I agree with the assertion by UDC's leadership that all publicly funded law schools should look to the Clarke School of Law for inspiration and consider a similar service requirement. That would be a profound and powerful change. And it would lead, no doubt, to a more just nation and world.
U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder
September 16, 2010
Dear Alumni:
We know that the model of legal education pioneered by Edgar and Jean Camper Cahn has provided a first-rate legal education to nearly three thousand law students and crucial representation to tens of thousands of our less-fortunate sisters and brothers. And we also know that making such representation an integral part of our law school not only helps our clients, but grounds our graduates in the realities of how the legal system works – and often fails to work well – on our clients’ behalf.
Despite this knowledge, it was truly amazing, wonderful and vindicating to hear the Attorney General of the United States affirm our vision and decades of hard work!
I wish each of you could have been there to witness it!
Yet, of course, our work is not nearly complete.
Information about the Law School:
Legal Service: Last year alone our students, faculty and staff, in clinics, through the community service requirement, and in internships and summer public interest fellowships, provided over 90,000 hours of legal service to the District’s most vulnerable residents and the organizations and agencies that serve them.
Nationally Ranked: US News ranked UDC-DCSL tied for 2nd in the nation in student diversity and tenth for our outstanding clinical programs. In addition, our students came in second in the nation (out of 135 teams from 90 law schools!) in the ABA Client Counseling Competition.
Summer Public Interest Fellowships: This past summer a record-breaking 46 students engaged in full-time, lawyer-supervised legal work for a public interest organization, government agency or judge. The typical stipend – provided largely by alumni and law firms – was $3,000 for a minimum of 400 hours. .
The New Immigration and Human Rights Law Clinic! After ten years of advocacy and organizing by alumni, including Carolyn Waller, Amy Novick, Mary Brittingham, Michael Maggio and many others, the School of Law has hired Kristina Campbell to direct this exciting new clinic.
The New Took Crowell Institute! The prestigious law firm, Crowell & Moring, has chosen to honor the memory of its founding partner, Took Crowell – a life-long advocate of justice for kids – by donating $100,000 per year for the next six years to fund operations and an additional clinician in the School of Law ’s Juvenile Justice and Special Education Clinic. This support will allow the Clinic to expand its work beyond advocacy for individuals towards efforts to bring about systemic change.
The New Master of Laws (LL.M.) Program: Similar to the Antioch School of Law MAT “Clinical Fellows” program (but better compensated!), the LL.M. candidates will work under the supervision of the Law School’s experienced faculty to supervise and teach J.D. students enrolled in our clinics. The two-year program includes coursework in clinical pedagogy and public interest law, and development of a project designed to effect system change. Two LL.M. students will serve in the Took Crowell Institute, one in Immigration and Human Rights, and one in Housing and Consumer Law.
New Fabulous Faculty Members! In addition to Kristina Campbell, former law school dean and civil rights superstar John Brittain has joined the permanent faculty; former DC Public Defender Service Supervising Attorney Andrew Ferguson has joined the classroom faculty; and Keith Blair, who previously directed the University of Baltimore ’s tax clinic, will direct our Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic.
And Superb New Students! This year the School of Law , once again, set a new record for total applicants – 1,744 – and the resulting class boasts the highest academic indicia in our history, while maintaining both diversity and commitment to public service. More students transferred in than out and the incoming class for the Part-time program grew from 27 to 34 bringing our total number of students to 340, the highest in our post-Antioch history.
The Price of Progress. Progress comes with a price tag! With 340 students, each paying 20% higher tuition this year than last, the need for scholarship support has grown. More students also means we have to raise more money to fund summer public interest fellowships.