Student Groups
Fall 2009: Student Group with Pro Bono Projects
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) - Carolina Law Chapter
In order to promote discussion and awareness of civil liberties issues and to safeguard the civil liberties of members of the community, we hereby establish the Carolina Law American Civil Liberties Union. The Carolina Law ACLU is a chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina, which is an affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union.
Student Contacts: Daniel Peterson (d.e.peterson85@gmail.com)
Black Law Students Association (BLSA)
The Black Law Students Association is a forum for sharing and solving problems unique to African American students in the School of Law community. BLSA helps members acclimate to the law school environment as well as academic and social processes.
Student Contacts: Eddie Thomas (ethomas2@email.unc.edu) and Shaylay Guest (shayla.guest@gmail.com).
Carolina Street Law
The Carolina Street Law program is a pro bono program at the School of Law. The project involves a year-long commitment by Carolina Law students to help middle and high school students learn about our legal system and their role in that system.
Student Contact: Atiya Boddie (boddie@email.unc.edu).
Carolina Teen Court Assistance Program
Teen Court volunteers teach basic concepts of law to teenage prosecutors, defense attorneys, and jury members in order to facilitate an official, state-sanctioned juvenile sentencing program. Defendants are first time offenders ages 11-17 who have admitted guilt to misdemeanor offenses and are referred to Teen Court to avoid prosecution in traditional juvenile court. The goal of the Carolina Teen Court Assistance Program is to assist in the equitable production of a constructive sentence while educating a younger generation interested in our justice system.
Student Contacts: Kennedy Gates (gates@email.unc.edu)
Community Legal Project
The Community Legal Project (CLP) is a student-run project that offers free legal assistance to low income clients at the Women's Center in Chapel Hill. Law students gain practical skills and experience by meeting with clients and conducting legal research for them on a variety of issues, primarily landlord-tenant, employment, and family law. CLP orients new volunteers through its annual training on client interviewing skills. Students can then sign up to take weekly appointments with clients, contributing 3-5 hours of pro bono work over the week. A mandatory training session is set for Wednesday, September 10 from 12-1 in room 4082. This training is required for anyone who plans to volunteer this year.
Student Contacts: Sally Howard (sallycarsonhoward@gmail.com)
Death Penalty Project
The UNC Law Death Penalty Project was established for the purpose of increasing societal awareness of the effects of the Death Penalty on the community at large. The Project's goals include calling attention to the discrepancies presented by capital punishment on certain socio-economic and racial classes and examining the problems created by the process our legal system currently uses. The DP Project seeks to challenge the current system's capital punishment until a more legitimate and fairly scrutinized legal process is established that is more suitable for carrying out a punishment with such a large effect on society. We utilize the law school community to help moratorium efforts and pro bono work, in addition to presenting educational and inspirational speakers.
Student Contact: Lynn Bahrami (lbahrami@email.unc.edu).
Disability Law Organization
The Disability Law Organization is a student organization founded to provide a forum for education, advocacy, and scholarship aimed at protecting the lives, dignity and interests of persons with disabilities through the legal system, and at raising the profile of the field of disability law.
Student Contact: Heather Williams (htwill@email.unc.edu).
Domestic Violence Action Project (DVAP)
The Domestic Violence Advocacy Program (DVAP) works to provides free legal representation to victims of domestic violence who are seeking a civil domestic violence protective order. DVAP also raises awareness about domestic violence and educates the community about effective responses by sponsoring speakers and educational programs.
Student Contact: Sam Hamdani (hamdani@email.unc.edu).
Duke-UNC Veterans Legal Assistance Project
The UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law will be hosting the Duke-UNC Veterans Legal Assistance Project on Friday, October 24th. The Project is focused on assisting veterans with completing their initial disability claim with the VA. Approximately ten veterans will be individually paired with an attorney and a law student to discuss the veteran's case. Law students from UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke will then work with the attorney to review the client's case, and put together the application package. Laura Morgan, project supervisor and former VA case manager, will hold a training session Saturday Oct. 11th to prepare the attorneys and law students for the work they will be doing.
Student Contact: Joe Barney (jbarney@email.unc.edu).
Entrepreneurial Law Association (ELA)
The Entrepreneurial Law Association provides students the opportunity to perform pro bono services to local entrepreneurs and start-up companies, and encourages community interaction and development.
Student Contact: Jamison Sites (jhsites@email.unc.edu).
