Attorney of a local community Legal Services Office. Student advocates are trained to represent tenants at New York City Housing Authority eviction and eligibility hearings.

Immigration Advocacy Project (IAP) – IAP provides assistance to people seeking help with immigration related matters. Students work in conjunction with attorneys at the Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights to provide individual assistance to people who are applying for asylum or refugee status. Plans for the future include providing assistance in the areas of: applying for naturalized citizenship, applying for resident alien status or for a green card, or seeking other information or assistance related to their own or their family's immigration issues.

Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center Children's Law Project (LSNCCLP) - Through a generous seed grant from Leonard J. Fassler, an alumnus from the class of 1958, the Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center Children's Law Project trains Fordham law students to teach concepts of law, citizenship and literacy to young children - 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders - in an after-school program run by the Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center. During the course of the 1999-2000 academic year, the Fordham law students taught 4 classes including nearly 50 elementary school students in the after-school program. The LSNCCLP program culminated with a mock trial program followed by a graduation ceremony.

Police Misconduct Action Network (PMAN) - PMAN is a joint collaboration between the PIRC, the Law School's Crowley Program in International Human Rights, and the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU). Founded last year in response to the Abner Louima incident, PMAN seeks to address the issue of police misconduct as both a domestic human rights and a civil rights issue. The PMAN group is comprised of students who work with victims of police misconduct at the NYCLU office to help them have their complaints heard and addressed by the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) and other appropriate authorities.

Unemployment Action Center (UAC) - The UAC is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of unemployed persons and has over 400 members at five New York area law schools. Students are trained as advocates to represent people at unemployment insurance hearings, as counselors for hearings, and as writers of appeals briefs.

Franklin Pierce Law Center: Franklin Pierce Law Center

Black Law Student Alliance and Hispanic Law Student Alliance – These two student organizations set up an Immigration Law pro bono project where law student volunteers assist with intake and client interviews at a local immigration agency.

George Mason University: School of Law

George Washington University: George Washington University Law School

Organizations devoted to performing pro bono services in the community include:

• Amnesty International Legal Support Group - The Legal Support Group sponsors activities that include working for the release of imprisoned lawyers and other prisoners of conscience with legal concerns. This involves distributing human rights information at the law school and coordinating student letter-writing to government officials for the release of prisoners of conscience and to members of Congress for passage of laws supporting human rights.
• The National Lawyers Guild Chapter - Among other activities, students act as legal observers at demonstrations held in the Washington, DC area.
• Street Law - Law students teach classes about legal topics at a local high school or middle school during the academic year. The group may engage in other activities, such as organizing an after school program or an end-of-semester mock trial in which local students will take an active part.
• Project for Older Prisoners -- Students assist low-risk prisoners over the age of 55 to help them obtain paroles, pardons, or alternative forms of incarceration. Students can also volunteer to work on a project to introduce recycling and environmental industries in prisons.

Other student organizations have worked with various organizations in town. As examples,

• Members of the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association and the South Asian Law Student Association have performed "hotline" phone intake and other tasks for the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center, which serves members of the Asian population in Washington, DC.
• Members of the Equal Justice Foundation have recently been involved in a statutory research project for the Juvenile Justice Advisory Group for the District of Columbia.

For more information, see http://www.law.gwu.edu/Resources/Student+Organizations.htm.

If students want to create a "formal" pro bono group project such as "Street Law," there are channels through which groups gain "formalized" status that is recognized by the Law School and the Student Bar Association. Currently, however, the pro bono program does not place a particular emphasis on having students form "new pro bono group projects." Rather, students are encouraged to perform pro bono on their own or as part of pre-existing student groups, such as the Equal Justice Foundation.

Georgetown University: Georgetown University Law Center

American Constitution Society– Recruited student volunteers on the Election Protection Hotline run by the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights under Law to answer questions by voters on election day. www.law.georgetown.edu/stuaff/orgs.cfm

Amnesty International Court Monitoring Project – AI engages in advocacy and pro bono work on human rights. www.law.georgetown.edu/stuaff/orgs.cfm

Asian Pacific American Law Students Association – Volunteer work with the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center. http://www.law.georgetown.edu/stuaff/orgs.cfm

The Innocence Project – Assists incarcerated individuals seeking to prove their innocence on the basis of DNA or other physical evidence. Website: www.law.georgetown.edu/stuaff/orgs.cfm

Golden Gate University: School of Law

LALSA- Students staff a monthly Workers Rights Clinic through La Raza Centro Legal.

VITA - Tax LLM students help low-income clients with tax returns every April.

Gonzaga University: Gonzaga University School of Law

Gonzaga Journal of International Law – CLE - Strategies for Effectively Defending Immigrant Clients

Hamline University: Hamline University School of Law

MJF Student Chapter – MJF staff, legal services attorneys and alternative learning center teachers train law students to teach low-income, at-risk high school students their basic legal rights, responsibilities and resources. In addition, Hamline students teach Street Law in Duluth over their Spring Break.

Harvard University: Harvard Law School

Advocates for Education – Advocates for Education (A4E) is a student organization that brings together educators, policymakers, scholars, and advocates to raise awareness about, and contribute to a greater understanding of issues in public education law and policy.

In collaboration with Harvard Law School’s Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative (TLPI),students will have the opportunity to lead trainings for parents in the community on the ways that exposure to domestic violence can impact a child’s learning at school and on parents’ rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Periodically, A4E publishes a policy brief covering a range of policy issues in education. Past issues have discussed special education legislation, trauma-related behavior, resegregation, the use of "under God" in the pledge of allegiance, and the No Child Left Behind Act.

BLSA Street Law– Street Law is run by the Black Law Student Association at HLS and sends BLSA members into schools, community centers, and juvenile detention facilities to discuss different aspects of the law, basic rights, and educational opportunities that may be available to the students (youth).

Federalist Society – HLS Federalist Society provides a libertarian and conservative voice on campus and by sponsoring speeches and debates on a range of legal and policy issues. There is a student pro bono chair who helps facilitate pro bono placements with non-profit advocacy groups such as the Institute for Justice and with government agencies.

Harvard Defenders – The Harvard Defenders is a student-run, student practice legal services organization that is dedicated to providing quality legal representation to people with low income in criminal show-cause hearings and welfare fraud investigations. Students also participate in the Suffolk Lawyers for Justice Program, in which they assist a local public defender on one case.

Harvard Immigration Project – HIP’s goals are to: advocate for positive changes in U.S. immigration law with an emphasis on protecting immigrant’s rights; provide a forum for Harvard Law students interested in immigration law and policy, and to raise the profile on campus of immigration policy issues; bring together students who are interested in doing academic research for the purpose of exchanging ideas and critiques; to provide professional networking opportunities for students interested in immigration law; and to aid immigration law practitioners by providing student translators.

Harvard Mediation Program – The Mediation Program serves the greater Boston community by providing volunteer mediators in six area district courts, resulting in almost 400 mediated cases per year. Mediations are conducted in the areas of small claims, landlord-tenant, criminal, civil and parent-child cases. HMP works collaboratively with other community mediation programs such as Metropolitan Mediation Services in Brookline.

HLS Advocates for Human Rights – HLS Advocates sponsors and develops specific projects for students to engage in human rights advocacy; works with civil society organizations to represent the interests of victims of human rights violations; and encourages networking and social interaction among students interested in human rights, including trainings and conferences. 150 student members are organized into regional teams.

HLS Democrats – In 2004, approximately 30 students worked as a team to compile daily summaries of all election-law related news articles in swing states, and sent them to the Kerry and DNC legal teams in Washington, DC. It conducted legal research and prepared briefs for the Kerry legal teams in Florida and New Hampshire.

Sixty students were trained and traveled to swing states leading up to and on election day to do poll monitoring and other legal-related work, with over 40 going to New Hampshire, approximately 10 going to Florida, 10 going to Pennsylvania, and 5 going to Ohio.

HLS TaxHelp – HLS TaxHelp provides low-income, elderly, and handicapped residents in Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville with free, confidential tax assistance in preparing state and federal tax returns.

Just Democracy – Founded at Harvard Law School, Just Democracy is a non-partisan network of nearly 50 chapters of law schools from more than 30 states across the country. Harvard held a major conference of leaders of these chapters with voting rights experts. On Election Day 2004, JD-Harvard volunteers were present at local polling places in the greater Cambridge area while other JD volunteers served sites around the US.

Kids in the Court – Kids In the Court (KITC) teaches children in local middle schools about the law and constitutional rights through mock trials in which students act as lawyers, litigants, and witnesses.

Prison Legal Assistance Project – A student-run clinical program in which students represent inmates in Massachusetts state prisons, including prisoners charged with violating prison regulations and prisoners facing parole revocation or rescission.

Recording Artists Project – Recording Artists Project (RAP) offers pro bono counsel to musicians and artists in matters including copyright and trademark registration, and the negotiation and drafting of contracts related to music production, management, performance, licensing and merchandising.

Students Organized for the Prevention of Domestic Violence – STOPDV is an organization dedicated to the assistance of domestic violence victims through advocacy, community outreach, and education. Students provide domestic violence support, legal research, and crisis counseling.

Tenant Advocacy Project – A student practice organization dedicated to representing residents of publicly subsidized housing before local housing authorities, including tenants who are facing eviction or who have been denied admission to public housing or a subsidy program.

Hofstra University: Hofstra University School of Law

Domestic Violence Courtroom Advocates Program (DVCAP) – The Domestic Violence Courtroom Advocates Project is a unique program that recruits, trains, supervises and mentors law students to fill the gap in advocacy, education and services in New York City's Family Courts. Volunteers receive training and assistance from the legal staff at Sanctuary for Families, one of New York's oldest and largest providers of social services for battered women. Student advocates interview domestic violence victims and help them draft their petitions; accompany petitioners when they appear before family court judges; and assist them in requesting appropriate relief from the court, such as exclusion of the batterer from the home or temporary child support. Student advocates accompany petitioners to court on their adjourn dates and assist them with their cases as they move forward. Student advocates also provide safety planning and referrals to community resources, such as shelters and counseling.

Unemployment Action Center (UAC) – The Unemployment Action Center (UAC) is a non-profit, student-run corporation that offers free advice and representation to persons denied unemployment benefits. Currently, Hofstra Law School's UAC Chapter has approximately 50 student advocates. The UAC has developed a comprehensive training program and training materials which guide new advocates through the intake, interview, and representation process. UAC advocates represent claimants at hearings by researching law, conducting direct- and cross-examinations, and arguing claimants' cases. During the summer, full-time summer advocates are hired through on-campus work-study positions. Hofstra is one of only 5 area law schools to have a UAC chapter and is the only NYC area UAC chapter outside of Manhattan.

Street Law – Street Law is a law school-based, law-related education program. Street Law enables students to interact with high school students, teen parents, juvenile delinquents, or other community members, and teach them the basics of law and human rights necessary for survival in our law-saturated society. The curriculum may include case studies, role-plays, small group exercises, and visual analysis activities. This methodology allows citizens to take an active role in their own education while bringing about a greater sense of justice, tolerance and fairness. Ultimately, Street Law aims to develop a citizen's willingness and ability to resolve disputes through informal (non-judicial) and, where necessary, formal mechanisms. Street Law carries out its activities at 3 local institutions: Momma's House (a home for teenage mothers, where the lessons focus on parenting rights, custody rights, governmental rights, etc. involving children, abuse and neglect and landlord/tenants laws); Planned Parenthood (where the lessons focus on educating young girls about their individual rights and choices); and Port Washington Group Home for Girls (a home for troubled girls).

Amnesty International –The Legal Support Network (LSN) is a national network of volunteer lawyers, law students, judges, and law professors that focuses on the legal aspects of Amnesty International's campaigns. Members of the Hofstra Law School Amnesty International Group may adopt a prisoner of conscience case, participate in urgent actions and help promote all of Amnesty International's objectives.

Howard University: Howard University School of Law

Clemency Project -- Working with representatives from other law schools, students assist in formulating a strategy for clemency for "sixties" era political prisoners in the U.S. Two of the prisoners were granted clemency by President Clinton at the end of December.

Free Legal Advice Clinic -- Students volunteer one Saturday a month helping to provide client intake at the DC Bar's walk-in Advice and Referral Clinics in NW and SE. Students may also sit in with individual lawyers as they assist clients in various areas of poverty law.

Equal Justice in Entertainment Law -- Students work on issues confronting disparity and advancing equal justice in the entertainment, sports and telecommunications law field, interacting with groups such as the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association, National Bar Association Entertainment Law Section, National Association of Black-Owned Broadcasters, International Association of African American Music, and the Black Entertainment and Telecommunications Association.

Environmental Justice Project -- Students assist the National Black Environmental and Economic Justice Coordinating Council with its national campaign to insure equal environmental protection for people victimized by environmental hazards. Students also assist in the monitoring of civil rights complaints filed by communities of color and provide legal assistance in support of these complaints.

Innocence Project -- A collaboration with area attorneys and law schools, the Project addresses issues of innocence in the death penalty. Students will engage in fact investigation, interviewing, and legal research/writing, with the goal of bringing justice to the wrongfully convicted.

Reparations Litigation and Legislative Project -- Students work with the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America, assisting with legal research and writing in support of reparations litigation and legislation.

Community Public Education Seminars, "For Your Legal Health" - EJP coordinates community public education seminars to educate the community on various issues, including employment discrimination, estate planning (wills, trusts & estates), juvenile justice, child support, bankruptcy, worker's compensation, and name change. Local attorneys conduct the sessions with student assistance and involvement.

Legal Observer Program - Law students serve as legal observers for demonstrations common to the Nation's Capitol. Students have served as legal observers for the Million Man March, D.C. Statehood Demonstrations, Jericho March, Nat'l Mobilization Against Police Brutality, NAACP Supreme Court Rally, and Mumia Demonstration.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program - Students participate with VITA, a product of the ABA and IRS, which assists low-income taxpayers, the elderly & disabled.

Street Law Project -- Students teach pre-adjudicated youth at DC Superior Court on Saturdays as part of the Street Law, Inc. "Save Our Streets" Law Program, which targets 13-17 year olds charged with weapon offenses who have been referred to the Program by the Court. As part of the curriculum, HUSL students also impart problem-solving, communication, and conflict resolution skills.

Eastern High School Project -- Students serve as mentors and guest instructors to Eastern's Law and Legal Services Academy, exposing the youth to the Howard Law School environment through shadowing and participation in selected law school events.

Exposing Legal Education (ELE) Program -- Students designed this comprehensive, half-day program to expose DC youth to the opportunities of a legal education. ELE consists of student presentations, a mock class or presentation on a specific legal topic by a faculty member, and a tour of the law school and library.

New pro bono group projects can be formed through the Equal Justice Program upon student initiative.

Illinois Institute of Technology: Chicago-Kent College of Law

Several student groups run pro bono projects:

Streetlaw - In partnership with a Chicago Public school, a group of students develop and conduct streetlaw educational programming to teach young people what their legal rights are when they face arrest or questioning. This group also works in collaboration with First Defense Legal Aid, a local non-profit, to assist with streetlaw educational activities.

Kent Justice Foundation (KJF) - KJF sponsors opportunities for students to get involved in volunteer activities and learn about public interest opportunities. Volunteer events have included charity walks and runs, food and clothing drives, as well as fundraising and volunteer work with various non-profit organizations throughout Chicago. Even if your future plans do not include public service, KJF will allow you to volunteer and make a difference. Speaker events regarding public interest law are also sponsored by KJF.

