UDC’s clinical program is enjoying increased support from the DC Bar, the organization composed of all attorneys licensed to practice law in the District. The School of Law is pleased to report that the DC Bar’s Foundation, which has provided funding to the clinical program for six years, has increased its funding to the Community Development Law Clinic (CDLC).

The Foundation’s grant funds the services of Professor Theodora Brown, an experienced practitioner in intellectual property and small business matters, on a part time basis. Also, under the Graduate Fellowship Program of the DC Bar Pro Bono Program, the law firm of Sidley, Austin, Brown & Wood loaned incoming associate, Rajib Pal, to work with the Clinic over the summer and compensated him during his tenure. Mr. Pal, who graduated from Harvard Law School this spring, joined us in May and worked part-time for five weeks before the bar exam and full-time for five weeks after the bar.

In other CDLC news, Professor Laurie Morin, former Director of Academic Support, has joined Prof. Louise Howells as a full-time clinic teacher.

Community Development Law Clinic

A productive Spring 2003 semester was had by students, Chris Busch, ‘04, Teisha Dupree, ‘03, Andrea Henson-Armstrong, ‘04, Shelrese Leach, ‘03, Dennis O’Connor, ‘04, Audra Pondish, ‘04, and Judith Simon, ‘04. Each student assisted individual clients, and also worked collaboratively on two cases. With Dennis O’Connor coordinating the effort, the students rescued a tenants association from a bad deal with a third party developer and assisted the association in negotiating a purchase agreement for their building, obtaining financing for the down payment, and selecting a new developer. Shelrese Leach continued to work with the tenants over the summer to nail down the terms of a development agreement that protected the interests of the tenants. The building will be converted into 91 condominium units; the tenants are primarily low-income families. The students also collaborated on a workshop and accompanying written materials for a nonprofit client, which presented legal information about compliance.