The Jacob Burns Community Legal Clinics

The Jacob Burns Community Legal Clinics were founded in 1971, and were dedicated in 1991 to acknowledge the generous support of Jacob Burns (LLB '24, Hon. LLC '70). A longtime trustee of the University, Burns (1902-1993) was renowned as a lawyer, artist, and philanthropist. GW Law is proud to honor this significant contribution to the "uplifting and maintenance of the legal profession," and his fearless advocacy of the principle of "equal justice under the law."

The Clinics, an educational curriculum as well as a public interest legal practice with GW Law, provide a deep experiential learning environment for students as they represent clients and hone their skills. Clinic students, who are certified to practice as lawyers in a range of jurisdictions and at both the local and federal level, work directly with individual and organizational clients in matters involving intellectual property protection, transactional law, family law, appellate litigation, housing and health law, and more than a dozen practice areas in between. Students enjoy close supervision by law school faculty, gain real-world lawyering experience, and engage in professional development that increases their job marketability.

The Jacob Burns Community Legal Clinics are led by Clinic Director and Associate Dean for Experiential Programs Carmia Caesar, Clinic Faculty Director Jessica Steinberg, and Administrative Manager Milagros Tudela.