UCI Law - Project List - Pro Bono Program

PRO BONO PROGRAM

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Pre-Approved Pro Bono Projects

The following projects are offered through the Pro Bono Program throughout the Fall 2012 semester:

ACLU Jails Project: Student volunteers assist with monitoring in Men’s Central Jail and Twin Towers in downtown LA. If an inmate is identified as having been involved in violence, the volunteer will have the opportunity to call out the inmate to the attorney room for a statement, and a declaration will be prepared.
Animal Legal Defense Project: The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) is dedicated to protecting the lives and advancing the interests of animals through the legal system. Student volunteers are needed to do a variety of research and writing for ALDF, possibly including the preparation of memoranda, assisting in the development of new litigation cases, and helping to prepare case pleadings for ALDF litigation.
Bankruptcy Applications: Students are needed to assist self-represented debtors complete and file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Students will review the debtors' eligibility for bankruptcy, collect the required paperwork and complete the debtor's Chapter 7 petition. All work will be conducted under the supervision of local bankruptcy attorneys on cases referred by the Public Law Center.
Bankruptcy Courthouse Volunteer: Students are needed to volunteer every Friday at the Bankruptcy clinic at the Federal Courthouse in Santa Ana. Volunteers will meet with pro se litigants, and provide advice on filing bankruptcy forms. All student advice will be under the supervision of attorney Leigh Ferrin of the Public Law Center.
California Lawyers for the Arts: Students will work with attorneys from McDermott Will & Emery on a request for copyright protection for works purposed for public art. The client is a non-profit organization that maintains and restores endangered art.
Camp Pendleton Legal Assistance Office: Students will provide legal assistance to military officers, enlisted service members and their families in the areas of family law, consumer law, estate planning, and various other issues.
Civil Litigation: Cruz v. Cuevas - A student will work with attorneys from McDermott Will & Emery on a pro bono civil litigation matter involving claims of trespassing. The student will research issues, draft memos, and assist with pre-trial preparation. This case might present opportunities for the student to attend court hearings and depositions.
Coastkeeper Volunteer: The mission of Orange County Coastkeeper is to protect and preserve the region’s watersheds and marine habitats through education, advocacy, restoration, research, and enforcement. Student volunteers may provide legal research in areas of environmental permitting, review upcoming legislation, and possibly draft comment letters in response to permitting requests or local, environmental regulations.
Communities for a Better Environment: CBE’s mission is to achieve environmental health and justice by building grassroots power within and with communities of color and working-class communities. Student volunteers are needed for both in-office and research projects in the areas of: (1) Storm Water issues researching the Clean Water Act; (2) Zoning issues for a manufacturing business adjacent to a low income community; (3) Freeway widening project research.
Community & Economic Development Project: Students are needed to volunteer with the CED unit of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, assisting in areas of affordable housing, charter schools, land use, non-profits, work force development, community benefits agreements, and much more. Volunteers are expected to draft and review agreements, contracts, and training materials; prepare legal research memos; provide comments and testimony to administrative agencies and public officials; and attend and give presentations to community meetings.
Consumer Law Project: Public Counsel's Consumer Law Project provides pro bono legal representation to victims of consumer fraud. Students would conduct detailed phone interviews and document review to determine the viability of the clients' cases for pro bono placement. Students would be required to develop a written memorandum following each interview and document analysis that conforms to a model template.
Disabled and Elderly Benefits (SSI)—Intake Clinic & Follow-up: Volunteers will work to secure Social Security Income (SSI) benefits for the clients, which insure that a recipient's most basic needs are met through a living stipend and medical benefits. Student will volunteer with the Legal Aid Society of Orange County and will work with attorneys from O'Melveny and Myers LLP, all under the supervision of attorney Bill Wise of LASOC.
Domestic Violence Declarations: Students will volunteer at the courthouse in Orange, assisting self-represented clients to prepare declarations for their Temporary Restraining Orders. Students will conduct an interview and immediately prepare a declaration. Supervision will be provided by attorney volunteers.
Domestic Violence Clinic in Long Beach: SStudent volunteers for the Long Beach Domestic Violence Clinic will work with attorneys from the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, assisting victims of domestic violence and elder abuse in preparing requests for restraining orders. Clients are advised of their rights regarding court and law enforcement procedures, and are often referred to related community resources including counseling, lawyer referrals services, law enforcement, victim-witness assistance, and shelters.
