Directory
University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law
University of the Pacific
Law School Pro Bono Programs
Contact Information
Blake Nordahl
Interim Clinical Director
Category Type
Formal Voluntary Pro Bono characterized by a referral system with coordinator(s)
Description of Programs
Pacific McGeorge places special emphasis on engaging students in pro bono activity in Sacramento and beyond. The Career Development Office works in conjunction to with the stand-alone, non-profit OneJustice to update Pacific McGeorge students on a variety ways to serve the community through pro bono opportunities.
Pacific McGeorge participates in the OneJustice Law Student Pro Bono Project. Students are able to engage in short and long-term assignments in a variety of practice areas and settings throughout Northern California. Projects can include: certified court practice, client intake and interviewing, legal research and writing, case investigation, legal hotline services, trial preparation, legislative advocacy, policy analysis, and community outreach.
Location of Programs
The Pacific McGeorge Career Development Office serves as the on-campus location, while OneJustice communicates with Pacific McGeorge from its office in San Francisco.
Staffing/Management/Oversight
PIC staff, including Equal Justice Corps Volunteers, and a dedicated on-campus student liaison from Pacific McGeorge's student body.
Funding
Pacific McGeorge contributes a substantial amount to PIC's budget and the annual Public Interest/Public Service fair that is organized in cooperation with PIC. Pacific McGeorge expects to contribute more for the current and future terms.
Faculty and Administrative Pro Bono
The Pacific McGeorge Faculty and Administration are engaged in an array of pro bono projects each year.
Awards/Recognition
Pacific McGeorge Capital Center for Public Law & Policy recognizes students who work on behalf of others in legal or community service as they earn their law degrees. Students receive the Capital Commendation for Public Service at the:
- Star (50 hour),
- Superstar (100 hour), or
- Extraordinary Commitment (150 hour) levels
Capital Commendation students receive a certificate acknowledging their achievement, special notation in the graduation program, and a special reception celebrating their accomplishments
Alternative Winter or Spring Break Projects
Law School Public Interest Programs
Contact Information
Professor Leslie Gielow Jacobs
Director, Capital Center for Public Law & Policy
Certificate/Curriculum Programs
The Capital Certificate in Public Law and Policy: The Capital Certificate program gives students the opportunity to work with judges, legislators, and public interest lawyers in California's capital. Through the program, aspiring lawyers gain both the insight and the practical skills needed to ensure that the political process fairly represents the needs of all Californians. At the same time, the skills students develop prepare them to thoughtfully approach issues of good governance from in a variety of elements, from California city councils to international organizations and foreign governments. Faculty and students working within the Center's Institutes and with its Initiatives produce relevant scholarship and analysis to enhance government functioning and the administration of justice, and provide needed legal and public service to government and community, from local schools to other nations and global governance entities. For more information, see: https://law.pacific.edu/law/capital-center
Public Interest Centers
The Capital Center for Government Law and Policy
The Capital Center thrives because of dedicated faculty, a commitment to the public good, and a special relationship with the Capital of California. The close connection with California's government allows students to enhance classroom study with hands-on experience in the nation's largest state. The Capital Center also produces the annual California Initiative Review and McGeorge Law Review "Greensheets" volume. These publications give invaluable examinations of the legislation that affects all Californians and allows students insight into legal development. The reform efforts undertaken by the Capital Center include the multidisciplinary Ethics Across the Profession Initiative, the proactive Institute on Laws of Health and Aging, the Institute for Administrative Justice, and the peer-edited Journal of National Security Law and Policy. The Capital Center also works collaboratively with other departments and programs to foster comprehensive skills that allow Pacific McGeorge students to make a positive difference both locally and globally. Additionally, the Center contributes to Pacific McGeorge's USAID-funded, "Rule of Law in China" program, which aims to train Chinese law professors in advocacy skills, the importance of an independent judiciary, legal education reform, and legislation that is beneficial to both the Chinese people and the Chinese economy.
PI Career Support Center
The Career Development Office works in conjunction with the Field Placement Office and faculty to make sure student needs regarding careers in public service and public interest law are addressed.
Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAP)
Pacific McGeorge operates its own LRAP program for students entering public interest and public service law. Since 1995, Pacific McGeorge has offered a loan repayment assistance program for those students pursuing public legal service. This program acts as a form of post-graduate aid, providing grants from the law school to help graduates reduce their monthly loan obligation, thus enabling them to accept public interest jobs. Graduates who maintain a long-term career in the public interest field can potentially receive this assistance until all of their loans are repaid.
Fellowships
06/27/2024