Directory
Marquette University Law School
Marquette University Law School
Law School Pro Bono Programs
Contact Information
Angela F. Schultz, J.D.
Assistant Dean for Public Service
414-288-6823
[email protected]
Katie Mertz
Director of Pro Bono & Public Service
Marquette Law School, Eckstein Hall
414-288-4965
[email protected]
Category Type
Formal Voluntary Pro Bono Program Characterized by a Referral System with Coordinator
Description of Programs
Marquette University Law School offers a broad range of active and supported pro bono initiatives for its law students. A student's pro bono experience starts with taking a voluntary pro bono pledge when they enter law school. Marquette's fulltime assistant dean and director of public service then help students find the right pro bono placement at one or more of the many Marquette-sponsored programs, or at independent placements throughout the community.
Pro bono project descriptions and offerings are updated on the Marquette Law School website each semester: https://law.marquette.edu/community/pro-bono-opportunities. These pro bono initiatives demonstrate Marquette's commitment to serving underserved groups with barriers to equal access to justice.
Students have a choice of whether to participate in projects remotely, in-person, or both.
Location of Programs
Pro bono is coordinated through the Office of Public Service by two full time staff members, a part-time program assistant, and a part-time public interest fellow.
Staffing/Management/Oversight
Marquette Law School's Office of Public Service has a fulltime assistant dean and director, both of whom are licensed attorneys. The Office of Public Service also has a part-time program assistant for the Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinics and a part-time public interest fellow overseeing the Estate Planning Clinic and Adult Guardianship Forms Clinic.
The Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinics work in collaboration with its law student and attorney pro bono advisory boards. Nearly every pro bono project has law students in leadership roles.
Funding
Law School Operating Budget
Student Run Pro Bono Groups/Specialized Law Education Projects
Most pro bono projects have a student coordinator or a board of student advisors.
Faculty and Administrative Pro Bono
Faculty are invited to participate in all pro bono opportunities as volunteer attorneys.
Awards/Recognition
Marquette recognizes students who complete 50 hours of qualifying pro bono legal service with a service honor cord at graduation and induction into the Pro Bono Society, with special honors for those achieving 120 hours of pro bono service. Qualifying pro bono hours must be: (1) primarily legal in nature, (2) not for credit or compensation, (3) supervised by a licensed attorney, and (4) of service to low-income people, those with barriers to equal access to justice, or a nonprofit whose mission is to serve the same.
Visit http://www.law.marquette.edu/community/pro-bono-society for more information.
Community Service
Marquette University has an extensive program of community service and has been nationally recognized for its commitment to community service and service learning. The Law School maintains a relationship with the Office of Community Service, University Ministry, the Office of Mission and Identity, and the Service-Learning program at the University Level. Marquette Law School also maintains a relationship with the Volunteer Center of Greater Milwaukee and encourages its law students to become involved in community service projects during their time at Marquette.
Law School Public Interest Programs
Contact Information
Angela F. Schultz
Assistant Dean for Pro Bono & Public Service
Marquette Law School, Eckstein Hall
414-288-6823
[email protected]
Katie Mertz
Director of Pro Bono & Public Service
Marquette Law School, Eckstein Hall
414-288-4965
[email protected]
Certificate/Curriculum Programs
At this time, Marquette Law School does not offer a certificate program in Public Interest Law. It incorporates a commitment to service throughout its curriculum in accordance with its mission as a Jesuit institution of higher learning.
Public Interest Centers
The Office of Public Service was established in 2005 to coordinate Marquette Law School's efforts to provide meaningful pro bono and community service opportunities to faculty and law students, better connect with community agencies, facilitate inter-departmental coordination, and advance the scholarship of the Law School in accordance the mission of Marquette University. The Office of Public Service is coordinated by a full-time assistant dean and director of public service as well as a part-time program assistant and part-time public interest fellow.
Visit https://law.marquette.edu/community/pro-bono-opportunities
Public Interest Clinics
In addition to formal for-credit opportunities, Marquette Law School has an extensive offering of pro bono public interest clinics, allowing students to participate in active client intake and lawyering on a wide range of issues. The Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinics involve more than 200 law students and 300 volunteer lawyers each year in service to the community at various locations including the Milwaukee County Veterans' Services Office and the Milwaukee County Courthouse. Additionally, the Marquette Legal Initiative for Nonprofit Corporations provides legal advice to Wisconsin nonprofit organizations and organizations seeking tax-exempt or nonprofit status.
