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University of Oregon Law Students Give Back to Community and Strengthen Legal Education

published April 16, 2023

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( 3 votes, average: 3.8 out of 5)
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Summary

This article details the experiences of four University of Oregon School of Law students who have pursued unique programs to give back to the local community while pursuing their legal educations. All four students have received awards for their unique contributions to the Eugene and Lane County communities, highlighting the commitment many law students have to helping others.

The first student, Paulina Sotomayor, was a part of the Oregon Law Clinic's Asylum Program. She provided legal advocacy services to a young woman seeking asylum from Mexico. She was awarded with the ACLU of Oregon's Equal Justice Award for her work on this case.

The second student, Melanie Shoff, was awarded the Oregon Lawyers Against Hunger Student Award for her work with the Oregon Law Clinic's Youth Advocacy Program. She provided legal representation to young people in the juvenile justice system and worked to ensure they receive fair, holistic legal services.

The third student, Cailin Hehir, was recognized for her work in the Oregon Law Clinic's Civil Rights Clinic. She worked with clients to address civil rights violations and to ensure they receive justice. She was awarded the Oregon Public Interest Law Fellowship Award for her contributions.

The fourth student, Joseph Breitenbush, was recognized for his work in the Oregon Law Clinic's Housing and Homelessness Law Clinic. He provided legal assistance to tenants facing eviction and those dealing with landlord-tenant disputes. He was awarded the Oregon State Bar Public Interest Law Fellowship.

These four University of Oregon law students demonstrate the commitment many law students have to giving back to their communities. They have used their legal educations to help those in need and have been rewarded for their efforts. They provide a model of professionalism, dedication, and service in an effort to improve the lives of others. Through their hard work, they have displayed the importance of lawyers in providing access to justice and combating inequality.
 

University of Oregon Law Students Make Significant Contributions to their Community

The University of Oregon School of Law, one of the top 20 law schools in the nation, is proud of the successes of its students within and outside the classroom. Through various programs, Oregon Law students are making a positive impact on the community while pursuing their legal education.
 

Public Interest Law Projects at Oregon Law

Oregon Law strives to provide opportunities for students to gain meaningful experience and engage in activities that give back to the community. The School of Law has various public interest law projects. These include legal clinics, externships, and pro bono projects that give students real-world legal experience in a variety of settings. Through partnerships with nearby legal services organizations, Oregon Law students are able to gain practical legal experience while providing access to justice for underserved communities.
 

Oregon Law's Pro Bono Program

In 1999, Oregon Law launched its Pro Bono Program. Since then, Oregon Law students have contributed to the well-being of their community by providing much-needed legal services to the underserved. The Law School's Pro Bono Program honors students who have dedicated their time and effort to providing legal services to low-income individuals, families, and non-profit organizations. Students can receive recognition for participating in pro bono projects, as well as a certificate upon completion of a specified number of pro bono hours.
 

Oregon Law Students Receive Awards for Outstanding Public Interest Work

Oregon Law has a long tradition of awarding its students for their outstanding public interest work. Each year, the Oregon Law Pro Bono Program and the Oregon Law Pro Bono Alumni Award recognize the work of Oregon Law students who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to serving their community. These awards recognize the efforts of Oregon Law's students to provide access to justice for individuals who might otherwise lack legal representation.

Individually, by directly impacting the lives of local people, they have achieved even more.

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The Juvenile Rights Project in Portland; Peer Court in Eugene and Springfield; Street Law, based at the law school; and the Lane County Law and Advocacy Center are just a few groups that have benefited from law students' service.

Molly Allen is in her second year at Oregon Law, and she has already clocked 400 hours of pro bono work. She works with both the Juvenile Rights Project and Peer Court. Before coming to law school, Allen interned as a probation officer for juvenile defendants. The experience "really opened my eyes to the difficulties so many kids face," she says. It also showed her "how resilient kids are."

Allen came to law school knowing she wanted to work with juveniles, and a professor at the school connected her with the Juvenile Rights Project. The group works with kids charged with crimes and also represents abused kids in dependency hearings, which determine child placement.

Allen would do home visits on behalf of attorneys and talk to the kids. She would make sure there was no abuse taking place and convey information from the kids to the attorneys, Allen says. She also advocated for kids in meetings with the Department of Human Services.

In addition to all that, Allen spent last summer writing a book.

Oregon requires a "transition plan" for foster kids turning 18 years old as they transition out of foster care. Allen researched and wrote a guidebook on the best types of transition plans and how best to follow the legislation mandating the plans, for judges, lawyers, and caseworkers who deal with abuse and neglect proceedings. For example, the book describes how to make sure that the kids have housing and health insurance and gives advice on how best to advocate for the child's best interests.

Allen spends a few hours a month during the school year working as a pro bono judge and intake counselor in the Eugene and Springfield city Peer Court programs. In Peer Court, juveniles charged with crimes come before a jury of their fellow teens, which rules on guilt and determines sentencing. Offenses include underage possession of tobacco, low-level theft, or harassment. Sentences often include community service, says Allen, and a letter of apology.

The pro bono work has been "the best part of my legal education," says Allen, who hopes to work representing juveniles in her career after law school.

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Jeremy Dickman does his pro bono work helping to head up the Street Law program at Oregon Law. This year, Dickman won the annual school award for making the most impact through his pro bono work.

Street Law is comprised of law students who go to area high school classrooms and teach students about their constitutional rights, including "the nuts and bolts of the Fourth Amendment," Dickman says, advising students on what to do if stopped by the police. "It's where the rubber meets the road as far as the law is concerned."

Dickman, a third-year, saw Street Law as a way to serve those in the community who are not as privileged as many law students. "I really like criminal law and working with kids," he says. Street Law was a way to do community service and also to have fun, he says.

David Eisenberg found his pro bono niche through a recommendation from Oregon Law's Pro Bono Program Director, Jane Steckbeck. When Eisenberg was looking for something to do for the summer after his first year, she steered him towards the Lane County Law and Advocacy Center, saying it would help him learn interview skills and problem-solving. "And of course, she was right," says Eisenberg, now in his third year.

Eisenberg does intake interviews with the center's low-income clients. He talks with the client and then discusses the legal issues with one of the supervising attorneys to determine whether the center can help the person or he needs to refer the person on to another lawyer.

Most of the center's clients have questions on denials for benefits such as Social Security disability, food stamps, or government housing, says Eisenberg. Helping people with denial appeals is the center's "number-one priority," he says. The center also helps clients with family law issues, such as divorce, child custody, and domestic violence restraining orders.

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Eisenberg enjoys this kind of legal work and is "considering doing this as a career" or at least keeping up a pro bono commitment while working at a law firm, he says. He has "a sense that you are supposed to, and can, help people in this profession," Eisenberg says. "It's a very satisfying thing."

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published April 16, 2023

( 3 votes, average: 3.8 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.