From the Dean

THIS SPRING 2023 EDITION of the Georgia State University College of Law magazine is dedicated to public interest law, a concentration we introduce to our law students the first day they join our College of Law community. To offer our students substantive opportunities for practice-based learning while providing valuable services to people with limited means, we partner with numerous non-profit organizations, government entities, and other mission-driven organizations.

The College of Law’s spring 2023 graduating class included 209 law students, 30 of whom completed 50 or more hours of pro bono and/or public service work during their time in law school.

Our centers and clinics support experiential learning and public interest law in many areas. Ranked No. 1 by U.S. News & World Report, the Center for Law, Health & Society (CLHS), is dedicated to addressing health law challenges through quality educational programs, research, and community engagement.

This is a testament to Charity Scott, professor of Law Emerita, the founding director of CLHS, and the co-founder of the Health Law Partnership (HeLP) Legal Services Clinic, where law students work with medical students and other partners to provide free legal assistance to mitigate the adverse effects of social determinants of health. While Professor Scott passed away on March 18, 2023, her legacy lives on through her academic and service endeavors at the College of Law. Under her leadership and vision, CLHS evolved from one health law course to a nationally recognized program with several class offerings, experiential learning opportunities, a certificate program and LL.M.

Our clinical program has achieved its highest ranking by U.S. News & World Report, coming in at No. 19 in clinical training. In this issue, you will read about the

Philip C. Cook Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic. The tax clinic has advocated for low-income and unrepresented taxpayers in Georgia since 1992. The clinic teaches students how to apply federal tax laws to resolve tax disputes and negotiate settlement with the IRS including during Pro Bono Settlement Day. This year the clinic reached a basis for settlement in 17 cases and established installment agreements in six cases.

Katie Beno-Valencia (J.D. ’24) and Angela Flores (J.D. ’24) of the Immigration Clinic were lead advocates in a Merits hearing before an Atlanta immigration judge with a 96.9 percent denial rate. The two won the case for the asylee based on her race and identity as a member of the social group “indigenous females in Guatemala.” Ana Maria Martinez (J.D. ’09), the first and only Latina trial judge in Georgia is featured for our alumni profile and she was highlighted in the Atlanta JournalConstitution for Women’s History month.

The cover photo for this issue features Alexandra “Alex” Patafio (J.D. ’23), who passed away on October 7, 2022. She was a fearless advocate for the underserved and was pursuing a public interest law & policy certificate at the College of Law. Her posthumous law degree was conferred by President Blake at the spring 2023 Commencement and Hooding Ceremony. In addition, the Class of 2023 dedicated the annual Class Gift campaign in Alex’s honor to establish the Alex Patafio Public Interest Law Scholarship. This student-led crowdfunding campaign ranks as the most successful in Georgia State University’s history. On behalf of the College of Law and future students of the law school, I commend and thank the Class of 2023 for their thoughtfulness and generosity.

LaVonda N. Reed Dean and Professor of Law