Law students join Massachusetts legal community in one of largest advocacy events on Beacon Hill
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UMass Law students joined law schools and law firms from across the Commonwealth for the largest advocacy event for civil legal services on Beacon Hill at the 17th annual Walk to the Hill Thursday, January 28, at the Great Hall of the Massachusetts State House. The Walk to the Hill traditionally draws hundreds from the legal community to the State House to advocate for legislative support for funding of civil legal aid.
UMass Law students Felicia Carboni and Ryan Arsenault served as the law school’s co-captains for the Walk to the Hill. The event was sponsored by the Equal Justice Coalition, Massachusetts Bar Association and Boston Bar Association.
“Civil legal aid is a powerful tool to create a fair and efficient justice system,” Felicia and Ryan said in a message to fellow law students for the advocacy event. “This is where UMass Law comes in as the state's only public law school. We are excited to captain this huge opportunity for our law school to show how we pursue justice.”
According to a 2014 Report of the Boston Bar Association Statewide Task Force to Expand Civil Legal Aid in Massachusetts, 33,000 low-income Massachusetts residents were denied the legal aid of an attorney in matters involving eviction, foreclosure, and family law. Eighty percent of cases involving family law and 70 percent of employment and consumer cases were turned away by traditional legal aid services. The rate was 56 percent for housing matters.
UMass Law, located in Dartmouth, is the only public law school in Massachusetts and was established in 2010. It is conveniently located 30 miles from Providence, RI, and 60 miles from Boston, MA. UMass Law is committed to ensuring access to an affordable legal education for students who hope to pursue justice and serve others through the practice of law. UMass Law is provisionally approved by the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association, 321 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654,312-988-6738.