Welcome Admitted Students

What Do We Do?

The Citizen Lawyer Program (CLP) enhances law students’ development as legal professionals by pairing them with pro bono projects, community-based volunteer opportunities, and programs about professional issues, values, and skills.

Four Focus Areas

Pro Bono (Law-Related Volunteer) Projects

Lawyers & Leaders Series Iowa Law Volunteer Initiative:

Community Service Opportunities Summer Externships (government

and non-profit)

Pro Bono Projects

CLP pro bono, or “law-related,” projects: students volunteer with nonprofit, legal service, or court projects that make the justice system available to those who can’t afford it. 

Students are selected and placed each semester.

Pro Bono Projects

Domestic Violence/Immigration Project- assist victims of domestic violence as they prepare to file a VAWA self-petition, U-VISA, or other immigration relief.

State Public Defender- assist with the operations of the office as needed, including case management and document/exhibit organization

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance—The VITA program offers free tax help to low– and moderate-income individuals who cannot prepare their own tax returns.

Pro Bono Projects

The Innocence Project of Iowa- perform research and assist remedying wrongful convictions in Iowa and helping to prevent future injustices.

Bankruptcy- assist with bankruptcy cases involvingindigent Iowans by assisting ILA attorneys or by working withself-represented litigants.

Divorce Self-Represented Litigant Clinics- assist persons who are representing themselves in divorce proceedings with pleadings and other forms.

Pro Bono Projects

Kids First- facilitate court-ordered Kids First Workshops for children of divorce that give kids a safe and confidential place to discuss their feelings about divorce.

Iowans for Fair and Impartial Courts- educate the public in accordance with the group’s mission through letter writing, speaking, and assisting with a judicial independence forum held in Iowa City.

Iowa District Court, Johnson County– assist the judge to whom they are assigned by doing legal research, helping to manage cases and to draft orders and opinions.

Pro Bono ProjectsIowa Legal Aid- provide civil legal assistance to low-income Iowans through seven projects:• Foreclosure Project• Staff Attorney Research• Unemployment Benefits Research• Divorce Self-Represented Litigant Clinics• General Intake • Equal Justice Project• Family and Juvenile Law

Johnson County Attorney’s Office-¨ County Attorney Payment Plans (CAPP)- help Johnson

County residents get their drivers licenses back after losing them for non-payment of fines.

¨ Diversion Program for Alcohol Offenses/Johnson County Attorney– assist with a pilot deferred prosecution program for persons charged with simple misdemeanor charges of public intoxication or possession of alcohol under the legal age (PAULA).

Lawyers & Leaders (L&L) series complements the legal curriculum with workshops, lectures, and other programs that focus on pro bono traditions, leadership development, practical lawyer and life skills, and community issues.

 

A year has passed since three Iowa Supreme Court justices were voted out of office because of their decision extending marriage rights in the landmark Varnum v. Brien case. Join us for an evening of conversation and debate with three panels who will explore the ongoing controversy and discuss how to secure a fair and impartial judiciary in the face of last year’s events.

 

Defending Iowa’s CourtsAn Anniversary Event

 

 

From Campus to the CapitolA Panel Discussion with Iowa Law

Alumni Serving in the Iowa Legislature    

Kraig Paulsen Chris HagenowTyler Olson

Kurt SwaimNate Willems Mary Wolfe    

 

 

The Iowa Law Volunteer Initiative (ILVI) provides individual students and law student organizations the opportunity to do community service that is not law-related. 

Activities:Big Brothers Big Sisters School

Buddies MLK National Day of Service Make a Difference DayCrisis CenterShop for ShelterNeighbor Centers of Johnson

County

Alternative Spring Break Service Trips

New Orleans, Louisiana- Equal Justice Foundation- (every year since Hurricane Katrina)

Austin, Texas- Migrant Worker’s Rights Legal Service Trip

Chicago, Illinois- Legal Service Trip

Recognition for Service

The Iowa Student Bar Association (student government) recognizes students for their commitment to service.

Two forms of recognition• Pro Bono Society• Boyd Service Award

Pro Bono Society

The Pro Bono Society is an honorary group that emphasizes the importance of public service and volunteerism in the legal profession.

Like an “Honor Roll”: To maintain membership status, students must continue to complete 15 Boyd Service Hours and attend one L&L program each semester.

Boyd Service Award The Boyd Service Award recognizes students who provide

100 or more volunteer service hours to charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental, and educational organizations in furtherance of those organizations’ missions.

The award is given to qualifying students at the completion of their studies and qualifying students wear honor cords at graduation.

For Additional Information:

Visit us online! CLP Blog http://clp.law.uiowa.edu/clp/

Facebook Group (University of Iowa College of Law Citizen Lawyer Program)

Twitter www.twitter.com/IowaLawCLP

Visit our office! (BLB Room 216) Shoot us an email!

law-clp@uiowa.edu