Capital University Law School
Capital University Law School
303 East Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43215
www.law.capital.edu
Law School Pro Bono Programs
Contact Information
Mary Ann Willis
Assistant Dean for Career Services
Capital University Law School
303 East Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43215
Tel (614) 236-6887
Fax: (614) 236-7234
mwillis@law.capital.edu
Category Type
A Formal Voluntary Program Characterized by a Referral System with Coordinators
Description of Program
The Pro Bono Recognition Program seeks to encourage and recognize public service by law students who have successfully completed 50 hours or more of pro bono legal work at approved placements. Such students receive a certificate signed by the Dean and the Assistant Dean for Career Services, their pro bono designation published on their academic transcripts, and recognition in the bulletin distributed at the hooding ceremony.
For this Program, pro bono legal services may include giving legal advice or resolving a legal problem through litigation, legislation, regulation, or alternative dispute resolution, but only to the extent consistent with the ethical constraints on the authorized practice of law. Participants may receive neither compensation nor academic credit for pro bono work.
Participants may work with a government body, nonprofit organization, or other entity if that entity is engaged in:- Providing legal services without fee or expectation of fee to:
- Persons of limited means; OR
- Charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental and educational organizations in matters that are designed primarily to address the needs of persons of limited means; OR
- Providing legal services through:
- Delivery of legal services at no fee or substantially reduced fee to individuals, groups or organizations seeking to secure or protect civil rights, civil liberties, or public rights, or charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental and educational organizations in matters in furtherance of their organizational purposes, where the payment of standard legal fees would significantly deplete the organization's economic resources or would be otherwise inappropriate;
- Delivery of legal services at a substantially reduced fee to persons of limited means; OR
- Participation in activities for improving the law, the legal system or the legal profession.
Interfaith Legal Services of the Columbus Bar Association
- Students meet with clients, conduct an initial interview, assist the client in completing the intake form, introduce the client to the attorney, assist the client in presenting the issue, and participate in any subsequent representation as permitted by the attorney and the client, and/or assist in clinic administration.
- Signature Homeless Shelter Project
- Domestic Violence Project Clinic Intake
- Students assist with abstracting recent adoption/child welfare cases for weekly email newsletter; assisting in research for cases in which the Center participates as amicus curiae; researching current issues of adoption law and policy for and assisting in preparing responses to inquiries from families, lawyers, judges, agencies, etc.; researching and analyzing proposed adoption/child welfare related legislation, both state and federal; helping to prepare "FAQs" on adoption child/welfare issues for Center website; and updating case and statute summaries for Adoption LawSite.
- Students provide free income tax service (preparation of tax returns) during the tax season for the economically challenged, handicapped and the elderly.
Location of Program
Career Services Office
Staffing/Management/Oversight
The Assistant Dean for Career Services administers the Pro Bono Recognition Program in conjunction with the Office of Records & Registration and the Dean's Office.
Funding
Supported by the law school through the Career Services Office budget. Expenses are incidental and related to administration such as copying.
Student Run Pro Bono Groups/Specialized Law Education Projects
Faculty and Administrative Pro Bono
Awards/Recognition
Recognition is given by a transcript designation of Pro Bono Honoree and a certificate of completion.
Community Service
In its five-year strategic plan, Capital has committed to a goal of 75% participation of students, faculty, and senior staff, respectively, with each participant completing 50 hours of community/public service over a 3 or 4 year period.
Law School Public Interest Programs
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Contact Information
Mary Ann Willis Assistant Dean for Career Services
Capital University Law School
303 East Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43215
Tel (614) 236-6887
Fax (614) 236-7234
mwillis@law.capital.edu
Certificate/Curriculum Programs
Public Interest Centers
National Center for Adoption Law & Policy http://www.law.capital.edu/adoption/Center for Dispute Resolution http://www.law.capital.edu/DisputeResolution/
Public Interest Clinics
Capital Legal Clinic https://culsnet.law.capital.edu/LegalClinic/LegalClinic.aspFamily Advocacy Clinic https://culsnet.law.capital.edu/LegalClinic/FamilyAdvocacyClinic.asp
Mediation Clinic https://culsnet.law.capital.edu/LegalClinic/MediationClinic.asp
Externships/Internships
Capital operates an externship program under the supervision of Professor Susan Simms and the Committee on Judicial Clerkships and Externships. The program permits upper-class students to apply their knowledge of substantive law and to develop their practical lawyering skills
.These externships include federal, state, and local courts and administrative agencies and non-profit organizations such as the Neighborhood Safety Working Group; The Justice League of Ohio; the Ohio Environment Council; the Ohio Nurses Association; the Ohio State Medical Association; the Health Policy Institute of Ohio; the Ohio CASA/GAL Association; the Equal Justice Foundation; the Legal Aid Society of Columbus; the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation; and the Ohio State Legal Services Association.
