Clinics and Practicums Partner for Justice
At UB School of Law, justice is not just a concept, it’s a community effort, and our clinics and practicums are at the forefront of that collaborative work. Providing critical legal support, expanding educational programming, and advancing policy to promote equity for all, their initiatives enrich student learning and drive real change. Here are a few highlights of their new projects and powerful partnerships.
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Community clinics—our clinics within clinics—are rooted in local partnerships, providing legal assistance in response to growing needs. UB Law clinics and student attorneys align with the agencies and organizations that best understand the communities they serve.
Pro Se Assistance: Empowering Litigants, One Case at a Time
The Pro Se Assistance Program is a clinic embedded in U.S. District Courts in Buffalo and Rochester—the first of its kind in New York State. Led by our Access to Justice Clinic, the program delivers critical legal guidance to financially eligible pro se litigants navigating the civil justice system alone.
Our partners include: Volunteer Lawyers Project, JustCause and the United States District Court, Western District of New York.
Clean Slate & Reentry Clinic: Clearing Records, Creating Futures
The Clean Slate & Reentry Clinic reviews eligibility under the 2024 Clean Slate Act. Our Access to Justice Clinic and our Criminal Justice Advocacy Clinic collaborate to open doors to employment, housing and hope through second-chance advocacy.
Our partners include: City of Buffalo, Community Service Society of New York, Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, Law NY, Center for Community Alternatives, Creative Restorations, Alliance of Families for Justice, the Minority Bar Association of Western New York, Buffalo Urban League and other advocacy organizations.
Name and Gender Marker Clinic: Changing Names, Affirming Lives
Pop-up Name Change Clinics provide vital support for individuals seeking to legally affirm their identities. Through the work of our Access to Justice Clinic and the Civil Rights and Housing Clinic, these clinics guide participants through the complex process of changing names and gender markers, offering clarity, empowerment and community along the way.
Our partners include: the Bar Association of Erie County’s LGBTQIA+ Committee, the Center for Elder Law and Justice, Neighborhood Legal Services and Our City Action Buffalo.
Knowledge is power and a catalyst for change. Through community-focused programming, our clinics raise awareness, equip individuals to advocate for themselves, and provide training to strengthen the institutions that serve them.
Elevating Voices, Driving Parole Reform
Our Criminal Justice Advocacy Clinic’s “I AM Campaign” highlights the need for parole reform and shares the stories of those impacted by incarceration. Open to all, discussion sessions drive meaningful dialogue and feature community organizers and leaders with the lived experience of former incarceration.
A free screening of Beyond Survival, honoring the resilience of currently and formerly incarcerated survivors of domestic violence, was presented in partnership with the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Survivors Justice Project, Kashif, Women & Justice Project and UB’s Office of Student Wellness.
Educating for Safety, Advocating for Justice
Our Family Violence and Women’s Rights Clinic organizes targeted outreach and hands-on training to provide individuals and institutions with the tools to promote safety and navigate complex legal systems. Recent initiatives include:
- Presentations to community advocates on New York’s Red Flag Law, which empowers police to remove guns from a household if a member is thought to be dangerous to themself or others.
- Trainings for new police recruits at the Erie County Central Police Services Training Academy on civil domestic violence legal issues.
- Do It Yourself Uncontested Divorce sessions in the community with Neighborhood Legal Services.
Policy reform is often driven by community need. Through hands-on advocacy and strategic partnerships, our clinics contribute to meaningful policy development that addresses urgent social issues and promotes equity.
Exposing Risks, Pushing Lead Reform
The Environmental Advocacy Clinic is actively advancing policies to address the lead-exposure crisis in Western New York. In collaboration with the Buffalo and Erie County Lead Safe Task Force and partners across the University, the clinic is working to ensure that children with elevated blood-lead levels qualify for early intervention services.
Protecting Athletes, Changing the Game
Students in the Sports Law Clinic are exploring inequities and safety risks in college-level athletics and beyond, with the goal of proposing policy to level the playing field and minimize injury. Partnering with UB Medicine and UB’s School of Public Health, the clinic’s policy focus includes:
- Closing the equity gap in the treatment of dancers versus other athletes by addressing disparities in medical care, scholarship protection and institutional support.
- Developing protocols to help athletic programs recognize and respond to the contagious nature of eating disorders in team sports.
- Modernizing New York’s outdated Concussion Management Act to better protect students, support schools and reduce risk.
Funding justice, fueling change
Support from state and national funders is a joint investment in expanding access to justice and deepening community impact. This year, that shared commitment has included:
A Justice for Heroes Grant awarded by the New York State Division of Veterans’ Services to support the work of the Veterans Law Practicum in serving our most vulnerable veterans. Funding in the amount of $150,000 will be used to increase outreach to underserved communities, provide targeted legal assistance for pension and survivor benefit claims, and offer comprehensive guidance through the application process.
And for a third year, the Civil Rights and Housing Clinic was selected for the American Association of University Women’s Legal Advocacy Fund Grant in the amount of $60,000. 2025 also marked the third consecutive year that the clinic’s critical work has been supported in part through its participation as a member of the Western New York Eviction Prevention Project and as a subgrantee of Neighborhood Legal Services.