National Lawyers Guild (NLG) - The National Lawyers Guild is an association dedicated to the need for basic change in the structure of our political and economic system. They seek to unite the lawyers, law students, legal workers and jailhouse lawyers of America in an organization that shall function as an effective political and social force in the service of the people, to the end that human rights shall be regarded as more sacred than property interests. The NLG student group at Chicago-Kent is active in training students to be legal observers when there are protests or controversial trials taking place in the Chicago area.

Self-Help Web Center (SHWC) - The Self-Help Web Center (SHWC) is a help desk located on the 6th floor of the Daley Center. The SHWC is designed to serve as a starting point for litigants who must navigate an unfamiliar and complex court system on their own. The SHWC has three internet enabled computer workstations that provide individuals of all technical skill levels access to user friendly web-based tools and legal resources created by Illinois Legal Aid Online. Illinois Legal Aid Online's resources provide visitors with a better understanding of their legal issue and the court's procedural requirements. In addition, students from Chicago-Kent College of Law are available to help visitors utilize the wealth of online legal information available.

Access to Justice Student Editorial Board- is a student-staffed initiative aimed at researching and supporting access to justice projects, including the A2J Author project and other internet related projects.

Indiana University: Indiana University School of Law, Indianapolis

Equal Justice Works – Street Law Program-Law students taught at risk high school students basic concepts of law.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program – VITA is a student-run pro bono organization with participation limited to law students. VITA is a volunteer service that provides free income tax preparation to the elderly and disadvantaged. Training is provided. The majority of the commitment occurs during the tax season in the spring semester.

Indiana University: Indiana University School of Law, Bloomington

Environmental Research Project– Students provide research assistance to attorneys working on environmental cases on behalf of the public. The work is supervised by the attorneys with whom they are paired. A faculty member works with the group to assure continuity with the handling of cases.

Inmate Legal Assistance Projec (ILAP) – Volunteer students give approximately seven hours per month to work on intra-institutional problems at the federal penitentiary at Terre Haute, Indiana. Student work is supervised by non-clinical faculty.

Legal Services Organization Project – Volunteer students work on administrative law projects and cases as organized by the local LSO offices. This project is coordinated by the student PILF chapter.

Protective Order Project– POP is a student-directed project designed to help victims of domestic abuse obtain civil protective orders from the court, with the ultimate goal of preventing further abuse, both by restraining the abuser and by empowering the victim. Members of the law schools non-clinical faculty supervise the student work.

Public Interest Law Foundation Pro Bono Project – Each semester, PILF arranges a sign-up day for pro bono work with the area non-profit employers. Employers come to the law school to meet with students and discuss various opportunities within the organization. Roughly 50 students participate and perform the work at law offices and non-profit area locations. Lawyers not on the faculty or staff supervise, and non-lawyers supervise work that is non-legal.

Inter American University of Puerto Rico: Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Law

EDUCCA -- A student initiated project to bring general legal orientation to citizens, particularly people in poor communities.

John Marshall: Law School – Atlanta

Lewis & Clark College: School of Law

Classroom Law Project – The Law School is a sustaining member of the Classroom Law Project, a non-profit organization of educators, lawyers and civic leaders building strong communities by teaching high school students to become active citizens. See http://www.classroomlaw.org

Community Alliance of Tenants – Students act as hotline volunteers and answer questions from tenants about their rights and responsibilities.

Legal Aid Services Projects – The Law School has two projects in collaboration with Legal Aid Services of Oregon and two with large local law firms.

Portland Women's Crisis Line – Volunteers work at the 24 hour crisis line, providing information, referrals and advocacy-based counseling to callers.

Tribal Ad Hoc Program – Program offers free legal research and writing assistance to tribal court judges throughout the country on short-term, one-time projects.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA)

Volunteers of America – Student volunteers assist and advocate for individuals who are applying for restraining orders. Program is held at the Multnomah County Courthouse.

Liberty University: School of Law

Street Law is a student-run pro bono/law education program. During the academic year, law students teach lessons from the Street Law juvenile justice curriculum to youths in two locations—the Lynchburg Regional Detention Center and the Presbyterian Home. Approximately 30 detained youths participate each week at the Detention Center, and approximately 25 youths from four separate group homes participate each week at the Presbyterian Home.

Louisiana State University: Paul M. Hebert Law Center

Pro Bono Committee of the Student Bar Association- The Pro Bono Committee worked with Thirst for Justice, a legal clinic for the underprivileged sponsored by the Baton Rouge Bar Foundation. The Committee also assisted attorneys in Baton Rouge through the Bar Foundation by supplying students to help them with their pro bono work. The Pro Bono Committee is now part of the Public Interest Law Society. See http://students.law.lsu.edu/pils/index.htm

Loyola Law School: Loyola Law School, Los Angeles

General Relief Advocacy Program (through Public Counsel) - The GR Relief program aids Skid-Row individuals in receiving government benefits they have been denied.

Loyola Child Advocates - Loyola Child Advocates seeks to increase on-campus awareness of child advocacy issues, involve students and faculty in outreach efforts to neighborhood schools and strengthen ties to the legal child advocacy community. The organization identifies and helps coordinate pro bono opportunities in child and family law, runs a tutoring program for two local elementary schools and hosts speaker forums featuring family law professionals.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) - Students assist low-income persons with income tax forms.

Loyola University Chicago: Loyola University Chicago School of Law

Fourth Presbyterian Church Tutoring Program - Volunteers from Loyola work with children from the Cabrini Green neighborhood in a tutoring program. They work with students throughout the academic year to enhance their reading, writing and math skills.

Law Related Education- Students work with juveniles in the local juvenile detention center to help educate them about their legal rights.

Street Law - Second- and third-year students teach about law and the legal system in Chicago area high schools. Students attend a weekly seminar and teach in the high schools three times a week. In the spring semester students are often involved in preparing high school students for the city mock trial competition.

Loyola University New Orleans: Loyola University New Orleans School of Law

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program - Volunteer law students provide income tax assistance to low-income filers.

Marquette University: Marquette University Law School

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance – MULS: Students work with faculty to assist low-income and elderly individuals with income tax preparation each spring as part of the national VITA program. Students receive training and are supervised by Marquette Law School faculty.

Milwaukee Street Law Project – Milwaukee Public Schools: Law Students teach substantive law courses and prepare high school students for statewide mock trial competitions in the Milwaukee Public high schools. Students can receive credit for participation in this program.

Mercer University: School of Law

Mercer Pro Bono/Legal Aid Program: Student volunteers in this program provide research support for lawyers from Georgia Legal Services and for members of the Macon Bar Association engaged in pro bono representation.

Michigan State University: College of Law

Mississippi College: Mississippi College School of Law

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) -- Students help the youth court make the best decision on where children who have been abused or neglected should live.

Mississippi Capital Post-Conviction Counsel -- Students assist in capital cases.

New England School of Law: New England School of Law

Confinement Outreach Project - Members of the New England Journal on Criminal and Civil Confinement extends pro bono educational services to local prisoners to help provide information regarding legal process, providing weekly training to prisoners during the academic year.

Judicial Language Project – Members of the Women’s Law Caucus monitor cases related to sexual violence for language that stereotypes, demeans, or otherwise inappropriately characterizes the victims of the violence.

National Lawyers Guild Chapter - This group coordinates student volunteers who teach off-campus workshops to educate non-lawyers about their rights under the law and what to do when those rights are violated.

Public Interest Law Association (PILA) – The organization supports a range of Public Interest activities on campus. It raises funds through an annual auction used to fund summer public interest grants for students.

Sexual Violence Legal News – Members of the Women’s Law Caucus produce the Sexual Violence Legal News (SVLN), providing online summaries of recent, important cases relating to sexual violence.

Shelter Legal Services Foundation Chapter -- This group coordinates student volunteers who participate in the activities of Shelter Legal Services Foundation, Inc. (SLSF), a Boston organization that provides free legal services to homeless and low-income people through weekly clinics at the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans and Rosie's Place, a shelter for homeless women. Volunteer law students, supervised by volunteer attorneys, assist clients with a broad array of legal problems. Participating students get experience through client contact and use of their research, writing, and advocacy skills.

Women's Law Caucus - This group organizes student volunteers who work at the Domestic Violence Institute at the Boston Medical Center assisting clients with domestic violence issues.

VITA - Each spring, law students participate in an IRS program to serve the Boston Community by offering free tax help to people who can not afford paid professional assistance. Students prepare tax returns for walk-in, low-income clients.

New York Law School: New York Law School

Domestic Violence Project – Through the Domestic Violence Project, students organized and provided training for participation in the Courtroom Advocates Program. The program gives students the opportunity to provide direct advocacy, education and services to domestic violence victims in New York City's Family Courts.

NYLS/inMotion Uncontested Divorce Project – Through the inMotion program, students provide assistance to indigent and working-poor women, most of whom are victims of domestic violence. After training, students draft papers and help the client navigate her way through the divorce process.

Unemployment Action Center – The UAC provides free representation to people in New York who are trying to claim their unemployment benefits. Students help claimants by presenting their cases in front of administrative law judges at the Department of Labor. This assistance includes researching unemployment insurance law and conducting direct and cross-examination. Students also appeal adverse decisions.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) – In the VITA program, trained students assist low-income members of the community in preparing income tax returns.

New York University: New York University School of Law

Below are selected student groups, for a full listing, please see www.law.nyu.edu/studentorgs/sba/organizations.html

American Civil Liberties Union of NYU Law (ACLU of NYU Law) – The ACLU moves beyond simply educating students on issues regarding civil liberties and respect for the Bill of Rights. Through relationships with faculty and the NYCLU, ACLU of NYU Law affords students the opportunity to conduct legal research to help ongoing cases or academic work, and thus get a more “hands-on” experience. The ACLU also works to encourage law students to pursue career opportunities in the field by inviting alumni and NYCLU representatives to the law school to network and answer questions. Lastly, the ACLU’s potential impact and reach is greatly enhanced through partnerships with NYU’s undergraduate ACLU club and the NYCLU.

Battered Women's Project –- The Battered Women's Project (BWP) works in various ways to help women who are the victims of domestic violence. The Battered Women's Project is run by Sanctuary for Families, a New York organization that assists battered women. There are two BWP projects at New York University School of Law. Through the Courtroom Advocates Program (CAP), law students assist women at Family Court in getting orders of protection from their batterers. For example, student advocates help the women draft their complaints, answer any questions, and assist the women when they appear before the judge. In the Uncontested Divorce Project, students are trained to assist women in obtaining a divorce from their batterer. Prior to participating in these programs, law students participate in a full day of training run by Sanctuary for Families. BWP also brings in speakers throughout the year and sponsors events for Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Education Law and Policy Society – The NYU Education Law and Policy Society is committed to strengthening education, with particular emphasis on public education reform in the United States. Ed Law strives to prepare leaders, generate discourse, engage the broader legal community, and create opportunities for students to effect change toward ensuring a quality education for all youth.

Health Law Society (HLS) – The Health Law Society is dedicated to raising the visibility of health law issues at New York University School of Law. The Society pursues this goal by bringing academics and practitioners to NYU School of Law to discuss these issues with students, either through formal symposia or more informal events. Past guests to the law school have spoken about bio-medical ethics, medical technology, food and drug law, mass tort litigation, patent law, HMOs, insurance regulation, ERISA, disability rights issues, elder care, legal issues in AIDS research and treatment, the body as property, and comparative health systems.

The High School Law Institute (HSLI) – The High School Law Institute (HSLI), operated by a small board of NYU Law students, offers courses in Constitutional Law, Criminal Law and Procedure, and Mock Trial to 10th and 11th grade students from public high schools throughout New York City. The program also offers workshops on applying to college, college life, and financial aid, as well as a speaker series which brings outstanding NYC legal practitioners to discuss their careers with our students. The year culminates in a mock trial competition and graduation ceremony in April.

Law Students Against the Death Penalty – Law Students Against the Death Penalty (LSDAP) was formed in response to the passage of New York State's death penalty law in September 1995. Our goal is to fight the death penalty both in New York and around the country. Members perform legal research and review trial transcripts for organizations such as the Louisiana Crisis Assistance Center, the Georgia Resource Center, and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

The Law Student Drug Policy Forum – The Law Student Drug Policy Forum (LSDPF), formed in 2001, is committed to education and research regarding current and alternative drug policies. LSDPF does not espouse a particular agenda. Its members approach drug policy with a variety of perspectives and interests, including advocacy of legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes, improvement of access to drug treatment, syringe exchange and other public health-oriented harm reduction initiatives, campaigns to educate the public about race-based disparities in arrest and incarceration rates for drug-related offenses, full legalization of all illicit drugs, and support for additional funding for current drug policy. The activities of LSDPF this year have focused on education within the New York University School of Law community, creation of internship and volunteer opportunities for students, and collaboration with local drug policy organizations and student organizations in local political activities.

Law Students for Human Rights (LSHR) – LSHR is a highly active student organization that focuses on global and domestic human rights. LSHR’s mission is to: 1) promote global human rights by drawing on the unique resources of the NYU School of Law community; 2) establish a forum for education, advocacy and direct service related to human rights; 3) build a community for future practitioners of human rights law; and 4) engage in the study of human rights law and develop the skills required to advance strategic human rights objectives.

NYU Mediation Organization – The NYU Mediation Organization is dedicated to spreading and implementing mediation as an effective tool of conflict resolution, both within New York University School of Law and the broader legal and general community. It serves to not only encourage mediation amongst faculty, students, and staff, but to provide NYU law students an opportunity to mediate in real life contexts. The NYU Mediation Organization is designed to offer students a hands on experience by mediating real disputes arising between real parties, while at the same time relieving the heavy load on overburdened courthouses.

Each semester, students are trained in mediation, including the nature of mediation, mediation techniques, developing listening skills, working with co-mediators, and establishing rapport with parties to a dispute. Several students mediate disputes in Small Claims Court every weekday. Working in teams of two, the students practice and apply the dispute resolution techniques learned in training. The teams encounter a variety of cases that include landlord-tenant disputes, auto accidents, work contracts, and unpaid bills.

Prisoner’s Rights Education Project (PREP) – The Prisoners' Rights and Education Project (PREP) is a student organization devoted to teaching inmates in New York state prisons legal research skills. Each semester we conduct a seven week course on site at prison classrooms and libraries.

Research, Education, & Advocacy to Combat Homelessness (REACH) – REACH offers law students the opportunity to go to local soup kitchens and advocate for the New Yorkers most in need of respect and assistance. Members provide advice and advocacy on a wide range of issues including housing, public benefits, and health-related matters and represent clients at fair hearings when necessary. We also publish a comprehensive advocacy manual on social and legal services in New York City that we keep on hand at clinics for quick reference. Finally, REACH seeks to educate the law school community by organizing speakers and panels on issues relevant to poverty law.

The Unemployment Action Center (UAC) – The Unemployment Action Center (UAC) offers excellent litigation experience for law students and provides a significant community service. UAC advocates (mostly first- and second-year law students) provide free legal representation for claimants regarding unemployment benefits. In adversarial hearings before administration law judges at the Department of Labor, advocates conduct direct examinations, cross examinations, and make closing arguments on behalf of their clients. Hence, students can gain legal experience from defending real clients who need representation. Furthermore, students involved in leadership on UAC's Board of Directors learn about the realities of running a non-profit corporation and the challenges facing public interest organizations. Many advocates consider their work with the UAC to be one of the most rewarding aspects of their law school experience.

Started as a clinical program at NYU School of Law in 1981, the UAC has since blossomed into one of the leading providers of legal services for unemployment hearings in New York City. In 1985, the UAC incorporated as a completely student-run non-profit corporation. The organization now includes chapters and students from Columbia, Cardozo, Hofstra, New York Law, Fordham, and New York University Law Schools.