Education Rights Clinic: The Learning Rights Legal Center (LRLC) is working with UCI Law to expand education legal services to Orange County. Attorneys from LRLC will supervise UCI Law students doing education law intakes at monthly clinics. Students will work in pairs, meeting with a family for an extended period to discuss their legal needs. Students will then consult with the attorney volunteer, and provide the family with an action plan.
Education Rights Project -- In Office Volunteers: The Learning Rights Law Center (LRLC) is a nonprofit legal services agency whose mission is to ensure equitable access to public education for all students. Volunteer students will be trained and supervised by Jessica Toth, likely conducting intakes.
Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project: Esperanza is the legal arm of Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, and works exclusively with immigrant adults, children and their families who are being held in federal immigration custody. Esperanza offers three volunteer opportunities: 1) Assisting youth eligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (aka “DREAMers”) with applications, including those with more complicated issues; 2) Students will assist with legal intakes for children held in detention. 3) Students will commit to producing quality case summaries of all 9th Circuit decisions published that week that affect immigration law.
Expungement Clinics: Expungements allow individuals that have completed their sentence to dismiss certain criminal convictions if particular requirements are met, allowing them to move on with their lives, and seek jobs that would otherwise not be available. Students may volunteer in Orange County with the Public Defender’s New Leaf project, or in the Inland Empire with the Inland Empire Latina Lawyers Association (IELLA).
Family Law Clinic: Students are needed to work with attorney Bill Tanner with the Legal Aid Society of Orange County to assist low-income Orange County residents with all of their family law needs, including custody, visitation, support, and dissolution. Students are needed to volunteer at some Friday afternoon clinics, as well as weekly volunteers to assist with ongoing case issues in the LASOC family law unit.
Foreclosure Mitigation Unit: Students will assist Patricia Pinto, the managing attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Orange County, with her cases regarding loan modification and foreclosure prevention.
General Legal Services for the Poor: Yolanda Omana is a senior attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Orange County with work in areas of family law and unlawful detainer (landlord-tenant), but she is a generalist and works on a wide variety of cases. Students will progress to taking calls themselves, interview in-office clients, and provide legal work on a variety of cases, including research and preparation of legal documents such as briefs and responsive pleadings.
Haiti Human Rights Initiative: The Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH) and its partners in Haiti need two students to help with an international human rights research and writing project. The project includes preparing a shadow report for Haiti's upcoming review by the UN Human Rights Committee.
Health Consumer Action Center and Government Benefits: This is a specialized unit of the Legal Aid Society of Orange County (“LASOC”) that is involved with policy advocacy and also assists low-income clients in Orange County to access health care services and solve serious issues clients may have with their public benefits and/or medical insurance. Students will immediately begin speaking with clients, interviewing them to get additional information and determine their health care related issues.
Homeless Court and Veterans Court: Supervising Attorney of Special Projects at LASOC, Renato Izquieta, oversees and provides direct assistance and advocacy to Homeless defendants and Combat Veterans through the County of Orange Collaborative Courts. Volunteers will work with Renato on Tuesday afternoons (Veterans) and/or Wednesday afternoons (Homeless), reaching out to those who may not otherwise access legal aid services.
Homeless Food Stamps Records Requests: CalFresh, also known as Food Stamps, helps prevent hunger for thousands of low-income Californians. The volunteer will work with the Western Center on Law & Policy to draft a Public Records Act request to be sent to every California County, inquiring about the requirements for homeless individuals seeking CalFresh benefits. The volunteer will then gather and analyze the responses.
Housing Project with LASOC: Crystal Sims, Director of Litigation for the Legal Aid Society of Orange County, will supervise one student. Her casework primarily focuses on housing (including predatory lending issues), subsidized housing, and landlord/tenant issues.
Housing and Veterans Project with PLC: the Public Law Center is seeking a law student to assist with veteran’s law and housing issues. Volunteers would conduct intake interviews, follow up with clients, and conduct legal research. Depending on the schedule, the student may also accompany a staff attorney to various self-help clinics run by PLC.
