The following organizations,
offering a wide variety of practice experiences, regularly provide a limited
number (1-3 students) of clinical placements through certain courses.
Many of these agencies have acted as clinical placements for several years;
some are recent and may be used for the first time this academic year. This list is not exhaustive; during 2006-2007 academic year, other placements may be
used in addition to or in lieu of those listed here. For further information, please contact Liz Solar of the Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs (esolar@law.harvard.edu, Austin 109)
Alternatives
for Community and Environment (ACE)
ACE represents community organizations in disadvantaged
neighborhoods facing environmental justice issues including waste facilities
and diesel vehicle depots. In addition to performing traditional legal advocacy,
ACE attorneys help clients educate the public, empower their constituents
and build their organizations. In addition to substantial legal research
and writing responsibilities, the student will have ample opportunity for
client contact, site visits and factual investigations
American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts
The students placed here will get a picture of how bills and issues are
proposed, moved, are lobbies and passed. Available projects may include:
gender neutral insurance, criminal sentencing guidelines, asset forfeiture,
compensating wrongfully convicted persons, racial profiling, medical records
and privacy issues. The student will work directly with legislative counsel.
Board of Bar Overseers, Office of the Bar Counsel
Investigates and prosecutes claims of professional misconduct
by attorneys in the state of Massachusetts. Students have performed research,
reviewed attorney's client files and assisted at bar discipline hearings.
Center
for Law and Education
The Center provides litigation support and technical assistance
to attorneys representing low-income students in matters of bilingual
education, discrimination, special education, early intervention services,
vocational education, school governance, discipline issues, students rights
and education reform.
Children's
Law Center of Massachusetts (CLC)
The CLC is a non-profit pediatric legal services program
for children of low-income families. They provide direct representation
for children in delinquency, general and special education, child welfare
and SSI matters. The agency does a limited amount of policy/impact litigation
as well. Specific assignments for students range from research on particular
projects to writing motions and conducting investigations. The CLC staff
is open to suggestions from the student to pursue particular assignments
and projects.
Committee
for Public Counsel Services
Students may work on issues related to access to privileged records in
the areas of: counseling records of alleged victims; psychiatric records
of defendants and the Sex Offender Registry.
Conservation Law Foundation (CLF)
CLF is a non-profit environmental advocacy group taking on a wide range
of cases in the areas of environmental protection, public health and natural
resource use. Work has included support for litigation, administrative
proceedings and negotiations covering a broad range of public interest
environmental issues; legal research and policy analysis.
Judicial Placements
Clinical placements may be available with individual justices of the District Court, Boston Municipal Court, Juvenile Court, and Housing Court Departments of
the Massachusetts Trial Court. Students are expected to be available
to do research and writing projects for their assigned judge. Placements are most often made through the "Judicial Process of Community Courts" clinical course.
Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
The EEOC is a federal regulatory agency in the area of employment discrimination.
The student will be responsible for client interviews, investigating employment
discrimination cases, conducting legal research and writing memoranda and
court pleadings. The student may also coordinate events for community advocacy
organizations and employer groups (human resources personnel, and defense
and plaintiff bar).
Initiative
for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC)
ICIC identifies promising public and private inner-city economic development
strategies and provide critical market intelligence to catalyze business
growth and investment in inner cities. ICIC administers a variety of programs,
including Inner City Advisors, the National Business School Network, the
City Advisory Practice, and Economic Strategy Training Institute. Students
work on various research projects. During Spring 2001 students are exploring
the barriers to enforcing federal discrimination laws as they apply to
construction unions.
Lawyers'
Committee for Civil Rights
The Lawyers' Committee is a non-profit law office which specializes
in race and national origin cases (primarily law reform) in the following
areas: employment and housing discrimination, community economic development,
racial violence, police misconduct, voting rights, school desegregation
and education discrimination. Possible projects for the student include:
Desegregation of the Boston Police Department, Desegregation of the Boston
Public Schools, investigating potential claims against suburban city councilor,
effect of settlement proceeds on public benefits, racial composition of
local jury pools.
