<p>The <a href="ipl://124//W10=">Delaware Civil Law Clinic</a> at Widener University Delaware Law School is being honored with a 2015 Delaware Governor's Outstanding Volunteer Award for social justice and advocacy.<br /> <br /> The awards program, facilitated by the Delaware Office of Volunteerism,&nbsp; honors adult individuals, groups, organizations or businesses who engage in volunteer activities that address community needs within the First State.<br /> <br /> &ldquo;We are so grateful to the state of Delaware and Gov. Markell for this award,&rdquo; said Associate Professor <a href="ipl://20//WyIyNyJd">Dana Harrington Conner</a>, who directs the clinic. &ldquo;It is a privilege to provide these legal services to our clients, most of whom are survivors of intimate partner violence. We are humbled by this recognition and accept it with appreciation.&rdquo;<br /> <br /> Law Dean <a href="ipl://20//WyIyMDQiXQ==">Rod Smolla</a> said the clinic performs a unique public service in that students provide legal representation to clients under the supervision of Harrington Conner and clinic Staff Attorney Catherine Zwolak Kilian. Clinic student interns swear an oath for the limited practice of law, administered by Supreme Court Justice Randy Holland, each fall and spring semester. It allows them to appear in court on behalf of their clients.<br /> <br /> &ldquo;They are doing all of this as students, and the experience not only builds valuable legal skills, it shows them how their law degrees can help them make a difference in people&rsquo;s lives. It also gives them a very real appreciation for the power of pro bono service, which is something we hope they take with them into their careers,&rdquo; Smolla said. &ldquo;I am so pleased to see their contributions get this recognition.&rdquo;<br /> <br /> The Delaware Civil Law Clinic, based at Delaware Law School, provides free legal representation that focuses on at-risk individuals and their children who would otherwise struggle to obtain protection from our legal system. The clinic works to ensure the protection of survivors of intimate partner violence and their children through civil protection orders. It also represents clients seeking to enforce their orders of protection, as well as child custody and visitation matters. It occasionally assists elderly and terminally ill clients by drafting wills, power of attorney documents and health care directives.<br /> <br /> The clinic was created in 1984 in an effort to fulfill the law school&rsquo;s mission to provide practical experience to its students through civic engagement in the Delaware community. It was started by a collaboration between the law school, the Delaware Supreme Court and the Delaware State Bar Association, and was led for many years by the late Christine M. McDermott. Since computer case tracking began in 1988, the clinic has opened 2,974 new cases and assisted a total of 7,938 people. Total case hours spent by student interns is roughly 42,988. This figure does not include the hours invested by paid supervisors. <br /> <br /> Calculated at a reduced rate of $125 per hour, the total student hours contributed by the clinic since computer case tracking began is a value in excess of $5.37 million.<br /> <br /> The Outstanding Volunteer Award program is sponsored by the Office of Gov. Jack Markell, the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, the Division of State Service Centers, the state Office of Volunteerism and the Governor&rsquo;s Commission on Community and Volunteer Service. The honor will be formally given at a public dinner Oct. 6 in Dover. More information is available at <a href="http://www.volunteerdelaware.org/">VolunteerDelaware.org.</a> <br /> <br /> This marks the third consecutive year a Delaware Law program has been recognized. The school&rsquo;s Wills For Heroes program was honored in 2013, and its Veterans Law Clinic was honored last year.<br /> <br /> Widener University is a metropolitan university that connects curricula to social issues through civic engagement. Dynamic teaching, active scholarship, personal attention, applied leadership, and experiential learning are key components of the Widener experience.&nbsp; Its Delaware Law School is the First State&rsquo;s only law school, providing juris doctor, legal graduate and paralegal degree programs with an emphasis on developing legal professionals who reflect the Delaware Way and its traditions of civility, integrity and mutual respect. The school offers signature programs in corporate and business law, environmental law, family health law and policy, and trial advocacy. Widener University is proud to be tobacco free. Visit delawarelaw.widener.edu for more information.</p>
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