Spending the Summer with Summer Corps
September 5, 2008
Keeping in the VLS spirit of public service, Bryn Davies and Chris Davis, both members of the VLS Class of 2010, dedicated their summers to providing legal help to those who need it most.
Selected as members of the 2008 Equal Justice Works Summer Corps, the two volunteers joined 348 others chosen from 125 law schools to provide critically needed legal aid on a broad range of issues in underserved communities.
To qualify for the Summer Corps and the $1000 education grant that went with it, Bryn and Chris had to commit to provide 300 hours of public service through a non-profit organization. The summer program is funded through AmeriCorps, and in 2007, its summer volunteers contributed nearly 120,000 hours helping more than 15,000 individuals and families.
Chris spent his summer with the Mississippi Center for Justice in Biloxi, where he helped families still left homeless by Hurricane Katrina with housing and community re-development needs. While an undergraduate student Chris, 23, of Long Beach, Miss., had been studying in France while the true extent of Katrina’s devastation unfolded in 2005. He recognized the plight of the victims and knew that, in his words, “I had to go get my hands dirty with the recovery efforts back home.” Three years later, he continues to help.
Bryn spent his summer with the South Royalton Legal Clinic, representing area residents who would otherwise not be able to afford counsel. He worked on two cases, one assisting a bankrupt client to clear up credit records, while another involved securing appropriate educational services for a minor “ward of the State.”
These cases required that Bryn work closely with Clinic Director James May, as well as state officials who were involved. In the case of the minor client, Bryn’s work included negotiations with a legal guardian, school teachers and administrators to assure the child received a proper education.
“It is very rewarding to be involved in work that allows me to feel good about how my time is spent while promoting social change,” he said of his summer clinic experience. Before entering law school, Bryn, 24, of St. Louis, Mo., spent 10 months working with AmeriCorps in Charleston, S.C., re-constructing houses and fighting wildfires.
The Equal Justice Summer Corps is open to students between the ages of 18–25, and young law students are encouraged to apply. While its volunteers are encouraged to develop projects that focus on needs related to the Gulf Coast, most voluntary public service efforts will qualify under the program.
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