Youth and Criminal Justice Society (YCJS) – The Youth and Criminal Justice Society focuses on the increasing impact of the criminal justice system on the lives of young people. YCJS hosts lunch speakers and performs service projects in the area of youth and criminal justice. YCJS focuses on the juvenile justice system, drug laws that target youth, indigent defense, lack of counsel for juveniles, the school to prison pipeline, the impact of incarceration of parents, particularly women, on families, and the increasing punishment and decreasing rehabilitation of juveniles.

North Carolina Central: North Carolina Central School of Law

NCCU Law Innocence Project – This project supports the work of the NC Center on Actual Innocence, a non-profit organization that assists North Carolina inmates with claims of wrongful conviction. The Center receives around 1,000 requests per year from inmates for review of their cases. Innocence Project students volunteer their time to evaluate prisoner claims of innocence and recommend whether further investigation or action should be taken. The Center accepts only those cases in which actual innocence may be proved; prisoner requests for assistance with legal or procedural errors at trial are not considered.

After an initial training, Innocence Project students review and evaluate an inmate’s case file and present their recommendations at a case review session attended by project members, the Project’s faculty advisers, and legal counsel for the Center. Where the initial review indicates the claim of innocence may have merit, students undertake further investigation, interviewing witnesses, recovering documents, and gathering evidence to establish the innocence claim.

In addition to conducting training sessions, case reviews and investigations, the Innocence Project sponsors speakers throughout the year on topics related to problems in the criminal justice system, investigative techniques, and remedies for wrongful conviction.

NCCU Law VITA Project - VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) volunteers provided free assistance with income tax returns to low-income taxpayers at the Law School every Saturday during from February to mid-April. In 2004-05 eighteen law students volunteered with VITA.

NCCU Law School Street Law – This program which started in 1999 is a partnership with the Durham Public Schools in which law students assist public school teachers in teaching legal topics to middle and high school students. Law students enrolled in the Street Law course teach law-related subjects for 6 to 8 weeks as part of a regular middle or high school social studies class, in cooperation with the regular teacher.

ACLU Chapter– Members of the law student ACLU chapter sponsored a presentation by a representative of the Center for Death Penalty Litigation and joined in canvassing Alamance County on the proposed Death Penalty Moratorium Bill. (February 2005)

Hispanic Law Students Association – HLSA and the Student Bar Association (SBA) took the lead in recruiting volunteers for the Election Protection project, sponsored by the non-partisan, national law student organization Just Democracy. Thirty students attended a training on election law and voters' rights and on election day served as poll monitors or volunteered with a voter assistance hotline (November 2004).

Northeastern University: Northeastern University School of Law

Boston Medical Center Project – After completing a three-month training class, students conduct interviews in the emergency room at Boston Medical Center focusing on clients' experience with domestic violence. In addition, students provide referrals for legal and social services.

Court Watch – This project tracks the charging practices of the Boston Police looking for patterns of racial differences in charging decisions.

National Lawyers Guild Street Law Clinic Project – Students work with community organizations conducting a variety of educational workshops on Fourth Amendment issues, tenants' rights and workers' rights.

Shelter Legal Services – This is a Boston-wide organization that provides legal services to homeless and near-homeless people. Working under the supervision of an attorney, students interview clients, assess their case and assist their client in resolving their issue. Issues include public housing, child support, welfare assistance, divorce and immigration.

Tax Project – Pofessor Peter Enrich, acting as lead counsel, with extensive assistance from students, is challenging the constitutionality of massive tax breaks given to Daimler-Chrysler by Ohio and the city of Toledo to influence the location of a Jeep assembly plant.

Northern Illinois University: Northern Illinois University College of Law

Amnesty International– Raises awareness about human rights by bringing speakers to campus, hosting discussions & debates, and organizing petition drives.

Innocence Project – Assists prisoners who are currently serving prison sentences or awaiting execution for crimes they did not commit.

Public Interest Law Society – PILS fosters awareness of public interest opoprtunities and raises money for summer stipends.

Street Law – Student organization committed to reaching out to the local community to educate teenagers about their legal rights.

Northwestern University: Northwestern University School of Law

Black Law Students Association – Students provided opportunity tours to minority high school students to encourage law careers.

Public Interest Law Group – Students volunteered to prepare clemency petitions under the supervision of Cabrini Green Legal Aid Clinic.

St. Thomas More Society – Students volunteered with Catholic Charities Legal Referral Program.

Student Effort to Rejuvenate Volunteering – Provided Street Law training to at risk youth and constitutional rights foundation lessons to students at our adopted school.

Asian Pacific American Law Student Association – Students volunteered to assist lawyers with client intake at Asian Legal Services.

Notre Dame: Notre Dame Law School

The Social Justice Forum exists to promote and encourage social responsibility within the Notre Dame Law School and to create and maintain a network of concerned individuals who are willing to work toward social justice. To those ends, students and faculty members sponsor regular community service projects.

Society of International Rights: This group is in the process of organizing an international volunteer program with various Notre Dame alumni working in the field of human rights.

Nova Southeastern University: Shepard Broad Law Center

Ohio Northern: Claude W. Pettit College of Law

Street Law Society -- Law students go to local public schools on a weekly basis for 10 weeks to teach students basic law concepts and how the law affects the every day life. They also teach students to participate and compete in a mock trial competition, held at the end of the school year.

VITA

Ohio State University: Ohio State University Moritz College of Law

Dispute Resolution and Youth Program – This program strives to teach mediation, negotiation, and general conflict management skills to children in middle and high schools around Columbus. The main goal of the program is to show youth that there are constructive ways to solve problems through talking, listening, understanding, and collective problem solving.

Mediation and Youth – Law students teach Columbus Public School students how to be peer mediators. They also design the peer mediation program for the school and help the school to implement it.

Pro Bono Research Group (PBRG) – Endowed by an alumnus, this program provides research assistance to Legal Services and Legal Aid attorneys throughout Ohio. Second and third year Research Fellows conduct quality research and gain practical legal experience. In addition, PBRG sponsors events that promote public interest law, including the Frank Woodside III Speaker Series, an annual poverty law symposium.

Street Law Program – This program provides opportunities for law students to visit local high schools to teach classes in basic elements of the law which affects all citizens in daily life. Topics include contracts, landlord/tenant and criminal law. Law students also stage a mock trial in which high school students participate.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) – VITA is a program through which law students help lower-income residents and non-residents prepare their federal income tax returns. Training for the VITA program is done in conjunction with the Internal Revenue Service and College of Law tax professors.

Oklahoma City University: Oklahoma City University School of Law

Public Interest Law Group—This student organization sponsors fundraising activities for outreach projects in the community, for student attendance at the Equal Justice Works annual career fair, and for summer fellowships for pro bono and public interest law service. The organization also sponsors legal service and outreach projects in the community.

Restorative Justice/Project Re-entry---Students are involved in researching criminal and civil records during pre-release procedures for inmates. Outstanding warrants or legal obligations are identified and either referred to counsel for disposition or negotiated under the supervision of participating attorneys.

Federal Bar Association Research Project--- Students research and assist attorneys appointed by federal judges to represent indigent criminal defendants in the federal system.

Corporate Law/Non-Profits Collaborative---Students develop materials for non-profit and grassroots organizations in collaboration with the Oklahoma Center for Non-Profits. The materials include incorporation documents, bylaws, policies and procedures. Students have the opportunity to meet with of

ficers and board members of the organizations and to attend meetings and functions of the organizations.

Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma and Probono.net---Students assist lawyers in all aspects of legal representation for qualified clients. Students interview clients, draft pleadings, letters, and documents, research legal issues, and attend and participate in discovery procedures and court hearings. For Probono.net, students develop web content and research for the online website resource for Legal Aid lawyers, volunteers, and clients.

Oklahoma Lawyers for Children—This organization provides legal representation by volunteer attorneys, along with Oklahoma public defenders, for children who have been removed from their homes due to severe abuse and/or neglect. Students are trained and then volunteer to interview the children placed in emergency shelters and provide that information to assist the lawyer who will represent the child at the show cause hearing. Recently, the Initial Kinship Evaluation Program has been added to the services provided in order to meet the need to expedite foster care placements. Students are trained to do home assessments of potential foster placements which means quicker placements from the shelter.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance---The Texas Legal Society student members provide information about income tax preparation with the assistance of lawyers in the community.

Pepperdine University: Odell McConnell Law Center

Advocates for Public Interest Law – Silent and live auction put on by APRIL to raise scholarship money to encourage public interest work in the summer.

Phoenix School of Law:

Regent University: School of Law

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) – VITA provides a base of law students willing to help others with their federal income tax return preparation over a three-month period. Participating students visit libraries, prisons, military bases and urban communities.

Roger Williams University: School of Law

Immigrant Detention Project – Students work under the supervision of an immigration attorney to provide legal education workshops and legal advice to immigrant detainees.

Street Law - Legal education in urban middle and high schools. Supervised by a project coordinator. A faculty member provides training for students.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) - Through a partnership with a community based organizations, students offer tax assistance to low-income taxpayers.

Rutgers: The State University of New Jersey, Center for Law and Justice (Newark)

Advocates for the Betterment of Children promotes awareness of children's legal issues and advocates children's rights in the family, community, school, health care, foster care, institutional care, and the courts through a newsletter, networking with other children's rights organizations, creation of a library, supporting and developing internships and other placement opportunities in the areas of children's rights, and expanding the law school's curriculum in all areas of the law touching the lives of children.

Rutgers: The State University of New Jersey School of Law, Camden

In the Bankruptcy Project, students are teamed with volunteer attorneys to interview clients and prepare bankruptcy petitions. Clients are given a fresh start while students learn from their attorney partners - who in turn are fulfilling their own pro bono obligation. The Law School provides comprehensive training, and program coordination, office space and computers with bankruptcy software to support this project. It is run under the auspices of the local federal Bankruptcy Court, which has been generous with its advice and assistance, and honors the participants each year with a reception at the Court. This project is open to all second and third year students who complete training in the fall.

The Pro Bono Mediation Project provides an opportunity for students who have completed an eighteen hour training course at the Law School - provided by court personnel, judges, law school professors and recent Law School graduates - to become Certified Mediators. This training will take place in late January and early February 2008. After completion of the training and observing two mediation sessions at the Camden County Superior or Camden Municipal Court, the students then put their mediation and conciliation skills to work on cases assigned by the respective courts. In teams of two, the students listen to both sides, and provide assistance to the parties to come up with their own resolution. This program is highly valued by the courts, as many parties are able to resolve their issues without litigation. Moreover, it provides valuable experience to students and demonstrates a successful alternative to litigation. This student-run program is open to all students who are selected from applications and participate in the required training.

Our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program is sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service, which provides materials for a one day January training session, to be scheduled for a Saturday in January 2008. Students subsequently provide assistance to low income Camden residents needing help to fill out their tax returns. For the three months prior to April 15th, students are at a local library two nights a week, and on campus Saturday mornings to staff this project. All students who complete training are eligible for this student-run project.

Students volunteering for the Domestic Violence Pro Bono Project provide basic legal assistance to victims of domestic violence seeking restraining orders in Camden County. Students participating in this program have the opportunity to develop interviewing and counseling skills while helping someone who may be facing a crisis. Project volunteers also partner with the Domestic Violence Clinic by identifying appropriate cases for referral to the Domestic Violence Clinic or other legal services that provide free legal representation. A student doing pro bono work in the Domestic Violence Project will typically spend one morning per week at the courthouse over the course of a semester or during the summer. Trainings covering domestic violence law take place in September and January each school year.

Through the Immigration Project, Rutgers law students have the opportunity to work on political asylum cases under the supervision of attorneys from the Camden Center for Law and Social Justice (“CCLSJ”). In addition to research, students will provide assistance by interviewing clients and witnesses. Students also assist immigrants at the Camden Public Library, which takes place one or two evenings each month. In addition, students can assist the Nationalities Service Center in Philadelphia with various cases, Students who have taken immigration law or who have immigration experience are eligible for immigration pro bono work after completing the first semester of law school.

The Pro Bono Research Project, developed and administered in conjunction with Prof. Sarah Ricks, provides free legal research services to public interest law practitioners. Limited to eight second and third year students, this project offers the opportunity to simultaneously improve legal research and writing skills under the supervision of a practicing attorney while providing much needed assistance to public interest organizations. This can be done at a time and place of the participants choosing, providing maximum flexibility.

Through the Defender Project, a very limited number of second or third year students will have the opportunity, after substantive training provided by the Federal Defenders Office in Philadelphia, to assist with investigation, brief writing and research in death penalty cases. *

During election years, the Election Protection Project trains students to monitor polling places, and organizes students to go out on election day and provide impartial monitoring.

The Childrens SSI Project provides representation to children whose SSI applications have been denied, and students are paired with volunteer attorneys to work on these cases, which will be referred from South Jersey Legal Services.

The Financial Literacy Project provides an opportunity for students to go into Camden high schools with Camden bankruptcy attorneys and teach students about credit, debt and budgeting.

Through the Street Law Project, students have the opportunity, after training, to go into the Camden community and talk to Camden youth about constitutional issues pertinent to their lives. The training for that project is scheduled for fall 2007. After completion of their first semester, all students are eligible for this project. Training will be repeated in January for first year students.

Saint Louis University: Saint Louis University School of Law

Alternative Spring Break – Students organized a trip to Nicaragua over Spring break for a cultural immersion with a legal emphasis. Students learn about social, political, and legal issues and meet with local attorneys.

Angel Tree – Students collect gifts for underprivileged children.

Hurrican Katrina Relief – Student Bar Association and Women Law Students Association spearheaded various relief efforts for Katrina victims.

Light the Night Walk – Each September, the School of Law and the law library sponsor a team to walk in the Light the Night Walk, an event which pays tribute to those whose lives have been touched by cancer. Law students, faculty and staff raise funds and carry balloons in the walk. The funds raised from the walk go to support research and treatment and work toward a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's Disease and myeloma.

Stand Down for Homeless Vets – Law students and faculty provide free legal services to homeless veterans at the annual Stand Down for Homeless Veterans. Several hundred veterans attend the event, which takes place on a Saturday in April, and receive a variety of free services, from haircuts to job counseling. Students and faculty primarily assist those veterans with outstanding warrants on minor criminal matters. Along with the various judges, prosecutors and clerks in attendance, students are usually able to resolve veterans' cases that same day.

Tax Assistance Program – Students prepare tax assistance returns for elderly and low income clients.

Saint Mary’s University of San Antonio: Saint Mary’s University of San Antonio School of Law

Public Interest Law Association

Saint Thomas University: Saint Thomas University School of Law (FL)

VITA -- Students assist in filling out tax forms for low-income persons of the community. The Tax Clinic professor supervises.

Process: New student pro bono group projects can be recognized by contacting the Dean of Students. New projects must be approved through the process described in the Student Pro Bono Manual to qualify for the graduation requirement.

Samford University: Cumberland School of Law

Street Law - Law student volunteers each semester receive special training in practical law for youth, pair with a local teacher, and meet with that teacher's students one hour a week for six weeks. Topics covered include "Juvenile Rights & Responsibilities, "Who is a Juvenile," "Guns & Violence," Alcohol & Drugs," etc. Priority is given to schools and alternative settings working with "at risk" youth.

Volunteers In Tax Assistance (VITA)

Santa Clara University: Santa Clara University School of Law

Seattle University: Seattle University School of Law

Beagle Aid Project – This student run project works collaboratively with faculty advisors and the Corrections Committee of the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing information to prisoners incarcerated in Washington State, Volunteers with this project provide legal information through JusticeWorks, a monthly newsletter, which is distributed to state prisons.

