Public Service Events

Tulsa Lawyers for Children Training

Tulsa Lawyers for Children, Inc. ("TLC") recruits, trains and provides ongoing assistance to volunteer attorneys who represent children up to 18 years of age who have been abused, neglected or abandoned and who are subjects of "deprived" cases in the Tulsa County Juvenile Court.  TLC volunteers include not only law students but litigators, family lawyers,corporate attorneys, former judges, former general counsels of large public companies, patent and trademark attorneys, law school professors and many others who bring their experience, talent and dedication into a system largely hidden from public scrutiny by the veil of confidentiality which cloaks juvenile proceedings.  One of the ways TLC provides ongoing assistance is its T.U. Law Student Pro Bono Project and its Shelter Visitation & Show Cause Hearing Project.  T.U. Law Students attend the same training as attorney volunteers and then act as volunteer legal assistants to volunteer attorneys on their TLC cases.  This is particularly helpful when timely visits with the child clients become difficult for the attorney.  Law Students also interview children coming into the shelter and appear at "show cause" hearings as guardians ad litem.  Attendance at the training program does not obligate you to take a case nor to participate in the TLC projects. You have nothing to lose - and Tulsa's kids have so much to gain.  Please join us! The next training program for TLC volunteer lawyers will be held at the University of Tulsa College of Law in Spring 2012.  Each of the sessions covers different material:

Session 1: Basics of deprived case  - March 30, 2012, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm

Session 2: Child's attorney's duties; Role of DHS  - April 6, 2012, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm

Session 3: ICWA; Procedures; Jury trials; In need of treatment - April 13, 2012, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm

Session 4: Communicating with the child client - April 20, 2012, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm

 

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)

CASAs speak up for abused and neglected children in court.  Join them for lunch and learn how you can GIVE A CHILD A VOICE while gaining practical legal experience at the same time.

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) are everyday people who care about children. There are over 1100 children in foster care in Tulsa County. You can To learn more, join us for lunch
Second Tuesday of each month, 12-1pm
700 S Boston Ave, First Floor Reception Room
 
RSVP to Becky Anderson, (918)584-2272, becky.anderson@tulsacasa.org

FLS Public Service Day

September 1, 2011

Kudos to the first year law students, serveral upper classmen and our devoted professors and Dean Levit for giving back to our community! Between the (1) Kendall Whittier Food Pantry and G.R.O.W. Garden, (2) Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, and (3) Goodwill Industries, we successfully contributed over 300 hours of public service. We thank you for your amazing efforts; you made such a difference in just one day and YOU MAKE US PROUD! 

Martin Luther King Public Service Day - January 16, 2012

Students volunteered with two special organizations in our community with various projects,

• Tulsa Humane Society: Projects: walking dogs, yardwork (if weather is nice), taking the dogs to the play yard or other various projects

• Family and Children's Services: Projects: assisted with tagging and pricing donated items for March Warehouse Sale

Public Interest Summer Stipends 

The Robert N. Yaffee Public Interest Law Endowment Fund supports the TU College of Law Public Interest Summer Stipend Program. Under this program, funds are awarded to law students who accept unpaid or minimally paid summer positions at public interest entities, non-profit organizations, or governmental agencies. At the College of Law, a dedicated and high interest to serving the public interest has become an increasing trend among our students. The Yaffe fund allows students to gain valuable experience in the public interest sector where oftentimes positions are unfunded, but the need is great. This comment from a stipend recipient reflects the consistent feedback we receive from students who benefit from the Yaffe endowed program, “Not only did the Public Interest Summer Stipend Program benefit me financially in the short term, but it also assisted me in pursuing a career in the public interest field. My motivation for coming to law school was to find work in the public interest sector, and I am confident that my service [supported by the Yaffe endowment] will help me to achieve that goal. I am very grateful to have been a recipient of the Public Interest Summer Stipend.”

 

2010 Summer Stipend Recipient Testimonials

 

2011 Public Interest Summer Stipend Award Winners

 

Stephen Baldridge - Environmental and Public Works Minority, Washington, D.C.

Ryan Brungard - Missouri Attorney General's Office, St. Louis, MO

Edwina Christiansen - US District Court for the District of Colorado, Denver, CO

Jennifer Collins - Wagoner County District Court, Wagoner, OK

Margaret Cook - Cherokee County District Attorney's Office, Tahlequah, OK

Wyatt Cox - Food and Water Watch, Washington, D.C.

