. . . Winter 2003 In the Public Interest Law students volunteer in several pro bono programs By Jared Wadley Last summer, while working as a student attorney in Pittsburgh, Jennifer Weiss handled a case involving a 12-year-old girl named "Alicia" (a pseudonym to protect her privacy). An anonymous caller reported to the child protection agency that Alicia's mother was neglecting her. Weiss, a third-year student in the U-M Law School, says Alicia was a ward of the state protection agency and "had not been in school for a year because she didn't want to be teased about weighing more than 350 lbsin fact, she hadn't left her house in over a year." Funded for the summer through the Student-Funded Fellowship (SFF) program (a student organization that raises money and provides grants to Michigan Law Students), Weiss managed to develop a rapport with Alicia, helped her participate in a weight loss program, enrolled her in school and placed her with a foster care family. "It made me realize how absolutely important it is to provide a voice for these children," says Weiss, who has worked in two pro bono programs and is a member of SFF. "We, as a society, have an interest in protecting their psychological, developmental and their legal interests. Advocating for these interests is imperative. The bigger picture is that we provide legal representation for members of society who can't otherwise afford it." Another student who received an SFF fellowship, Abbey True Harris, worked as a legal intern in the US Attorney's Office in Trenton, New Jersey, last summer. "I was very fortunate to receive an SFF grant that allowed me to explore career paths that would otherwise be unavailable to students like me, who want to earn money over the summer," says Harris, who is also earning a master's degree at U-M's Ford School of Public Policy. Clinical legal practice opportunities, under the direction of Associate Dean-designate for Clinical Affairs Bridget M. McCormack, include housing, child advocacy, environmental protection, criminal defense, domestic violence and poverty law. Students may receive a course credit for participation in the program as a volunteer or as a recipient of a stipend.
Clinical programs "introduce law students to public service that they wouldn't otherwise be exposed to," adds Don Duquette, clinical professor of law and director of the Child Advocacy Law Clinic. John Fedynsky says he has appreciated the chance to "make a difference in people's lives" even while he's a student. He successfully represented a defendant jailed for parole violations of nonviolent, drug-related charges. Fedynsky convinced the Michigan Supreme Court that the prisoner had been denied procedural rights. "Public service has always intrigued me," Fedynsky says. "Here is the practice and theory of law together: dealing with cases and real people. The stakes are higher because it is more than your own grade on the line if you don't do your best work." The Office of Public Service (OPS), headed by Assistant Dean Robert Precht and the Office of Career Services, headed by Assistant Dean Susan Guindi, work together to help students select career paths. One of OPS's goals is to stimulate interest in not-for-profit law careers and to encourage U-M law alumni/ae to participate in pro bono (no charge) programs even if they are in fee-for-service practices, Precht says. "I view the public interest office as a bully pulpit for advancing not only the social value of doing public service, but also the satisfaction lawyers can derive from doing public service," Precht says. At least half of all U-M law students participate in at least one public service effort before graduation. Most say they find the experience rewarding even though few make public interest law a career. According to the OPS, of the 346 Law School graduates in 2001, 14 (4 percent) went into public interest work, compared with 3 percent a year earlier. The figures are typical for "first tier" law schools, according to Paula Payton, student services associate. Recent trends indicate that the great majority of law graduates nationwide are seeking private sector jobs to pay off their sizable student loans. For more information about the Law School clinics, visit http://www.law.umich.edu/CentersAndPrograms/clinical /index.htm. |