Immigration Detention Project: Students will work with attorneys from Public Counsel to visit detainees in the Santa Ana Jail, and prepare them for their immigration proceedings. Attorneys Talia Inlender and Joseph Weiner will both supervise students during jail visit. Volunteers will meet with detainees at the Jail to inform them of their immigration options, relief available, and help them prepare for their pro se trial.
Inland Empire Latino Lawyers Association—Legal Aid Project: A student will volunteer at the IELLA office in Riverside, assisting low-income clients with their document preparation in the areas of of family law, landlord/tenant, expungements, limited civil law, and restraining orders.
Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project: IRAP's work includes legal assistance for refugees seeking resettlement from abroad, policy advocacy to improve U.S. policy toward the refugee crisis, and direct assistance to ease the transition of newly resettled refugees to American life. Students will work in pairs under the supervision of attorneys to provide assistance to refugees seeking resettlement.
Low-Income Tax Payer Clinic: This is a dynamic clinic with the Legal Aid Society of Orange County that provides direct services and advocacy for low-income taxpayers facing issues with the IRS. The LITC unit is managed by Renato Izquieta, supervising attorney of Special Projects at LASOC. No tax knowledge or experience is required.
Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition Research: During the 19th and 20th centuries, Native American children were sent to boarding schools to be indoctrinated in the Euro-American standard. The children, who were separated from their families and tribes, were often encouraged or forced to abandon their Native American language and culture. Law students are needed to research potential litigation.
Nonprofit Corporate Matters and Contract Analysis: A volunteer law student is needed to assist Public Counsel’s General Counsel in conducting legal research on a variety of issues. Depending on interest, the volunteer may also assist with legal work for other small nonprofits. Volunteers may also have the opportunity to assist in drafting contracts.
Orange County District Attorney’s Office: Students interested in criminal prosecution will get hands-on experience with the District Attorney’s office in Santa Ana. Students are expected to work at least 10-15 hours per week. Once accepted, the student volunteer will be assigned to a unit where experiences vary widely.
Orange County Public Defender’s Office: Students will volunteer each week at either the PD’s main office in Santa Ana, or at a satellite court. Students should expect to assist with client interviews, research, and possibly writing motions. Those with security clearance may be able to go into lock up.
Research and Writing for ABA article: Supervising Attorney of Special Projects at LASOC, Renato Izquieta, is an American Bar Association Commission Member on Homelessness and Poverty. The Commission is putting together a book on Homeless and Veterans issues. A student is needed to help with research and writing for a chapter about “civil legal issues” that homeless veterans face.
Services for Homeless and those on the Verge (CARES): The Project takes place at Department of Public Social Services (“DPSS”) offices in Los Angeles County. Students assist clients with emergency benefits advocacy, particularly relating to shelter, food, health, transportation, and other social service needs.
Self Help Centers (Superior Court): Students will get hands-on experience with individuals that are representing themselves in legal actions in areas of housing, family law, small claims, probate, and others. Students will assist with document preparation, and may give workshops to educate individuals on a specific area of law.
Transactional and Intellectual Property Project: Students will work with attorneys from various law firms on transactional cases, referred through the Public Law Center’s Community Organizations Legal Assistance Project (“COLAP”). Issues and cases vary, and may include the following: Intellectual Property matters such as copyright and trademark requests for non-profit organizations or small businesses; review of a non-profit’s website; non-profit formation; or employment issues.
Victims of Crime Special Visas (U-Visa): Students will work in pairs and will be supervised by attorneys from the firm of Snell & Wilmer in preparing U-Visa requests for victims of crime, who have cooperated with law enforcement in the investigation related to their victimization. Most clients are women and children that have suffered physical or sexual abuse by a family member or intimate partner.
Workers’ Rights Clinic: Student volunteers will participate in employment law intake clinics for low-income workers in a wide range of areas, including discrimination/harassment, wage and hour, unemployment benefits, and wrongful termination. Mike Gaitley of the Legal Aid Society—Employment Law Center, along with employment attorneys based in Orange County, will provide training and supervision. The Project will be Orange County’s first full-range employment law clinic for low-income workers. Clinics will be held at the Legal Aid Society of Orange County.

Past semester projects

  • Fall 2012 projects
  • Spring 2012 projects
  • Fall 2011 projects
  • Spring 2010 projects
  • Fall 2010 projects