Sean Dooley - US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma, Tulsa, OK

Val Giebel - Oklahoma Indian Legal Services, Oklahoma City, OK and Cherokee Nation, Tahlequah, OK

Ashley Hodges - LifeChurch TV, Edmond, OK

Colin Hughes - Railroad Commission of Texas, Austin, TX

Arthur Loyd - UN International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia, the Netherlands

McClayn Gullekson - Federal Public Defender's Office, Tulsa, OK

Sara Sharp - UN International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia, the Netherlands 

Caitlyn Tuyman - Department of Justice, US Trustee's Office, Tulsa, OK

Jim Watzke - US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma, Tulsa, OK

Brandy Woodward - Washington County District Court, Bartlesville, OK

 

COURTHOUSE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (CAP) INFO SESSION WITH JUDGE MILLIE OTEY

For those of you seeking a unique pro bono opportunity and hands on courtroom experience, please see information below regarding the CAP Program and attend our informational session presented by Judge Otey to learn more. You would be assisting attorneys with the FED Docket and could volunteer as your schedule permits. Even one afternoon per month would be acceptable. Here are just a few of the benefits:

Help the Tulsa County Courthouse, Judges and Attorneys as well as give back to your community;

Observe first hand courtroom experience and learn how to communicate effectively with clients;

Establish a positive rapport within the legal community;

Learn about landlord/tenant law; and

BOOST YOUR LEGAL EXPERIENCE AND RESUME!

The Tulsa County Bar Association and Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc., along with members of the Tulsa County judiciary and the Tulsa County Bar, have established the Courthouse Assistance Program ("CAP"). The goal of CAP is to provide short-term legal assistance at the courthouse, on a volunteer basis, to individuals who have the immediate need for, but cannot afford to hire, counsel in civil matters.

The initial phase of the program involves volunteer attorneys at the Forcible Entry and Detainer ("FED") Docket. The attorneys are available to meet with unrepresented parties who meet certain income guidelines in the courtroom after the docket is called and, if necessary, to represent them at the hearings and/or conferences which take place that day. THE ATTORNEYS NEED YOUR HELP WITH THIS DOCKET.

The FED Docket is held each Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 2:00 pm in Courtroom 112 and lasts 3-5 hours. Presently, volunteer attorneys are available at the Tuesday and Thursday dockets. The cases involve landlords who are trying to evict and/or recover rent from tenants. The Court initially calls the docket to determine who is present and which of the matters are contested and may go forward later in the afternoon. The Court then takes a recess to allow the parties in the contested matters to meet and attempt to resolve their differences. Following the recess, the Court then hears the contested matters the parties were unable to resolve during the recess.

United Way Fund Raising

The TU Law school more than doubled its contribution to the 2010 United Way campaign ranking 3rd in contributions from eight school events held on campus. The proceeds were raised primarily from a Faculty Lunch Auction and a Baked Goods and Decorations sale.

Internship for Non-Profits for Academic Credit

TU Law students may earn academic credit for hours worked in non profit legal public service organizations through Field Studies.

Kendall Court

Phi Delta Phi International Legal Fraternity (PDP) annually hosts Kendall Court, a mock trial for the 5th grade students of Kendall Whittier Elementary School.  This philanthropic event exposes approximately 150 students to the legal system by performing a criminal or civil trial based on a familiar nursery rhyme or fairy tale.  The trial takes place in our very own Price & Turpen Courtroom where TU law students (adorned in costume!) act out their roles as attorneys, clients, and witnesses.  The 5th graders serve as jurors, actually deliberating and deciding the case’s verdict.  We also try to bring in a local Tulsa judge to preside over the trial. 

Additionally, the MLIC librarians host the 5th graders for workshops on topics such as government Web sites for children, the Lincoln penny, and Cherokee storytelling.  Concluding the event, we serve lunch, hand out free t-shirts, and typically have a TU Law Alum present a motivational speech that encourages the importance of education and working hard to reach your goals and dreams!  

In past years, PDP has partnered with the American Bar Association – Law Student Division, the Public Interest Law Society, and the TU Law Diversity Committee in co-sponsoring this event.  This year’s trial (Spring 2011) features People v. Dorothy Gale where Dorothy (Wizard of Oz) is charged with the murder of the Wicked Witch of the West. Past trials include Gold E. Locks being charged with “bad manners” by the Three Bears and a custody dispute involving Pinocchio, Geppetto, and the Blue Fairy.

Murdock Villa Birthday Parties

 

TU Law faculty, staff and students sponsor a monthly birthday party for Murdock Villa residents, a Tulsa Housing Authority residence for diabled adults. Eight different law student organizations have kept this pro bono project going since January 2009. 

Public Service Hours

2010 - 2011 Academic Year Public Service Hours

Last academic year (2010-2011), our students completed 3,507.4 hours of public service to several organizations, including the following, among others:

Kendall Whittier

Legal Aid

Domestic Violence Intervention Services

Animal Aid Thrift Shop

Mental Health Association

Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)

Tulsa Animal Shelter

Goodwill Industries

Life Senior Services

University Methodist Preschool

Family & Children’s Services

Tulsa Humane Society

Murdock Villa

Tulsa Lawyers for Children

Courthouse Assistance Program

Credit Counseling Center

Tulsa Food Bank

Volunteers of America of Oklahoma