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A look at the public interest resources available to students at Emory University School of Law.
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Public Interest Law
Engaging the Community
a vital role | from the deanThe 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.
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Emory has long held a commitment to public inter-est. 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 differ-ence at both the local and national level.
David F. PartlettDean and Asa Griggs CandlerProfessor of Law
more than practice
Vermilion Darter
In April 2008, the Turner Environmental Law Clinic reached a settlement agree-ment (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 addi-tional 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.
Turner Clinic Protects Habitat of Endangered Alabama Fish
The Turner Clinic provides students with an opportunity to participate in the practice of environmental law while still in law school.
more than practice
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:
— 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
In-depth seminars also are available, focusing on subjects such as:
— 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 SchapiroProfessor of Law
discussing ideals | fostering commitment
Public Interest Speakers SeriesThe 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 Commit-tee (EPIC) and other student organizations, regularly hosts prominent lawyers, judges, and professors who discuss their work, careers, and schol-arship 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 ProjectIn 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 SeriesThe 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 ProjectLed by the nationally renowned scholar and Woodruff Profes-sor Martha L. A. Fineman, the project sponsors workshops and colloquia on issues of feminism, gender and sexual-ity, 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 a classroomdiscussing the work | serving the community
Barton Child Law and Policy ClinicThe 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.
Juvenile Defender ClinicLed 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.
International Humanitarian Law ClinicThis clinic pairs Emory Law students with organizations, law firms, tribunals, and other groups that prosecute war criminals, protect humanitarian relief efforts enter-
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.
Turner Environmental Law ClinicThe 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
Field PlacementsEvery semester, approximately 75 second- and third-year students assist public de-fenders, prosecutors, public interest orga-nizations, and government agencies while
earning academic credit. Students review the cases of potential clients for the ACLU, draft wills for victims of AIDS, prosecute mis-demeanors in state court, represent indigent criminal defendants, work with residents of rural communities on community develop-ment, 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 pros-ecutors 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
more than a classroomGovernment 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 ActivitiesThe 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 recon-struction 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 08LFrom: Sudbury, MassachusettsUndergraduate College: Boston University
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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.
The Honorable Thurbert Baker 79LAttorney General, Georgia
celebrating the profession honoring the devoted
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.
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The Annual EPIC Inspiration AwardsEvery 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/RecognitionEach 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.
celebrating the profession honoring the devoted
“ ”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 08LFrom: Sanford, FloridaUndergraduate College: Georgetown University
more than a job“ ”
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. AlexanderProfessor of Law
more than a jobRecognizing that students who choose full-time careers in public service may often make financial sacrifices, Emory Law provides support in three ways:
Public Interest ScholarshipsIn 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 GrantsThe 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.
funding public interest | meeting goals
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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.
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 09LFrom: New York, New YorkUndergraduate College:Yale University
No matter where you want your legal degree to take you, Emory supports you with it.
a job
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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.
Anna Kurien 08LFrom: Kerala, IndiaUndergraduate College: Wellesley College
