When the subject of social justice comes up, Marni Lennon, J.D. ’95, M.S.Ed. ’98, assistant dean for public interest and pro bono in the University of Miami School of Law, rattles off a few of her favorite films, including Dead Man Walking, Crash, and Grand Canyon. Then she settles on one of the most famous lawyers ever written into a novel—the iconic do-gooder Atticus Finch, who defended a black Alabama man in the Pulitzer Prize-winning book To Kill a Mockingbird. “The key players in these films strive to make access to justice a reality,” Lennon says. “They are dedicated to making sure the system stays on its proper course.”

Lennon knows a lot about getting things back on course. She was an ambitious student entering law school in 1992 (the year Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida). “I had just come from the riots in L.A., and the idea of sitting in class and learning about law in the 1800s while people were struggling to get their lives back in order didn’t appeal to me.”

Upon graduation, the law school dean called Lennon and said, “I hear you have some strong feelings about what we could be doing for our students and our community.” He offered her a new position: dean’s liaison to students.

Fast-forward 13 years, and Lennon is now the pioneer of the H.O.P.E. (Helping Others Through Pro Bono Efforts) Public Interest Resource Center, which runs more than 25 advocacy and outreach projects each year for underserved and at-risk populations locally, nationally, and abroad. Lennon believes that law schools should do whatever they can to encourage lawyers to go into public service, and she appreciates support from deans and faculty at the School of Law toward this goal.

“It’s part of the process of promoting access to justice, and that’s at the core of what lawyering is supposed to be,” says Lennon, who was appointed last year to serve on the National Advisory Committee for Equal Justice Works. “It’s about problem solving, protection, and fairness—and while they all sound like lofty goals and ideals, it doesn’t mean we should forget them in the educational process.”

Lennon has spent the last seven years developing the H.O.P.E. Fellows Program, which provides students a $3,000 stipend to do public interest work for a summer at nonprofit agencies, NGOs, and government organizations. Selected based on an application, interview, placement agreement, and project proposal, H.O.P.E. fellows delve into such areas of law as human rights, immigration, children’s advocacy, disability rights, housing, and employment discrimination. When rising second- and third-year law students apply for H.O.P.E. fellowships, Lennon asks pointed questions to pinpoint their motivation.

“That’s when I hear who they really are and why they really want to make a difference,” Lennon says. “That’s what takes a fellow candidate from being a kind, sensitive individual to someone who wants to fight for change, someone who won’t stop.”

For many students, however, the hefty loans they must pay upon graduation detracts from the appeal of public interest law as a career. To alleviate some of the financial burden, the School of Law’s Public Interest Program offers an $18,000 interest-free loan applied to third-year tuition that does not have to be paid back if the recipient works in qualified public interest or service positions for two years after graduation. Another initiative, the Public Interest Scholarship, offers full-time School of Law students who have demonstrated an “exceptional commitment to public interest/public service” an $8,000 scholarship as well as “educational and networking opportunities with the Bench and the Bar.”

Lennon also says that part of her mission is to identify students who have interesting backgrounds and make connections for them so they don’t lose their idealism. Miami magazine caughtup with five of last summer’s 15 fellows, and evidently not one had lost his or her idealism. In fact, most fellows are energized and motivated not by fictional Finch-like characters but by the real-life people they worked with. Here’s what they had to say about their experiences.

Second-year law student Robert Diznoff spent his summer at the Human Services Coalition in Miami, where he learned that social service programs are not necessarily accessible to all. He continued to volunteer there in the fall semester, earning two credits toward his law degree.

As an intern I came in wearing an ironed shirt and pants, and I was thrown into this world I knew nothing about. Working in the Policy Department, I researched and authored policy papers on housing, tax and budget issues, and barriers to health care programs. By producing materials on policy and providing forums for community members to educate themselves, we work directly to strengthen popular democracy.

At times, the voices of many go unheard and their needs go unaddressed. Ther are entitlement programs, but sometimes the government restricts access to these things because they cost money. Most information is online, but a lot of people don’t have access to a computer. Many people don’t have a permanent address. Miami is a non-homogenous community, and people are largely isolated. So you need people helping these people access the data they ask for.

Working at the Human Services Coalition has further reinforced my chosen career path in public service, but more significantly it taught me the importance of creating and shaping sound policy that truly reflects the needs and concerns of the less fortunate. Everyone has the right to health care, an affordable place to live, and an education. I’m still pretty idealistic. The dream hasn’t been shattered yet.

