A new clinic is set to join the already impressive array of clinical offerings at BC Law this fall. The school has been awarded a grant by the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts to staff a Pro Se Legal Assistance Clinic.
Following a successful grant proposal led by the Law School’s Center for Experiential Learning (CEL), the clinic will support non-incarcerated pro se litigants (those representing themselves) navigating federal civil cases in the District of Massachusetts. The clinic will provide services to clients such as free advice and information, and limited-scope legal assistance, which will enhance access to justice and better facilitate the litigation process for both litigants and the court. The clinic expects to assist with federal civil cases, including those involving employment discrimination, civil rights, Social Security benefits, and labor law.
Claire Donohue, the associate dean for experiential learning, situated the establishment of the clinic in the wider ethos of BC Law. “Our success is based on a tradition of educating lawyers through theory and practice, and shaping leaders prepared to grapple with society’s most important moral and ethical questions,” she said. “Consistent with the mission of BC Law to provide the highest quality integrated graduate and professional education, the CELL provides a diverse set of experiential learning opportunities in classroom, clinical, and off-campus legal practice settings. The Court agreed, as expressed in our grant proposal, that the new clinic fits squarely within our mission and capabilities, and moreover, we are thrilled to have the expertise of Professor Jeffrey Cohen to direct it.”
Cohen, a former federal prosecutor with a wealth of experience in the federal courts, is set to welcome and mentor the first cohort of law students to work at the clinic this coming fall. “I am thrilled to be able to help bring this pro se clinic to BC Law,” Cohen said. “Not only will the clinic help clients who are in desperate need of assistance to vindicate viable claims, but it will also offer students the unique experience of practicing in federal court and make BC Law a common presence in the Moakley Courthouse.”
Cohen also said that he “expects the financial and institutional support making this a reality will result in a great benefit to the students who work in the clinic, the clients who will benefit from the clinic’s services, and the court which will function more efficiently when hearing pro se matters. I look forward to getting started with the new clinical students at the start of the year.”
The grant will cover a two-year pilot run of the clinic, with the possibility for renewal thereafter.