Directory
University of Richmond T. C. Williams School of Law
University of Richmond
Law School Pro Bono Programs
Contact Information
Tara Louise Casey
Director, Harry L. Carrico Center for Pro Bono Service
University of Richmond School of Law
(804) 287-1207
Fax: (804) 289-8992
tcasey@richmond.edu
Category Type
Formal Voluntary Pro Bono Program Characterized by a Referral System with a Coordinator
Description of Programs
The University of Richmond School of Law created the Harry L. Carrico Center for Pro Bono Service in recognition of an attorney's professional obligation to serve the community, as well as a law school's responsibility to educate its students on the need for pro bono legal services. The center connects the skills and talents of its student body with the greater Richmond community and a network of regional, national, and international programs.
Pro bono public ("for the public good") work is an integral part of what it means to be an attorney. Indeed, the American Bar Association states that when society confers on an individual the privilege to practice law, "he or she accepts the responsibility to promote justice and to make justice equally accessible to all people."
The School of Law offers a variety of pro bono opportunities that employ the diverse skills and interests of our student body. Whether it is helping a victim of domestic violence obtain a protective order, or assisting a non-profit organization with its incorporation, our students have the opportunity to experience a service-based legal education. By cultivating such service, the Center for Pro Bono Service not only provides a valuable resource for the community, it also prepares students for a life of purposeful citizenship.
Location of Programs
Harry L. Carrico Center for Pro Bono Service is located at the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond's Main Campus, with some operations also occurring at UR Downtown in downtown Richmond.
Staffing/Management/Oversight
The Harry L. Carrico Center for Pro Bono Service is administered by a director and supported by shared administrative assistance and student program managers.
Funding
Established as a result of generous donations to the law school from Theodore and Laura Lee Chandler, and David and Michelle Baldacci. University further supports its operations.
Student Run Pro Bono Groups/Specialized Law Education Projects
Public Interest Law Association (PILA)
Street Law
Child Health Advocacy Program (CHAP)
Family Law Society
Veterans and Friends of Veterans Legal Association
SPEAK
Faculty and Administrative Pro Bono
Immigrant Assistance Project
No-Fault Divorce Assistance Program
Protective Order Assistance Program
Pro Bono Criminal Appeals Program
Domestic Violence Education Workshops
MSPB Appeals Program
Assistance to Disabled Veterans
Estate Planning (Wills for Seniors)
Legislative Research and Analysis
Housing Law Pro Bono Program
Unemployment Insurance Program
Awards/Recognition
Pro Bono Certification Award and Recognition Program
Community Service
Angel Tree
Elementary School Tutoring
GED (General Education Diploma) Program
Law School Public Interest Programs
Contact Information
Tara Casey - Director Carrico Center for Pro Bono Service, email: tcasey@richmond.edu phone: (804)287-1207
Adrienne Volenik - Director of Disability Law Clinic, Acting Director of the National Center for Family Law, email: avolenik@richmond.edu, phone: (804) 289-8921
Meredith Harbach - Assistant Professor of Law, email: mharbach@richmond.edu, phone: (804) 287-6688
Jack Preis - Associate Professor of Law, email: jpreis@richmond.edu phone: (804)289-8682
Certificate/Curriculum Programs
Certificate of Concentration in Family Law
The National Center for Family Law offers law students at the University of Richmond the opportunity to earn a Certificate of Concentration in Family Law to be awarded at graduation along with the J.D. diploma. Transcripts will also reflect completion of the concentration program.
Earning the Certificate of Concentration in Family Law is similar to completing a major as an undergraduate. A student must take a basic Family Law course and a certain number of credits from other Family Law-related courses. Students seeking the Certificate of Concentration in Family Law will meet their upper-level writing requirement by writing on a family law-related subject.
Certificates will be awarded only to those who achieve a grade point average of at least 3.0 in all family law concentration classes taken. Students whose GPA is 3.5 or higher in concentration courses will earn the certificate "with distinction."
Public Interest Centers
National Center for Family Law
The National Center for Family Law is committed to serving the best interests of families and children through academic and service programs that enhance the quality of the American legal system in matters relating to families and children. In doing so, the center brings together experts from a variety of professional and academic disciplines to address the ongoing evolution of legal and social policies impacting families and children.