Center for Human Rights and Justice – Under faculty supervision the Center provides opportunities for students to work on research and advocacy projects for a wide variety of local and international human rights organizations. The Center solicits and screens projects from outside organizations. Students sign up for projects each semester, generally working in teams of two or three with faculty supervision. In addition, the Center promotes human rights activism and awareness by organizing or sponsoring forums, debates, films and inviting guest speakers to the Law School.

Language Bank – This project takes advantage of the multilingual skills of the law school’s diverse student body by assigning qualified students to offer translation and interpretation skills to legal service providers involved in pro bono cases. The LB volunteers are current law students and paralegals from private law firms. To date, 54 volunteer law students representing 24 languages are the assets of the LB. These languages are available to Legal Service Providers and Private Law Firms. These bilingual students and paralegals are trained by Martha Cohen, Office of Interpreter Services, King County Superior Court, in basic interpreting skills, and ethics involved in interpreting.

The Access to Justice Institute maintains the databases, online attorney evaluation, and a password-protected Web site through which legal service providers and private pro bono attorneys can reach students. Partners with the Institute include the Seattle Area Pro Bono Coordinators of forty private firms, the King County Bar Association, and legal service agencies.

Real Change Homeless Newspaper Project – Through this innovative partnership, volunteer students write a legal information column for a local newspaper serving the homeless community in Seattle. Teams of volunteer attorneys from local firms and faculty advisors provide oversight and edit the articles written by the students. The articles address common legal problems experienced by the homeless community such as property law, public benefits, health care and landlord/tenant law. For more information and examples of articles, visit the Real Change Project website at http://www.law.seattleu.edu/accesstojustice/projects/realchange

Seton Hall University: Seton Hall University School of Law

Courtroom Advocate Project – Law students represented victims of domestic violence in New York City courts.

Street Law Project – Law students taught elementary and high school students in East Orange, N.J., about criminal law and their rights and responsibilities.

Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts – The students of the VLA helped with the provision of free legal aid to artists with limited means.

South Texas College: South Texas College of Law

As a condition of school support, each student organization is expected to perform at least one major pro bono or public interest project a year. Alternatively, student organizations may engage in a number of smaller projects spread throughout the year. Examples of larger projects include community justice education events such as the Hate Crimes Symposium or the Death Penalty Symposium both hosted by the Black Law Students Association and open to the public. This service requirement is overseen by Assistant Dean Wanda Morrow. The campus tradition of volunteerism is long standing.

Additionally, all students are members of the Student Bar Association, which has a designated officer serving as liaison to the Pro Bono Honors Program. This student helps coordinate campus awareness of special pro bono projects and direct individual student organizations to pro bono activities which may of particular interest or significance to members of that group.

Southern Illinois University: Southern Illinois University School of Law

Equal Justice Works – Free legal classes for the public taught by law school faculty on Law Day. Full story at http://news.siu.edu/news/April05/042105pr5061.jsp

Southern Methodist University: Dedman School of Law

Southwestern University: Southwestern University School of Law

GRAP – The General Relief Advocacy Program works with a local nonprofit law firm, Public Counsel, and its Staff attorneys to serve individuals at multiple offices of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS), where impoverished, hungry and homeless individuals are in need of advice and advocacy assistance. Each year, hundreds of volunteer law students and attorneys assist clients with obtaining shelter, food, health, transportation and social services. Without these volunteer advocates, many individuals would not receive the benefits and services to which they are legally entitled, and which play a vital role in preventing chronic homelessness by helping people stay off the streets and move towards self-sufficiency.

Tax Law Society - The Tax Law Society is comprised of students, professors, and practitioners interested in the law of taxation. It sponsors the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program that provides free income tax return preparation assistance for the elderly and low-income taxpayers of the Los Angeles area.

Teen Court Student Association – The Teen Court Student Association participates with the Los Angeles Teen Court juvenile diversion and prevention program to reduce recidivism of first time offenders. Law student members volunteer at local high school Teen Court programs to assist with jury instructions and deliberations, and to help hearing officers, probation officers and youth offenders. In addition the Teen Court Student Association hosts diversity pipeline programs on campus for inner city high schools to encourage high school students to pursue higher education and a legal career.

Stanford Law School:

Asian and Pacific Islander Law Students Association (APILSA): Members of APILSA established and staff the Asian Community Immigration Clinic, which provides free advice to Asians in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY): Law students act as mentors to at risk youth to prevent incarceration through legal education mentoring and peer leadership.

StreetLaw: Law students volunteer their time to teach youth about their legal rights in one-hour classes, held once a week for eight weeks in Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall or in one of five alternative high schools.

Stetson University: Stetson University College of Law

Public Service Fellows promote the concept and awareness of public service legal work on our law school campus. Fellows are also involved directly in public service legal assistance activities, pro bono legal services by students on campus, and by members of the legal profession.

Equal Justice Works is also known as Stetson's Association for Public Interest Law (SAPIL). SAPIL operates as a Chapter of the National Association for Public Interest Law (NAPIL). SAPIL works to create opportunities for public interest legal employment for both students and graduates, specifically working to remove the economic barriers that confront future public interest lawyers.

Suffolk University Law School: Suffolk University Law School

American Civil Liberties Union – http://www.law.suffolk.edu/highlights/stuorgs/orgs.cfm

Black Law Students Association – http://www.law.suffolk.edu/highlights/stuorgs/orgs.cfm

Environmental Law Society – http://www.law.suffolk.edu/highlights/stuorgs/orgs.cfm

Latin American Law Students Association – http://www.law.suffolk.edu/highlights/stuorgs/orgs.cfm

National Lawyers Guild - http://www.law.suffolk.edu/highlights/stuorgs/orgs.cfm

Shelter Legal Services – http://www.law.suffolk.edu/highlights/stuorgs/orgs.cfm

Suffolk Public Interest Law Group – http://www.law.suffolk.edu/highlights/stuorgs/orgs.cfm

Syracuse University: College of Law

Temple University: James E. Beasley School of Law

LEAP (Law Education and Participation). LEAP is a multi-facted law related and civic education program which teaches non-lawyers about the law. LEAP directs the John S. Bradway Programs which include the Philadelphia High School Mock Trial Competition, Trial Advocacy Day, Juror Experiences, and Elementary Scripted Mock Trial Programs. Through Temple--LEAP, law students can become involved in Teen Court, an alternative disciplinary program currently operating in seven Philadelphia public high schools, The North Philadelphia Firearms Reduction Initiative, an after-school program that trains youth to become peer educators on the issue of gun violence reduction, and the PULSE Project (Philadelphia Urban Law Student Experience), a collaboration between Temple and the University of Pennsylvania Law School designed to encourage students from both law schools to help meet the legal needs of underserved populations in Philadelphia and implement law-related education programs in local schools.

Philadelphia Futures Law Camp - Program begins in July as full-time summer school and continues part-time during the school year. Curriculum is focused on basic language arts skills (reading, writing and critical thinking) in the context of high-interest legal concepts and current issues. Program is staffed by law students.

World Court - Law students work with high school students to examine a current high profile issue in a simulated World Court proceeding.

Holocaust Victims Asset Litigation Settlement Project - Law students review initial questionnaires in a class action settlement brought on behalf of Holocaust victims who deposited their money, insurance assets and art work in Swiss banks before and during the Holocaust and who have never been repaid their deposits.

Prevention Point - Prevention Point is a community health program working with clients at risk for HIV, hepatitis and other blood-borne diseases. Law students work with the Defenders Association of Philadelphia to operate a legal clinic whose goal is to eliminate outstanding bench warrants so clients can qualify for public health benefits.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Project - Law students provide free income tax return preparation to people with low or limited income, disabilities, and non-English speakers.

Process: The Director of the Office for Public Interest Law Programs is available to assist students in developing new projects.

Texas Southern University: Thurgood Marshall School of Law

Texas Tech University School of Law: Texas Tech University School of Law

Student Run Pro Bono Groups/Specialized law Education Projects

Volunteer Law Students Association and Student Public Interest Initiative (SPII) co-sponsor pro bono legal clinics at the Texas Tech School of Law Clinical Program by providing the volunteer students to conduct initial intake application interviews. Students with VLS also volunteer at the Rape Crisis Center, Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), and at Habitat for Humanity.

www.studentweb.law.ttu.edu/vls/default.html
www.studentweb.law.ttu.edu/SPII/index.htm

Texas Wesleyan University: Texas Wesleyan University School of Law

Street Law Program – Through the Street Law Program, law students provide law-related education in a high-risk middle school. The program was implemented in all 60 homeroom classes in the school resulting in 1,100 middle-school students receiving instruction.

Innocence Project – Student group that supports the national initiative of The Innocence Project.

Let Someone Know – Pro bono services to assist the community prepare advanced directives.

National Adoption Day – Each November, students with third-year bar cards represent foster families who are adopting children. The students are involved in the case from the beginning, drafting and filing the Initial Applications for Adoption and proving up and finalizing the adoptions.

Thomas Jefferson School of Law: Thomas Jefferson School of Law

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) - Students assist in low-income tax assistance.

Thomas M. Cooley Law School: Thomas M. Cooley Law School

Cooley student organizations, working with faculty and community professionals, coordinate many volunteer, public service, and pro bono projects.

Cooley students have been the catalysts for introducing elementary and high school peer-mediation projects across the state. Student groups volunteer to be trained in mediation and conflict resolution skills and then to bring those skills into the classroom. They have even used the training to teach conflict resolution to undergraduate students from Michigan State University’s College of Education.

Students active in Cooley’s Tax Law Society have become certified volunteers through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program and offer free tax help to low- to moderate-income individuals who cannot prepare their own tax returns.

Chapters of The Disaster Relief Legal Association were formed by students in Lansing and Grand Rapids. They coordinate pro bono opportunities for Cooley students by working with organizations assisting victims of disasters facing legal issues. Most of their work is done during term breaks when trips are made to areas of need.

Lansing, Auburn Hills, and Grand Rapids chapters of the Student Bar Association organized and conducted “Operation Hurricane Hope” to provide monetary assistance, pro bono services and physical rebuilding aid to those affected by storms in the southern United States.

Touro College: Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center

PILOT – Hosted 2005 Cover Retreat, Fundraiser for Loan Forgiveness

Tulane University: Tulane University School of Law

Project for Older Prisoners – POPS was established to address the problems of prison overcrowding and the rapidly growing geriatric inmate population in Louisiana's prisons. POPS' primary mission is to aid elderly and infirm inmates seeking parole, pardon, or commutation. POPS provides students with the opportunity to interview inmates, analyze cases, and advocate for inmates before the State Parole and Pardon Boards.

Street Law Program – Sponsored by the TLS Public Interest Law Foundation, the Street Law program familiarizes students in under-resourced public high schools with laws and legal principles likely to be relevant to their daily lives.

Tulane Legal Assistance Program (TULAP) – The Tulane Legal Assistance Program (TULAP) provides free legal counseling and advice to Tulane University students, staff, and faculty. Staffed by first-year law students working under the supervision of retained attorneys who are licensed to practice in Louisiana, the program offers the opportunity to develop skills by interviewing clients, conducting research, and drafting legal documents. TULAP's services include legal consultation, notarial services, and in-court representation in civil, traffic, municipal, and criminal court at reduced rates.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) – Tulane Law students staff the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program on up to 10 Saturdays each spring. Since 1992, well over 9300 hours have been donated to this program by Tulane Law students. Through the VITA program, students assist hundreds of individuals who could not otherwise afford assistance with their income tax returns. Students help prepare basic tax returns for taxpayers with special needs, including persons with disabilities, non-English speaking persons, and elderly taxpayers.

University at Buffalo Law School, SUNY: School of Law

Domestic Violence Task Force – The Domestic Violence Task Force, a student-run group, provides advocacy through the Niagara County Family Court Resource Project to assist victims of domestic violence in obtaining temporary and permanent orders of protection. The Task Force also provides weekly legal services for Haven House residents and their outreach program participants in conjunction with the Bar Association of Erie County, Volunteer Lawyers Project, and the Western New York Chapter of the Women's Bar Association of New York State. See http://www.law.buffalo.edu/Student_Life_And_Services/default.asp?firstlevel=3&filename=student_organizations. Clinical Professors Suzanne Tomkins and Catherine Cerulli, who were the founders of the Family Violence Task Force in 1990 when they were students, supervise the Domestic Violence Task Force in some of its efforts.

Prison Law Task Force – The Prison Law Task Force is a student-run group that travels to certain area prisons to provide legal research and writing training to inmates seeking to represent themselves in legal matters. Professor Teresa A. Miller supervises the Prison Task Force and its pro bono efforts.

University of Akron: C. Blake McDowell Law Center

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.

University of Alabama: University of Alabama School of Law

Michael Figure Leadership – This program is targeted at disadvantaged youth.

Public Interest Institute – http://www.law.ua.edu/pubinterest/

Street Law – This program takes law into high schools.

University of Arizona: James E. Rogers College of Law

National Lawyers Guild Community Legal Referral Clinics – The NLG runs legal referral clinics to serve people in need at 4 or 5 locations in the community (Casa Maria, Primavera Men's Shelter, other). Students meet with people who have questions and need information about how to access the legal system. Clinics meet weekly.

Native American Law Students Association – Through the Legal Referral Program at the Tucson Indian Center, students provide referral services to people on a walk-in basis three days per week.

VLP Advocates Bankruptcy Clinic – Under supervision of attorneys, students work with pro se clients appearing in Federal Bankruptcy Court.

VLP Advocates Child Support Clinic – Under supervision of attorneys, students review pleadings of pro per litigants at domestic default hearings to confirm that child support was calculated accurately. If there are errors, students prepare accurate documents.

VLP Advocates Domestic Relations Clinic – Students meet with clients under the supervision of volunteer attorneys, provide basic information and advice, and assist in completing self-help forms.

VLP Advocates Guardianship Clinic – Under supervision of attorneys, students meet with unrepresented clients at guardianship hearings in probate court to explain the proceedings and review client's file to ensure all legal requirements have been met. Students then appear before the court and offer recommendations as to whether clients should be awarded guardianships.

University of Arkansas at Fayetteville: School of Law

Habitat for Humanity Wills Project – The Habitat for Humanity Wills Project is a non-credit, pro bono project housed in the Legal Clinic. Under the supervision of volunteer faculty, student attorneys provide basic estate planning services for families who are recipients of Washington, and Benton Counties Habitat for Humanity homes. Students review the manner in which the client holds title to the home and other assets. They prepare simple wills, advance health care directives (living wills), powers of attorney, and other related documents. The project affords students the opportunity for pro bono service in a context that mirrors an estate-planning practice for clients of modest means.

To participate in the Wills Project, students must qualify for certification under Rule XV( to see complete information on how a student qualifies visit: http://courts.state.ar.us/opinions/1998a/980115/rule-xv.txt of the Arkansas Supreme Court and must have the approval of the faculty supervisor for the project. The anticipated level of demand for services determines the number of students who may participate at any given time.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock: William H. Bowen School of Law

Student Bar Association’s Community Outreach Opportunity League (C.O.O.L.)

University of California at Davis: University of California at Davis School of Law

VITA - an income tax return preparation assistance program.

