Public Interest Law
Engaging the Community
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Emory has long held a commitment to public interest. This year, through the fundraising efforts of the Emory Public Interest Committee (EPIC), we have been able to provide twenty-six students the opportunity to practice public interest law across the country. Our students are working in public defender offices, for nonprofit organizations and associations, and for groups committed to the public good. They are making a difference at both the local and national level. David F. Partlett Dean and Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Law
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more than a vital role | from the dean The legal profession is first and foremost a service profession. Public interest work—whether in the public sector or with nonprofit organizations—represents the vital core of the legal profession. It is an expectation that all lawyers dedicate some portion of their time and talents to pro bono work. Emory Law is deeply committed to preparing its students for legal careers that incorporate the value of service. Our curriculum includes both traditional courses in public interest law, as well as a range of topics from international human rights to homelessness. We offer experiences beyond the classroom through our clinical programs in child advocacy, juvenile justice, international humanitarian law, and environmental law, as well as in our extensive field placement program. Our faculty, staff, and student body are committed to the highest ideals of the legal profession. We encourage you to learn more about us and about public interest at Emory Law.
Vermilion Darter
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The Turner Clinic provides students with an opportunity to participate in the practice of environmental law while still in law school.
Turner Clinic Protects Habitat of Endangered Alabama Fish In April 2008, the Turner Environmental Law Clinic reached a settlement agreement (pending final approval) with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS). The lawsuit was filed by the Turner Clinic on behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity, which sought designation of “critical habitat” for an endangered fish – the Vermilion darter. The darter, a fish that lives only in one small stream in Alabama, was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in November 2001. The ESA requires FWS to designate
“critical habitat” for species at the time of listing, but this rarely occurs in practice. With the six-year statute of limitations approaching in late 2007, the Turner Clinic sued FWS, seeking a court order requiring FWS to comply with its statutory duty. Turner Clinic student-attorney Matt Barrett 08L drafted the complaint, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia on November 19, 2007 – two days before the end of the limitations period.
In January 2008, FWS approached the Turner Clinic with an offer to settle the case, proposing a date for making the habitat designation. Student-attorney Alice Green 08L drafted the response for the Turner Clinic, which made a counter-offer seeking an earlier date for the designation. After some additional correspondence, Green obtained an acceptable compromise offer from FWS. Under the proposed settlement, FWS will issue a final “critical habitat” designation by November 2010. The agreement also requires FWS to pay litigation costs and attorneys fees for the case.
studying public interest law | laying the foundation Emory Law students have numerous classroom opportunities to explore public interest law and to work with faculty members involved with a wide range of public interest law issues. Beyond the foundational coursework in the first year, students may select from an extensive array of courses, including:
In-depth seminars also are available, focusing on subjects such as:
— Administrative Law — Civil Rights Litigation — Child Advocacy — Education Law — Juvenile Law — Criminal Justice — Environmental Law — International Human Rights — Gender and Law — Feminist Legal Theory — Victimless Crimes
— Education Policy — Disability and Discrimination — Constitutional and International Law — Reproductive Issues — Politics and Democratic Governance — Housing and Homelessness
“ ” The pursuit of justice lies at the heart of the legal profession. Public interest law provides the opportunity to make justice a reality in people’s everyday lives. Robert Schapiro Professor of Law
discussing ideals | fostering commitment Public Interest Speakers Series The Public Interest Advisory Group (a group of faculty, staff, and students dedicated to the promotion of pro bono and public interest at Emory Law) in collaboration with the Emory Public Interest Committee (EPIC) and other student organizations, regularly hosts prominent lawyers, judges, and professors who discuss their work, careers, and scholarship in public interest law. Past public interest speakers have included former President Jimmy Carter; Ann Beeson 93L, former litigation director, American Civil Liberties Union; Stephen Bright, former director of the Southern Center for Human Rights; and Harold Koh, Yale Law School.
