Pro Bono Programs
Immigrant Victims Assistance Project
To address the growing immigrant population in the greater Richmond area, as well as the growing interest in immigration law, the law school has partnered with Williams Mullen and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in the operation of a monthly immigration law clinic. On the third Monday of every month, low-income, qualifying immigrants meet with pro bono attorneys from Williams Mullen for legal services ranging from immigration status to unfair wages. Law students provide assistance to immigrant victims of violent crimes and domestic violence seeking legal status.
Richmond Families Initiative
In fall 2007, the University of Richmond launched a "Richmond Families Initiative" to provide services centered on a family related "focus issue" that will be addressed through the delivery of pro bono services provided by both University undergraduate and law students. As part of its component of the RFI, the law school created the No Fault Divorce Project and Protective Order Project. The No Fault Divorce Project, a partnership with the Richmond Bar Association and Central Virginia Legal Aid Society, will provide legal assistance to low-income clients seeking a no-fault divorce. The Protective Order Project, a partnership with the Virginia Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division, Central Virginia Legal Aid Society, and the YWCA of Greater Richmond, will provide legal assistance to victims of domestic violence who are seeking protective orders in the city of Richmond.
To view the training sessions for these programs, please click here.
Pro Bono Criminal Appeals Program
With Richmond as the seat for the Virginia Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Virginia, students at the University of Richmond School of Law are uniquely poised to participate in pro bono appellate matters. Furthermore, Richmond’s strong and highly-respected criminal defense bar provides law students with the opportunity for a hands-on experience with criminal appeals involving complex issues. Seeing the potential for synergy among these opportunities, the University of Richmond School of Law has partnered with members of criminal defense bar to create a program in which law students will work on criminal appellate cases from the initial petition stage all the way through the merit phase of the proceedings. Law students with third-year practice certification will also be able to present oral arguments to the court.
Assistance to Disabled Veterans
Due to the ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, the number of pro se appeals by veterans from the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has increased. In response to this development, the Federal Circuit Bar Association created a program to facilitate pro bono representation of veterans in their respective appeals and invited the law school to join the program as a partner. In this project, law students will have the opportunity to work in two capacities: (1) perform case tracking and analysis of veterans’ appeals that are currently pending with the Federal Circuit, (2) provide legal research and writing assistance to pro bono attorneys from across the country with the preparation of appellate briefs to the Federal Circuit on veterans’ claims cases.
Estate Planning
Oftentimes, those who need basic estate planning services the most are the last to receive them. The law school, in partnership with the Virginia State Bar, participates in two pro bono projects addressing this issue. Wills for Heroes, a Virginia State Bar program, provides essential estate planning documents (wills, powers of attorney, and advance medical directives) for local police officers, firefighters, and other first responders. Wills for Seniors, a joint program of the Virginia State Bar’s Senior Lawyer Conference, Williams Mullen, and the Capital Area Agency on the Aging, provides a similar service to low-income senior citizens in the city of Richmond. Law students provide technical support and witness services, as well as basic intake assistance to both of these programs.
Legislative Research and Analysis
Taking advantage of our location in the state’s capital, the law school launched a legislative pro bono project in partnership with Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) and the Virginia Poverty Law Center (VPLC). Students volunteer for these two organizations during the General Assembly season, providing bill tracking and analysis and issue-blogging on issues relevant to pending legislation (e.g., predatory lending).