The Center's staff and students represent disadvantaged clients in the legislative and administrative processes of government, appearing at the legislature and before state agencies to present the bills and proposed regulations they have researched and drafted for client groups. The Center also provides general legal consultation and representation to nonprofit organizations in transactional matters. In addition, TPLC conducts a variety of international training events, both domestically and abroad, for legislative drafting staff, public officials, and non-governmental organizations. These three areas of activity constitute the Center's mission—to educate law students, to represent disadvantaged clients, and to provide international training that supports the global movement toward democratization.
In response to increasing demand for training of legislative drafters, TPLC developed the International Legislative Drafting Institute in 1995. The Institute is a two-week summer program that responds to the worldwide demand on legislative drafting personnel for new laws supporting the emergence of free market economies and democratic forms of government. The Institute has graduated hundreds of legislative drafting personnel from more than 85 jurisdictions around the globe. The homepage (http://www.law.tulane.edu/ildi) contains more information about this annual training event.
Services to the Community
Staff and students of The Public Law Center assist the community with a variety of services that include legislative research and drafting; negotiation and preparation of community benefit agreements; fostering transparency in government, including open meetings and public records reforms; collaborative planning and citizen participation in the land use planning process; support for ethics initiatives, such as the Ethics Review Board and Office of Inspector General; and other similar activities in pursuit of the public interest.