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Student Pro Bono Projects  

  • Student projects form the core of Penn Law’s pro bono experience by offering unique leadership and practical opportunities while helping under-served populations.

     

All organizations
 
Animal & Environmental Civil & Political Rights Criminal Justice Economic Justice Education Global
  • Animal Law Project (ALP)

    The Animal Law Project (ALP) focuses on protecting the interests of animals through the legal system. We welcome students with diverse views who are interested in helping animals and learning more about animal law. ALP’s goals are furthered in a number of ways. First, project volunteers provide pro bono assistance to animal-focused organizations. ALP works with various organizations on legal research and writing projects aimed at improving the welfare of animals. Our clients range from local SPCAs to national organizations like the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Second, ALP organizes speakers, screenings, and other events to engage the law school and broader Penn community in open dialogue regarding the legal protection of animals. Finally, ALP organizes community events for student networking and collaboration. Events like PSPCA shelter visits and pet-friendly “Yappy Hours” provide students interested in animal law with an opportunity to engage with similarly-minded individuals.  The best way for students to get involved is to attend the annual training session at the start of the semester. However, if a student cannot attend the training session, he or she is welcome to reach out to animallawproject@law.upenn.edu  and ask to be added to the email list in order to receive information on available project opportunities. 

     

    Student Leaders

    Jane Tomic Director
    Makenzie Way Finance & Events Chair
    Mia Cabello Pro Bono Coordinator

  • Civil Rights Law Project (CRLP)

    The CRLP is a research based pro bono organization with flexible scheduling that allows volunteers to work on projects that suit them best. We are committed to protecting and promoting civil rights and social justice. CRLP works with organizations such as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Southern Poverty Law Center, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, and Community Legal Services of Philadelphia. We have supported these organizations in their efforts to advocate for felons being denied the right to vote, protect children from public school environmental health issues, support employees filing workplace harassment suits, protect the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act, and support migrant workers.

    Work with the CRLP is project-based. Members have an opportunity to volunteer for work with these organizations, completing multiple drafts of research memos used in impact litigation and direct service support. Volunteers will greatly improve their legal research and writing through supervised drafts, including line-editing from supervising students and attorneys.

    Working with the CRLP, you will love being involved in interesting, challenging legal issues while remaining client-focused. When you work with these amazing organizations, you are not only supporting their clients directly, but also supporting all similarly-situated citizens and all of us in the protection of our constitutional liberties.

     

    Student Leaders

    Emily Daenzer Co-Director
    Sarah Smith Co-Director
    Sabrina Merold Research Editor
    Charlotte Mostertz Research Editor
    Monica Murphy Research Editor
    Jesse McGleughin

    Outreach Chair


  • Criminal Record Expungement Project (CREP)

    The Criminal Record Expungement Project (“CREP”) aims to ameliorate the negative effects of criminal records on the Philadelphia community.  Since background checks have become routine throughout the country, it is increasingly difficult for individuals with a criminal record to pursue opportunities regarding employment, housing, benefits, and education.  The goal of the project is to connect law students with the communities of North and West Philadelphia in order to assist in the expungement of non-conviction data from the clients’ criminal records.  

    CREP is encompassed within the Philadelphia Lawyer’s for Social Equity (“PLSE”), a non-profit legal aid organization dedicated to improving the lives of low-income individuals who are affected by the Pennsylvania criminal justice system.  The clients that CREP assists are low-income residents of North and West Philadelphia who have criminal records.

    The time commitment of each volunteer will vary, depending on which of CREP’s various projects the student wishes to partake in.  There are three ways that students can get involved with CREP: 1) intakes; 2) draft petitions; 3) be involved in litigating cases.  There are three intakes per semester (running from approximately 11:30am-3:30pm on Saturdays), and a few hours of follow-up work required where students are asked to write short summaries for the clients they meet with as well as upload forms to the Google drive.  Students may attend any of the three intakes, depending on availability. Volunteers taking part in the petition drafting portion of the project should expect to complete the hour-long petition drafting training and spend a few hours drafting petitions based on the number of docket/cases they are assigned. Volunteers interested in advocating for clients in court must attend the hour-long litigation training session to become court certified. Upon being certified, volunteers will be assigned cases to litigate and the time commitment will vary depending on how many cases are assigned to the student (CREP tries to limit each volunteer’s commitment to approx. 5hrs for the litigation portion).

