Directory
University of Denver Sturm College of Law
University of Denver
Law School Pro Bono Programs
Contact Information
Alexi Freeman
Director of Externships & Social Justice Initiatives; Professor of the Practice
Phone: 303.871.6788
[email protected]
Category Type
Public Service Graduation Requirement Program
Description of Programs
Every Juris Doctor student is required to perform a minimum of 50 hours of supervised, uncompensated, law-related public service work during his or her law school career as a prerequisite to graduation. The Public Service Requirement, together with all the other public service components of the College of Law environment, will ensure that DU remains in the forefront of legal public service in the Rocky Mountain region. The goals of the Public Service Requirement are threefold: 1) Educate students about their professional responsibilities, particularly their obligation to perform pro bono work as practicing attorneys, and to encourage a lifelong commitment to public service; 2) help students develop practical lawyering skills by supervising students in real world situations, teaching them to integrate the theory of law with the practice of law; and (3) raise awareness among students of meaningful career and pro bono opportunities. Students may satisfy their 50-hour Public Service Requirement through participation in the Student Law Office (clinic), a public interest externship for credit (at a nonprofit, government agency, law firm doing solely pro bono, or judicial chambers), various pre-approved experiential classes, or a 50-hour volunteer legal experience. Overall, for our Public Service Requirement, the goal is to be as inclusive as possible, allowing students to explore and expand upon their personal interests.
Location of Programs
The Public Interest Office located within the Legal Externship Program office.
Staffing/Management/Oversight
Program oversight and management occurs through the full-time Director of Public Interest. Some administrative support is provided by the part-time Public Interest Coordinator. Both positions are located within the Legal Externship Program.
Students enrolled in the Student Law Office or externships receive direct supervision from clinical faculty, externship supervisors, and externship staff. Students participating in a Public Interest Practicum receive direct supervision from their Practicum supervisor.
Funding
The Director of Public Interest is a non-tenured track (but long-term contract) faculty position. The Public Interest Coordinator is a salaried part-time position.
Faculty and Administrative Pro Bono
The College of Law's Personnel Policies and Procedures, which govern the granting of tenure and promotion, require assessment of faculty members' contributions to public service. Faculty members' performance is measured, in part, by their contributions to such activity, including pro bono legal representation.
Awards/Recognition
Yearly, the Student Law Office gives awards to the best students in each of their five clinics. The externship office also gives awards to the best students in public sector and judicial externships.
The Dean often sends out email acknowledgments to the students and faculty when both students and faculty are involved in significant pro bono accomplishments.
Students have also been nominated for, and won, outside awards such EJW service award, post graduate public service fellowships, and law student of the year.
Alternative Winter or Spring Break Projects
Law School Public Interest Programs
Contact Information
Alexi Freeman
Director of Externships & Social Justice Initiatives; Professor of the Practice
Phone: 303.871.6788
[email protected]
Certificate/Curriculum Programs
Public Good Distinction: https://www.law.du.edu/resources/public-service-portal
Public Interest Centers
The Public Interest Office administers the Public Service Requirement and provides career, pro bono, and volunteer counseling and opportunities for students. This includes support for externships/internships, community service, and post-gradute opportunities, including fellowships and honors programs. For more information, visit: https://www.law.du.edu/resources/public-service-portal. Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute is a forum for research, discussion, and debate of critical land use and environmental issues in the Rocky Mountain West. www.law.du.edu/rmlui The Rocky Mountain Collective on Race, Place and the Law (RPL) is a group of Colorado legal academics working together to identify and address racial inequities in the U.S. and around the globe. They offer a critical lens on the complex dynamics of power, locality, and law, and their impact on subordinated communities and provide support and programming to students interested in this field. http://www.law.du.edu/index.php/rocky-mountain-collective-on-race-place The Ved Nanda Center for International and Comparative Law (Nanda Center) engages in academic endeavors that: inspire excellence in international law teaching, scholarship and practice among faculty, students, alumni and friends of the University of Denver Sturm College of Law; encourage stimulation, promotion and dissemination of quality writing and research materials in the field of international legal and comparative law studies; promote the importance of international law in public and private international affairs; and provide a vehicle for communication and interaction among the greater Sturm College of Law community, especially among students and alumni.
PI Career Support Center
The Public Sector Team the Office of Career Development and Opportunities works to provide information and increase awareness about the public interest and public service legal community, public interest and public service job opportunities, and accessibility to funding for such work. The office sports various programs and events to bring in practitioners and potential employers, hosts an Annual Public Interest and Government Career Fair, conducts mock interviews and informational interviews, and helps with cover letters and resumes. This office works closely with the faculty Director of Public Interest Initiatives as well. Shared initiatives include the public good speed mentoring event with alumni, all post graduate fellowship activities, including national fellowships and local fellowships such as the CDAC Rural DA fellowship, the Denver City Attorney Fellowship, and the Colorado Civil Justice Corps (to work at nonprofits doing civil legal services).
Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAP)
The College of Law offers a Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) to benefit alumni who make a commitment to work in the public interest. It is a competitive program. To be eligible applicants must have Graduated with a JD from Sturm College of Law after May 2003, currently work in a public service field (government or non-profit) in a position that utilizes your legal skills (judicial clerkships do not qualify), have an income below $85K, , and be in repayment and not past due on your student loans. LRAP award amount are calculated based on a recipient's annual IBR/PAYE payment. The LRAP Committee, which includes the Director of Public Interest, a representative from the financial services dept. and others, strives to provide LRAP funding that will cover as much of a recipient's monthly payments as possible. For more information visit this site: https://www.law.du.edu/content/loan-repayment-assistance-program.
Fellowships
The Director of Social Justice Initiatives alongside the career office provides support to students pursuing post-graduate public service fellowships. The law school also partners with the Denver City Attorney's Office to offer fellowships to graduates. Denver Law is also home to the Colorado Civil Justice Corps, which is a fellowship only for Denver Law grads to work with designated nonprofit agencies to provide civil legal services to victims of crime.
7/25/2024