University of California, Berkeley: University of California, Berkeley, School of Law

• The California Asylum Representation Clinic (CARC) enables Berkeley Law students to serve as legal advocates for asylum seekers. Students work in pairs to assist asylum seekers from all over the world, including Central America, Africa and Asia. CARC collaborates with the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant to allow first-year students, as well as 2Ls and 3Ls, to enrich their legal education by working directly with clients and providing a vital community service. Local immigration attorneys provide CARC students with additional support and mentorship.
• The Workers' Rights Clinic serves to provide free legal information to low-income workers with employment-related problems and to give Berkeley Law students, particularly first-years, an opportunity to interview and work with clients who need their help. Weekly, clients come to the Clinic, housed at the East Bay Community Law Center, where they meet one-on-one with a Berkeley Law student to discuss the details of the client's employment problem. The student then works with a supervising attorney to analyze the client's situation, identify legal issues, and determine what remedies the client might pursue.
• Boalt Hall Community Legal Outreach (CLO) provides a unique opportunity for first year law students to provide much-needed legal services to underrepresented communities served by the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC). Student volunteers help expand EBCLC’s service net by visiting homeless shelters, battered women’s shelters, welfare centers, and drop-in clinics, and staffing the Community Legal Access Service Site (CLASS) and the Low-Income Eviction Project. Students provide legal information in brief consultations and referrals to EBCLC and other legal service providers as well as connecting clients with other community resources. Students assist clients with problems associated with government benefits, housing, criminal records, citation defense, and other legal issues.
• Advocates for Youth Justice (AYJ) provides law students with training and opportunities to serve Bay Area youth through four student-run initiatives: Juvenile Hall Outreach, a know-your-rights program at Alameda County juvenile hall; the Expulsion Representation Clinic, providing advocacy for Bay Area youth facing school expulsion; the Education Advocacy Program where law students are certified as educational surrogates for foster youth; and the Berkeley High School Student Court, a restorative justice court at Berkeley High School.
• The Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is a project of the Boalt Hall Committee for Human Rights that pairs students with Iraqi clients in the Middle East who are stuck in the refugee resettlement process. Law students work under attorney supervision, serving as legal advocates throughout the resettlement process to help refugees reach a safe and welcoming country of refuge.
• The Napa Advocacy Project (NAP) is a partnership between Berkeley Law students and Disability Rights California that sends students to the Napa State Hospital, a psychiatric hospital, to provide legal information to residents.

University of California-Hastings: College of the Law

Hastings students, faculty and staff are engaged in a wide variety of pro bono activities with legal services organizations locally, nationally and internationally. Student run pro bono opportunities include:

• General Assistance Advocacy Project (GAAP) - Students assist homeless clients to navigate the public benefits systems including general assistance, social security, unemployment, etc.
• Hastings to Haiti: to help strengthen the rule of law in Haiti, students engage with Haitian law students as well as bringing supplies and materials on human rights issues.
• Hastings Hurricane Relief: an alternative spring break opportunity. Students travel to the Gulf Coast as part of the national law student movement, to provide legal related services.
• Homeless Legal Services Program: law students, supervised by a large local law firm, partner with medical students from UCSF to provide services to residents of a local homeless shelter one evening per week.
• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA): students provide tax filing assistance to Tenderloin residents one evening a week during tax season.

Specialized Law Education Projects which students are involved with include:

• Diversity Day
• Day at Law School
• Street Law

University of California-Los Angeles: University of California-Los Angeles

Partnership with Public Counsel (Volunteer Lawyer Program) – Places students with attorneys who have pro bono cases.

Adoptions Project -- The Director of Public Interest Programs supervises 40-50 students a semester on adoption cases. The Project runs over the course of a semester and advanced students serve as intermediate supervisors. Many first year students participate.

El Centro Legal – This student group coordinates three legal clinics for Hispanic populations: homeless youth, working in conjunction with Public Counsel; landlord-tenant, working in conjunction with the Legal Aid Society; and an HIV legal clinic, working in partnership with HOLSA. Over 100 first year students participated in 1998.

Worker Justice Project -- Seeks to provide an essential link between existing community organizations and increasing legal access to low-wage workers. Working through any of several community organizations, students can find a variety of volunteer opportunities, from intakes, case management, and representing workers through administrative hearings, to developing employment law and administrative hearing curriculums for volunteers and workers.

University of Chicago: University of Chicago Law School

Neighbors is the Law School's primary community service organization. Each year, approximately 100 law students spend two hours a week volunteering in the local community. These service programs include one-on-one tutoring at local elementary and high schools, career mentoring for teen-adults, participating at a soup kitchen, and visiting the elderly at the local YWCA center. In addition, Neighbors also conducts quarterly service drives, including a canned-food drive in the fall, a blood drive in the winter, and a clothing drive in the spring. Overall, Neighbors is a key way that University of Chicago law students can become involved in the local community. http://www.law.uchicago.edu/Life/neighbors.html

Street Law is an outreach volunteer program to community high schools. Groups of approximately four or five students visit eleventh and twelfth grade classrooms once per week for fifty minutes. During each visit, the law students teach the class fundamental legal concepts and engage in policy discussion. Some classes break into small groups to encourage interaction and the free flow of ideas among high school and law students. http://www.law.uchicago.edu/Life/streetlaw.html

University of Cincinnati: University of Cincinnati College of Law

HOME – Local fair housing organization that collects data and advocates for racial, economic and social equality.

ProKids – Provides advocacy for children in the juvenile system and recently partnered with the College of Law to create accelerated training to allow our students to become court-appointed special advocates.

ICLAP: Immigrant Community Legal Advocacy Project – is a student organization that partners with local organizations to provide immigration services to our growing Latino population.

Tenant Information Project – Provides information about Ohio landlord-tenant law to the community.

Volunteer Income Tax Association (VITA) – Assists low- and middle-income and elderly persons with tax return preparation.

Volunteer Lawyers Project – A joint project with the Cincinnati Bar Association that allows our students to assist local attorneys with cases accepted on a pro bono basis through this program. Administered by the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati.

University of Colorado: School of Law

ACLU – The Law School chapter of the ACLU is active both in the school and in the community. The chapter provides legal research assistance for the Colorado State affiliate; conducts educational programs in the Boulder County junior high schools; and sponsors lectures open to the entire student body on current civil rights and civil liberties issues.

Christian Law Society – In the 2004-2005 year, the Christian Law Society began to lay the groundwork for a Christian Legal Aid Clinic to assist low income clients in need of legal services.

Colorado Law Mediation Program – The Colorado Law Medition Program trains student volunteers to be mediators and once these students are trained, they provide free mediation services within the community.

Environmental Law Society – The Environmental Law Society has two primary goals: education and action. ELS supports a speaker series, holds an environmental law jobs day, and works to support the natural resources and environmental curriculum at the School of Law. The ELS involves its members in environmental legal issues by assisting Colorado environmental and community groups with legal research.

Lend-A-Law-Student Association –The Association is designed to provide research assistance to pro bono attorneys and organizations while at the same time allowing law students to gather some pro bono legal experience. The legal topics vary from environmental to criminal to civil rights. Students attend meetings to familiarize themselves with different areas of law and are informed of their ethical responsibilities to the attorneys and clients involved in the cases. Students are assigned to an attorney working in their area of interest and may do research, drafting, editing, investigative, or other legal work.

University of Connecticut: University of Connecticut School of Law

[Students have the option of getting credit for some of these opportunities.]

The Center for Children's Advocacy - Students represent abused and neglected children and on class action litigation as well as testimony to be given to the state legislature. An adjunct faculty member supervises the students.

Hartford Superior Court (Family Court) - Students assist with domestic violence restraining orders.

Connecticut Urban Legal Initiative (CULI) - Students work on community economic development and revitalization projects and assist in advising non-profit groups in Hartford and Waterbury. An adjunct faculty member supervises the students.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) - Students volunteer to assist low-income taxpayers with preparing their income tax returns.

Connecticut Unemployment Action Center - Students represent unemployment insurance claimants in the greater Hartford area. Faculty members supervise.

University of Dayton: University of Dayton School of Law

VLSP – Students, with oversight of faculty members and local attorneys, provided variety legal services for indigent clients.

University of Denver: Sturm College of Law

Amnesty International – Amnesty International is an international human rights organization that works impartially for the release of all prisoners of conscience, fair and prompt trials for political prisoners, and the end to torture, and executions. The Chapter at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law will present several speakers on these and related topics throughout the year. It also initiates campaigns by writing letters to government officials and prisoners, as well as takes on actions through the Legal Support Network Amnesty recently initiated for lawyers and law students in the United States.

Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) – The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) is a nonprofit organization consisting of more than 17,000 attorneys nationwide. Its purpose is to protect the lives and interests of animals and enhance the welfare and status of animals through the enforcement of statutes, ordinances, regulations, and common law principles. Our goals include educating the University of Denver community about the forms of institutionalized animal abuse; understanding how litigation can be used to combat this abuse; and providing opportunities for students to work with attorneys on litigation projects.

Children's Legal Advocacy Group (CLAG) – The Children's Legal Advocacy Group (CLAG) is a student organization focused on the interests of children. Goals include increasing student awareness for legal issues involving children and families, and having an active influence in the community. Through community projects with schools, shelters for victims of abuse, the Denver Bar Association, various national children's foundations, the Rocky Mountain Children's Law Center, and the American Bar Association, CLAG provides many opportunities for members to reach out to children in need, and gain much practical experience in the field of child advocacy.

Helping Empower through Alternative Resolution (HEAR) – HEAR was established after the Columbine shootings as a way to help prevent conflicts in schools. The organization trains law students in mediation techniques and then works with high schools introducing, implementing and facilitating mediation programs to promote peaceful conflict resolution.

Public Interest Law Group (PILG) – PILG attempts to encourage law students (and the legal community) to devote time, energy, and intellect to helping disadvantaged individuals obtain access to our legal system. Public interest law addresses the political, social, and economic welfare of communities, with an emphasis on society's underrepresented issues and groups. PILG is dedicated to issues within, but not limited to, the substantive areas of constitutional law, criminal law, civil rights law, gay and lesbian law, elder law, environmental law, family law, immigration law, labor law, urban law, poverty law, Native American law, and legal ethics. The group's primary goals are to encourage law students to devote their careers to the struggle for social justice, expose students to the broad range of work being done to advance progressive legal goals, provide a forum for discussion and an information base, and inspire students to follow their hearts. PILG encourages involvement in the community through its tutoring program, educates and provides a forum for discussion by bringing in and co-sponsoring speaker panels. It raises its own funds to allow students to work for non-profit organizations during the summer through its clerkship program.

Social Justice Action Group (S-JAG) – S-JAG is a student-run organization dedicated to furthering social justice in Colorado and the nation through research, writing, and strategic planning. S-JAG utilizes the resources of law students and faculty to produce quality work used in litigation and other efforts to effect social change. S-JAG serves a wide range of organizations committed to and passionate about social justice, including large national nonprofits, law firms, and grassroots organizations.

The Ralph Timothy Potter Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)– This is the Denver University Law Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. Membership is open to all in the University of Denver law school community who support our mission of promoting and protecting civil rights. Activities include intake, case investigation, and research at the Colorado Affiliate Office, presentations on civil liberties issues, publication of a civil liberties newsletter and internet update, participation on ACLU legal panel and board, and promotion of civil liberties on campus and in the community.

University of Florida: Fredric G. Levin College of Law

Florida Bar Foundation Public Interest Law Fellows – One of the students' requirements to fulfill the fellowship is coordinating events to bring poverty law issues to the law school community. These students coordinate service projects, substantive public interst law panels and community education events.

Although it is a requirement of the fellowship, the students decide on the projects, coordinate, advertise, and staff the events.

Restoration of Civil Rights Project – Students teamed up with the Martin Luther King Commission, the student chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, the Association for Public Interest Law and the ACLU to assist ex-felons with the application to request the restoration of their voting rights.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) – Students volunteer to assist other students (particularly international students) and the general community with filing their income tax returns.

University of Hawaii: William S. Richardson School of Law

Environmental Law Society -- Members have the opportunity to provide legal research assistance to attorneys representing individuals and organizations concerned with protection of the environment, take direct action for the protection and enhancement of the environment (e.g., testifying to the Legislature regarding environmental bills), and participate in forums for the exchange of information and the promotion of a better understanding of environmental law and policy issues.

VITA

University of Houston: University of Houston Law Center

Phi Alph Delta – Initiated and coordinate Camp Cool (Children's Orientation On Law) annually during the week of Thanksgiving. http://www.law.uh.edu/organizations/pad/

Public Interest Law Organization – Attend monthly legal services clinic hosted by Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program to assist lawyers in client intake and translation as necessary.

University of Idaho: College of Law

Law Students for Alternative Dispute Resolution – Law Students for Alternative Dispute Resolution has members that volunteer regularly to do a variety of mediations including small claims, civil mediations, and family mediations.

Volunteer Income Tax Association (VITA) – VITA provides free tax assistance for low-income people.

University of Illinois: University of Illinois College of Law

Prisoners' Rights Research Project – Indigent prisoners incarcerated across the country write to the Project requesting answers to specific legal problems. Working under a student supervisor and faculty adviser, volunteers hone their research skills and gain significant insight into our corrections system by answering these complex questions.

The Society for Legal Assistance to Abused Women -- This is a community service based organization established to provide legal support for people in abusive relationships.

Welfare Rights Clinic -- Clinic volunteers represent public aid applicants and recipients having disputes with the Illinois Department of Public Aid. The clinic maintains an office staffed by student volunteers who provide advice to people about public aid generally. Volunteers interview clients, research the law, gather evidence, and negotiate with caseworkers.

Process: Requests for new pro bono organizations and projects are considered by the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, who in conjunction with the Student Bar Association, will assess the feasibility of the proposal and will assist in the creation of the program or project.

University of Iowa: University of Iowa College of Law

The Iowa Coalition for Domestic Violence (ICADV) MUNA Legal Clinic in Des Moines and the University of Iowa College of Law collaborate to serve immigrant survivors of domestic abuse.

The Equal Justice Foundation, a student group within the College of Law, hosts an annual spring break service trip to New Orleans to provide relief work for Katrina survivors.

The Iowa Campaign for Human Rights, a student group within the College of Law, facilitates student volunteer projects with a variety of non-profit organizations, including the Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON) program. Through JFON, law students assist immigration attorneys with immigrant detainee intake forms, provide “Know Your Rights” presentations, and help counsel at-risk immigrants.

Other student groups at the University of Iowa College of Law sponsor various volunteer projects throughout the year including highway clean-ups, toy drives, cell phone drives, among others.

University of Kansas: School of Law

Public Interest Law Society/Kansas City Day Laborer Project - Day laborers in the greater Kansas City metropolitan area will work for individuals and firms on a daily or longer-term basis. Often these workers will work for short or even extended periods without being paid, trusting that the employer will eventually pay them as agreed. The project works with these day laborers to educate them as to their rights and to assist them in getting the employer to obey relevant laws.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) - The VITA program has been in existence since at least 1996. In 2004-05, 40 law school volunteers prepared an average of 50 tax returns per week. Appointment hours were scheduled at the Law School three days per week, and at four low-income community service centers. Two faculty members who teach the tax curriculum provided guidance and oversight.

University of Kentucky: College of Law

University of La Verne: College of Law

Student organizations have, from time-to-time, engaged in legal and non-legal pro bono work. Projects have included fundraisers for various charitable organizations, food and clothing drives, high school mentoring programs, disaster relief operations, etc.

University of Louisville: Louis D. Brandeis School of Law

Edwin H. Perry Mediation Fellowships - A local lawyer has funded fellowships to train students for pro bono service. Each year this program offers a number of fellowships in mediation. Student "fellows" receive basic, family and divorce mediation skills training (70 hours), then apply their knowledge in thirty hours of family law mediation to fulfill their public service requirement. The "fellows" become part of the Louisville Bar Association Family Law Pro Bono Teams Project, mediating all matters of child visitation and custody for each case assigned to a team.

Legal Clinic for the Deaf - Students, volunteer attorneys and sign language interpreters coordinate a legal clinic for the deaf, held at the law school.

Pro Bono Wills Clinics - These clinics have been held at various sites in the Louisville area over the past several years.