Third-year law student Niya Fonville, who also is a participant in the Public Interest Program and a recipient of the Public Interest Scholarship, spent her summer in North Carolina at the Council for Children’s Rights. Inspired by her mother, who raised five girls, and her sister, who teaches special-needs kids, she chose a career in law “to use the legal system to address the needs of children.”

When you have a face with the story, you can’t imagine how it affects you. The kids I met were subjected to unimaginable circumstances at the hands of people who were supposed to protect them. The importance of education in society is undeniable, and we must strive to assure that all are afforded the opportunity to obtain it. This includes ridding school systems of zero-tolerance policies and finding alternatives to removing students from the education system.

One case involved a 14-year-old boy who was facing a long-term suspension. He was surprised when the school dismissed the case, but I told him, ‘You’ve made some mistakes, but you’re not a bad kid.’ As a lawyer, I think you have an obligation to go beyond the case and realize that these people need to have hope.

On my computer I keep a statement that helps me remember my calling: “If I can intervene in the life of one child, ease the pain of one family and the damage done to one community, I will know that I have contributed a ripple of hope. With every intervention these ripples will grow until they become a mighty current aimed at destroying stereotypes and injustices embedded in our legal system and in our communities regarding these ‘troubled’ kids.”

Third-year law student Sarah King also is a participant in the Public Interest Program and a recipient of the Public Interest Scholarship. She spent her summer at the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) in Geneva, Switzerland. There she had the opportunity to attend a few Human Rights Council sessions, including a session on Gaza, Israel, and the West Bank presented by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Desmond Tutu spoke about divisive issues, and he delivered his report with passion. I felt lucky to have been there, and it was among so many opportunities I had to sit in a room filled with people from around the world who could teach me something new just by telling me about their day.

Early in the summer I helped write an urgent appeal for a Nigerian woman’s case. During the summer we were in communication with an ambassador from Greece about the case, but wedidn’t get details on the woman’s status. On my last day at the OMCT I found out that her case had been brought to the right authorities and that she would have a chance to be reviewed again. Had we not intervened, she very likely would have been deported back to Nigeria, where she faced possible torture, abuse, and even death.

Being in Geneva, which is such an international city, I was exposed to so many different people, cultures, and viewpoints as part of my everyday life. The work that I did opened me up to the hardships faced by women across the world and helped me to consider issues I might never have thought of. I often felt empowered and humbled in the same afternoon.

Third-year law student Jason Wade completed his H.O.P.E. fellowship at the Housing Division of the Office of Development for the City of New Orleans. He worked among employees from the local city government as well as from FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers, helping people begin the process of rebuilding their homes and getting back on their feet after Hurricane Katrina.

The people who came into the office, whose lives had been destroyed, were surprisingly positive considering all that they had been through. Quite a few people came in with stories about how they tried to comply with the laws in rebuilding their homes, only to have thieves come in the middle of the night and steal all of the supplies they bought, or even pull up the newly installed floors, tiling, and roofing. I learned from this experience that New Orleanians are very strong, resilient, spirited people. Now more than ever, I believe that if we turn a blind eye to the struggles of our fellow Americans, we will no doubt lose the ability to call ourselves a county.

The most frustrating part of the experience was dealing with government overlap, which turned some problems that seemed simple into adventures of epic proportions. Of course, there were many victories too. One day, I helped an elderly man retrieve his house from the jaws of a bulldozer. This man came in with an oxygen tank; he was an army veteran who’d fought in two wars, and his house had been placed on the demolition list. We were able to not only get the house off the list but also take care of all the basic problems with his property.

Second-year law student Allison Perez chose a H.O.P.E. fellowship that would give her firsthand legal experience. At the Dade County Legal Aid Society in Miami, she cut her teeth on real cases while helping to educate people on their rights and the resources available to them.

The only thing I knew for certain was my desire to work on the “front lines” and gain amazing, hands-on experience. I feel passionately that our community suffers from a serious lack of access to the legal system and resources. As Mahatma Ghandi said: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” So I felt compelled to help educate people as to what their rights are, what resources are available to them, and where they can turn to find such resources.

There was one case, for example, in which we had to petition the court every step of the way to sell a house. I helped draft every motion. They don’t teach you fabulous things like drafting a motion in law school. It’s on-the-job training, especially after your first year, when it’s all theory.

In this role, being a good investigator can make or break you. If you can find out where people live, you can serve them. If you can find out where they work, you can attempt to garnish their wages for child support payments. And if you have the mastery of the law behind you, that’s obviously the golden ticket. Not only did I learn how to be a better lawyer from my work this summer, I feel I also learned to be a better person.

Jill Bauer is a book author and freelance writer in Miami, Florida.