Texas Tech University School of Law
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University School of Law
1802 Hartford Avenue
Lubbock, TX 79409
www.law.ttu.edu
Law School Pro Bono Programs
Contact Information
Elma Moreno
Office Manager/Legal Assistant
(806) 742-3787, Ext. 222
Elma.moreno@ttu.edu
Category Type
Independent Student Pro Bono Group Projects with no school-wide program
Description of Program
Location of Program
Staffing/Management/Oversight
Funding
Administrative assistance is provided if necessary on cases handled on a pro bono basis.
Student Run Pro Bono Groups/Specialized Law Education Projects
Volunteer Law Students Association, Student Public Interest Initiative (SPII), and Family Law Society co-sponsor with Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas evening pro bono legal clinics held at St. John’s United Methodist Church by providing volunteer students to conduct initial intake application interviews. Law School faculty provide advice and counsel to eligible clients at these clinics.
Students with VLS also volunteer at the Rape Crisis Center, Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), and at Habitat for Humanity
Faculty and Administrative Pro Bono
There is no formal policy for faculty, however, faculty involvement includes the following:
Texas Tech University School of Law has co-sponsored with Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas evening pro bono legal clinics in the community, as well as the law school clinic offices. Faculty have served as volunteer attorneys providing legal advice at pro bono clinics sponsored by the Equal Justice Volunteer Program of Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas since 1991. Faculty members often accept cases on a pro bono basis throughout the year through this program. Faculty members also participate in providing legal advice during legal clinics co-sponsored by student groups.
TTU School of Law also sponsors the Night Court Divorce clinics once a month from August thru April during the academic year. Students in the Civil Practice Clinic interview clients previously screened by Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas and prepare the necessary paperwork during the divorce clinics. A judge volunteers by coming to the law school courtroom in order to conduct final hearings in the cases at night.
The Civil Practice Clinic Director volunteers in conducting client intake at the offices of Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas one morning a week. Both Civil Practice Clinic professors also assist with the staffing of client cases once a week.
Law school faculty host a continuing legal education program, the Annual Texas Tech Law School Faculty Update for Legal Services Attorneys, Public Interest Practitioners, and Pro Bono Attorneys. This annual free CLE program has existed since Fall 2006.
Awards/Recognition
- Three law professors (Larry R. Spain, Wendy Tolson Ross, and J. Wesley Cochran) have been recipients of the John Crews Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year Award presented by the Lubbock County Bar Association and Legal Aid of North West Texas.
- Every year Legal Aid of North West Texas recognizes students for their participation and assistance at the pro bono legal clinics held throughout the community. Students are recognized at an annual recognition event co-sponsored by Legal Aid of North West Texas Equal Justice Volunteer Project and the Lubbock County Bar Association.
- The Texas Tech University School of Law was the recipient of the Texas Access to Justice Commission inaugural Law School Commitment to Service Award in November 2008 which recognizes a law school that most prominently advances the delivery of legal services through clinics, public interest programs, student involvement and other initiatives.
- Several law professors and clinical program staff have been recognized for their efforts and participation in volunteering at the pro bono clinics.
- Several students have been recognized with the CLEA (Clinical Legal Education Association) award during the past years.
- One law student (Renee Brosch – Class of 2009) was awarded the 2009 Access to Justice Law Student Pro Bono Award by the Texas Access to Justice Commission. This award recognizes a law student whose pro bono work has made a significant impact of underserved populations.
Community Service
Community service is left to the student groups. Most student groups plan community service activities throughout the year. For more than 15 years, students at the law school have volunteered to staff the pro bono clinics operating through the Equal Justice Volunteer Program of Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas (formerly Private Attorney Involvement Program of West Texas Legal Services). Students conduct the intake interviews at pro bono clinics and also regularly assist the volunteer lawyers on cases that arise out of the clinics.
There are numerous other volunteer service activities performed by student organizations and individual students. Students regularly volunteer for no money or credit at the offices of Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas and Legal Aid Society of Lubbock. Many students are CASA volunteers; several are VITA (volunteer income tax assistance) volunteers; many others volunteer at Women's Protective Services, Rape Crisis Center, Contact Lubbock, Inc. Organizations such as Hispanic Law Students Association, Black Law Students Association, Women’s Caucus, Christian Legal Society, Estate Law Society and the legal fraternities regularly do volunteer service projects.