    CREP volunteers will gain a number of vital skills from this project.  They will obtain a much deeper and personal understanding of the criminal justice system in Pennsylvania and how the expungement process works.  Additionally, those that partake in petition drafting and litigation will improve their writing abilities and advocacy skills.  Students will also develop their communication skills by having the ability to engage with the community members and supervising attorneys.

    There are many positive aspects of CREP, but what we love about the project most is the ability to learn from the individuals in our community and listen to their stories and experiences. This allows us to become more informed and compassionate law students and community members generally.  Among many things, CREP has given us the ability to understand the criminal justice system at a deeper level and to be able to think critically about how we can best serve our community as lawyers in training.

    Student Leaders

    Emily Lubin Co-Chair
    Abby Samuels Co-Chair
    John Martin Intake Coordinator
    Valerie Snow Case Manager
    Grace Gale Outreach Coordinator
    Sarah Bleiberg Litigation Coordinator
    Allison Perlin Litigation Coordinator

  • Custody and Support Assistance Clinic (CASAC)

    CASAC’s primary purpose is to assist low-income Philadelphians as they confront one of the most challenging and intimate legal battles one can face: a dispute over child custody.  We advocate for our clients in establishing, maintaining, and expanding custodial relationships with their children. We also provide assistance to survivors of domestic violence who seek protection from abuse orders. We work one-on-one with clients to prepare them for pro-se appearances in court, and also provide assistance in drafting legal documents. Our clinic serves low-income Philadelphians involved in custody disputes, as well as survivors of domestic violence. We are supervised by the attorneys of Philadelphia Legal Assistance. Advocates are expected to be available for one shift a week. Each shift lasts approximately 4-5 hours. Advocates will have the opportunity to see clients one-on-one from their very first shift. Advocates learn how to develop effective client relationships and manage their own caseload. Advocates also gain legal writing skills through drafting documents for clients. Our advocates help our clients navigate an often confusing legal system as they deal with some of the most emotionally-taxing challenges of their lives. Our work matters profoundly to our clients. Knowing the impact our successes and failures can have on our clients’ lives is the greatest privilege and responsibility of a CASAC advocate. 

     

    Student Leaders

    Anya Perret Executive Director
    Dorothy Hazan Program Director
    Jennica Wragg Professional Development Director
    Katherine Joseph Training and Recruitment Director
    Justin Prelogar Public Relations & Events Director
    Bill Fedullo Resource & Special Initiatives Director
    Liana Huratian Shift Manager

  • Democracy Law Project (DLP)

    The Democracy Law Project (DLP) tackles crucial issues in election law, focusing on campaign finance reform, redistricting, and voting rights. We want to ensure that everyone has equal access to the ballot box, and that elections are conducted as fairly as possible, in order to fulfill our broader goal of helping to strengthen the United States’ democracy.

    The DLP’s primary work is twofold. First, the DLP partners with local and national organizations to perform research for their legal matters. For example, two of our partner organizations—the Philadelphia-based Committee of Seventy and the DC-based Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington—are leaders in advocating for redistricting and campaign finance reform, and we have worked with them in the past to provide research for upcoming lawsuits. Second, the DLP partners with the Perelman School of Medicine and Penn Presbyterian Hospital to ensure that hospital patients can cast their ballots on election day.

    The DLP’s general time commitment is extremely flexible. We understand that the school year is extremely busy—particularly for 1Ls—so we can adjust project time commitments to each individual person. No matter how much time they commit, DLP members will gain invaluable skills in research, writing, public speaking, and presentation, and stay up to date on what’s going on in politics.

