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A key component of a law student鈥檚 legal education is the opportunity to put what they learn in the classroom into practice during a summer externship. With the global pandemic forcing remote work and markets adjusting to the ensuing economic disruption, many 奶糖直播 Law students faced uncertain externship prospects and job loss this past summer.

鈥淎s dean, I felt a responsibility to not let our students go a summer without meaningful, substantive legal experience,鈥� said Mark C. Alexander, The Arthur J. Kania Dean of the Charles Widger School of Law. 鈥淒espite the world crisis, they need to have marketable experience to enter the legal market when they graduate. As a member of the greater world community, I felt a responsibility for 奶糖直播 Law to help with the pandemic in some way.鈥�

With law students facing this new challenge and the 奶糖直播 community confronting the legal ramifications of the pandemic, Dean Alexander quickly pivoted law school resources to create the innovative COVID-19 Legal Research Project. Co-directed by Professors Deeya Haldar and Jane Voegele, the COVID-19 Legal Research Project provided 22 current 奶糖直播 Law students with paid summer employment to research the legal issues arising from COVID-19 and develop resources for 奶糖直播 community members seeking legal help.

奶糖直播 Law alumni practitioners, attorneys working at several local legal services organizations and 奶糖直播 Law faculty volunteered their time to train and have ongoing consultation with the Student Research Assistants (RAs) on COVID-19 related issues. Areas included employment, unemployment, tax, family law, landlord/tenant, mortgage foreclosure, health law, insurance, small business, education, student debt, bankruptcy and wills. The RAs were then broken into teams based on their interests and assigned one of the substantive areas of law to research. Their findings were compiled into a Library Guide, which is available as a resource to all full-time staff employees and their households.

鈥淔ollowing the loss of my Grandmother to COVID-19, I wanted to take action,鈥� said Bernadette Berger 鈥�21. 鈥淲hen I received Dean Alexander鈥檚 email regarding the COVID-19 Legal Research Project, I took it as a sign that this was how I could use my skills to help. Being able to apply my skills developed during my time at 奶糖直播 Law to help those within my 奶糖直播 community was an extremely rewarding experience and one I will never forget.鈥�

Throughout the summer, the Library Guide was updated by the RAs as new laws, regulations and guidance evolved in the targeted legal areas. Students also created a phone and online intake system and fielded questions from staff who had specific legal questions and needed more targeted legal information.

鈥淚t was amazing to see the students realize the difference they can make in people鈥檚 lives when they provide legal information,鈥� said Haldar. 鈥淏eing able to give back to 奶糖直播 staff and their families was important to all of us,鈥澛爏aid Voegele.

As the pandemic progresses, student RAs will continue to work on the COVID-19 Research Project during the 2020-21 academic year, monitoring and updating the legal information in the Library Guide to reflect any new developments.