Directory
University of Missouri--Columbia School of Law
University of Missouri--Columbia
Law School Pro Bono Programs
Contact Information
Sarah K. Reesman
Director, Public Interest and JD Advantage Careers
Career Development Office
(573) 882-4157
[email protected]
Category Type
Formal Voluntary Pro Bono Program Characterized by a Referral System with a Coordinator
Description of Programs
With the assistance of the Director of Public Interest and JD Advantage Careers, who will serve as the Program Coordinator, students are provided with opportunities to participate in a variety of service activities for the community. The program is voluntary. It is not considered a graduation requirement. Students self-report their pro bono hours and are expected to identify and develop pro bono opportunities in addition to those identified by the Program Coordinator.
Pro bono work is defined broadly to include law related activities, as well as meaningful services that are not law related. Credit-granting activities, such as work students perform as part of the Externship course, will not count as part of the pro bono program, unless the service is in excess of credit requirements.
Pro Bono Month is celebrated in October to coincide with National Pro Bono Week. During October, we present programming to raise awareness of the importance of participation in pro bono work.
Location of Programs
The program is coordinated by the Office of Career Development and Student Services and the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
Staffing/Management/Oversight
The program is coordinated by the Office of Career Development and Student Services and the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
Funding
Faculty and Administrative Pro Bono
None.
Awards/Recognition
At the end of the Academic Year, students achieving a specified number of hours of pro bono work are recognized with a certificate. There is further recognition for those students in each class who have performed the highest number of pro bono hours each year.
Alternative Winter or Spring Break Projects
None.
Law School Public Interest Programs
Contact Information
Sarah K. Reesman
Director, Public Interest and JD Advantage Careers
(573) 882-4157
[email protected]
www.law.missouri.edu
Certificate/Curriculum Programs
None.
Public Interest Centers
Center of Intellectual Property & Entrepreneurship
The Center for Intellectual Property & Entrepreneurship promotes faculty symposia and scholarship in all areas involving law and innovation and develops curricular and extracurricular programming to prepare law students to participate in entrepreneurial and innovation communities.
The center also supports the law school’s Office of Career Development in identifying externships, summer positions and full-time jobs within the center’s focus area and collaborates with campus and community members to generate resources that will increase and promote innovation and entrepreneurship. The center’s focus resides not just on intellectual property, business and finance, but on the intersection of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) issues.
Center for the Study of Dispute Resolution
The mission of the Center for the Study of Dispute Resolution is to advance the understanding of the nature and causes of, as well as the methods available for managing and resolving conflict.
The CSDR fosters comprehensive approaches to lawyering and decision-making through the use of the full array of dispute resolution processes including negotiation, mediation, arbitration and litigation.
Michael A. Middleton Center for Race, Citizenship & Justice
The mission of the Michael A. Middleton Center promotes excellence in the multi-disciplinary study of race, citizenship, and justice in the United States. The Middleton Center supports and promotes scholarship and engagement on these issues within and beyond the University of Missouri. It is led by a partnership between the College of Arts and Science and the School of Law.
Campus Mediation Service
The Campus Mediation Service is a program mandated by the University of Missouri system and designed to assist employees to find resolution to their workplace conflicts. Every campus of the UM system has a Campus Mediation Services Program Director. Paul Ladehoff is the Director of the Campus Mediation Service within the Center for the Study of Dispute Resolution.
PI Career Support Center
The Office of Career Development and Student Services employs a full-time Director of Public Interest and JD Advantage Careers, Sarah Reesman. Ms. Reesman uses her contacts with attorneys who work at federal and state agencies and public interest organizations to provide programming, mentoring, networking and employment opportunities for law students. Ms. Reesman also regularly teaches the Externship and Semester-In-Practice course for students. Further, the law school holds an annual Career Expo focusing on public interest and public service employers, sponsors attendance at the Midwest Public Interest Law Career Conference, is a member of Equal Justice Works, and provides PSJD memberships to students.
Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAP)
Our students participate in the federal LRAP program.
Fellowships
The University of Missouri System has a Law Fellow program, where the University seek to hire two law fellows (with at least one being from Mizzou Law) each year to work as a Law Fellow in the University of Missouri Office of the General Counsel. Each fellow will be assigned a diverse range of research and projects handled by the Office of General Counsel, including issues related to labor and employment, litigation, contracts, research, intellectual property, non-profit law, higher education law, privacy, compliance, healthcare, business transactions, construction, real estate, international programs, general business transactions, and other areas assigned by the General Counsel or his designee.
8/2/2023