Massachusetts
Advocacy Center (MAC)
MAC is
a legislative and administrative
advocacy center regarding special education law. Typically, students conduct
legal research regarding state statutory standard and inclusion of children
with disabilities and other aspects of special education law, support with
legislative advocacy and community organizing efforts. The student will
have opportunities to observe and be involved with legislative and administrative
advocacy of state house and state board of education and parent advocacy
coalition meetings.
Massachusetts
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) - Environmental Strike Force
The Environmental Strike Force develops cases for the Office of the
Attorney General to prosecute in both civil and criminal court. Legal
work can include taking and evaluating complaints of potential environmental
violations, researching law and regulations evaluating the sufficiency
and quality of evidence and drafting memoranda, guidance and administrative
search warrants. Students may be asked to research law, help develop evidence,
assist in field investigations and work on policy/guidance materials.
Massachusetts
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) - Office of the General Counsel
The Department of Environmental Protection is the primary state regulatory
agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It enforces state laws regulating
wetlands, waterways and public and private drinking water supplies, septic
systems, air quality, and asbestos, among others. The student is assigned
one long-term research and writing project. In addition, the student will
be assigned a few short-term assignments. Student must attend bi-monthly
intern meetings with DEP attorneys, staff and/or Administrative Law Judges.
Massachusetts Housing Partnership Fund
A public agency financed by the banking industry to support affordable
housing and neighborhood development by providing technical assistance
and below-market financing to local housing partnerships, communities
and non-profit and for-profit developers. Students have worked with MHP
Fund's Deputy Director and General Counsel on the permanent rental financing
program, bridge financing program, community assistance program and lead-free
loan program.
Massachusetts
Law Reform Institute
MLRI is a state support center for legal services programs focusing
on advocacy or systemic issues affecting clients through litigation, legislative
advocacy, administrative agency rule making, policy advocacy and client
representation.
National
Environmental Law Center
The National Environmental Law Center (NELC) is a nonprofit environmental
litigation center. NELC's litigation project was founded to take enforcement
action against the nation's worst polluters. NELC obtains court orders
to stop illegal discharge of pollutants and secures major penalties against
violators of environmental laws. Money from fines and settlements is often
directed to local environmental projects around affected areas. The majority
of NELC's litigation is in federal court. The student will assist attorneys
in all phases of environmental litigation including legal research, drafting
memoranda, briefs and pleadings.
Private Attorneys and Small Firms
A
number of courses offer placements with private attorneys and small law
firms. The student work done in these settings has involved: employment
discrimination issues; wrongful death actions; law suits against the Department
of Corrections for due process; a commutation petition for a battered woman
incarcerated for killing her batterer; work with community organizations
on alternative sentencing plans; assist in the defense of accused prostitutes;
preparation of lawsuits against the police and municipalities for police
misconduct, etc.
The
State PIRG's National Legal Department
The National Legal Department works on issues such as student rights,
campaign finance, employment, First Amendment issues, trade name protection
and compliance with state law and IRS regulations governing charitable
organizations. Projects may include: charitable solicitation research,
employment law research, First Amendment issues that pertain to running
a door-to-door political canvass, and other general corporate matters
related to non-profit organizations.
U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
The US EPA, Region I is the Federal Agency responsible for implementing
and enforcing New England major federal environmental legislation such
as the Clean Air Act, Solid Waste Disposal Act, Supervened and Toxic Substance
Control Act. The Office of Regional Counsel attorneys provide legal counseling
on the above acts, state program authorization and reviews, and administrative
matters such as contracting, ethics and personnel decisions. Students
will work for one ore more of the attorneys in a wide range of activities,
including: researching and writing memoranda under the above statutes,
drafting pleadings and administrative and judicial and discovery requests,
and reviewing state legislation and regulations and pre- and post-complaint
investigation. The bulk of the work involves legal research and writing.
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