Linking law students with volunteer opportunities
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Abstract
Often the cost of legal services prevent low-income and disadvantaged individuals from receiving necessary legal services. The Minnesota Justice Foundation in Minneapolis, Minnesota, links law students to the legal services delivery system to provide pro bono service while in law school. The Law School Public Service Program enables low-income individuals to receive legal assistance and brings public interest and poverty law issues to the law schools.
Issue
In Minnesota, thousands of low-income and disadvantaged residents go without necessary legal services each year, in part because there are not enough resources. Civil Legal Services and other advocacy agencies do not have the funds to hire sufficient staff to serve and advocate for these potential clients. There is also a lack of emphasis on poverty law in law school curricula, and a public lack of interest in poverty law in general.
Action
The Minnesota Justice Foundation links law students to the legal services delivery system. All four Minnesota law schools have adopted the Law School Public Service Program, asking each student to perform at least 50 hours of pro bono service while in law school.
Students can volunteer with agencies that serve clients by performing intake, conducting research, drafting memos, pleadings and other legal documents, conducting fact investigation, assisting clients in completing legal forms, and representing clients in court. Through the MJF Street Law Project, students teach basic legal rights, responsibilities and resources to low-income, at-risk, alternative learning center students. AmeriCorps*VISTA members assist with the coordination of the Law School Public Service Program.
The program links students to the legal services community through volunteer opportunities and brings public interest and poverty law issues to the school. The program is involved with the schools through courses, course supplements, guest speakers, and efforts to bring academics and practitioners together to find solutions to systemic poverty law issues. Curricular components include six two-hour supplements to the first year courses and a list of local legal services attorneys available for classroom presentations.
MJF maintains hundreds of volunteer placements with approximately 150 agencies throughout Minnesota during the year. MJF also coordinates at least 20 summer clerkships each year, which are paid full-time positions with legal services and advocacy agencies throughout the state.
Context
The Minnesota Justice Foundation was founded by law students in 1982, and for 12 years, provided volunteer and summer clerkship opportunities for law students. In 1994, a day-long symposium was held. Participants included law school faculty and administrators, legal services practitioners, members of the private bar, representatives from the MN State Bar Association, and MJF staff. The result of the symposium, called to examine the gulf between the need for and the availability of necessary legal services, was the Law School Public Service Program, with MJF as its coordinator. Community members remain active in the administration of the program through a MN State Bar Association subcommittee. Clinical professors, bar representatives, deans, representatives from the private bar and from legal services serve on this committee, helping MJF navigate the challenges of implementing a statewide, all-law school voluntary public service program.
Outcome
Law student volunteers allow advocacy and legal service agencies to serve more clients. Before implementation of this voluntary program, approximately 150 law students volunteered per year. Now, more than 400 students volunteer per year, giving over 12,000 volunteer hours to legal services each year. With full implementation of the program, MJF anticipates that at least 600 Minnesota law students will volunteer each year, providing 30,000 volunteer hours each year.
Evidence
MJF documents hours served through log sheets, completed by law student volunteers. MJF consistently collects evaluations from law student volunteers and supervisors. MJF also knows the success of these practices through general feedback and support from the legal services community and from the general legal community.