     

    Student Leaders

    Danielle Lazarus Co-President
    Joanna Kamhi Co-President
    Dan Kane Senior Director of Projects
    Neil Deininger Director of Projects

  • Employment Advocacy Project (EAP)

    The Employment Advocacy Project (EAP) aims to provide legal representation to low-income Philadelphians who are unfairly denied unemployment compensation benefits. Supervised by Philadelphia Legal Assistance, law students represent clients at administrative hearings, similar to mini trials, or assist with appeals to the Unemployment Compensation Board of Review in the form of written briefs. Student advocates must have two non-adjoining, 3-hour time periods open between 8:00 am and 3:00 pm each week to attend hearings. By joining EAP, advocates will gain skills in communicating with clients from diverse backgrounds, improve public and trial advocacy speaking skills, and increase knowledge about rules of evidence and unemployment compensation law.

    Student advocates enjoy the opportunity to give back to the Philadelphia community, work with fellow students from Penn, Temple, and Drexel, and practice legal skills by representing claimants in hearings. Unemployment compensation is a vital social safety net that keeps workers in their homes and with food on the table as they look for a new job, and EAP works to sustain this crucial resource for Philadelphia residents.

     

    Student Leaders

    William LaRosa Managing Director
    Gabriella Ravida Intake Coordinator

  • Environmental Law Project (ELP)

    The Environmental Law Project (ELP) fosters campus discussion of environmental issues and connects interested students to opportunities to explore environmental legal practice. Our volunteer work falls into two projects: impact litigation and regulation. Our impact litigation work generally involves preparing legal research and reports for local and national environmental organizations. Our regulatory project develops comments on proposed federal administrative rulemakings in the environmental space that are ultimately published in the Federal Register. In past years, we have also sent teams to environmental moot court competitions, hosted campus talks and green career panels, and begun coordinating our efforts with other environmental organizations at Penn. EarthJustice International, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia, PennFuture, and the Delaware Riverkeeper Network are among the organizations ELP has worked with in the past.

    The time commitment for ELP is very flexible, depending on our volunteers’ schedules. We generally expect 5-15 hours of work for the semester, with some roles requiring a larger commitment than others. ELP volunteers will strengthen their legal research, writing, and editing skills, and become more familiar with the administrative rulemaking process.

     

    Student Leaders

    Nick Bellos Chair
    Domenic Powell Vice Chair
    Gregory Schuster Director of Impact Litigation
    Ian Irlander Director for Regulatory Project

  • Financial Literacy Project (FLP)

    The Financial Literacy Project aims to improve financial literacy among both children and adults in underserved communities in Philadelphia through presentations, question-and-answer sessions, and one-on-one counseling. The underlying principle of why we do what we do is that there is a lot of information asymmetry when it comes to people’s basic financial decisions. For people who don’t grow up having access to this information, it’s difficult to know what the right choices are, and decisions made at the beginning of adulthood can affect the rest of your life. We want to give information to people to both make informed decisions and improve their financial well-being throughout their lives.
    We work with schools throughout Philadelphia (especially in North and West Philadelphia), in addition to community centers and nonprofit organizations like the People’s Emergency Center and Community Legal Services. After attending an initial training with a mock presentation, volunteers sign up for events, and there are sometimes additional event-specific trainings. There is no minimum amount of participation, and you can sign up for as many events as you like, provided that there is room.

    Volunteers will learn more about financial literacy topics relevant to primary school students (spending/saving, credit scores, loans, saving for college) as well as particular economic challenges faced by underserved adult Philadelphians.
     

    Student Leaders

    Daniel Rakin Co-Director
    Ben Barocas Co-Director

  • Guild Food Stamp Clinic (GFSC)

    The Guild Food Stamp Clinic (GFSC) is a partnership of students from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Philadelphia Legal Assistance. GFSC’s student advocates assist people in applying for food stamps and appealing terminations or reductions in food stamp benefits.

    The work is performed under the supervision of attorneys at Philadelphia Legal Assistance during a weekly, three-hour shift. During weekly GFSC shifts, student volunteers perform client case management of existing food stamp cases and conduct client intake. Students communicate directly with clients to gather information about their food stamp issues and correspond directly with Assistant District Administrators at the Department of Public Welfare on behalf of clients. Student volunteers also research and apply state food stamp laws and regulations to each distinct set of facts presented by each client in an effort to resolve their legal problems. During this academic year, there will also be broader research opportunities available, focused on the SNAP program and agencies that serve potential SNAP clients.

    This is typically a year-long commitment, therefore students who participate in the fall should also be willing to do so in the spring.

