Page 77 - ACTL_Win23

ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES LACK MEANINGFUL ACCESS TO JUSTICE. FORTUNATELY, THERE ARE MANY LAW STUDENTS AND YOUNG LAWYERS SEEKING A PUBLIC INTEREST FOCUSED CAREER, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, TOO MANY OF THESE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS ARE UNABLE TO PURSUE THEIR DREAMS BECAUSE THEY LACK THE OPPORTUNITY OR THE NEEDED FINANCIAL RESOURCES. THE ACTL FOUNDATION AND INDIVIDUAL ACTL FELLOWS ARE TRYING TO
FILL THAT GAP BY FUNDING PUBLIC INTEREST LAW INTERNSHIPS, FELLOWSHIPS, AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.
The College has been a strong voice for and generous financial sup- porter of access to justice related initiatives and programs. In the summer of 2021, the ACTL Foundation funded an internship for a Southern University Law Center (SULC-HBCU) student to work for six weeks at Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (SLLS), the larg- est legal services provider for the poor in Louisiana. SLLS is an ac- cess to justice partner with the College through our Access to Justice Distinguished Pro Bono Fellows Program. The ACTL Foundation internship continued during the summer of 2022 and is in place for the summer of 2023. Joan Lukey, President of the U.S. Foun- dation, comments: “Rarely has there been a program more perfect- ly suited to the missions and objectives of the Foundation and of the College. With these grants, we are simultaneously addressing a compelling need in the realm of access to justice, while also enhanc- ing the administration of justice by assisting in the development of skilled trial lawyers, many of whom are from diverse backgrounds. The Foundation, on behalf of its donors, is proud to play a part.”
Inspired and motivated by what the ACTL Foundation is doing, the Louisiana Fellows collectively became the first state chapter to create and fund an access to justice related internship. More specifi- cally, the Louisiana Fellows raised enough money to start an intern- ship relationship between SULC and the Innocence Project New Orleans (IPNO), another College access to justice partner. That in- ternship started in the summer of 2022 and is already fully funded for the summer of 2023. James Brown, current Chair of the Lou- isiana State Committee and a driving force behind the internship, states “Our Louisiana Fellows’ generous personal contributions to the establishment and continuation of the Innocence Project New Orleans internship are of great significance because they demon- strate our strong personal investment in increasing access to justice in Louisiana. Our collective contributions will inspire law students and young lawyers to make the same commitment to increasing access to justice into the future.”
“I remain optimistic about the future of our legal profession when I see the number of talented law students who are committed to working in the public interest arena and starting their careers in providing legal representation to individuals whose civil rights and liberties have been eroded based upon their race and/or lack of financial resources,” adds Kim Boyle, Louisiana Fellow and generous donor to the IPNO internship. “I strongly believe that it is incumbent on those of us who practice in the private sector to provide opportunities for these committed students to represent individuals, groups and organizations that provide access to justice and protect our civil rights and liberties. As a personal supporter of IPNO, I am honored to contribute to an internship for these law students who are truly making a difference.”
WINTER 2023 JOURNAL 76