AOI: Public Interest Law
65 results
In Practice
Aisha Elmquist, ’07: Everyone Has the Right to a Seat at the Table
Throughout history, many Americans with disabilities have been denied fundamental rights like attending school, holding jobs, and choosing homes. However, for as long as these inequalities have persisted, advocates for disability rights have fought back—including Aisha Elmquist, ’07, who leads a state government program in Minnesota that is tasked with helping those with disabilities live their best lives.
@UMICHLAW
Michigan Law’s 1L Advocacy Clinic Provides Early Exposure to Real-world Lawyering
Michigan is one of the few law schools in the country to house a clinic for first-year students, who are allowed by the Michigan Supreme Court to do certain types of legal work. The experience can be transformative for students new to law school.
In Practice
Faizah Malik, ’11: Fight for Housing Justice
Faizah Malik, ’11, managing attorney of housing justice at Public Counsel in Los Angeles, is working to address the housing and homelessness crisis in Los Angeles.
@UMICHLAW
Human Trafficking Clinic Finds Multidisciplinary Solutions
The Law School’s Human Trafficking Clinic had been representing victims of labor and sex trafficking for more than a decade when its director, Bridgette Carr, ’02, began to envision a broader mandate for the clinic—one that would help combat trafficking before people become clients.
Features
Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit, ’10, and Professor J.J. Prescott Team Up on Transparency Project to Study Racial Disparities in Legal System
Even before he was elected Washtenaw County prosecutor in 2020, Eli Savit vowed to examine racial disparities in the county’s legal system. Led by Savit and Professor J.J. Prescott, the Prosecutor Transparency Project has released its analysis—and it hopes to serve as a model for similar efforts elsewhere.
Features Fall 2023
Bates Fellowship: Forty Years of Life-changing Experiences Abroad
In the 40 years since it was established, the Clara Belfield and Henry Bates Overseas Fellowship has supported nearly 400 Michigan Law students and alumni in their international pursuits, including internship positions at international institutions, independent research, and teaching.
@UMICHLAW Spring/Summer 2023
Forty Years of Protecting the Great Lakes Watershed and Training Environmental Lawyers
Forty years after its introduction, what is now known as the Environmental Law and Sustainability Clinic continues to provide invaluable hands-on learning experience for students, using litigation and other means of advocacy to advance environmental priorities in the Great Lakes region and beyond.
Features Spring/Summer 2023
Slavery’s Legacy in Architecture and Law
Slavery and the Built Environment, a Problem Solving Initiative class taught by Luis C.deBaca, ’93, examined the historical narrative of monuments in the US, including those with racist legacies. Students in the fall 2022 semester examined the history of Sylvester Manor to better understand how land use and regulation of supply chains have been shaped by slavery and its legacies.
Features Spring/Summer 2023
Jeff Titus Celebrates Life (on the) Outside
Titus, a Michigan Innocence Clinic client, was exonerated and released from prison in February. He was convicted in 2002 of killing two deer hunters in a state game area in the southeast corner of Kalamazoo County, Michigan.
Class Note Fall 2020
Azadeh Shahshahani: Protecting Immigrant Rights Across the U.S. South
Azadeh Shahshahani, ’04, a prolific writer and speaker on the subject of immigrant rights, was first drawn to Project South because of the organization’s work to combat Islamophobia.