     

    Student Leaders

    Shabel Castro Co-Director
    Caitlin Dunham Co-Director

  • Health Law and Policy Project (HeLPP)

    The Health Law and Policy Project (HeLPP) is a pro bono group at Penn Law that aims to provide opportunities for Penn Law students to gain practical experience in the field of health law and policy and to engage with the local and university communities. HeLPP’s projects vary in time commitments, partner organizations, and communities served.

    Depending on a student’s engagement and interests, involvement can range from a one-time, 2-hour presentation at a local clinic with Know Your Rights (KYR),to a 7 hour/week commitment offering legal assistance to clients at community health centers with the Medical Legal Community Partnership (MLCP). These two projects focus on increasing health care access and quality to primarily underserved populations. Students interested in pursuing research opportunities can get involved with the Pennsylvania Health Law Project (PHLP), with commitment levels varying depending on the number of projects and volunteers.

     

    Student Leaders

    Sophie Beutel Managing Director
    Andrew Jeon Managing Director
    Kayla Katz Pennsylvania Health Law Project Director
    Jason Sloan Events Coordinator
    Allie Cohen Student Survivor Advocates Director

  • If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice

    Penn If/When/How fights to ensure that all people can decide if, when, and how to create and sustain families. Our board and volunteers advocate for reproductive rights and reproductive justice, support dynamic legal organizations, and provide a critically needed direct legal service to young people seeking abortion care.  Penn If/When/How is an engaged chapter of the national legal advocacy organization If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice. We also collaborate with the Women’s Law Project, the Public Defender’s Office, Planned Parenthood, and the Philadelphia Women’s Center. Our New York Bar eligible pro bono opportunities are judicial bypass and legal research. In Pennsylvania, individuals younger than eighteen must get parental consent to obtain an abortion. If they do not have a parent able or willing to consent, they must petition a judge to issue an court order allowing them to get a  Our volunteers help these young individuals at clinics fill out the necessary judicial bypass paperwork and schedule them with attorney for their hearing. Volunteers attend a mandatory training before signing up for judicial bypass shifts. A spreadsheet is emailed out with available shifts (one-two hours), and volunteers can select shifts depending on their schedule (no minimum). This is an incredibly rewarding way to connect with our broader Philadelphia community and work directly with individuals who need legal assistance. Research assignments are emailed out as they become available and are assigned at a first come, first serve basis. Many research assignments focus heavily on constitutional litigation, and are therefore limited to 2/3Ls. Volunteers who choose to do research can have a systemic impact on access to reproductive justice in Pennsylvania and nationwide. If/When/How has also started partnering with Penn’s Medical Students for Choice and Nursing Students for Sexual and Reproductive Health collaborate on advocacy and education for future reproductive health and abortion care providers and their patients.

     

    Student Leaders

    Anya Perret Co-Chair, Resource & Development
    Alyssa Chai Co-Chair, Events
    Erin Quick JB Director
    John Plotz Education & Advocacy Director
    Kirsten Valania JB Coordinator
    Mariel Mussack Events Coordinator
    Monica Murphy Research Coordinator
    Anne Corbett Education & Advocacy Coordinator
    Sabrina Merold Resource & Development Coordinator

  • Innocence Project

    The purpose of the Pennsylvania Innocence Project is to exonerate those convicted of crimes they did not commit and to prevent innocent people from being convicted. The Innocence Project works with convicted individuals who have exhausted all appellate proceedings, meaning that they are past the post-conviction relief stage and can take no further steps. New volunteers typically begin with a stage two review. The stage two review involves analyzing a potential client’s case and making a recommendation concerning his or her innocence and the likelihood of new evidence or testimony. This will usually take a few hours and can be completed in one visit to the office. Volunteers will gain investigative and practical skills, by working on a potential client’s case and applying the Innocence Project guidelines.

    The Pennsylvania Innocence Project provides the opportunity to do hands on work and play a key role in great organization. Assessing wrongful conviction claims and making an initial screening decision is an extremely rewarding way to utilize the theoretical skills gained at Penn Law. The Pennsylvania Innocence Project provides volunteers with a crash course on the realities our judicial system, areas in dire need of improvement, and various paths that lead to exoneration.