Externships/Internships
Marquette Law School sponsors a number of supervised field placements with government agencies and public interest organizations that offer legal services, including: AIDS Resource Center, Catholic Charities Immigration Project, Cento Legal, Legal Action of Wisconsin, Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee, Midwest Environmental Advocates, the Wisconsin Equal Rights Division, and various other opportunities with state and federal government agencies. Placement in these externships entitles students to credit upon successful completion of the designated number of hours and positive supervisory reports.
Classes with a Public Service Component
Marquette has a number of courses with a public interest law component. Additional information on these courses can be found here:
http://www.law.marquette.edu/community/public-interest-courses.
Public Interest Journals
Marquette Benefits and Social Welfare Law Review publishes articles devoted to international and domestic civil rights and social justice perspectives on employee benefits, disability, elder, health, poverty, and social insurance law. Since 2002, and as formerly known as the Elder's Advisor, it has been produced by Marquette University law students who work closely with experts in the field to bring to publication a readable compendium of current issues and complex policy problems at the intersection of benefits law and social justice.
PI Career Support Center
The Career Planning Center has an extensive collection of materials to support students interested in a career in public service, including guides for public interest fellowships.
Each year, a Public Interest Career Fair is held in the spring semester to encourage students to explore careers in public service, particularly in the Milwaukee and Chicago areas. This fair is hosted jointly by the University of Wisconsin Law School and Marquette University Law School Offices of Career Planning.
This Career Fair offers more than 20 local public interest organizations an efficient vehicle to meet and interview graduating students for permanent employment opportunities and current students for summer positions. With respect to recruitment for summer positions, the parameters of the program are broad. Marquette Law School strives to provide students with quality work experiences that will allow them to hone their lawyering skills in a public interest context.
Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAP)
The Howard and Phyllis Eisenberg Fund is an endowed fund held by Marquette University that provides income each year for the purpose of law school loan repayment assistance. Dean Eisenberg established the Loan Repayment Assistance Program in the spring of 2001. After his death, the program was renamed to serve as a lasting memorial to him and was enhanced through memorial contributions and other donations.
For information, visit http://www.law.marquette.edu/community/howard-and-phyllis-eisenberg-fund-loan-repayment-assistance-program.
Post-Graduate Fellowships/Awards
Law School Funded:
Graduate Student Funded:
Other Funding Sources:
Term Time Fellowships/Scholarships
Law School Funded:
Graduate Student Funded
Other Funding Sources:
Summer Fellowships
Law School Funded:
The Public Interest Law Society holds an annual auction to raise funds for the Public Interest Law Society Summer Fellowship program which is matched by the Dean of the Law School. Each year summer fellows receive a $4,800 fellowship to work in diverse placements such as Catholic Charities Immigration Services, the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee, ACLU of Wisconsin, and various state prosecutor and public defender offices. Selected student-fellows are expected to work at their placement for a minimum of 350 hours during the summer. Read more about summer fellowship online: https://law.marquette.edu/community/pils-summer-fellows.
Graduate Student Funded:
Other Funding Sources:
Extracurricular and Co-Curricular Programs
The Lubar Center for Public Policy and Civic Education is an initiative of Marquette University Law School. Through debates, symposia, public lectures, panels, conferences, the Marquette Law School Poll, and the On the Issues series, Marquette University Law School has established itself as a leading venue for serious civil discourse about law and public policy matters affecting the region and beyond. Read more online: https://law.marquette.edu/community/lubar-center.
Student Public Interest Groups
Among Marquette Law School's most popular and active student organization is the Public Interest Law Society (PILS). The purpose of PILS is to act as a resource for Marquette University Law School students interested in public interest law and to stimulate interest in this area of law. This purpose is carried out by sponsored programs, seminars, and social activities that deal with current topics in public interest law and by acquainting members with professionals in the community. PILS is also dedicated to providing community service and enhancing public opinion of the profession. Each year, PILS sponsors a Thanksgiving dinner and the PILS Auction to raise money for PILS Summer Fellowships. In addition, PILS sponsors speakers on important public interest issues and appoints a liaison to the State Bar of Wisconsin Public Interest Law Section Board of Directors.
Additional student organizations are also involved in community service. Read about them online: https://law.marquette.edu/student-organizations/student-organizations.
10/20/2021