Center for Law and Public Service
The Center for Law and Public Service promotes public service at the College of Law by providing opportunities for students to engage in public interest law, fostering dialogue about current legal services and policy issues, and encouraging students to become leaders who seek creative solutions toward achieving equal access to justice in society.
To achieve its goals, the Center provides multiple avenues for student public service opportunities:
- The Public Service Externship program allows students to gain credits working in non-profit and government agencies. The externships enable students to develop professional skills and an understanding of opportunities in public interest law while serving the community.
- The Pro Bono Program provides opportunities for students to dedicate time outside of the classroom to perform legal assistance to people in need. For example, in a partnership with Legal Aid, students can be matched with attorneys who perform pro bono work with Legal Aid and assist the attorneys at various stages of individual pro bono cases.
- Finally, the Center coordinates with the West Virginia Fund for the Public Interest and the Public Interest Advocate student organization to provide summer fellowships to students interested in full time summer work at legal service agencies throughout the state of West Virginia. The Fund and the Center also work together to provide a post graduate fellowship program for students pursuing careers in public interest law.
