Pro Bono, En Masse

Pro bono work is one of the pillars of applied legal ethics, and the practice is exemplified nowhere better than the University of Miami School of Law’s Center for Ethics and Public Service . Directed by professor Anthony V. Alfieri, the Historic Black Church Program daringly reimagines community outreach by taking assertive pro-active stands on any issue likely to affect disenfranchised communities.”

The Historic Black Church Program currently maintains over sixty partnerships with faith-based groups, nonprofit corporations, civic associations, and neighborhood associations, seeking to both preserve and strengthen communities of color. “One partnership halted the discriminatory placement of a City of Coral Gables municipal bus depot in the historically segregated neighborhood of Coconut Grove Village West, effected the cleanup of nearly a dozen contaminated municipal parks in Miami and established the groundwork for the Florida class action litigation in Styles v. City of Miami, and facilitated the mobilization of a fair-and-affordable housing coalition of Black churches, civic associations, and tenant and homeowner organizations now operating under the auspices of a recently formed nonprofit,” said Alfieri.

The program’s positive effects in the community can also be seen through their Health Disparities Project, which addressed concerns of disproportionate health impacts associated with the pandemic within their community. The Project brought together an interdisciplinary consortium, including Miller School of Medicine, the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, the University of Miami Richter Library, and the Department of Geography and Regional Studies, to develop holistic solutions to the public health concerns of underserved communities.

The Historic Church Program is a case of connecting the practical knowledge of scholars and professionals with those most in need. You can learn more about the program here, and for more info on their history in Miami-Dade, check out their “Oral History Film Project” of five films documenting the history of public school segregation and environmental injustice in the City of Miami.

Has ethics made a difference at your institution over time? Contact Alexis Jimenez Maldonado, alexismaldonado@fas.harvard.edu, with ideas for forthcoming Spotlights.