Robert R. Merhige, Jr. Center for Environmental Studies
The Robert R. Merhige, Jr. Center for Environmental Studies at the University of Richmond School of Law engages in research, instruction, and public outreach on energy and environmental issues in the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond. The center hosts conferences, symposia, and speakers on pressing environmental issues, generating dialogue for policy solutions.
Drawing on the resources of the law school and the University, the center prepares students to tackle the complex challenges of careers in environmental law.
The center honors the work of the late U.S. District Court Judge Robert R. Merhige, Jr., whose creativity in settling the Kepone litigation of the 1970's made the center's activities possible.
Institute for Actual Innocence
The Institute for Actual Innocence works to identify and exonerate wrongfully convicted individuals in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Students, faculty, and practicing lawyers collaborate to assist Virginia prisoners in post-conviction relief.
The institute is part of a national community of innocence project committed to improving the administration of justice in the United States. The institute pursues exonerations through post-conviction statutes called "writs of actual innocence."
The mission of the institute is to provide law students with a rich academic and clinical educational experience through which they have a rigorous introduction and immersion into the world of case reinvestigation. The program integrates legal theory with practical legal principles that surround criminal case investigation. Students partner with legal, scientific, and policy leaders in their work.
A core goal of the institute is to expose students to the importance of public service in the life of a lawyer. The institute is devoted to the belief that institutions have a duty to act in a public-spirited way and to connect with individuals at all levels of society–especially individuals at the margins of society.
Public Interest Clinics
Delinquency Law Clinic is a litigation-oriented clinic, which focuses primarily on delinquency matters, serving as defense counsel for young people charged with such offenses as grand larceny, drug possession or breaking and entering.
Disability Law Clinic focuses on representation of children with mental and/or cognitive disabilities seeking appropriate special education services in the community as well as in juvenile facilities and jails as mandated by both federal and state law.
The Jeanette Lipman Family Law Clinic serves the needs of low income families in the city of Richmond, providing legal representation on family issues, students participate in client interviewing and counseling, fact investigation, case planning, report writing, motions drafting and courtroom advocacy.
Intellectual Property and Transactional Law Clinic Is the law school's newest clinical opportunity. Students represent for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, business startups, as well as artists, authors and inventors.
Institute for Actual Innocence Clinic works to identify and exonerate wrongfully convicted individuals.
Advanced Children's Law Clinic students who have completed either the Delinquency Clinic or the Disability Law Clinic may enroll for two to six credits. Advanced students take leaderships roles in cases and complete a significant project.
Externships/Internships
The University of Richmond offers externships and internships in the civil, criminal and judicial fields. Below is a list of the offices in which students have an opportunity to work: American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, Attorney General's Office of Virginia/ Antitrust and Consumer Litigation Division, Attorney General's Office of Virginia/Civil Litigation Division Employment Law Section, Attorney General's Office of Virginia/Mental Health & Health Services Section, Attorney General's Office of Virginia/Solicitor General Section, Capital One, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Commonwealth Mediation Group, Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Motor Vehicles, Chief Hearing Examiner's Office, Drive-To-Work, Henrico County Attorney's Office, Internal Revenue Service, Legal Aid Justice Center, Office of the City Attorney, Southern Environmental Law, The Nature Conservancy in Virginia, United Network for Organ Sharing, United States Attorney's Office, United States Equal Opportunity Commission, University of Richmond- Department of Athletics, University of Richmond- General Counsel, Virginia Commonwealth University/Health System Authority, Virginia Commonwealth University/Health System Authority, Virginia Commonwealth University/Office of the General Counsel, Virginia Community College System, Virginia Employment Commission, Virginia Poverty Law, Center, Virginia State AFL-CIO, Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Department, Virginia State Corporation Commission, Chesterfield Commonwealth's Attorney's Office (Adult) (Juvenile), Hanover Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, Henrico Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, United States Attorney's Office, Office of the Appellate Defender, Office of the Capital Defender, Office of the Federal Public Defender, Richmond Public Defender's Office, Supreme Court of Virginia, Court of Appeals of Virginia, Chesterfield Circuit Court, Henrico Circuit Court, Richmond Circuit Court, Chesterfield Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, Henrico Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, United States District Court, United States Bankruptcy Court, and United States Magistrate.
