Student attorneys in the Racial Justice and the Law Clinic (RJLC) engage in matters aimed at examining, addressing, and redressing racial inequities and other harms experienced by historically racially marginalized groups. The RJLC works directly with the Gibson-Banks Center for Race and the Law at Maryland Carey Law. The Gibson-Banks Center works collaboratively to re-imagine and transform institutions of racial inequality, marginalization, and oppression through education and engagement, advocacy, and research.
The RJLC’s scope is broad, as the Gibson-Banks Center’s issue areas include education, economic justice, employment, the criminal legal system (including the youth legal system), housing, health, voting, technology, transportation, and “emerging issues” (issues that we cannot anticipate today but will require immediate attention). Our lawyering methodologies, also broad, involve individual representation, policy and other forms of collective advocacy, community education, and research. The individual representation includes criminal and civil rights matters. The criminal matters focus on representing individuals incarcerated in Maryland prisons who are seeking release via parole and other statutory mechanisms. The civil rights matters include representing individuals and/or community groups seeking relief under state or federal civil rights laws. In addition to direct representation of clients in legal matters, we author amicus briefs on issues that impact our clients lives and, more broadly, racial justice.
The RJLC’s policy advocacy includes promoting and/or commenting on proposed legislation, regulations, and other policies at the local, state, and federal levels that advance racial equity. The policy advocacy, which covers the issue areas detailed above, involves collaborating with communities directly impacted by the policy as well as policymakers to research and draft: proposed policies; “One Pagers” that summarize the pertinent issues at stake in the policy; “Frequently Asked Questions” (“FAQs”) that summarize laws, practices, and policies for various stakeholders (including communities impacted by the proposed legislation); and written and/or oral testimony supporting or opposing legislative bills. We also meet with policymakers to further advocate on behalf of or against legislation, regulations, or other policies.
The RJLC’s collective advocacy includes working in collaboration with local, state, and national entities—neighborhood community groups, advocacy coalitions, non-profit organizations, and other law school clinic and centers—on the advocacy, research, and community education projects. Working in collaboration with community is vital to the change that the RLJC is committed to fighting for and realizing.
This clinic is a five-credit offering. It includes a seminar component that meets twice weekly. Student-attorneys in this clinic are required to average 17 hours per week. If your schedule will prohibit you from fulfilling this time commitment or otherwise prevent you from meeting your clients’ needs, please do not register for this clinic. If you plan to have a job, an internship, or participate on the trial team or moot court team, you are required to meet with Professor Pinard before enrolling to discuss whether you will be able to meet your clinic obligations. If you have any questions in this regard, please meet with Professor Pinard before enrolling.
This clinic will be offered in spring semester 2026 as a one-semester clinic for five credits. All students enrolled in spring clinic will be required to attend in-person clinic orientation on Friday, January 9, 2026, in addition to any clinic-specific orientation that the professor may schedule.