UM Law’s HOPE Fellows Work to Promote Access to Justice in Public Interest Agencies

June 10, 2010 — Coral Gables — From the Public Defenders Office in Miami to the World Service Authority in Washington, D.C., University of Miami’s School of Law HOPE Fellows are working at public interest agencies throughout the country this summer, helping to promote access to justice by enhancing the delivery of legal services to communities near and far.

The HOPE Public Interest Resource Center provides stipends to law students who work in uncompensated public interest jobs in exchange for a year-long commitment to actively serve on the Public Interest Leadership Board and design and implement a program related to their field work. HOPE Fellows are charged with identifying opportunities for other law students to engage in direct advocacy work and perpetuate the ethic of service through educational programs on public interest law issues.

‘Our Fellows are dedicated and extraordinary students who serve as change agents within organizations around the globe. Their contributions provide a lasting impact on the communities and constituencies served,’ said Marni Lennon, Assistant Dean for Public Interest and Pro Bono and Director of the HOPE Public Interest Resource Center. ‘The legal advocacy projects they bring back to our camps enable a broader cross-section of our students to give back while honing their lawyering skills.’

The HOPE Public Interest Resource Center strives to ensure that law students are aware of opportunities to enhance their skills, promote access to justice and determine their next steps as an advocate. Begun with a single project in 1998, the Public Interest Resource Center has grown to include over 25 different projects each year, reaching various underserved and at-risk populations locally, nationally and abroad.

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The University of Miami is the largest private research institution in the southeastern United States. The University’s mission is to provide quality education, attract and retain outstanding students, support the faculty and their research, and build an endowment for University initiatives. http://www.miami.edu