Public Interest at DU SCOL
The University of Denver Sturm College of Law has a long tradition of promoting public service and legal practice among its students. DU Law School strives to remain in the forefront of public service and to advance the goal of promoting the law school as “The Public Interest Law Center of the Rockies.” DU’s commitment to public interest law is firmly established through its Public Service Requirement, Public Interest Office, Chancellor’s Scholarship program, Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP), and through the Student Law Office, Internship Program, Public Interest Practicum and other courses that involve pro bono components.
Chancellor’s Scholarship Program
Loan Repayment Assistance Program
Public Interest in the Curriculum
Public Interest Office
Public Service Requirement
Student Public Interest Organizations
Chancellor’s Scholarship Program
The Chancellor’s Scholarship program provides up to 12 full tuition scholarships/year for students with superior academic and public service backgrounds, who make a commitment to using their law degree to advance public interest. Chancellor’s Scholars are some of our most active students, and they provide public service as part of their scholarships.
See Chancellor’s Scholars Student Organization »
Loan Repayment Assistance Program
In 2003, DU instituted a Loan Repayment Assistance Program for graduates entering public interest employment. This Program is still in its beginning stages, but has been providing financial support to a select number of participants since its inception. To qualify, a graduate or expected graduate must work for or have been offered a position with a qualifying non-profit or government agency that substantially utilizes the legal training and skills of the graduate. An LRAP award is determined by the person’s total law school debt, income, personal financial circumstances, and commitment to public interest work.
Public Interest in the Curriculum
Student Law Office
DU Law School’s Student Law Office dates back to the establishment in 1904 of its “legal aid dispensary,” among the first clinical law programs in the country. The Student Law Office (SLO) trains law students in the practice of law under the supervision of experienced faculty, while at the same time representing the indigent and under-served in criminal defense, civil practice, civil rights, environmental law, and mediation matters.
Legal Internship & Public Interest Practicum Programs
- Legal Externship Program
With more than 400 placements a year, DU Law School’s Legal Externship Program is an effective and comprehensive bridge to take students from law student to lawyer. Among the internships undertaken by students are those with government and non-profit agencies as well as with judges at all levels. By working under the supervision of a mentor-attorney and having legal responsibilities, such as drafting briefs, performing legal research, drafting legal memoranda, appearing in court and interviewing clients and witnesses, interns gain the practical skills and professional values needed to become a successful legal professional. Internships are semester-long, and students can earn two to six credits, depending on the number of hours worked.
- Public Interest Practicum
The Public Interest Practicum is the “mini-internship” alternative to the semester-long Legal Externship Program described above. The Practicum places a JD student in a 50-hour, non-compensated, law-related, public interest placement under the supervision of an attorney or judge who has been in practice or on the bench for a minimum of three years. A practicum student must complete the 50 hour minimum in a court or government office setting, private law firm doing pro bono or low bono work, or non-profit organization or a pre-approved uncompensated research project for a faculty member. Students can take the Practicum for either zero or one credits; the Public Interest Practicum for One Academic Credit option also includes a Public Interest Practicum Online Seminar component to supplement the practical experience.
Other Courses with a Public Interest Component
In addition to the courses described above, many of DU Law School’s traditional curricular offerings – ranging from Constitutional Law to International Human Rights to Asylum Law – have relevance to the practice of public interest law. In particular, students enrolled Street Law courses teach law to public school children and Department of Corrections inmates.
Public Interest Office
The Public Interest Office, under the supervision of the Director of Public Interest, is responsible for advancing the mission of establishing DU Sturm College of Law as the Public Interest Law Center of the Rockies. The Public Interest Office coordinates all aspects of the mandatory Public Service Requirement, including monitoring student compliance, managing the Public Interest Practicum program, and working with public interest employers to develop and promote internship opportunities for students. The Office sponsors a variety of on-campus public interest events throughout the year, and strives to work with student groups to support public interest events sponsored by student organizations.
The Public Interest Office also provides specialized career counseling for public interest oriented students and alumni. The Office is responsible for developing resources and advising students and alumni on public interest employment and volunteer opportunities, as well as fellowships to help fund public interest internships and work after law school.
Public Service Requirement
Every J.D. Student is required to perform a minimum of 50 hours of supervised, uncompensated, law-related public service work as a prerequisite to graduation. The goals of the PSR are to educate the students about their professional responsibilities, particularly their obligation to perform public service work as practicing attorneys; help students develop practical lawyering skills by supervising them in real work situations and teaching them to integrate the theory and practice of law; and raise awareness among students of meaningful career and public service opportunities.
Student Public Interest Organizations
DU also encourages and supports public interest projects conducted by our many student organizations. For example, the Public Interest Law Group raises funds to provide grants for students’ summer public interest volunteer work, the Social Justice Action Group collaborates with a wide range of organizations committed to and passionate about social justice, including large national nonprofits, law firms, and grassroots organizations, and the DU ACLU group helps with intake, case investigation, and research at the Colorado Affiliate Office, and promotes civil liberties on campus and in the community.