Elisabeth Haub School of Law Renames Its Mediation Clinic in Honor of Amelia A. Gould
Elisabeth Haub School of Law Renames Its Mediation Clinic in Honor of Amelia A. Gould
The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University has renamed its new Representation in Mediation Clinic in honor of Amelia A. Gould.
At the Gould Clinic, offered for the first time this fall semester, students under faculty supervision offer limited scope representation to pro se litigants whose cases have been referred to mediation. The Gould Clinic offers pro bono legal services to those who could not otherwise afford them and gives preference to minors and senior citizens.
Clinic students interview clients, assess interests, analyze claims, negotiate with opposing counsel, research legal issues, and prepare documents in connection with mediation proceedings. They then act as advocates in court-referred mediation proceedings.
The clinic is named after Amelia A. Gould, of Nassau County, N.Y., who died in 2017 and left her estate to a number of causes related to treating diseases, protecting children, and providing services to the elderly. Gould’s estate made gifts to programs at Pace University including a $750,000 grant for the Gould Clinic.
The Gould Clinic receives referrals from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, and CLUSTER, a community dispute resolution center serving Westchester and Rockland counties. The Westchester Surrogate’s Court refers cases suitable for mediation to CLUSTER, which then refers pro se litigants to the Clinic.
“Mediation is well suited for many Surrogate’s Court cases as the conflicts are often a mix of legal and non-legal issues,” said Danielle B. Shalov, director of the Gould Clinic.
“Emotions run high, and the parties often have long and complicated histories with one another. Many times, emotional barriers prevent the parties from advancing their case. Mediation is uniquely suited to help parties by providing a forum where all issues are addressed,” said Shalov, an adjunct professor at Haub Law who also teaches Advanced Appellate Advocacy, Forensic Evidence, and Mediation.
The district courts refer both civil rights cases and employment discrimination cases. A typical civil rights case may include complaints against police officers filed by individuals claiming excessive force or false arrest.
Employment discrimination cases allow students to work with clients who claim they were treated unfairly because of their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or age. These cases would include situations where the party (often times the only member of an identified group at their workplace) was systematically denied opportunities for advancement.
In all cases, students meet with and interview their clients, review documents, research applicable law to best counsel their clients prior to the mediation.
“In addition to the Gould Clinic, Haub Law offers client-representation clinical programs in criminal defense, environmental protection, food law, immigration, and investor rights,” said Haub Law Dean Horace Anderson. “In clinics, student interns represent clients who otherwise could not obtain legal assistance in criminal matters, civil litigation, arbitration, mediation, and transactional matters,” he said.
About Elisabeth Haub School of Law
Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University offers J.D. and Masters of Law degrees in both Environmental and International Law, as well as a Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) in Environmental Law. The school, housed on the University’s campus in White Plains, N.Y., opened its doors in 1976 and has over 8,500 alumni around the world. The school maintains a unique philosophy and approach to legal education that strikes an important balance between practice and theory.
Haub Law launched its Environmental Law Program in 1978, and it has long been ranked among the world’s leading university programs. Pace’s doctoral graduates teach environmental law at universities around the world. Pace’s J.D. alumni are prominent in environmental law firms, agencies and non-profit organizations across the U.S. and abroad. In 2016, the Law School received a transformational gift from the family of Elisabeth Haub, in recognition of its outstanding environmental law programs.