     

    Student Leaders

    Alexa Jacobson Executive Director
    Michael Buchwald Director of Recruitment & Training
    Katherine Schroeder Treasurer & Outreach Coordinator

  • International Human Rights Advocates (IHRA)

    Founded in 2006, the International Human Rights Advocates (IHRA) pro bono organization supports the promotion and protection of human rights throughout the world. Students work to advance human rights internationally, learn about emerging issues in human rights, assist individuals who have had their human rights violated, participate in international fieldwork, learn about career opportunities in human rights, and fulfill pro bono requirements.

    IHRA provides a variety of projects for students, including new projects initiated by student leaders as well as ongoing ones that IHRA has committed to year after year. We work with individual lawyers and professors, civil society organizations, other Penn Law pro bono groups and clinics, and non-profit organizations. Our goal is to not only provide legal assistance to those whose rights have been violated, but also work to spread the concept of international human rights through research and advocacy.

    Our leadership and ambassadors consist of a tight-knit group of people pursuing diverse interests but share a core belief in the fundamental importance of human rights.  Time commitments are flexible—IHRA project managers can tailor your assignment to the number of hours desired. Every year we spend all of spring break in a region for an educational fieldwork trip. However, this trip has a limited number of spots available to our volunteers.

    IHRA seeks to advance human rights internationally by conducting research, undertaking advocacy campaigns, and educating colleagues on contemporary issues of international human rights. Projects typically focus on legal research and writing to support the delivery of legal recourse to individuals suffering from human rights abuses. Through events and lectures, IHRA creates awareness of international human rights concerns. IHRA’s research projects provide exposure and substantive research experience concerning international human rights to our student volunteers, building skills rarely taught in the classroom.

     

    Student Leaders

    Allyson Reynolds Director
    Emilie Raber Fieldwork Director
    Sue-Anna Yeh Fundraising Director
    Allison Perlin Project Manager
    Brian Yeh Project Manager
    Barrett Greenwell Project Manager
    John Peng Project Manager
    Meroua Zouai Project Manager

  • International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP)

    The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) harnesses the power of law students, law schools, and practicing attorneys to work on behalf of refugees and forced migrants. IRAP’s clients include some of the most at-risk communities around the world, including LGBTI refugees, women, and religious/ethnic minorities. Law students are paired with pro bono attorneys and individual clients in various stages of the migration and resettlement process. The time commitment is variable, based on the needs of the client and the preferences of the student volunteers. Volunteers conducting casework are assigned a resettlement case and placed in teams of 2-3 students under the supervision of an upper level classmate and a pro bono attorney. Depending on the complexity of the case, the needs of the client and their availability, and external deadlines, volunteers can spend 4-5 hours per week. Volunteers conducting intake interviews for individuals who might benefit from IRAP’s services will receive new intake assignments as they are able to complete them. Each intake interview takes about 3-4 hours with an estimated 15 hours of follow up. Volunteers who participate in IRAP’s community service projects in the Greater Philadelphia area are called upon on an “as needed” basis to assist with single events such as assisting resettled refugees with permanent residency (green card) applications.

    Volunteers with IRAP will learn and expand on effective client and case management skills. They will learn about the international and national legal framework governing forced migration and refugee resettlement. By engaging with government and non-governmental organizations on consistent bases, volunteers will gain valuable experience advocating on behalf of clients forced to navigate multiple complex systems. This project exposes students to the ins and outs in of the international refugee system, as well as the workings of US Immigration. In addition, volunteers get to work with other students and supervising attorneys, making ties with people working in a number of fields. Because each case and client has a different story with different legal needs, IRAP volunteers will learn about the stages and complexities of an often years-long process. Although advocating for refugees and forced migrants in the current climate is difficult work, we are proud to stand with the organizations on the front lines committed to ensuring that these populations have guides in navigating a hostile and difficult system, with the possibility of ensuring their safe arrival in the United States.