VITA Clinic for Immigrants at Community Center - Students, with volunteer attorney supervision, prepare income tax returns for low-income immigrant population.

University of Maine: University of Maine School of Law

University of Maryland: University of Maryland School of Law

ACLU, University of Maryland School of Law Chapter – The ACLU, University of Maryland School of Law Chapter, not only provides awareness of civil liberties through speakers and other programs but links student volunteers to current ACLU pro bono projects and casework in Maryland.

Asian Pacific - American Law Student Association (APALSA) – APALSA has joined the Korean Bar Committee of the Maryland State Bar Association in assisting Maryland residents to apply for U.S. Citizenship in a special citizenship drive.

Community Law in Action – Provides community service opportunities for law students to work with high school students from Northwestern High School in Baltimore, Maryland. High school students from Northwestern High School engage in community-based legal projects and study legal fundamentals in the classroom. The classroom component is conducted in a Law and Public Service Academy, where students are taught courses in juvenile law and justice, criminal law and procedure, constitutional law, business law, and community-development law. In the practical component, the high school students attend a weekly seminar in which various legal skills are taught by law students and then are used by the high school student in projects to improve community service.

Latino/a Law Students Association – Volunteers translate for clients in the Labor/Employment Clinic.

Maryland Environmental Law Society (MELS) – MELS provides a network for all students interested in the growing field of environmental law. In addition to its programmatic activities, MELS has gained national recognition for its pioneering role in purchasing and retiring emission allowance for sulfur dioxide (S02). Since 1994, MELS has purchased 43 tons of S02 allowances at EPA's auctions conducted annually pursuant to the Clean Air Act.

The Maryland Katrina & Indigent Defense Project See: http://www.law.umaryland.edu/studentorg/katrina/index.asp

University of Memphis: Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law

Two student groups, the Public Interest Law Society and the International Law Society, are actively involved in a social security project supervised by a Memphis area Legal Services attorney and an immigration law project in conjunction with the Section of the Memphis Bar Association. We also have other specialized law education activities organized by student groups with interests in numerous areas of practice.

University of Miami: University of Miami School of Law

The School of Law is proud to have many student organizations dedicated to service including, the Society of Bar and Gavel (Honorary service organization engaged in multiple philanthropic projects throughout the year including fundraising for shelters, engaging in walk-a-thons, etc.) , Phi Alpha Delta, Miami Law Women (Outreach and support to women and children who are victims of domestic violence.), and the Wrongful Convictions Project (Students work under the supervision of a clinical faculty member to address the needs of prisoners who have been wrongfully convicted.) In addition, our Student Bar Association sponsors many service programs throughout the year.

Law Related Education: Through this collaborative effort of the Phi Alpha Delta Public Service Center and HOPE, law students teach elementary and middle school students legal lessons on topics in the legal system, including torts, consumer law and criminal law. The fifteen-lesson curriculum is offered each semester to a different class.

Lawyers for Literacy: We collaborate with other agencies to support literacy efforts. One such program is Lawyers for Literacy, where selected law students work with attorneys and judges, to provide support and education to individuals in area homeless centers.

University of Michigan: University of Michigan Law School

Wolverine Street Law -- This is a practical program of law-related education aimed at engaging high school students in a critical examination of their rights and responsibilities. Michigan Law students lead discussions related to practical legal problems, contemporary legal issues, and the ramifications of breaking the law. The underlying goal of the program is for high school students to understand how laws enhance society and how their actions affect society.

Washtenaw Workers’ Rights Center: Students from the Labor Law Roundtable volunteer with the WWRC on a variety of issues related to workers’ rights. Michigan Law students co-founded the WWRC.

Family Law Project (“FLP”): is a joint effort between Legal Services of South Central Michigan, a non-profit organization that provides legal services to indigent residents of its multi-county service area and the University of Michigan Law School. The mission of FLP is domestic violence prevention by providing safety to domestic violence survivors and their children through the law. FLP provides survivors with a full range of legal services, including protection orders, custody orders, and divorces as well as ancillary legal matters. After completing a training, first year students are assigned a protection order case and will interview the client, draft and file pleadings, assist with and attend any court hearings and otherwise monitor the case. Second and third year students who have previous experience at FLP may work on more complex cases, including divorce and custody matters.

The Food Stamp Advocacy Project is a law student organization working to reduce hunger by increasing participation in the food stamp program among eligible individuals in Washtenaw County. Working closely with Legal Services of South Central Michigan, student volunteers provide eligibility screenings to low-income individuals who may be eligible for food stamps, assist individuals in filling out food stamp applications, and provide individuals with information about their rights in the Food Stamp program.

Student Network for Asylum and Refugee Law (SNARL)– SNARL has an established relationship to provide pro bono assistance with Freedom House. Additionally, SNARL members have been involved in the creation of an asylum handbook for the Sixth Circuit and country conditions research and brief-writing for upcoming cases.

University of Minnesota: University of Minnesota Law School

MJF Street Law Project -- MJF staff, legal services attorneys and alternative learning center teachers train law students to teach low-income, at-risk high school students their basic legal rights, responsibilities and resources.

University of Mississippi: School of Law

University of Missouri: Kansas City School of Law

The Kansas City Tax Clinic – A project of the UMKC Graduate Tax Law Foundation with support from the UMKC School of Law. UMKC School of Law students in the LL.M. in Taxation program, the combined J.D./LL.M. in Taxation program, or other students with the permission of the director of the tax program, represent clients in tax controversy matters, under the supervision of the director and volunteer tax practitioners.

The Public Interest Litigation Clinic – The PILC is an independent organization located on the campus. It litigates and provides advice and research assistance to Missouri defense attorneys in capital punishment cases. The School's Death Penalty Clinic and the "Problems and Issues in the Death Penalty" course are taught in conjunction with the PILC, and the center's staff provides valuable resources for the students in those classes.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) – Students volunteer to help low income Kansas City Citizen’s file their income taxes.

Midwestern Innocence Project Student Organization – The mission of the project is to support the efforts of the Midwestern Innocence Project through support and fundraising efforts.

University of Montana: University of Montana School of Law

Family Law Advice Clinic – Montana Legal Services organizes and runs this non-credit opportunity for students to help the legal services attorneys help families.

Street Law Project – The Street Law Project is designed to educate middle school and high school students about different areas of law. Law students work with educators to provide classroom presentations, mock trials and other activities.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) – Students with an interest in tax law arrange income tax preparation assistance for low income and elderly individuals during tax season.

University of Nebraska: University of Nebraska College of Law

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program -- VITA students receive training on tax return requirements. They then provide help on filling out federal and state income tax returns at various sites around Lincoln, including retirement homes, community centers, and shopping malls.

Community Legal Education Project (CLEP) -- CLEP coordinates a variety of activities through which the College promotes legal education for non-lawyers. Law students assist elementary, middle and secondary school teachers in helping pupils understand fundamental legal issues, appreciate the legal system, and learn about the law as it affects their daily lives.

University of Nevada, Las Vegas: William S. Boyd School of Law

Vegas Immigration Student Association – The focus of V.I.S.A. is to inform and educate students and members of the community about immigration and the issues surrounding it. V.I.S.A. and the Public Interest Law Association, along with the Nevada Immigrant Resource Project, sponsor Citizenship Fairs providing students opportunities to present information to immigrants.

University of New Mexico: University of New Mexico School of Law

APIL – The Association of Public Interest Law is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, including, but not limited to:

• Raising and allocating funds in order to provide grant recipients with an opportunity to gain practical experience in public interest law;

• Assisting public interest governmental or non-governmental non-profit agencies to achieve their goals by encouraging and enabling students to undertake unpaid summer internships;

• Educating students about career opportunities in public interest law and legal services; Creating a community where students can demonstrate their individual and communal support of public interest law.

Christian Law Society – The Christian Law Society conducted training of students to perform pro bono work with attorneys in the community.

Innocence and Justice Project – The Innocence and Justice Project is dedicated to exonerating people who have been convicted of crimes they did not commit. Student members work with local attorneys to research cases where people convicted of crimes may be factually innocent. This organization provides training for students in investigation, analysis, and legal writing necessary to win the release of factually innocent prisoners.

University of North Carolina: University of North Carolina School of Law

Carolina HIV/AIDS Legal Assistance Project (CHALA) - CHALA works to enable low income individuals and families afflicted by HIV/AIDS anticipate and prevent household instability resulting from illness, incapacitation, or death by helping them draft advance directives, such as living wills, powers of attorney, health care powers of attorney, and other legal documents.

Carolina Teen Court Assistance Program - Carolina Teen Court assists the Orange County teen courts by serving as mentors for the student attorneys.

Child Action - This organization is committed to fostering the understanding and involvement of law students in children's legal issues by familiarizing them with children's law and the system in which it operates. The group sponsors speakers, supervises the training and work of law students as area Guardian ad Litem attorneys, and visits area schools in conjunction with the Law-Related Education program. It also sponsors a Continuing Legal Education program about children's issues in the spring.

Community Legal Project- A volunteer organization that allows law students to gain interviewing skills and practical experience with the Interfaith Shelter in Chapel Hill. Volunteers interview clients on a weekly basis and have their legal research reviewed by a practicing attorney. The Community Legal Projects deals with a variety of issues but assists primarily with landlord-tenant, employment, and family law.

Death Penalty Project- The Death Penalty project is a student organization at the University of North Carolina that has been founded for the purpose of fostering a community that is more conscious of the effect of the death penalty on society. Students work on death penalty case research under the supervision of a faculty member.

Domestic Violence Advocacy Project - This organization supports victims of domestic violence as they confront the legal and court systems. The major goal is to help victims of domestic violence achieve the legal results they need to keep themselves and their families safe.

Entrepreneur Law Association - Students perform pro bono services to local entrepreneurs and start-up companies and encourage community interaction and development.

Environmental Law Project - This organization of law students share an interest in the legal and political aspects of national, state, and local environmental issues. The primary goal of ELP is to expand the opportunities available to law students in the area of environmental law. Each year, ELP provides pro bono legal research and writing assistance for specific projects to local environmental organizations, including The Nature Conservancy and The National Health Law Program.

Immigrants Outreach Project - The Project assists people who have recently arrived in the Triangle from other countries and who have legally related issues ranging from citizenship status to taxation. The Project's second goal is to raise awareness about the need for immigration lawyers and to help interested law students enter that field.

Innocence Project - UNC - The UNC Law School Innocence Project is affiliated with the Duke University Law School Innocence Project and the North Carolina Center on Actual Innocence. The Project is a student-operated volunteer organization with oversight provided by a UNC Law Professor and a criminal law attorney. The Project is dedicated to reviewing and investigating innocence claims made by North Carolina inmates. The fundamental goal of the project is to assist prisoners in challenging wrongful convictions. Additionally, the Project seeks to introduce students to elements of criminal law and investigation.

Just Democracy - Just Democracy is a national nonpartisan law student organization devoted to voter protection and education. Just Democracy's mission is to empower citizens of all socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnic and racial communities, and political persuasions to participate in the democratic process by exercising the right to vote. On Election Day, volunteers will monitor polling precincts in North Carolina, educate voters about their voting rights, and answer calls from concerned voters at a statewide hotline.

Lambda's Power of Attorney Project - Lambda works to enable low- income individuals and families by helping them draft advance directives, such as living wills, powers of attorney, and other legal documents.

Latino Legal Initiative - The Latino Legal Initiative works to increase awareness about the rights of immigrants and related legal issues in the Latino community. Students have been involved in hosting workshops on legal issues at community centers, doing segments on Spanish radio shows, and producing and distributing information in Spanish on legal resources throughout the Triangle. The Initiative is a joint project of the National Lawyers Guild, the Hispanic/Latino Law Students Association, and the Immigrants Outreach Project.

Latino Legal Initiative - LLI works to increase awareness about the rights of immigrants and related legal issues in the Latino community through community workshops, radio spots, and literature distribution.

Prisoners' Rights Project - PRP, which includes the Death Penalty Project and the Innocence Project, has volunteers respond to inmate requests for legal and administrative assistance when possible and seeks to educate students about issues facing incarcerated people in North Carolina.

Street Law - Law students teach legal related topics to eighth graders in the public school system, one day per week for fall and spring semesters. In the spring, law students work with the eighth graders to do a mock trial. The primary goals of Street Law are to increase law students' ability to communicate to lay persons about the law and to teach middle-schoolers about their rights and responsibilities under the law.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program - VITA provides the community with assistance in completing and filing tax returns.

University of Oklahoma: College of Law

University of Oregon: University of Oregon School of Law

Oregon Innocence Project – In collaboration with the University's Journalism School, law students review inmate claims of "actual innocence," and help inmates pursue exoneration.

Street Law Program – Street Law is a program focused on teaching legal principles to community members in a straight forward, easy-to-understand manner. The goal of the program is to offer legal information to community members who are interested in a broad overview of their rights, as well as to reach out to segments of the community who may have difficulty obtaining the information elsewhere. Classes include: Search and Seizure (in English and Spanish); Landlord/Tenant Law (in English and Spanish); Gay and Lesbian Legal Issues; Legal Research for Lay Persons; Juvenile Law at the John Serbu Youth Center; and Domestic Violence Advocacy through a Court Watch Program, an undergraduate education class, and a Mock Trial class for high school students.

Volunteer Income Tax Association (VITA) – The Pro Bono Board coordinates online training with the IRS Taxpayer Education Program. Students become licensed tax preparers and, in collaboration with the University's Lundquist College of Business students, provide tax assistance to low-income, elderly and other taxpayers who qualify for assistance.

University of Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Law School

Animal Law Project– The Animal Rights Legal Project works with the Animal Rights Defense Fund and other organizations on legal projects to improve the lives of domestic and wild animals as well as animals used for research and experimentation. Students are working in collaboration with the group leaders at Wharton and the Veterinary School.

Custody and Support Assistance – This student-run project provides legal assistance and referrals to low-income clients in the area of child custody and support.

Guild Food Stamp Clinic – Founded in 1984, this student-run project provides legal counseling and representation to clients in food stamp cases. This year 16 Penn law students participated in the Project and provided assistance to nearly 300 clients in food stamp cases.

Immigration Project – This student-run clinic provides legal assistance to Immigrant detainees seeking relief from deportation as victims of persecution or domestic violence in collaboration with the Nationalities Service Center.

Penn Advocate for the Homeless – Students provide legal assistance to homeless by conducting outreach at local West Philadelphia’s homeless shelters. This year Penn Advocates for the Homeless trained thirteen new advocates who opened fifty cases in a variety of substantive areas of law including landlord-tenant, disability, family law, government benefits, and workers’ compensation. The group works in collaboration with the Penn School of Social Work.

Penn Housing Rights Project– Through daily observations of landlord/tenant proceedings, students collect data on the extent to which the court complies with procedural and substantive rules and the particular challenges facing under-represented clients.

Prisoners' Rights Project – Through daily observations of landlord/tenant proceedings, students collect data on the extent to which the court complies with procedural and substantive rules and the particular challenges facing under-represented clients.

Reproductive Rights Project – Launched in January 2005, the Reproductive Rights Project is assisting the Women’s Law Project on legislation as well as legal research and writing on local, state and federal issues and activities that may advance or undermine reproductive rights. The clinic advocates for women who seek access to reproductive health services.

Street Law – Through Street Law, advocates teach a law related curriculum on social justice to middle school student in middle schools throughout Philadelphia.

University of Pittsburgh: School of Law

Pitt Legal Income Sharing Foundation (PLISF) is the student public interest organization.

