2015 2015: UMass Law welcomes founder of charity helping children caught in the crossfire

Children in Crossfire founder Richard Moore to speak on international public interest work October 14

UMass Law will welcome Richard Moore, founder of the international non-profit organization Children in Crossfire, October 14 at noon at the law school’s Moot Court Room. Richard Moore will discuss his own story in establishing Children in Crossfire and his international public interest service working with vulnerable populations abroad.

Richard Moore was born in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1962. At age 10 while walking home from school, he was struck in the face by a rubber bullet and left blind for life. Despite his blindness, Moore has always believed that he was more fortunate than most and dedicated his life to helping others, founding Children in Crossfire in 1995. He even formed an unlikely friendship with the British soldier who tragically shot him. The forming of that friendship was chronicled in the documentary The Dalia Lama's Hero. The two men traveled together to India for a personal meeting with the Dalai Lama charting a journey to forgiveness and friendship.

Children in Crossfire has four pillars of focus: nutrition, stimulation, care and protection. The organization recognizes that there are different stakeholders responsible for ensuring children get the foundation in life they need. These are parents, frontline professionals, communities and local and national governments. The non-profit works with local organizations located in impoverished, often war-torn countries to protect the rights of vulnerable children and provide them access to clean water, food, health and education.

UMass Law’s Public Interest Law Fellowship Program (PILF) offers a comprehensive, integrated program which is designed to train students for careers in public service. This program provides specialized counseling, frequent exposure to public interest lawyers and policy makers, and numerous opportunities for "hands on" experience in public interest law internships. The law school’s International Law Students Association, which also organized the event, promotes the study and understanding of international law.

UMass Law, the only public law school in Massachusetts, was established in 2010 to provide a high quality, affordable legal education focused on creating justice-centered lawyers. UMass Law is especially committed to increasing the diversity of those who practice law in the Commonwealth and encouraging students to become professionally engaged in their community through clinics and internships while they study.