Law School Public Interest Programs
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Contact Information
Elma Moreno
Office Manager/Legal Assistant
(806) 742-3787, Ext. 222
Elma.moreno@ttu.edu
Certificate/Curriculum Programs
Public Interest Centers
Public Interest Clinics
Low Income Tax Clinic
The Low Income Tax Clinic began operation in September of 2000 and is offered as a full year 4 credit hours graded course during the Fall and Spring semesters (2 credit hours per semester), as well as a 2 credit hour graded course during the summer sessions (students must enroll for both summer sessions). Professor Vaughn E. James assumed the responsibilities of the Clinic Director in June 2008. The clinic enrolls 8 to 10 advanced students each semester by application and invitation only. The tax clinic is funded by a matching grant from the Internal Revenue Service, and it provides legal help to taxpayers with incomes equal to or less than 250% of the federal poverty level in disputes with the Internal Revenue Service.
The Clinic does not prepare returns or handle normal audit situations. However, the clinic students will provide assistance in all areas involving collection disputes, including, but not limited to: levy and seizure action, summonses, innocent spouse applications, offers in compromise, payment agreements, lien releases, and trust fund recovery penalties as well as, representation in cases before the United States Tax Court. Students develop important lawyering skills by interviewing and counseling clients, conducting factual investigations, legal research and analysis, negotiating compromises, drafting documents and litigating.
Civil Practice Clinic
The Civil Practice Clinic is a full year graded clinical course (four credit hours each semester) limited to third year law students who are given responsibility to represent actual clients with their legal problems. Students represent clients in a range of substantive areas including family law, public benefits, civil rights, consumer, housing, and estate planning. To the extent possible, the caseload reflects areas of interest to participating students.
Students handle cases from beginning to end, taking full responsibility for client cases and learn lawyering skills at both the practical and theoretical level through individualized instruction in the lawyering process in a closely supervised setting while also providing legal services to low-income clients in the community who would otherwise lack access to legal services. In order to provide a quality educational experience for students, the Civil Clinic undertakes a limited number of cases, selected in close consultation with and through referral from Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas. With a small caseload, students have the opportunity to thoroughly investigate and prepare client matters entrusted to them and make independent judgments in a supervised clinical setting while reflecting on the strategic decisions they make and advocacy skills utilized that will promote their future development as a highly effective and ethical professional.
Within the Civil Practice Clinic, students are given direct responsibility for handling all phases of client representation which may include interviewing and counseling clients, investigating facts, developing case strategy, negotiating with parties and counsel, drafting pleadings and legal documents, and representing clients in court and before administrative agencies. The Civil Practice Clinic was initiated in the fall semester of 2001 and consists of two sections. A maximum of 16 students (8 students per section) are selected for the Civil Practice Clinic each semester.
Criminal Defense Clinic
The Criminal Defense Clinic is a full year graded clinical course (four credit hours each semester) limited to third year law students. The Criminal Defense Clinic provides a community service by accepting court appointments to represent defendants in criminal cases who would otherwise be unable to afford their own legal representation. Cases involve misdemeanors, felonies, and juvenile offenses in Lubbock County and the surrounding metropolitan area. Students are closely supervised at all stages of their cases by Associate Professor Patrick S. Metze. The clinic also works closely with members of the local and state bars to expose students to professional development, networking, and Continuing Legal Education (CLE) opportunities while still in law school.
By the end of the course, each student will have represented 6-8 clients. Students are fully responsible for their cases, from intake through disposition. The classroom component of the clinic focuses on skills development, ethics, and case strategy related to criminal law. Students also have the opportunity to hone their writing skills by drafting motions and appellate briefs.
Capital Punishment Clinic
The Capital Punishment Clinic is offered as a one semester graded course during the Spring semester. Participants earn four credit hours. Participants are limited to third year law students and a maximum of 4 students are selected for this clinic. The Capital Punishment Clinic provides a community service by giving the student the opportunity to assist in the representation of defendants charged with capital murder. Upon application, four students will be invited to participate to work with the West Texas Public Defenders Office for Capital Cases located in Lubbock. This is the first Public Defenders Office of its type in Texas and is the prototype for representation of those accused of capital crimes. The students will work with the attorneys, mitigators, investigators and other professionals in helping to represent those facing the death penalty using cutting edge techniques and applying their legal education to a wide variety of activities including investigation, interviewing clients and witnesses, legal research, legal writing, restorative justice, criminal procedure and substantive criminal law.
The classroom component will continue the student’s study of capital punishment jurisprudence focusing on skills development, ethics, and case strategy in real on-going capital cases. This clinic requires a significant commitment of time which will return a unique, experiential opportunity for third year students as they approach the end of their legal education.