University of Puerto Rico: School of Law

University of Saint Thomas: School of Law (MN)

BLSA

VITA

University of San Diego: University of San Diego School of Law

AIDS Clinic - Students work through the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program, Inc. (SDVLP). AIDS Legal Clinic Volunteers have a unique opportunity to gain legal experience and help the community. Every Monday night the clinic provides free legal services to anyone with HIV/AIDS.

Working through the SDVLP, AIDS Clinic Volunteers have a unique opportunity to gain legal experience and help the community. These services are vital to a community that may not otherwise have access to competent legal assistance. Students are given the opportunity to have a hands-on experience in the legal community and really make a difference in people’s lives. Volunteers will work under the supervision of staff attorney, Kendra Rupe Esq., and will have the responsibilities of aiding local pro bono lawyers in interviewing clients on issues spanning from landlord/ tenant, MediCal/ MedicAid, wrongful termination, estate planning, debtor/creditor, disclosure, and social security issues. Student volunteers will devote 2 hours every week assisting either at the Monday Night Clinic in Hillcrest or at the downtown location.

Domestic Violence – The Domestic Violence Prevention Clinic is a part of SDVLP. SDVLP trains students to staff the Domestic Violence Restraining Order Clinic; this Clinic runs out of the Family Court in downtown San Diego. Students assist clients to obtain temporary restraining orders and complete related pleadings, explanation the legal system and provide referrals to social support agencies. In addition to assisting clients directly, students also have the opportunity to observe Family Court proceedings.

Elder Law – The Elder Law Clinic places USD law students with Elder Law and Advocacy, a non-profit legal organization assisting seniors. Students assist in areas such as general legal services, litigation, nursing home rights and health insurance law. General legal services include wills, power of attorney, landlord tenant, real estate and other issues affecting seniors. Students volunteering in the litigation area assist staff attorneys to draft court documents and trial preparation. All areas give students the opportunity to draft memoranda, prepare legal documents and interview clients.

Guardianship Clinic – Through SDVLP's Guardianship Clinic, students assist caretakers prepare the court filings necessary to obtain legal guardianship. In one afternoon, students fulfill an important role in creating the legal relationship that dramatically improves the life of a child who has been abused, neglected or abandoned by his/ her parent(s). The clinic is held biweekly in the SDVLP offices from 3:00 until 6:00pm. Minimum commitment is 1 session, every other week.

Mentoring Clinic – The Mentoring Clinic pairs USD law students with students from John Marshall Elementary School in east San Diego. USD volunteers spend 1 hour a week (minimum) serving as role models for these students, helping with homework and playing games.

Monarch Debate Clinic – The Monarch Debate Clinic is a partnership between USD and Monarch School, a school for San Diego indigent youth. Volunteers go to Monarch School for 1 hour a week for 2-3 months to meet with the youth, help them conduct research and teach them to formulate legal arguments. Volunteers also teach the youth oral advocacy skills. This clinic culminates with a formal debate in the USD courtroom.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance – VITA is an IRS-sponsored program that offers basic tax return preparation training for volunteers to assist people whose incomes are $36,000 or less. Volunteers are trained by the IRS and receive certification in the Link & Learn computer program and undergo 16 hours of computer training. Training occurs season in early January. Students are then asked to give a 3 hour a week commitment during from late January to April 15th. Students provide basic tax return preparation for San Diego residents throughout the county.

University of San Francisco: University of San Francisco School of Law

The Center for Law & Global Justice - The Center for Law and Global Justice has projects in the United States and around the world, including Cambodia, Viet Nam, Indonesia, and El Salvador, focusing on legal education, judicial training, free and fair elections, and the protection of human rights.

University of South Carolina: University of South Carolina School of Law

Pro Bono Program- CASA – Volunteers are appointed to appear in Family Court on behalf of children in abuse and neglect cases. Working with the Richland County GAL Project, students act as unbiased representatives for the child; conduct confidential investigations; assist in preparing a plan of action; with the aid of the child's attorney see that all pertinent information is heard by the court; help coordinate suitable social services and ensure educational continuity.

Pro Bono Program- Juvenile Arbitration – Permits the first time offender to purge their record from the system by completing a set of requirements set forth by a volunteer arbitrator. Law Students serve as arbitrators conducting hearings for juveniles and monitor their progress in meeting the requirements set forth in the arbitration. Usually assigned one case at a time requiring approximately a total of 8 hours.

Pro Bono Program- Project Ayuda – Volunteers translate documents and provide information in Spanish to the immigrant community regarding access to legal services.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) – Sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service to help older, handicapped, non-English speaking and other taxpayers for whom professional tax assistance may be out of reach. Volunteers assist with basic tax returns. A tax coordinator is available to handle questions and difficult returns.

University of South Dakota: University of South Dakota School of Law

R.D. Hurd Volunteer Law School Society – Second- and third-year law students have the opportunity to provide pro bono legal services to low-income persons in collaboration with East River Legal Services and Dakota Plains Legal Services. The students interview selected clients off-campus at Legal Services locations, perform research, prepare documents and, in some instances, make court appearances. Students are assigned an attorney supervisor who offers assistance to the students throughout the cases. All law students have an opportunity to perform client intake at the Law School through the use of telephone and specialized intake software. Students can then conference via polycom units with Legal Services attorneys on the issues presented by the client.

University of Southern California: University of Southern California Gould School of Law

Adoption Day – Administered and supervised by a clinical law professor, students in the Children's Legal Issues Clinic team up with student volunteers and the Los Angeles Children's Courty to represent families adopting children who were formerly wards of the court.

La Raza Teen Court and Teen Mentoring – http://www.geocities.com/usclaraza/index2.html

Mariel Cuban Detainees – Administered and supervised by clinical law professors, the Post-Conviction Justice Project students team up with student volunteers to represent Mariel Cubans in immigration parole hearings.

National Lawyers Guild – NLG engages in a number of pro bono activities, including providing legal monitors for strikes and demonstrations.

PILF Pro Bono Clinics – http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~pilf/pages/Students-Clinics.html

Street Law Program – Utilizes 25-50 law student volunteers who teach about the law and serve as mentors to hundreds of public high school students.

University of Tennessee: University of Tennessee College of Law

The University of Tennessee has an active and involved student body. By volunteering their time and expertise to these student organizations, our students end up learning as much as helping. The students gain invaluable "hands-on" experience and individuals and groups obtain invaluable legal assistance. There are a variety of opportunities available at the College of Law for students who are interested in volunteering while in law school. Some of the organizations that provide legal service opportunities are listed below. Other groups such as the Black Law Student Association (BLSA) and Law Women also regularly work in the local community to provide not only legal assistance, but community service as well. Student organizations and projects are subject to change depending on student interest and initiative.

Family Justice Project – This project allows students to interview and conduct legal "check-ups" for families of elementary school students at three schools in Knoxville that have a large number of lower-income students. Each school is a "full-service school," meaning that it provides an arrangement of activities and programs during and after the school day to help provide social services beyond the traditional educational services to its students and their families. Because of the financial situation of the families of the elementary school students, many of the families are legally entitled to social services and public benefits of which they might be unaware or might be having difficulty obtaining. Students are sent to the schools to meet with parents and families. UT students are trained to spot issues and problems the families might have and to help the families address those issues. Lawyers from Legal Aid of East Tennessee supervise the students.

Homeless Project – The goals of this project are to provide practical experiences for students and to assist the homeless with their administrative or legal problems. A law professor or a local practicing attorney supervises the students on-site. The students are allowed to assist in the legal representation of individuals who are temporarily or permanently displaced and provide education about the law on such topics as minor criminal offenses, food stamps, Social Security benefits, and subsidized housing. Volunteers must attend several training sessions.

Innocence Project – The Tennessee Innocence Project, sponsored by the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, is based at the University of Tennessee College of Law. Students review innocence applications from Tennessee prisoners, investigate cases, and provide research assistance to Tennessee Innocence Project/TACDL volunteer attorneys. An intensive student training program is held each semester.

Saturday Bar – This program provides student volunteer assistance to attorneys working with the Knoxville Legal Aid Society's Saturday Bar Program. Students perform intake and assist with interviewing clients. Students generally may follow through on the cases with the assigned pro bono attorney.

Animal Law Project – The Animal Law Project's current missions are: (1) Compile a complete reference detailing the law relating to all animal laws in Tennessee, outlining some of the pertinent federal laws, and interpreting applicable acts of Congress such as the Animal Welfare Act; (2) Create appendices to increase utility of our reference to people not familiar with or literate in legal terminology including sentencing guidelines and definitions; (3) Discuss with the Tennessee Judiciary their interpretation of animal laws especially the applicable criminal statutes.

Immigrant Assistance Project – This project evolved out of participation by UT law students at "Second Sunday," an experimental monthly program for the Spanish speaking community at Sacred Heart Cathedral. During "Second Sunday," teams of attorneys and interpreters, such as law students with Spanish-speaking skills, respond to a variety of informal questions and refer legal problems to local attorneys. The project also helps inform the local Hispanic community about changes in certain aspects of immigration law. Another related project has been to provide income tax assistance to Spanish-speaking taxpayers in Tennessee.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) – VITA is a volunteer outreach program funded and managed by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The VITA mission is to help disabled, elderly, and low-income taxpayers file their returns electronically. Electronic filing helps the IRS achieve the fastest possible turnaround time to get tax refund checks to those who need them as quickly as possible. The College of Law VITA site is run completely by student volunteers trained in basic tax law and mechanics, and in the use of tax preparation software at the beginning of each tax season.

STAR (Student Assisted Research) - The STAR Program is a new venture whereby law students assist local attorneys with pro bono cases by performing a variety of research tasks.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY - Habitat for Humanity is a group composed of volunteer and full-time staff united in their attempt to provide quality housing for the underprivileged. Law student volunteers regularly participate in the construction of these homes in conjunction with the Knoxville Habitat for Humanity office.

Another project under the UT Pro Bono umbrella is the Tennessee Association for Public Interest Law (TAPIL). TAPIL promotes and supports lawyering in the public interest and helps law students find public interest career opportunities. It has presented educational programs about current issues in law and public policy, sponsored delegations to public interest career fairs and conferences, initiated pro bono projects for law students and raises money to fund public interest summer jobs for UT law students.

University of Texas at Austin: University of Texas at Austin School of Law

J. Sutton Society – Earned Income Tax Credit Project - students were trained by the IRS and then assisted low income families complete their tax returns

Street Law –Students taught law-related classes in numerous high schools in Austin

University of the District of Columbia: David A. Clarke School of Law

Students have formed a Chapter of the Innocence Project of the National Capital Region. Its purpose is to seek the exoneration and release from incarceration of persons who have been convicted of crimes they did not commit and who are serving prison terms or awaiting execution of sentences of death in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia.

University of Tulsa: College of Law

Our non-profit clinic operates in downtown Tulsa. Its clients are non-profit organizations with legal questions/legal problems. Our public interest law society (student group) has performed several pro bono group projects, non-legal. Habitat for Humanity and River/Creek Clean-up are two examples.

No formal process.

University of Utah: University of Utah College of Law

Minority Law Caucus – The MLC supports ongoing project placements at the Multi-Cultural Legal Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. www.law.utah.edu/current/showOrganization.asp?id=9

PILO– The Public Interest Law Organization (PILO) is dedicated to raising awareness of, and taking action on, public interest law issues. The organization encourages student participation in public interest law, develops public interest placement resources, engages in pro bono and community service projects, and has established a summer stipend program. Additional information can be found at: www.law.utah.edu/current/showOrganization.asp?id=13

Women’s Law Caucus – The Women's Law Caucus (WLC) is open to all law students. Its programs include panel discussions with practicing attorneys, seminars on sex discrimination in the law, and support groups to alleviate some of the pressures and anxieties of law school. The purpose of the caucus is to facilitate the personal and professional growth of its members and to provide activities that promote involvement in legal and women's issues. The WLC supports and participates in the bi-monthly Family Law Clinic held at the Matheson Courthouse. Additional information can be found at: www.law.utah.edu/current/showOrganization.asp?id=18

University of Virginia: University of Virginia School of Law

Children’s Advocacy Project– Students under supervision of project attorney handle the civil legal needs of low-income children.

Domestic Violence Project – A sub-organization of the Legal Assistance Society, the Project educates the law school about issues of domestic violence through discussion panels and films, monitors the Juvenile and Domestic Courts to inform women about the services available to them if they are being abused, and sends volunteers to the Shelter for Help in Emergency (SHE) and the Magic Circle (children of women in SHE).

J.B. Moore Society of International Law– This student volunteer organization sponsors pro bono human rights projects.

Legal Education Project – A sub-organization of the Legal Assistance Society, the Legal Education Project involves visits by law students to area middle schools in order to help teenagers learn more about the legal system. Weekly classroom visits are coordinated with the students' language arts or civics courses. The weekly classes introduce the trial process, with law students instructing on such topics as opening and closing statements, effective cross examination, and evidence. Each semester culminates in a mock trial held at the Law School, with the middle school students serving as lawyers and witnesses trying to persuade a judge (a U.Va. law professor) and a jury of law students.

Migrant Farmworkers Project – A sub-organization of the Legal Assistance Society, MFP works with the Virginia Justice Center for Immigrant and Farmworkers (a program of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Legal Aid Society) to assist an isolated population in great need of legal assistance. The Virginia Justice Center represents immigrant workers and farmworkers throughout the state of Virginia. Although the Center handles mostly employment law cases, it also takes housing and discrimination cases. Members of the Migrant Farmworkers Project at U.Va. visit migrant farm labor camps and inform workers about their rights. The project also seeks to increase awareness about the substandard treatment and conditions in which immigrant workers live and work in the state of Virginia.

Rape Crisis Advocacy Project – Supporting survivors of rape and sexual assault through advocacy, legal research and education. Advocacy: Volunteer through SARA to provide direct support to survivors. Civil Litigation Project: Work with pro-bono attorneys to support survivor's non-criminal litigation. Publications for Survivors: Create sources to help survivors understand the legal system and their options. Community Education: Educate the Law School community about sexual violence. Legislative Advocacy Project: Change the antiquated laws regarding rape and sexual assault in both Virginia and federally.

Rappahannock Legal Services Project – The Rappahannock Legal Services Clinic, run by the Legal Assistance Society, is a project intended to provide the community's indigent population with invaluable legal services. Student volunteers deal with such issues as bankruptcy advice, debtor/creditor issues, family law, and landlord-tenant law. Those student volunteers who have taken certain required courses (such as Evidence) may have the opportunity to actually counsel some of Rappahannock's clients (with the help of the Rappahannock attorneys).

Virginia Animal Law Society– The Virginia Animal Law Society is dedicated to providing a forum for education, advocacy, and scholarship aimed at protecting the lives and advancing the interests of animals through the legal system and raising the profile of the field of animal law. VALS conducts pro bono work, hosts speakers, plans student events, and holds fund raisers. The organization is affiliated with the Animal Legal Defense Fund, a nonprofit group of attorneys dedicated to defending animals from abuse ad exploitation throughout the country.

Virginia Innocence Project – VIPS recruits law student volunteers to investigate claims of individuals imprisoned in Virginia who claim to be innocent. Those who seek help from VIPS have in almost all cases exhausted the remedies that they have under the legal system and are desperate for assistance. VIPS volunteers will have the opportunity to work for justice for these people. VIPS is operating under the guidance of the Washington, D.C.-based Innocence Project of the National Capital Region (IPNCR), which includes student groups from five other D.C.-area law schools, including Georgetown University, the University of Maryland, and American University. Since 1989, the Innocence Project groups established across the country have been responsible for 151 exonerations of innocent individuals, including eight in Virginia.

Volunteer Income Tax Association Program (VITA) – A sub-organization of the Legal Assistance Society, VITA students help low income and elderly residents of Charlottesville complete their income tax returns on Saturday mornings during tax season. Students receive training in how to provide assistance and are encouraged to come as often as their schedules allow.

