The criteria for the award are:

  1.  The case or project either: 

effectively calls attention to and/or significantly redresses a high priority need of underserved or low income residents or communities; ormakes a notable or meaningful contribution to the advancement of civil rights, civil liberties, human rights, legal services for the underrepresented, environmental protection, or consumer protection; and

  2.  The case or project has been carried out in conformity with the highest standards of professional conduct and competence; and

  3.  The case or project serves as an inspiring model for engaging in legal work under challenging conditions in furtherance of the common good.

2024 Award:

CLEA has awarded the 2025 Excellence in a Public Interest Case or Project to the Credible Fear Interview Orientation Project from CUNY Law’s Immigrant and Non-Citizens Rights Clinic. Designed by Professor Nermeen Arastu in collaboration with Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center and the ACLU of New Mexico, this project — in the words of its nominators — has developed new protocols for credible fear interview representation, significantly expanded access to counsel, and created unique models for collaboration and innovation. 

CLEA has also designated two honorable mentions for 2025, to the Heinz Afghan Asylum Project, University of Pittsburgh School of Law and the Representation of Henry Pachnowski, American University Washington College of Law Immigrant Justice Clinic and UC-Irvine Law Criminal Justice Clinic.

Credible Fear interview Orientation Project

In the wake of ongoing challenges in providing legal services at the border in recent years, Professor Arastu worked with LAIAC and ACLU-NM to design a new legal services model that allows CUNY Law clinic students to provide full, limited scope remote representation. In just 18 months students worked with nearly 150 individuals detained by ICE. Students worked tirelessly and on rapid timelines on clinical projects. Beyond providing much needed assistance to a vulnerable population, this innovative model also promoted student learning in profound ways, as described by a few student reflections:

 “For me in particular, having grown up with my undocumented community [,] . . . it was really important to be working within a community that is very deprived of resources in addition to being marginalized. It was a really great experience to be able to bring legal resources, connections and aid, but also just to be there as someone who has experience with the ways that the immigration system really impacts undocumented communities.”

 “[W]hen you’re doing detained work, if you make a mistake, the stakes are very, very high. . . . Anyone in a situation like this would want the best imaginable lawyer. We went in as law students . . . eager to do right by our clients but we weren’t sure how much we could really do.”

 “This has shown me the kind of lawyer I want to be.”

 The innovative, influential, and vital CFIO Project demonstrates how truly creative and meaningful clinical work can affect the lives of clients and help our students develop as lawyers committed to social justice and the public good. CLEA is thrilled to honor this project and Professor Arastu with this year’s Excellence in a Public Interest Case or Project Award.

Honorable Mention: Heinz Afghan Asylum Project, University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

Directed by Prof. Sheila I. Velez Martinez, this project addresses the humanitarian crisis in the wake of the 2021 evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and has provided comprehensive pro bono legal representation to 41 families encompassing 135 asylum seekers. The clinic has maintained a 100% success rate for all adjudicated asylum cases; at least one family has attained Legal Permanent Resident status, and has trained nearly 40 volunteer attorneys in asylum law via CLE trainings.

Honorable Mention:  Representation of Henry Pachnowski, American University Washington College of Law Immigrant Justice Clinic and UC-Irvine Law Criminal Justice Clinic.

Led by Prof. Jayesh Rathod (AUWCL) with Prof. Katie Tinto (UCI), this project assisted an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor who had lived in the United States for over 70 years as a stateless person. The clinics worked to mitigate the client’s unjust criminal convictions (for marijuana possession and consensual sexual contact with another man) and worked on his naturalization process, which he achieved last fall.

Prior award recipients:

2021: Irwin County Detention Center Project, Collaboration of Harvard Law School, University of Georgia School of Law, Texas A&M School of Law, Columbia Law School, and Boston University School of Law.

2020: University of Chicago Law School, Federal Criminal Justice Clinic

2019: University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law, Legislation Clinic

2018: Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Health Justice Project

2017: Justice Lab at Temple University Beasley School of Law

2016: University of Denver Sturm College of Law, Civil Rights Clinic; and

Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University, Law Reform Advocacy Clinic 

2015: Saint Louis University School of Law Legal Clinics

2014: Charlotte Law School, Civil Rights Clinic's "Ban the Box" Campaign  

2013: CUNY School of Law, CLEAR Project's "Mapping Muslims" Report

2012: Alabama School of Law, Tornado Relief Assistance Project; and

Quinnipiac School of Law, Civil Justice Clinic

2011: Albany Law School, Civil Rights & Disability Law Project

2010: University of Miami School of Law, Health and Elder Law Clinic

2009: University of Washington School of Law, Environmental Law Clinic

2008: Rutgers-Newark School of Law, Constitutional Litigation Clinic

2007: Tulane School of Law, Criminal Law Clinic

2006: Golden Gate University, Southeast San Francisco Energy Project

2005: Florida State University College of Law, Children's Advocacy Center

Maryland School of Law, Walter Henry Arvinger Legal Defense Team

2004: University of Chicago Law School, Police Accountability Project; and

CUNY School of Law, Clinical Programs

2003: University of Miami School of Law, Foster Children’s Mental Health Project

2002: University of Denver School of Law, predatory lending project