The Arthur Liman Public Interest Fellowship and Fund supports the work of Yale law students and law school graduates advocating on behalf of those underserved or underrepresented in civil and criminal law.

The Liman Project
The Liman Project provides YLS students with the opportunity to do public interest research and advocacy projects that have a domestic focus.  Students, with help from the Liman Director, work with current and former Liman Fellows (who are all YLS graduates) on projects at their organizations, and may also develop independent public interest projects – thereby providing services while exploring career opportunities in public interest law and developing mentoring relationships.  We are currently identifying projects for Fall 2007.  Our plans include work with fellows on civil rights, indigent defense, immigration, assistance for the elderly, child care, the death penalty, and prisoners’ rights.  Students may earn one unit of ungraded credit for substantial work.  If interested, please contact Sarah French Russell, Liman Program Director, at sarah.russell@yale.edu or (203) 432-2230.

Public Interest Workshop
During the academic year, the Arthur Liman Public Interest Program sponsors a Public Interest Workshop, which is a weekly seminar where students, faculty, and practitioners meet to discuss emerging issues of theory and advocacy.  The Workshop is open to all law students and interested undergraduates at Yale College, and provides opportunities for students working across the public interest spectrum to discuss issues of social justice.  In Spring 2008, the Workshop is called Federalism and Social Movements: Public Interest Lawyering in Cities and States.  Our inquiries will include how the political configuration of the United States affects public interest advocacy and theory.  We will explore issues through readings and sessions with practitioners and scholars focused on the local and national levels. 

Public Interest Law Colloquium
The Program also sponsors an annual Public Interest Law Colloquium bringing together advocates, scholars, and students from across the country for a day-long discussion. Colloquia have addressed many topics: the federal funding of legal services, encountering the criminal law, low-wage workers and workfare, the challenges of becoming and staying a public interest lawyer, the role of mass media in public interest advocacy, and public interest lawyering in an era of high anxiety.

The next Arthur Liman Public Interest Law Colloquium is on March 7, 2008. For more information, please contact Sarah French Russell, Liman Program Director, at sarah.russell@yale.edu or (203) 432-2230.