Classes with a Public Service Component
Nonprofit organizations - The class has group projects which vary but involve community service to nonprofit organizations. The current project is to learn about a local nonprofit and complete a report assessing the effectiveness of the marketing/development effort (telling the organization's story), the effectiveness of organizational governance, compliance with legal requirements relating to governance and operation, and existence and effectiveness of policies such as conflict of interest and financial controls.
Family Law - This class has a public service option. One component of the student's participation grade in the class is a modest service learning requirement. Students may either spend 3 hours observing a relevant courtroom proceeding, academic talk or training or they may coordinate with Tara Casey, Director of the Carrico Center for Pro Bono Work to do relevant pro bono work. Students may participate in the Richmond Families Initiative, The Protective Order & Domestic Relations Courtroom Outreach Project, The Street Law Program, Safe Harbor Education Outreach, Protective Order CLE, Court Appointed Special Advocates, FACES of Virginia, Metropolitan Richmond Women's Bar Association Domestic Relations Handbook or may observe court in the Henrico Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court regarding support, contested custody, domestic protective order, or truancy matters.
Children and the Law - The class has a public service option. One component of the student's participation grade in the class is a modest service learning requirement. Students may either spend 3 hours observing a relevant courtroom proceeding, academic talk or training or they may coordinate with Tara Casey, Director of the Carrico Center for Pro Bono Work to do relevant pro bono work. Students may participate in the Street Law Program, Court Appointed Special Advocates, FACES of Virginia or may observe court in the Henrico Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court regarding criminal juvenile cases, abuse and neglect, contested custody domestic protective orders, or truancy matters.
Public Interest Journals
Richmond Journal for Law and the Public Interest
The Richmond Journal of Law and the Public Interest is the scholarly voice for issues pertaining to social welfare, public policy, and a broad spectrum of jurisprudence. Published four times a year, the Journal publishes its content online to reach the widest audience possible, while also publishing one annual print issue focused on the work of the Virginia General Assembly. Our authors have included experienced practitioners, esteemed legal professors, and insightful individuals working to change the world around them. http://rjolpi.richmond.edu/
PI Career Support Center
The Career Services Office assists law students by presenting a myriad of public service options. Through academics, community service, pro bono work, clinical advocacy programs, campus civic organizations, and employment prospects, students can begin building their careers in the public arena. Our office aims to furnish students with an understanding of the public sector and an overview of the many opportunities to develop a career as a public interest lawyer. We provide students with information and resources to proactively search for public sector internships or permanent positions. The Career Services Office hosts an annual Government & Public Interest Interview Program, co-sponsored by Washington and Lee University School of Law and William & Mary Law School. Additionally, we host a number of programs and events that bring public interest professionals on campus to share their insights with students.
Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAP)
University of Richmond does not have a LRAP at this time.
Post-Graduate Fellowships/Awards
Law School Funded:
The University of Richmond School of Law does not have any post-graduate fellowships at this time.
Graduate Student Funded:
The University of Richmond School of Law does not have any post-graduate fellowships at this time.
Other Funding Sources:
The University of Richmond School of Law does not have any post-graduate fellowships at this time.
Term Time Fellowships/Scholarships
Law School Funded:
The University of Richmond School of Law does not have any term time fellowships at this time.
Graduate Student Funded
The University of Richmond School of Law does not have any term time fellowships at this time.
Other Funding Sources:
The University of Richmond School of Law does not have any term time fellowships at this time.
Summer Fellowships
Law School Funded:
In Summer 2010, the law school awarded 83 stipends to law students pursuing summer employment in the public interest field. This number does not include the fellowships and awards secured by students through Equal Justice Works, Equal Justice America, and other outside sources.
Graduate Student Funded:
In Summer 2010, the law school awarded 83 stipends to law students pursuing summer employment in the public interest field. This number does not include the fellowships and awards secured by students through Equal Justice Works, Equal Justice America, and other outside sources.
Other Funding Sources:
In Summer 2010, the law school awarded 83 stipends to law students pursuing summer employment in the public interest field. This number does not include the fellowships and awards secured by students through Equal Justice Works, Equal Justice America, and other outside sources.
Extracurricular and Co-Curricular Programs
Student Public Interest Groups
4/3/2020