Pro Bono Project In addition to outreach through the clinical and field placement programs, Emory Law encourages all students to fulfill the legal profession’s obligation to undertake pro bono work on behalf of indigent and underrepresented groups through the Pro Bono Project. Students who report a minimum of twenty-five hours of pro bono work annually are recognized at a luncheon, and those who have accrued seventy-five hours overall by commencement will receive the Emory Law Pro Bono Medal and recognition in the commencement program. Public Interest Dinner Series The Public Interest Advisory Group sponsors a dinner series in which a selected group of first-year students meets several times during the year to discuss local issues
with public interest faculty and community leaders. Past topics have included voting rights, urban development, and immigration. Also, a dinner is typically held with legislators at the Georgia State Capitol to discuss issues pending before the general Assembly. The Feminism and Legal Theory Project Led by the nationally renowned scholar and Woodruff Professor Martha L. A. Fineman, the project sponsors workshops and colloquia on issues of feminism, gender and sexuality, and family law. The Center hosts visiting scholars from around the world and maintains an archive of feminist legal scholarship collected over the past twenty-five years.
more than discussing the work | serving the community Barton Child Law and Policy Clinic The Barton Clinic is a nationally recognized leader in the area of child advocacy. Law students working at the clinic refine their own advocacy and research skills while working in partnership with professionals from medicine, public health, and social work to evaluate and shape policies and legislative initiatives impacting abused and neglected children in Georgia.
ing conflict zones, represent detainees at Guantánamo Bay, monitor conduct during hostilities, and gather information about abuses committed in conflict areas. Class sessions cover international humanitarian law concepts and the legal, strategic, ethical, and theoretical issues arising in the project work.
Juvenile Defender Clinic Led by an experienced child advocate attorney, this clinic represents children charged with delinquent acts. The clinic takes a holistic approach to representation addressing not only delinquency, but also related issues of mental health, education, and deprivation.
Turner Environmental Law Clinic The Turner Clinic provides students with an opportunity to participate in the practice of environmental law while still in law school. Selected students will be expected to: • draft correspondence, legal memoranda, briefs, and pleadings • participate in and conduct client meetings, depositions, and negotiations • develop case strategy
International Humanitarian Law Clinic This clinic pairs Emory Law students with organizations, law firms, tribunals, and other groups that prosecute war criminals, protect humanitarian relief efforts enter-
Field Placements Every semester, approximately 75 secondand third-year students assist public defenders, prosecutors, public interest organizations, and government agencies while
earning academic credit. Students review the cases of potential clients for the ACLU, draft wills for victims of AIDS, prosecute misdemeanors in state court, represent indigent criminal defendants, work with residents of rural communities on community development, and participate in litigation and policy initiatives to address the pollution of our air and water. (Third-year students may also take placements with state and federal prosecutors or defenders where they can appear in court under the third-year practice rules.) The program’s placements include: — American Civil Liberties Union — Atlanta Legal Aid Society — Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation — Georgia Innocence Project — Georgia Legal Services — Georgia Lawyers for the Arts — Health Law Partnership — Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta — Southern Environmental Law Center
a classroom Government agency placements include: — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) — Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) — Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) — Federal Trade Commission (FTC) — Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) — Internal Revenue Service (IRS) — Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) Student-Led Public Interest Events and Activities The student-led Emory Public Interest Committee (EPIC) annually sponsors a public interest conference in the fall semester, presenting public interest panels and workshops in areas such as child advocacy, international human rights, health, and environmental issues.
In addition, EPIC and other student groups regularly plan weekend service days. In the spring of 2007 and 2008, more than fifty students traveled to New Orleans as part of Emory Law’s continuing involvement in the reconstruction of the Gulf Coast after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Other public interest organizations within Emory Law, including the Environmental Law Society, Homeless Advocacy Project, Immigration Law Society, National Lawyers Guild, and Student Legal Services, also are available for student membership.