Environmental Law Project (ELP)
The Environmental Law Project is an organization of law students who share an interest in the legal and political aspects of national, state, and local environmental issues. The primary goal of ELP is to expand the opportunities available to law students in the area of environmental law. Each year, ELP provides pro bono legal research and writing assistance for specific projects to local environmental organizations, including the Southern Environmental Law Center, The Nature Conservancy and The National Health Law Program.
Student Contact: Erin Deignan (deignan@email.unc.edu) and Maggie Davis (magdavis@email.unc.edu).
Hispanic/Latino Law Students Association (HLLSA)
HLLSA furthers the general educational aims of current and prospective Hispanic and Latino law students. HLLSA's pro bono and community service project, Latino Legal Initiative (LLI), works to raise the Hispanic community's awareness of legal issues and to increase access to legal resources. While LLI works primarily with Legal Aid in Durham to provide intake for Spanish speaking clients, we also work with other law school affiliated organizations in need of bilingual students. It is not necessary to be a member of HLLSA in order to participate in LLI projects.
Student Contacts (HLLSA): Louis Massard (massard@unc.edu) and John Villalon (villalon@email.unc.edu). (LLI): Maria Lapetina (lapetina@email.unc.edu).
Immigration Law Association
The Immigration Law Association (ILA) is a student organization devoted to cultivating student interest in the dynamic and fast-changing field of immigration law through guest speakers, networking opportunities, and pro bono work. In response to federal immigration raids around the country in workplaces and homes, ILA members give presentations all over the Triangle to immigrant groups. The purposes of the presentations are to: let people know that they have legal rights in the U.S. even if they do not have legal immigration status; explain how they can assert their rights in the event of a raid; explain how to protect their ability to apply for a visa or citizenship; and help them prepare if they are vulnerable to deportation.
Student Contacts: Catherine Lafferty (claffert@gmail.com) and Vanessa Smart (vasmart@email.unc.edu ).
UNC Innocence Project
The UNC Law School Innocence Project is affiliated with the Duke University Law School Innocence Project and the North Carolina Center on Actual Innocence. The Project is a student-operated volunteer organization with oversight provided by a UNC School of Law professor and a criminal law attorney. The Project is dedicated to reviewing and investigating innocence claims made by North Carolina inmates. The fundamental goal of the project is to assist prisoners in challenging wrongful convictions. Additionally, the Project seeks to introduce students to elements of criminal law and investigation.
Student Contact: Heather Williams (htwill@email.unc.edu).
Lambda Law Students Association
Lambda Law Students Association strives to make the School of Law a more comfortable and supportive environment for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students and other members of the School of Law community. Lambda Law is coordinating a power of attorney clinic.
Student Contact: Angie Spong (spong@email.unc.edu) and Dan Rose (dan.rose@gmail.com).
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
VITA provides low- and middle-income taxpayers in the Chapel Hill and Carrboro communities with free income tax assistance in completing and filing both state and federal tax returns.
Student Contact: John Fitzpatrick (johnfitz@email.unc.edu).
Women in Law
Student Contact: Noor Kapoor (nkapoor@email.unc.com)
Student Groups Hoping to Start Projects
American Constitution Society
Student Contact: Nora Warren (nfwarren@gmail.com ) and Alicia Kerr (amkerr@email.unc.edu)
Asian American Law Students Association
Student Contact: Guhan Santhappan (guhan@email.unc.edu)
Carolina Law Veterans Association
Student Contact: Brian Cox (brian.l.cox@us.army.mil)
Carolina Intellectual Property Law Association
Student Contact: Steven Lareau (slareau@gmail.com)
Federalist Society
Student Contact: Kevin Hales (kphales@email.unc.edu)
International Law Organization
Student Contact: Matar Diouf (matdiouf@yahoo.com)
Jewish Law Students Association
Student Contact: Sarah Blumenthal (sblument@email.unc.edu)
Law Students for Reproductive Justice
Student Contact: Gaby DeRosa: (gderosa@unc.edu)
National Lawyers Guild
Student Contact: Brandi Jones: (bljones@email.unc.edu)
Native American Law Students Association
Student Contact: Danielle McLean: (dmclean@email.unc.edu)
Parents As Law Students
Student Contact: Andrew Gatt: gatt@unc.edu)
Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity
Student Contact: Douglas Hansen: (ddhansen@email.unc.edu)