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Julie Jackson, our Assistant Dean for Public Interest Programs, just sent out an e-mail to the Tulane Law School senior staff, alerting us to some pretty impressive news involving our law students.  She had compiled some interesting data in connection with our annual recognition event honoring the pro bono student stars participating in the TLS Pro Bono Program.

Dean Jackson reported, "On April 16th, 125 students were recognized for their dedication to the public interest and commitment to the goal of making access to justice within the reach of all.  Each of these students provided 50 or more hours of pro bono work. The total of hours donated by students exceeding the minimum requirement of 30 hours, amounted to 23,101 hours.  The average pro bono contribution from each of these students was 185 hours! The largest amount contributed by one student was 568 hours total from 3L Brittany Lee.  The highest total for a 2L stuedents was 548 hours from Nicholas Daum.

"Among the unique pro bono assignments for this group of students was:

• assisting the Point Au Chien Indians in seeking federal tribal recognition
• assisting Civil District Court staff in addressing legal disputes stemming from the publication of literally thousands of City Council e-mails
• working on behalf of polar bears

"Students addressed a wide range of issues and worked with many agencies in New Orleans, including:  housing/foreclosure, family law, consumer law, immigration issues including wage claims, AIDSLaw, mental health advocacy (both elder law and disability rights), City Attorney, City Council, District Attorney, Orleans Public Defender, Federal Public Defender, Innocence Project, Louisiana Capital Assistance Center, Entertainment Law Legal Assistance, and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance.

"Pro bono students worked outside of New Orleans, too--in San Diego, Chicago, San Francisco, Galveston, Mobile, Miami, Puerto Rico, Atlanta, Rhode Island, Vermont, United Nations Headquarters, New York City, Cambodia, and Thailand!"

Ann Yoachim, the program manager for the Law School's Institute on Water Resources Law & Policy, is moderating an interdisciplinarypanel on urban farming today. The panel is sponsored by Tulane's Office of Global Health.

Mark Davis, the Director of our Water Law & Policy institute, was kind enough to help explain the relationship between the Institute's focus and urban farming: "What does this have to do with water, you might be asking yourself. Well, potentially plenty. While urban farming has many virtues to recommend it, one of its values is creating productive landscapes that can also fit into a water management system. Urban farms can be an important part of storm water management and water storage. This is particularly important in New Orleans where we now have scads of vacant or underutilized lots that beg for a new model for use and development. Current zoning laws don't generally contemplate integrating farming activities into the urban landscape, and our current drainage and storm protection system is based on wall, pumps and ditches with precious little recognition of the landscape itself can provide water management opportunities (aside from slapping green dots on maps)."

Also participating on the panel are Doug Meffert, Eugenie Schwartz Professor of River and Coastal Studies and deputy director, Tulane/Xavier Center for Bioenvironmental Research, speaking about "Ecosystem Services in an Urban Area — and Wetland Restoration and Loss"; Pam Broom, deputy director, New Orleans Food and Farm Network, speakingabout"Growing for Food: Growing Back to Our Roots"; Emilie Taylor, adjunct instructor, School of Architecture, speaking about "Food Justice and Design"; and Jeanette Bell, founder, Fleur D'Eden Community Garden, on"The Real Dirt on Urban Farming in NOLA: Words from a Community Gardener."

Here we are in the last days of classes, but it doesn't really feel like things are winding down.  Members of three student organizations--Alianza, BLSA, and PILF--have teams up to produce a Haiti fundraiser today.  For a minimum donation of $5, these students are serving an extraordinary variety of international foods.  Having just eaten, I can attest to the quality!  The money raised will benefit KONBIT POU EDIKASYON (KPE), a nonprofit organization founded by law students (including our own alumna, Cathy LeBlanc) that supports the educational needs of children in Haiti.  A portion of the proceeds will also benefit Partners in Health, which has helped communities in Haiti combat disease and poverty for over 20 years.

Starting tomorrow, Tulane Law School is hosting the 4th annual meeting of Law School Diversity Professionals.

It seems as though every one of our seven student-edited journals is having an information meeting this week to generate interest in the summer write-on opportunities.