“ ” Public interest is about building and fostering a community. Linus Chen 08L From: Sudbury, Massachusetts Undergraduate College: Boston University
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celebrating the profession hon
We, as attorneys, have a responsibility to give back to the communities in which we live. I am thankful to not only have the opportunity to practice law, but also to be a public servant.
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The Honorable Thurbert Baker 79L Attorney General, Georgia
A self-described ‘champion of open government,’ Thurbert Baker 79L served five terms in the Georgia House of Representatives where he helped draft legislation that led to the creation of Georgia’s HOPE scholarship program. He expressed pride in the scholarship program, saying it had made a real difference in the lives of Georgia’s students. He became Georgia’s first African American attorney general in 1997, where his focus has shifted to fighting crime, corruption, and consumer fraud.
noring the devoted The Annual EPIC Inspiration Awards Every year, the Emory Public Interest Committee (EPIC) sponsors one of the Atlanta legal community’s signature public interest events: the Inspiration Awards Ceremony and Reception, where outstanding practitioners are recognized for their commitment to public service. Past recipients include: — Hulett “Bucky” Askew 67L for his lifetime commitment to public service — Aimee Maxwell for work as director of the Georgia Innocence Project — John Chandler for representation of Guantánamo Bay detainees
The event is the primary EPIC fundraiser. All funds go to support students who work in summer public sector internships. Other Awards/Recognition Each year Emory Law presents an award to the third-year student who has demonstrated the greatest commitment to public service. In addition, students who have served the community while in law school are recognized at graduation with the Dean’s Public Service Award.
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I want to work on policies that benefit people at the macro level ... If you want to make systematic changes to help people, you have to work in the political arena. Quoc Van 08L From: Sanford, Florida Undergraduate College: Georgetown University
“ � Public interest work, in whatever form, is an opportunity to promote the common good and the justice that may be achieved through law. Frank S. Alexander Professor of Law
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a job funding public interest | meeting goals Recognizing that students who choose full-time careers in public service may often make financial sacrifices, Emory Law provides support in three ways: Public Interest Scholarships In awarding scholarship assistance, Emory Law takes into consideration a student’s demonstrated commitment to public service and his or her intention to pursue a public interest career. Public Interest Summer Grants The EPIC summer grants are a primary source of funding for summer public interest internships for qualified students. Loan Repayment Assistance program (LRAP) Upon graduation, students who embark on public service careers may participate in Emory’s Loan Repayment Assistance Program. This program offers financial assistance to those who take lower-paying public sector employment and who have accumulated substantial debt from law school educational loans. This program has been funded in part by the financial contributions of Emory Law alumni.
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I came to law school because of my interest in civil rights and social justice, particularly LGBT advocacy, same-sex marriage, and same-sex parent options. Law school seemed like a quick way for social change. In your first year, you learn black letter law—how to dissect a case, pick apart a statute, put together a contract, etc. In your second year, you do more abstract thinking. You choose your courses. You narrow down what you want to do. And you begin to find your legal voice. For my internship last summer, I wanted to do something that merged my personal interests with my practical skills set. Lambda Legal is a firm that does a lot of impact litigation, and it was a great way to build my resume.
No matter where you want your legal degree to take you, Emory supports you with it. This summer I’m working at the Human Rights Campaign, which does lobbying. Rather than duke out issues in the courtroom, they try to convince legislators to change the law beforehand to circumvent litigation.
” Dan Nugent 09L From: New York, New York Undergraduate College: Yale University
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I knew when I got to law school that I wanted to do public interest law. I got involved with EPIC immediately and was on the board for last year’s annual conference, which 150 people attended. I’m lucky enough to have received EPIC grants following my 1L and 2L years.
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Anna Kurien 08L From: Kerala, India Undergraduate College: Wellesley College
Public Interest Law
1301 Clifton Road Atlanta, Georgia 30322 404.727.6802 lawinfo@law.emory.edu www.law.emory.edu/pi