Advanced ADR Clinic
The Advanced Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) clinic provides instruction to students which qualifies as the 40 hour basic mediation training course in Texas. Through classroom instruction and simulations, students will examine the issues, principles and skills necessary to the use of mediation as a method of conflict resolution. Each student will have the opportunity to observe and mediate actual disputes through the Dispute Resolution Center.
The Advanced ADR Clinic is a one-semester, three credit hour graded clinical course limited to 18 students.
Health Care and Bioethics Mediation Clinic
This is a 4 credit hour graded course which is offered during the Fall semester. This course and clinic gives students an opportunity to develop their communication, facilitation, and mediation skills. Through reading, simulated exercises, field work, and live co-mediations, students will learn the law, ethics, and procedures involved in mediating disputes. The study and work will focus on problems and disputes that arise in health care settings, including those that arise pre-admission, during hospitalization/ residency, immediately before discharge, and post-discharge. The issues may relate to conflicts between patients, their families, and providers. The actual matters handled will depend on referrals and approvals from participating hospitals and nursing homes. The students’ training will satisfy the 40 hour requirement for Texas mediators. The course is limited to nine (9) students.
Innocence Project Clinic
The Innocence Project Clinic is offered as a full year 4 credit hours course during the Fall and Spring semesters (2 credit hours per semester), as well as a 2 credit hour course during the summer sessions (students must enroll for both summer sessions). Grading is pass/fail. The clinic is limited to 15 students for the Fall/Spring semesters (must enroll for both) and 15 students for the summer sessions (must enroll for both summer sessions).
This Project is a component of the Innocence Project of Texas. The mission of Innocence Project of Texas is:- to identify, investigate and document claims of actual innocence
- to work to exonerate those persons who have been wrongfully convicted
- to educate students, citizens and public officials about wrongful convictions, how they occur and how they can be prevented
- to advocate for criminal justice system reforms to prevent wrongful convictions and achieve justice
- to assist the wrongfully convicted with their adjustment back into society
Each law student is assigned between 5-10 cases during a semester. Each student is in charge of doing an investigation and making a determination of actual innocence. From that determination, consideration is given as to the remedies to which may include an application for a writ of habeas corpus or a clemency petition.
Externships/Internships
- Students may take an internship for credit in which they work under the supervision of a lawyer or a judge. The internship course includes a classroom component, and students meet together with a faculty member to discuss their work experiences in their internship placement .
- Access to Justice Internship Program - The Texas Access to Justice Commission has joined with all nine law schools in Texas to offer an innovative academic internship program focused on increasing access to justice. Up to three students are selected from each Texas law school T to participate in this program and intern in the offices of Lone Star Legal Aid, the Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid or Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas. General information is available on the Texas Access to Justice Commission website ( www.texasatj.org/intersnship). A stipend is provided to those selected for the program which involves a minimum of seven weeks.
Classes with a Public Service Component
Public Interest Journals
Public Interest Career Assistance
The Career Services Offices maintains listings of employment opportunities with public interest organizations and provides information to students regarding public interest organizations, internship opportunities and public interest career fairs.
In cooperation with the Student Public Interest Initiative, Career Services sponsors a Public Interest Career panel that highlights public interest employment opportunities.
Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAP)
The Student Public Interest Initiative is in the process of developing a Loan Repayment Assistance Program that would assist graduates who take public interest positions after graduation.
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Post-Graduate Fellowships/Awards
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Graduate Student Funded:
Other Funding Sources:
Term Time Fellowships/Scholarships
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Graduate Student Funded:
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Summer Fellowships
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SPII Summer Fellowship Program - Any law student at Texas Tech School of Law can apply for summer funding from the Student Public Interest Initiative (SPII) that raise funds through an annual auction and other fundraising activities to support students who work with public interest organizations in the summer. Students receiving summer funding from SPII can either work with an organization that does work on behalf of disempowered or underrepresented people, or can work on an independent project that addresses a specific social problem under the supervision of an attorney or organization that is capable of offering guidance and expertise to the student. The student must: (1) Demonstrate that s/he has exhausted all other funding available to him/her and that the work that the student proposes to do would be impossible without funding from SPII (2) Demonstrate that the summer work s/he proposes to do fits within SPII's definition of public interest work.
Extracurricular and Co-Curricular Programs
Student Public Interest Groups
The Student Public Interest Initiative (SPII) is a student-run organization established in 2002. Its mission is to raise funds for (1) summer stipends for students doing public interest internships and (2) loan forgiveness or loan repayment for Tech law students who choose to work in public interest jobs upon graduation. In addition, students have been involved in promoting public interest work through career fairs and other activities, including assisting with client intake through Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas. The organization has been successful in raising money each year through an Annual Talent Show and Auction to support public interest work.