University of Washington: University of Washington School of Law

Immigrant Families Advocacy Project – These students work with the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and pro bono attorneys to assist immigrant women who are victims of domestic violence to get their permanent residency in the United States. Students gain valuable real-life legal experience working directly with clients and attorneys. All students are encouraged to apply.

Innocence Project Northwest ("IPNW") – IPNW is a non-profit group of volunteer attorneys, law school faculty, and law students united to ensure that innocent persons do not remain incarcerated. With the assistance of University of Washington School of Law faculty and students, IPNW attorneys provide pro bono representation to inmates who are wrongly convicted of serious crimes, who no longer have a right to counsel and where there is a cognizable claim of actual innocence. Faculty and students read inmate letters and questionnaires to select cases for further investigation and, if warranted, for pro bono representation by counsel.

Street Youth Legal Advocates of Washington – Working in conjunction with SYLAW, a new non-profit organization started by an alum, volunteer law students participate in training and orientation sessions conducted by local child advocacy attorneys. They then educate street youth through scheduled presentations and, under the supervision of pro bono attorneys, represent youth clients in civil legal matters.

University of Wisconsin: Law School

The Unemployment Compensation Appeals Clinic is a volunteer organization staffed by Law School students and supervising attorneys. The purpose of the clinic is to help provide representation to the unemployed in the local community, most of whom cannot find legal help elsewhere. Web site: http://uclinic.rso.wisc.edu/.

The Legal Information Center provides free legal assistance to University students and low income Madison residents in the areas of landlord-tenant, small claims, employment, consumer, divorce, residency, misdemeanor information, name change, contracts and traffice law. LIC is staffed primarily by law student volunteers. Web site: http://www.thelegalinformationcenter.com/.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program

Valparaiso University: Valparaiso University School of Law

Vanderbilt University: Vanderbilt University Law School

Amnesty International – AI is an international human rights organization that seeks the immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience, fair trials for all properly charged with legitimate criminal offenses, and the complete abolition of torture, disappearance, and state-sanctioned killing world wide. The Law School chapter takes up cases of individual prisoners on a regular basis, using letter-writing campaigns and telex-petition drives. The chapter also sponsors educational forums on major international human rights treaties and campaigns for their U.S. ratification.

Animal Law Society – This group of students focus on the nexus between animals and the law. Some of the organization's goals and activities include: conducting a Holiday Pet Food Drive to benefit a local Humane Society; sponsoring an Animal Law Lunchtime Discussion Series; participating in Nashville Cares PAWS, an organization which helps HIV+ individuals care for their pets; assisting a local county in establishing an animal control organization; and building a resource center that students and faculty can use to learn about the current state of animal laws on a local, national, and global level.

Ayuda Legal Independiente A Nashville (ALIANza) – Through this project, students assist public defenders with cases involving Spanish-speaking clients. ALIANza was created to provide Vanderbilt students with the opportunity to help serve the needs of Nashville's quite large Hispanic population.

The Rutherford Institute – The Rutherford Institute at Vanderbilt Law School is a student organization dedicated to the protection of First Amendment rights and the preservation of religious liberty in this country and abroad. In addition to sponsoring educational and social events, the Institute gives student members the opportunity to acquire hands-on legal experience by providing legal research for First Amendment cases tried by the national Rutherford Institute. The group has a faculty sponsor.

Vermont Law School: Vermont Law School

Guardians ad Litem – Guardians ad Litem are appointed by the court to protect and promote the interests of children and mentally incompetent adults who find themselves involved in judicial proceedings. Students may join the Vermont Law School chapter, which provides training, informational meetings, referrals, and opportunities to exchange experiences. Student guardians experience the legal process first-hand while providing a valuable service to the community.

Legal Education & Empowerment Program (L.E.E.P.) – Students of the Legal Education & Empowerment Program at Vermont Law School have committed themselves to bringing legal knowledge to secondary level students in local and regional schools in Vermont.

Student Animal Legal Defense Fund – Animal Law League supports the passage of current Animal Advocacy Group legislation, drafts new legislation, spreads awareness of the plight of animals and provides information useful in improving their situation. Students have also participated in litigation to save animals.

Volunteer Income Tax Association Program (VITA) – The Vermont Law School VITA program provides federal and state tax assistance to elderly, low-income, and disadvantaged taxpayers living in the communities surrounding the law school. Training is provided by the Internal Revenue Service and the Vermont State Tax Department. Designed to meet a community need, the program also gives second- and third-year students the opportunity to develop their skills in interviewing and counseling clients.

Villanova University: Villanova University School of Law

Amnesty International – Amnesty International coordinated several law-related projects, including an advocacy campaign on behalf of Sudanese child soldiers.

Asian Pacific American Law Students Association – APALSA developed and implemented a collaborative pro bono project with St. Rita's Clinic in West Philadelphia to provide intake and legal representation to indigent, immigrant clients in a variety of civil matters.

Black Law Students Association – BLSA sponsors several pro bono and law-related projects, including legal workshops at local schools and coordinating advocacy around the No Child Left Behind Act.

Criminal Law Society – The Criminal Law Society coordinated several law education projects, including a project with a local non-profit group "Books through Bars."

Family Law Society– The Family Law Society coordinated a number of law education projects, including a debate on gay marriage.

Gay/Straight Alliance – The Gay/Straight Alliance works with the Center for Lesbian & Gay Civil Rights to train law students and then match them with indigent clients in a variety of civil matters, including protection from abuse, housing discrimination and estate planning. In addition, the Gay/Straight Alliance sponsors a number of public interest community forums throughout the year.

Latin American Law Students Association – LALSA worked in conjunction with clinical faculty member (and LALSA advisor) to bring the Lat/Crit Symposium to Villanova Law School.

Student Animal Legal Defense Fund – The Student Animal Legal Defense Fund coordinated an advocacy campaign focused on improving conditions at local and national animal shelters. In addition, they presented a symposium on animal law.

Tax Law Society – Tax Projects: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) assists low-income taxpayers in the Philadelphia area to prepare their returns. In addition, Tax Law Society students also offer "Know Your Rights" presentations to indigent taxpayers. Finally, Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program (VIP) trains and supervises volunteer lawyers and law students who staff a tax clinic for migrant farm workers. http://www.law.villanova.edu/studentservices/studentlife/studentorganizations.asp#Tax%20Law%20Society

The Pro Bono Society (PBS) – The Pro Bono Society (PBS), probono@law.villanova.edu, sponsors several pro bono and law-related projects, including presenting workshops about tenants' rights at a domestic violence shelter and participating in a program with the Chester City School District, in which law students create and present workshops on various aspects of the law.

United Front – United Front students worked with Philadelphia non-profit organizations to coordinate a voter registration drive and voter education project.

Women's Law Caucus – WLC coordinated several law education events, including a forum on workplace and gender issues.

Wake Forest University: Wake Forest University School of Law

Association Against the Death Penalty -- AADP is a student led advocacy group committed to the abolition of the death penalty, helping local attorneys represent defendants who face the death penalty and raising awareness of the inherent fallacies and immorality of capital punishment. AADP is a student run organization open to all Wake Forest Law students with a faculty advisor serving as a liaison with the administration and faculty.

Domestic Violence Advocacy Center – The Law School participates with the Domestic Violence Advocacy Center at the Legal Aid office to provide student volunteers to help in the fight against domestic violence. The students help give legal representation to indigent victims of domestic violence. They answer the women's questions at the courthouse and provide representation with pro bono attorneys at civil court hearings. For more information on the activities of the Center visit www.law.wfu.edu/students/dvac.

Washington and Lee University: School of Law

Professor Maureen Cavanaugh advises the student-staffed Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, providing free help with tax forms to Lexington and Rockbridge County residents during "tax season" each year.

Washington University: School of Law

• International Humanitarian Law Teaching Project (IHLTP): In conjunction with the American Red Cross, law students educate high school students about international humanitarian law on topics like the Geneva Conventions and Protocols.
• Criminal Law Society Conflict Resolution Project: Law students use Street Law curriculum to teach conflict resolution skills to area elementary and secondary students.
• Know Your Rights: The student chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) facilitate workshops for high school students to educate them about their rights and responsibilities when dealing with law enforcement officials.
• Family Court Mentoring Project: Members of the Women's Law Caucus mentor adolescent girls through the St. Louis City Family Court - Juvenile Division. Each session focuses on a different topic (e.g., finding a job, life after high school, studying).
• Law Related Education: Law students teach basic legal concepts to 4th and 5th grade students, and the program ends with a mock trial.

In addition, the Public Service Coordinator and the Public Service Advisory Board provide assistance to students and student organizations interested in implementing public service projects.

Wayne State University: Wayne State University Law School

At least three student groups (the Student Board of Governors, the St. Thomas More Society, and the Hurricane Relief Network) provide pro bono programs. In addition, Dean of Students Michele Miller runs a program in which law students teach about the law in Detroit high schools (for academic credit).

West Virginia University: West Virginia University College of Law

Student Bar Association – The SBA conducted a race ("The Ambulance Chase") to raise funds for legal services for the elderly.

Western New England College: School of Law

Multi-Cultural Law Students Association – Volunteered with labor for Habitat for Humanity

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) – Students assist low-income people in the community with filing tax returns. Students work roughly seven hours per week.

Western State University: Western State University College of Law

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program

Whittier Law School: Whittier Law School

Center for Children's Rights – A volunteer effort among CCR fellows to collect books for low income children, prom dresses for girls in shelters, other. Visit and provide entertainment at shelters and children's home.

WPILF – Numerous community involvement opportunities including Wet Weather Shelter, Homeless Shelter Project, Thanksgiving Dinner Project, Halloween for Abused, Neglected and Abandoned children, food bank food drive, other

Widener University: Widener University School of Law

Chadwick Fellows – Each year, several students on the Wilmington campus are selected to teach principles of constitutional law to area high school students.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) – In the spring semester, large groups of students on both campuses provide income tax assistance to low income individuals.

Willamette University: Willamette University College of Law

Street Law provides law student volunteers the chance to increase legal knowledge, as well as develop new perspectives on that knowledge. Student volunteers use a national curriculum to teach practical lessons about law to local high school students. The lessons encourage participation and positive youth development. In preparing and delivering the lessons, student volunteers improve their communication, substantive knowledge, and analytical ability. Street Law fosters community involvement by offering student volunteers opportunities ranging from one afternoon to regular participation throughout the semester.

William Mitchell College of Law: William Mitchell College of Law

MJF Street Law Project - MJF staff, legal services attorneys and alternative learning center teachers train law students to teach low-income, at-risk high school students their basic legal rights, responsibilities and resources.

Yale University: Yale Law School

Groups Providing Direct Pro Bono Assistance

• Allard K. Lowenstein Human Rights Project -Students get direct experience in human rights legal work beginning in their first semester through the Lowenstein International Human Rights Project. A student-run organization, the Lowenstein Project matches volunteers with attorneys at non-profit organizations engaged in international human rights. The students are assigned a project-from a wide range of opportunities, including assisting with pending litigation, doing policy-related research, and drafting training material - and work in teams under the supervision of the attorney. Students hone their legal skills while making a direct contribution to human rights work internationally.
• Capital Assistance Project (CAP) matches law students interested in capital work with people on death row and lawyers in need of substantive legal support. Students research legal topics, write motions, petitions, and briefs, and conduct some investigative work to assist with capital defense cases. CAP also works to raise student awareness about the death penalty by sponsoring lectures, panels, and workshops.
• The Temporary Restraining Order Project is one of the largest student organizations at the Yale Law School. Students in the project volunteer to staff an office at the New Haven courthouse which provides assistance to individuals seeking a temporary restraining order (TRO). Thanks to the dedication of student volunteers, the office is open five days a week for the full hours of operation of the courthouse.
• Yale Environmental Law Association (YELA)sponsors activities to promote heightened awareness and action on important issues in environmental law and policy. Activities include organizing talks, debates, and informal student discussions on current issues; assisting in multi-school research initiatives (such as efforts to investigate the environmental records of judicial nominees); presenting an annual panel on careers in environmental law and policy; raising awareness of, and organizing campaigns to reduce, the law school's environmental impact; and educating the law school community about environmental issues.

Groups Providing Law Related Education Services

• Street Law Members of YLS Street Law endeavor to empower New Haven's minority youth through legal education in a way that is accessible and engaging. The group is conscious of the ongoing battle for civil rights being waged in public schools and hopes that it positively contributes to the fight for social justice. Street Law's three goals are to encourage critical thinking and social awareness in New Haven public school students, to provide support to New Haven public school teachers and to interact with the community in which we live. To meet these goals, the group established partnerships with local schools, matching law students with classroom teachers. Street Law teachers worked in the same classroom over the course of the semester, teaching weekly, hour-long lessons. The lessons were designed to be interactive, informative and challenging. Street Law works to enable students to think critically about the legal systems in place. Whether they decide that the systems are just or unjust matters less than whether they can articulate support for their position.
• The Yale Law Workers' Rights Project (WRP) is dedicated to protecting and expanding the rights of all workers, with a particular focus on low wage workers in New Haven and around the world. The group works to provide legal assistance and other support for YLS workers on the Yale campus. Other projects include legal research for nonprofit groups on a variety of projects such as creation of living wage
laws, and becoming involved with issues of labor and the global economy.

Other Law-Related Projects

• Green Haven Prison Project functions on two basic premises: 1) that those who aspire to work in the field of law, and those whose lives are most intimately impacted by those laws, have much to learn from each other and 2) that all law students should visit a prison at least once. Every two weeks, Yale law students and Green Haven prisoners met and shared their knowledge, thoughts and experiences through discussions on wide-ranging and sometimes controversial subjects. The exchange continues a tradition between the law school and the prison which is over 30 years long; one of helping break down the barriers of communication between the prisoners and the outside world. There are many regular participants who attend every session and then there are some who are only able to drop-in on one or two sessions a year. The continuing dialogue is both frank and challenging, for everyone involved.
• OutLaws is an organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) members of the law school community. The goal of OutLaws is to educate the Yale Law School community and beyond about legal issues affecting LGBT persons. Outlaws members have also become involved in litigation affecting the rights of LGBT individuals, such as drafting an amicus brief to the Supreme Court for Lawrence v. Texas challenging Texas' sodomy law and bringing suit against the Solomon Amendment.
• Student/Faculty Alliance for Military Equality (SAME) was formed in 2002 to combat threats to Yale Law School's nondiscrimination policy, promoting equal treatment of gay, lesbian, and bisexual students. SAME's broader goal is education and activism on nondiscrimination policies at other schools, and on the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. Yale Law School's nondiscrimination policy, which includes protection against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, has been in place at Yale since 1978. Because of this policy, military recruiters, subject to the government's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, were not allowed to participate in the school-sponsored student interview programs. In 2001, the Department of Defense (DOD) threatened to withhold over $300 million in federal funds from Yale University's other schools unless the law school's nondiscrimination policy was suspended. When the law school temporarily suspended the policy for the U.S. military, SAME staged protests at each official interview program, sponsored panel discussions, distributed information to employers and law students at other schools, and worked with lawyers and lobbyists in public interest organizations on the issue

Yeshiva University: Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law

Cardozo Advocates for Battered Women - Students, along with colleagues from other law schools, provide representation to victims of domestic violence who are seeking physical protection, shelter, or government assistance for themselves and their children.

Cardozo Youth Advocates - Students partner with an agency in New York City to conduct trainings and legal education workshops for youth.

Unemployment Action Center - The Unemployment Action Center is a similarly structured program through which Cardozo students help laid-off workers navigate the regulatory maze to seek unemployment benefits.