     

    Student Leaders

    Emma Morgenstern Co-Director
    Olivia Daniels Co-Director
    Heath Khan Legal  Director
    Matthew French Legal Director
    Meroua Zouai Community Outreach
    Ryan Plesh Case Manager
    Victoria Yuhas Case Manager
    Emily Kyle Case Manager
    Katharina Schwarz Case Manager

  • Legal Education Partnership (LEP)

    The Legal Education Partnership is a project benefitting Boys Latin High School in West Philadelphia. Once a week during the semester, we visit the school and serve as coaches for the after-school Debate and Mock Trial club teams. We provide introductory level instruction, and work with a faculty advisor to help develop students’ public speaking, debate and argumentative skills. This project is a great way to hone your craft explaining legal and concepts to those without any background, and to give back to the local community. The project does not require a commitment to helping with both programs, but volunteers can serve both teams if they are interested. We have found that the program is most successful when high school students can connect with and learn from the same volunteers on a regular basis. However, volunteers can commit as much or as little time to LEP as they are able. Volunteers must be available one afternoon per week (day to be determined) to participate in this project. By volunteering with LEP, Penn Law students will not only hone their own teaching, communication, and legal skills,  but  will also have the opportunity to really impact young minds and help them develop important academic and life skills.

     

    Student Leader

    Louis Lesser Director

  • Pardon Project

    The Penn Law Pardon Project empowers people to move past their prior convictions. Despite having already paid for their crimes in bail, jail time, and court costs, formerly convicted persons continue to face discrimination when they try to get jobs, go back to school, apply for housing, and register to vote. In Pennsylvania, the only way to remove a felony or non-summary misdemeanor conviction from a record is by receiving a Pardon from the Governor.

    The Pardon process requires an extensive application, including several essays describing the conviction, explaining why the applicant is requesting a Pardon, and persuading the Board that the applicant has avoided illegal activities since completing parole or probation. Penn Law students work alongside the client and our supervising attorneys from Community Legal Services of Philadelphia (CLS) to request necessary documents and complete the application and essays. The three best things about the Pardon Project are: 1) direct client experience; 2) flexibility and freedom to meet with your clients when your schedule permits; 3) an opportunity to gain an intimate understanding of the obstacles that people who have long completed their sentences continue to face. Volunteer recruiting and training takes place each fall.

     

    Student Leaders

    Erin Sweeney

    Co-Director

    Maura Hallisey

    Co-Director


  • Penn Housing Rights Project (PHRP)

    The purpose of the Penn Housing Rights Project (PHRP) is to help Philadelphia tenants navigate legal disputes with their landlords. We work with local law firms (e.g. Dechert) and nonprofits (e.g. Community Legal Services) to ensure that tenants have adequate legal representation in housing court. Volunteers are required to attend two short training sessions (totaling less than 5 hours total) at the beginning of the school year, and then the additional amount of hours they’d like to volunteer is completely up to them. Volunteers agree to take on “cases” as their schedules allow with each case consisting of roughly 2-6 hours over the course of about a week. The work allocated to student volunteers is relatively flexible and determined in conjunction with the supervising attorney assigned to the case. PHRP helps students develop an understanding of the fundamentals of housing law. In addition, volunteers will have the opportunity to develop new skills by completing research tasks, communicating with clients, negotiating with opposing counsel, and even arguing cases in front of municipal judges upon certification during 2L year. Volunteers can learn at their own pace and take on additional responsibility as their skills develop. We love this project because it allows us to make a difference in our Philadelphia community. We enjoy having the chance to help our clients overcome difficult and often stressful circumstances. We’ve learned that giving a client a shoulder to lean on can make all the difference in helping them resolve their housing troubles and get back on their feet.

     

    Student Leaders

    Leor Moaddel Board Member
    Thomas Mintz Board Member
    James Wieler Board Member
    Jesse Treverton Board Member

  • Penn Law Immigrant Rights Project (PLIRP)

    The Penn Law Immigrant Rights Project advocates on behalf of immigrants in the Philadelphia community and across the country. We partner with local organizations such as Nationalities Services Center, Justice at Work, HIAS, The Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, Juntos, and more. We do a variety of work with immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees in the Philadelphia area, such as legal screenings, preparing applications for immigration benefits, Know Your Rights trainings, and research. We also do general advocacy work, like phone banking, marching, and fundraising for our community partners.

