The University of Denver Sturm College of Law (DU)
has a long tradition of promoting public service and legal
practice among its students. This dates back to the
establishment in 1904 of its “legal aid dispensary”, the first
clinical law program in the country. DU’s commitment to public
interest law is firmly established through its Public Service
Requirement, Chancellor’s Scholarship program, Loan Repayment
Assistance Program (LRAP), Public Interest Law Group (PILG), the
Internship Program, courses that involve pro bono components
(e.g. two Street Law courses involve students teaching law to
public school children and Department of Corrections inmates,
and a Wills Lab includes preparing wills for indigent persons),
and the faculty service requirement, which many satisfy through
a variety of public interest endeavors.
The Student Law Office (SLO) trains law students in the practice
of law under the supervision of experienced faculty, while at
the same time representing the indigent and under-served in
criminal defense, civil practice, civil rights and disabilities,
tax, and mediation matters. In addition, the Environmental Law
and Rocky Mountain Child Advocacy Clinical Partnership and the
Tenth Circuit Clinic give students additional opportunities for
public interest practice.
The Chancellor’s Scholarship program has for the last ten years
provided up to 12 full tuition scholarships/year for students
with superior academic and public service backgrounds, who make
a commitment to using their law degree to advance public
interest. Chancellor’s Scholars are some of our most active
students, and they provide public service as part of their
scholarships. DU also encourages and supports public interest
projects conducted by our many student organizations. The Public
Interest Law Group raises funds to provide grants for students’
summer public interest volunteer work, the Social Justice Action
Group collaborates with a wide range of organizations committed
to and passionate about social justice, including large national
nonprofits, law firms, and grassroots organizations, and the DU
ACLU group helps with intake, case investigation, and research
at the Colorado Affiliate Office, and promotes civil liberties
on campus and in the community. DU students have demonstrated
extraordinary achievement-against all odds-in competing against
top 20 law school students for prestigious national public
interest law fellowships. DU had several NAPIL fellows in the
1990s, and has had two EJW fellows in the last two years. In
addition, DU had a record number of students attend the 2004 EJW
Career Fair.
In 2003, DU instituted a Loan Repayment Assistance Program for
graduates entering public interest employment, which will grow
significantly this year. Through the faculty, administration,
alumni and student’s deep commitment to making this program
possible, over $250,000 has already been raised.
DU’s most recent public interest endeavor is the introduction of
a new Public Service Requirement. Every J.D. Student is required
to perform a minimum of 50 hours of supervised, uncompensated,
law-related public service work as a prerequisite to graduation.
The full-time Director of Public Interest coordinates the Public
Service Requirement, develops resources, hosts public interest
programs, and advises students and alumni on public interest
employment and volunteer opportunities, summer funding, and
post-graduate fellowships. The Public Service Requirement,
together with all the other public service components of the DU
College of Law, ensure that DU remains in the forefront of
public service and advance the goal of promoting ourselves as
“The Public Interest Law Center of the Rockies.”This website is meant to help
students, faculty, and alumni navigate the many public interest
opportunities offered through the College of Law. Click on any
of the following to find out more about public interest law at the
DU:
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