Third-Year Kevin Hempy Selected for 2019 Rural Summer Legal Corps Fellowship
May 23, 2019 | Rising third-year law student Kevin Hempy was selected as one of thirty law students for the Rural Summer Legal Corps (RSLC), an initiative funded by Equal Justice Works and the Legal Services Corporation. Kevin was assigned to serve at Prairie State Legal Services where he will implement service models to assist low-income persons seeking expungement or other remedies to address past criminal records that impact his or her ability to access jobs or housing.
From Equal Justice Works and Legal Services Corporation:
"The Rural Summer Legal Corps allows legal aid programs in rural America to serve significantly more people than they could otherwise," explains LSC President James J. Sandman. "The 30 Student Fellows are smart, passionate, and committed to providing excellent service, and we hope that they will become part of the next generation of career legal aid lawyers."
Launched in 2016, RSLC places law students at LSC-funded civil legal aid organizations that serve rural and isolated communities across the United States and its territories. Student Fellows spend eight to ten weeks during the summer gaining hands-on experience helping to provide direct legal services, engaging in community outreach and education, and building capacity at the organizations where they serve.
Kevin will be joining 29 other public interest law students in addressing pressing legal issues facing rural communities in the areas of housing, domestic violence, public benefits, migrant farmworkers, Native American, and family law. Next week, Kevin and the RSLC Fellows will travel to Washington D.C. for a three-day training on public interest law and the unique challenges and benefits of working with legal clients in a rural setting.
Meet Kevin, and view the full announcement here.