    We have both long and short-term projects available, depending on what you are looking for. For example, you could work on a clinic that lasts a few hours, or take on a long-term client project. PLIRP provides opportunities to engage directly with a diverse community in need through direct client services and clinics, contribute much-needed language skills, and learn about the US immigration system. Given our current political climate, we believe this work is more important than ever.

    We also have tons of fun. We love being able to make an impact on one of the most critical legal issues of our time. The PLIRP community has JD and LLM students from around the world, and we all share a passion for social justice! PLIRP is a family and safe-haven for those who believe our country is better when we welcome immigrants to enrich our communities.

     

    Student Leaders

    Ellyn Jameson Co-President
    Mariel Mussack Co-President
    Brian Golger Client Service Director
    Bobby Chen Client Service Director
    Meroua Zouai Research Director
    Emily Kyle Research Director

  • Penn Law’s Walk-In Legal Assistance Project (WILA)

    Working in partnership with the University City Hospitality Coalition (UCHC) and Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP), Penn Law’s Walk-In Legal Assistance Project (WILA) is a student-led pro bono project that serves the housing insecure and low-income population of Philadelphia. WILA offers a weekly clinic at a local church and provides clients with holistic civil legal services including, but not limited to, social security and disability appeals and registration, birth certificate applications, landlord/tenant issues, and taxes. Each clinic lasts an hour, and volunteers are expected to attend at least four clinics per semester. This attendance expectation builds rapport, respect, and cooperation between the volunteers and clients.

    Because WILA provides direct legal services to our clients, volunteers have the opportunity to strengthen their client interviewing and advocacy skills. More importantly, WILA allows volunteers to immerse themselves in the greater Philadelphia community by building relationships with community members and community leaders. Additionally, volunteers build their professional network by working with fellow law students, students from other Penn schools, and attorneys who practice in Philadelphia.

     

    Student Leaders

    Khary Anderson President
    Paul Cotler Volunteer Coordinator
    Angela Monaco Vital Records Coordinator
    Colleen OConor Advocacy Chair
    Anna Marion Notary & Past President

  • Project PEACE

    Project peace is a peer-mediation, anti-bullying and youth court training program that enhances the skills of non-violent conflict resolution and active civic engagement in Edward Heston Middle School students. The program empowers children with important life-skills that promote constructive communication, problem solving, critical thinking and self-esteem. Project Peace has a very reasonable time commitment. Excluding planning sessions, and volunteer lesson planning preparation, volunteers will need to attend seven sessions in the first semester and nine sessions in the second semester. The sessions are held on Friday afternoons from 11:30 am-1:00pm.  While steady attendance is expected, arrangements can be made to accommodate the volunteer’s scheduling conflicts. Volunteers will gain valuable client contact information as they practice imparting complex legal issues to those that are unfamiliar with the legal system by disseminating “Know Your Rights information,” and instructing the children to operate a Youth Courts and Mock Courts.

     

    Student Leader

    Nishi Tavernier Director

  • School Discipline Advocacy Service (SDAS)

    The mission of School Discipline Advocacy Service is to work towards ending the school to prison pipeline by representing public school students in disciplinary proceedings, such as suspensions and transfers. Advocates work with students and their families to prevent school exclusion and protect students’ due process rights. The students we serve come from Philadelphia public schools. A third of Philadelphia’s children live below the poverty line and Philadelphia is the poorest of the nation’s ten biggest cities. The students we represent face many challenges, and under-resourced schools too often resort to exclusionary measures when dealing with behavioral issues. Philadelphia students are extremely resilient, bright, and talented. The time commitment for this project is very flexible. As a lead advocate, you pick up cases as they fit with your schedule, you spend about an hour reviewing the file and calling the family and you spend about two hours at the district office helping to prepare the family and attending the impartial hearing. Before you become a lead advocate, you will receive pro bono hours for shadowing two disciplinary hearings so you are prepared to lead. Student volunteers gain skills in interviewing clients, creating a theory of the case, and advocating for students so that their due process rights are protected and their voices are heard. 

    Student volunteers have said that they love that SDAS puts the interests of students and their educational rights and needs first and that advocates work directly with students’ families to work for their best interests. Through this work, you will get to know kids and their families and you will practice legal advocacy skills.

