IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PARTICIPATING PROGRAMS INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING NEW RESEARCH REQUESTS:
Because Spring final exams are approaching, the Public Interest Research Bureau is not accepting any new research projects until Fall classes resume in mid-August. Students are currently studying for spring exams, and the Bureau suspends operations during the summer. Please check back again in mid-August if you would like to submit a research project. We appreciate your interest in and continued support of the Research Bureau. During this period if you have questions about the services of the Bureau you are welcome to contact Kirsten Clement, Rob Hornstein, or Karen Millard.
Access to legal counsel is a pressing national issue. The Florida Coastal Public Interest Research Bureau (“the Bureau”) is a student volunteer research service intended to provide free legal research services to lawyers working for public interest law organizations. The goal of the Bureau is to provide student research and writing services to poverty law attorneys in an effort to make justice available to indigent clients. The Bureau serves two primary purposes: It will assist lawyers representing the poor who are often faced with pressing demands on their time because of the enormous need for legal services in impoverished communities, and it will fulfill a mission pillar of Florida Coastal School of Law – making legal representation available in underserved communities – by providing a unique educational platform that allows Florida Coastal students to acquire important lawyering skills while contributing to the cause of equal justice.
The Bureau is a student directed organization through which Florida Coastal students will complete research projects at the direction of and subject to the supervision of requesting attorneys. While benefitting the poor, the Bureau provides an excellent way for students to learn about public interest law and develop research and writing skills. Students will also gain an intimate understanding of the vast range of issues that bear on the legal interests of the poor and a deep appreciation for the importance of equal access to justice.