On April 18th, members of the Miami Law community, alumni, and public interest employers filled the room for the HOPE Public Interest Resource Center’s Annual Public Interest Recognition Ceremony. The event celebrates students who have made community service, public interest, and pro bono advocacy central to their experience at Miami Law.
Students from each class were honored for their commitment to pro bono advocacy and community service. Students participating in the Pro Bono Challenge pledge to volunteer at least 75 hours of pro bono legal work during law school. The students who logged the most pro bono hours during the 2023-2024 academic year were 1L Natalie Gonzalez (Americans for Immigrant Justice, Colorado Office of the Child’s Representative, Women in Distress, Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, and the Center for Ethics and Public Service), 2L Kaleigh Young (State Attorney’s Office for the 16th Circuit), and 3L Joseph Klass (Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office).
Students participating in the Community Service Challenge pledge to volunteer at least 25 hours of non-legal community service each year. The students who logged the most community service hours during the 2023-2024 academic year were 1L Marisa Ewing, 2L Kaleigh Young, and 3L Emma Sheridan.
“We are so proud of the students who have chosen to participate in the Pro Bono and Community Service Challenges,” said HOPE associate director Sharon Booth. “Pro bono work, in particular, allows students to develop skills while serving the community and fulfilling an important mission of the legal profession. This year, students logged approximately 17,500 pro bono hours, serving clients and causes near and far.”
Each year, HOPE presents an Innovative Service in the Public Interest Award, which recognizes innovation in creating a new program or in the meaningful expansion of an existing program. This award recognizes the need for creativity, commitment, and vision in implementing programs, systems, and services to address unmet legal needs. The first of this year’s awards went to Elizabeth Hansel Collins and Milla Dibo for their work with Beyond the Bars, a Miami-Dade County worker center for criminal legal system-impacted workers. The second Innovative Service Award went to Nicholas Stelter, who led the Human Rights Clinic’s work on transgender rights.
HOPE also presents an Exemplary Service Award to a student who has gone above and beyond in providing services to those most in need. This award is based on a commitment to addressing the unmet needs of people experiencing poverty and demonstrated commitment and leadership through service. This year’s awards went to Emily Hill for her work with the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office through the Litigation Skills Program and Jordan Brooks for his work with the Human Rights Clinic addressing the racial disparities in maternal health.
Students in the Miami Public Interest Scholars Program, Miami Law clinics, litigation skills, CEPS, the social justice concentration, alternative breaks, and other programs were also recognized at the ceremony, in addition to students who will serve as summer fellows and members of the Public Interest Leadership Board.
“The sense of community was palpable at the ceremony,” said Marni Lennon, assistant dean for Public Interest and Pro Bono.
“I am so proud of our students—their drive for justice and unwavering commitment to make a difference with their law degrees continues to fuel Miami Law and the lives of those they impact,” said Lennon. “For the HOPE Team, training and supporting students who will go into every sector of law and leadership and promote access to justice is a privilege.”
Read more about social justice and public interest at Miami Law