For more information on our externship program, please contact:Susan Simms
Director of the Externship Program
Capital University Law School
303 E. Broad St.
Columbus, OH 43215
Tel (614) 236-7301
ssimms@law.capital.edu
Classes with a Public Service Component
Public Interest Journals
Public Interest Career Assistance
The Career Services Office offers students interested in Public Interest Law careers support through a variety of resources and programs. Students may meet one-on-one for career advising and planning.
The Career Services Office annually subscribes to PSLawNet and the law school is a member of Equal Justice Works.
In addition, the Career Services Office staff assists students by paying the registration fees to attend public interest career fairs including the Midwest Public Interest Career Conference and the Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair.
Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAP)
The Capital University Law School Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) Fund was established in 2004-05. This fund provides loan repayment assistance to graduates who select public interest career opportunities upon graduation.
Awards of $1,200 per year (in four $300 installments) are available to graduates of the Law School. LRAP funding is finite. There is no guarantee that every eligible applicant will be funded in a given year.
In order to apply for possible assistance from the Law School LRAP, applicants must:- Be a graduate of Capital University Law School's Juris Doctor program;
- Be a licensed attorney in good standing;
- Be employed full-time in a law-related capacity (not limited to the practice of law in the strictest sense, but substantially utilizing the legal training and skills of the law school graduate);
- By a non-profit tax exempt organization under IRS Code 501(c)(3); or
- In government law-related jobs at the local, state or federal level;
- Have a salary of $45,000 or less;
- Have an outstanding law student loan balance and must not be delinquent or in default on any educational loans; and
- Submit an LRAP application and all required documents each year.
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Post-Graduate Fellowships/Awards
Law School Funded:
Graduate Student Funded:
Other Funding Sources:
Term Time Fellowships/Scholarships
Law School Funded:
Fellowships are available to incoming first year Capital University Law School students interested in pursuing a career in adoption, child welfare, and/or juvenile law upon graduation. Fellows receive high-quality educational and experiential training, as well as financial benefits, in exchange for a commitment to spend at least the first two years of their career working in a public interest position in one of these areas of law.
Academic Merit Scholarship- An annual $5,000 Academic Merit Scholarship (provided the Fellow maintains a cumulative law school GPA of 3.0 or greater)
- First-year summer: Opportunity to work as a paid student staff member of National Center for Adoption Law & Policy (NCALP)
- Second-year summer: $5,000 Stipend to help cover expenses while working full-time for a government or non-profit employer on adoption, child welfare, or juvenile law related projects Second and third academic year: Opportunity to work as a paid student staff member of NCALP
- Third academic year: Opportunity to work as a research assistant for a Law School faculty member who teaches courses related to the Children and Family Law concentration
- $1,000 Conference stipend to cover costs (travel, lodging, and conference fees) associated with attendance at an adoption/child welfare/juvenile law related conference
- Unique networking and shadowing opportunities with local alumni practicing in family law
- Ability to take advantage of our location in Ohio’s capital city through involvement with legislative and policy-related reform efforts and groups
- Conducting research for significant national amicus curiae cases
- Participation with NCALP staff members in meetings with other child welfare professionals and organizations
- Participation in developing an online child welfare/adoption journal
- Opportunity to work on family law cases through Capital’s Family Advocacy Clinic
- Opportunity to have NCALP's Academic Director supervise the Fellow’s upper class writing project (This upper class writing project is a requirement of the Law School and can be satisfied either through a class paper, independent study, or law review paper.)
http://www.law.capital.edu/NCALPFellowships/
Graduate Student Funded:
Other Funding Sources:
Summer Fellowships
Law School Funded:
Capital University Law School offers a Public Service Summer Fellowship using funds raised by students through a public and silent auction each spring.
The purpose of the Public Service Summer Fellow Fund is to provide stipends to qualifying students who work during the summer at legal jobs with public interest organizations that are not otherwise able to afford summer law clerks.
The Public Service Summer Fellow Fund awards a stipend of up to $1000 for a minimum of 300 hours of work during the summer and is awarded through the Law School. The Public Service Summer Fellow Fund is finite and it may not be possible to fund all applicants. Priority will be given in the following order:- Unpaid qualifying summer clerkships.
- Low paying qualifying summer clerkships (under $10.00/hour).
- All other qualifying clerkships.
- Be a J.D. student who at the time of the summer clerkship is in good standing and is still enrolled at Capital University Law School (must not have graduated or transferred).
- Secure a position with a government body, nonprofit organization, or other entity if that entity is engaged in providing legal services to persons of limited means or to charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental, and educational organizations. Legal services may include giving legal advice or resolving a legal problem through litigation, legislation, regulation, alternative dispute resolution, and participation in activities for improving the law, the legal system or the legal profession, but only to the extent consistent with the ethical constraints on the authorized practice of law.
Graduate Student Funded:
Other Funding Sources:
Equal Justice Works Summer Corps Program
Extracurricular and Co-Curricular Programs
Student Public Interest Groups
Environmental Law Society VITA