     

    Student Leaders

    Ilana Saltz President
    Jason (Seok Whee) Nam Director of Training

  • Street Law

    The purpose of Street Law is to educate local students on the importance and relevance of law, government, and the Constitution.  We work with students at two nearby schools in West Philadelphia. By working with Street Law, law students will strengthen their organizational, speaking, and leadership skills by putting together lesson plans and teaching classes. Each volunteer will have the opportunity to teach a consistent class throughout the semester for an hour per week as well as review and modify the lesson plan on their own time to fit their schedule and style.  This is a unique opportunity to volunteer in a flexible, creative, and low stress way!

     

    Student Leader

    Brendan Walden Director

  • Veterans Law Project (VLP)

    The Veterans Law Project (VLP) provides quality pro bono legal assistance to American military veterans and their families in the Philadelphia area and beyond. Volunteers provide critical support to the Military Assistance Project, a non-profit organization led by civilian attorneys dedicated to serving those who have sacrificed so much for our country. Every case that our volunteers take on is different in terms of the breadth of assistance and direct client interaction that each requires, which exposes our volunteers to a wide array of legal work. Students gain extensive hands-on experience – they oversee cases from start to finish while making a positive impact on the lives of veterans in the process. If you want to make a real, tangible, visible impact on the lives of veterans, Veterans Law Project is the group for you.

     

    Student Leaders

    Samuel Gold Veterans Benefits Director
    Dylan Friesner Bankruptcy Director
    Ryan Singer Board Member
    Mired Asour Board Member
    Zach Feldman Board Member

  • Youth Advocacy Project (YAP)

    The Youth Advocacy Project aims to leverage the skills and dedication of both social policy and practice students and law students to provide comprehensive support to youth prosecuted as adults. We work directly with The Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project to advance its mission to develop holistic, humanizing narratives that mitigate the facts of each case; get cases transferred to the juvenile system; and make crucial connections to community resources providing education, healthcare, housing, and employment YAP works with youth in Philadelphia who are facing adult criminal charges. Children and their families work with the Youth Advocacy Project to convey to judges that a young person should not be defined by the crimes of which they are accused. YAP aims to communicate a fuller picture of each child’s life and highlight their strengths, resiliency, and capacity to change. YAP also continues to support the young person once he or she returns to the community.  However, we expect fellows to uphold their commitments to our clients, which means showing up for in person meetings with the youth and their family, collecting records, and drafting timely mitigation reports. Around report writing time, you can expect to spend more time on this project, but you will have a strong team of at least three people supporting you.  Fellows report that they love this project because at its core, this work is about humanization. Fellows learn about the young person in a holistic way—they learn about the youth’s background, present, and future goals. This project also connects law and social policy and practice students with families throughout Philadelphia.

    Co-Founders/Co-Directors: Elizabeth Levitan & Martha Hanna

     

    Student Leaders

    Ariana Brill President
    Bradie Williams Development Chair
    Jesse McGleughlin Case Director
    Lelabari Giwa-Ojuri Case Chair
    Shannon Reid Case Chair

  • Youth Education Program (YEP)

    The Youth Education Program places Penn Law students in under-resourced high schools throughout Philadelphia to teach students basic Constitutional principles. Through the curriculum, Penn Law students strive to hone the student’s argumentation skills and increase their civics knowledge, while giving students concrete examples of how the law impacts their lives. Volunteers provide a unique opportunity to make the law relatable and understandable for high school students. Not only do the Constitutional principles YEP teaches prove incredibly relevant to these students’ lives, but Penn Law students also become an integral part of their surrounding community. Following the basic legal lessons, which primarily take place during the fall semester, Penn Law volunteers prep their students on a fact pattern that focuses on a legal issue that highlights all of the learned principles. The program culminates with the students competing against their peers from all the participating high schools in a Moot Court Competition which takes places at the Law School towards the end of the spring semester. Each student prepares a set of oral arguments and competes against other high school students.

     

    Student Leaders

    Jenna Smith Executive Director
    Caitlin Dunham Executive Director
    Mark Nakahara Academic Director
    Mia Cabello Teaching Director
    Josh Salzer Teaching Director
    Saba Bajwa Special Projects

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