Statement of Completion Requirements
Statement of Completion in Public Interest and Public Service Law
A student is eligible for a Statement of Completion in Public Interest and Public Service Law upon graduation if the student fulfills the requirements identified below:
Course & Program Requirements:
1. The student must satisfactorily complete three of the following courses with a grade of C or better:
Children and the Law
Consumer Law
Domestic Violence Seminar
Elder Law
Employment Discrimination
Human Rights Law
Immigration Law
Indian Law
Lesbian & Gay Legal Issues
Tribal Courts and Tribal Law
Women and the Law
2. A student must satisfactorily complete at least one of the following courses with a grade of C or better:
Administrative Law
Federal Jurisdiction and Procedure
Interviewing and Counseling
Labor Law
Mediation
Negotiation
Remedies
3. A student must satisfactorily complete at least one of the following courses with a grade of C or better, or Pass if the course is Pass/No Pass:
Civil Practice Clinic
Criminal Defense Clinic
Criminal Prosecution Clinic
Domestic Violence Clinic
Environmental Clinic
Legislative Issues Workshop
Mediation Clinic
For more information on the School of Law’s clinics, click here.
Unlisted courses, for example, certain approved legal office internships, new seminars and courses, and independent study classes may be substituted by petition with the majority approval of the PIPS Committee.
The offering of the above courses will depend on teacher availability and reasonable enrollment demand. The Law School does not guarantee that a student will be able to satisfy the requirements necessary for obtaining the certificate.
4. A student must attend and satisfy the requirements of the seminar sessions on public interest and public service law practice sponsored by the PIPS Committed as more fully described below.
Pro Bono Work
A student is required to complete 100 hours of pro bono service before graduation. At least 40 of those hours must be satisfied in accordance with the guidelines and procedures established by the law school’s Pro Bono Program. The remaining 60 pro bono hours may be satisfied over a student’s three years in law school in accordance with the School’s Pro Bono program guidelines, and/or through general community service such as working for Food for Lane County, Habitat for Humanity, the SMART reading and literacy programs, or making presentations in connection with a StreetLaw Program etc.
Students engaging in significant pro bono work may earn a Pro Bono Certificate. The Pro Bono Certificate is designed to facilitate and promote pro bono work by students at the University of Oregon School of Law. The Program offers an excellent opportunity for students to gain practical experience in various legal fields and make a valuable contribution to individuals and causes that might not otherwise receive representation. Pro bono work entails “work directly related to the delivery of legal services to indigent individuals by attorneys or organizations; or work for an attorney or attorneys on behalf of organizations, donations to which qualify as deductions under state or federal tax law; or law-related work, not including law enforcement, for federal, state, or local government agencies; or work directly related to the administration of the pro bono program, including service on the Pro Bono Committee.”
Pro bono opportunities are listed in the career services office, accessible through the Public Service Law Network database at www.pslaw.net, or can be found independently. After the completion of 40 hours of pro bono work, students receive a Pro Bono Certificate, to be awarded at graduation. Work is supervised by project directors or outside attorneys and hours may be accumulated through work on a single project or combination of different projects. Program guidelines are available in the career services office and students may send specific questions to probono@law.uoregon.edu.
Students planning to apply for the Public Interest and Public Service Law Certificate should (1) notify the Student Affairs Office as soon as possible; (2) complete and file the forms for the pro bono requirement with the Career Services Office; and (3) deliver the completed PIPS form to the Student Affairs Office by the time determined by that Office in order to receive the Certificate upon graduation.
An annual program of seminar sessions will be developed (perhaps 3 sessions of 1.5 to 2 hours each) on the nature of public interest law firms, the practice of public interest law, the practice of government service law, and related ethical issues. These sessions will involve readings and guided discussions on the nature of public interest and public service practice, such as representing poor people, minority communities, civil liberties practice, working in government, doing criminal defense work, and working for a national public interest education and defense organization. The seminar sessions will also address such broader ethical issues as the availability and affordability of legal representation in the United States today, and the involvement of lawyer professional groups in working for and against substantive law reform proposals.
The Public Interest and Public Service Law Committee is composed of Nancy Shurtz, Ibrahim Gassama, Steve Bender, and John Bonine.
