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Fulfilling a social justice mission

Fulfilling a social justice mission

“Loyola’s Day of Service is an excellent opportunity for students to learn about legal aid organizations and Chicago communities, to serve others, and to meet new classmates,” says Carrie Seleman, a Loyola 2L who organized the gardening project at Growing Homes.

Loyola University Chicago School of Law is committed to the Jesuit tradition of service to others and provides numerous opportunities for students to use their skills to help those in need.  From clinical programs to student groups, there are many ways for students to engage in public interest work during law school. 

More than 60 first-year law students participated this year in Loyola’s 2017 Day of Service, which was held during orientation in August.  Upper class student leaders introduced 1Ls to activities that reached across the city and included work with legal aid organizations and community-based programs. 

2017 Day of Service activities included:

  • Discussing the collateral consequences of criminal records and working with expungement and sealing data at Cabrini Green Legal Aid;
  • supporting staff members who garden at Growing Home, an organization in Englewood that provides farm-based training for people with employment barriers;
  • creating art and playing  games with children at a church-based summer meal program in Humboldt Park; 
  • drafting powers of attorney with the Center for Disability and Elder Law at an assisted living facility on Chicago’s northwest side; 
  • learning about how to effectively advocate on behalf of people with disabilities from staff with Equip for Equality;
  • talking with residents of the Austin community about the educational rights of children experiencing homelessness with staff members from the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless; and
  • working with community lawyers at the Northside Transformative Law Center in Rogers Park.

For more information on Loyola’s Center for Public Interest, click here.

A special thanks to Loyola law students Carrie Seleman, Jordan Hall, Megan Harkins, Candice Dundy, Ian Stukel-Fallon, Brianna Jenkins, Jalyn Mitchell, Amber Carpenter, and Jennifer Zymslo for their leadership role in organizing the 2017 Day of Service activities.