The Public Service Project

The CLSR's Public Service Project supports and provides opportunities for Public Service Work at NESL. Public service work at NESL includes work by

  • Faculty - public service legal work of Center faculty and other pro-bono work of NESL faculty
  • Students - profiles of NESL students performing public interest work, public opportunities for students and public interest grant recipients
  • Alumni - profiles of alumni performing public interest and pro-bono work

The Director of the Public Service Project is Professor Russell Engler.

The primary vehicle for at NESL for organizing and implementing public service work is the Center for Law and Social Responsibility

2007 Report of Activities

  • The Public Service Project began operating the new Public Service Transcript Notation program in Fall 2006. Twenty-two students earned the notation over the course of the school year, six through work performed as part of the Judicial Language Project and New England Innocence Project. Others earned their notation through student groups or found volunteer placements on their own or through the Career Services Office.
  • The Public Service Project continued to work closely with the SBA President and designated representatives, CLSR Fellow and Career Services Office to spur and track students? public service legal work. The Project worked closely with student leaders, and the Director of the Project continues to serve as faculty advisor to PILA and Shelter Legal Services. The Project also developed an extensive list of public interest profiles for students from the Class of 2007, now available on the CLSR website.
  • In February, 2007, the Public Service Project and 2006-2007 Fellow Stephanie Sprague organized a Law Matters session on the topic of Civil Gideon. Moderated by the Fellow, the panel included Professor Russell Engler, Director of the Public Service Project, who made an initial presentation on the topic, and Professors Friedman, Garza and Siegel, who added their perspectives before the panel fielded questions from the audience.
  • Project Director Engler continued to perform public service legal work outside the law school, including speaking in a series of events related to Civil Gideon and Access to Justice during Northeastern Law School?s Constitution Day, and at multiple Massachusetts Bar Association section events, as well as the NE Legal Services Project Directors Meeting. He spoke on Civil Gideon at the invitation of the Access to Justice Commission, and participated in the Association of American Law Schools Civil Gideon Panel in Washington, D.C. In May, 2007, both the Access to Justice Commission and Massachusetts Bar Association adopted resolutions supporting the concept of a Civil Gideon.

Public Service Opportunities For Students

Students at New England School of Law perform public service work through clinical courses, student groups, and employment, both paid and volunteer.

For a perspective on public service work generally at law schools, please read, Russell Engler, What Counts as Pro Bono/Public Service, The AALS Section on Pro Bono and Public Service Newsletter, Vol.2, No.3, p. 4