Florida State University College of Law students are set to become the change agents imperative to addressing society’s tide of systemic racism thanks to the recently established Racial Justice Advocacy Fund. Contributions aid students participating in the college’s Racial Justice Advocacy program, providing much-needed financial support to the future attorneys choosing to use their legal expertise to fight racial disparities, including voting rights, equal access to employment, education and more.

“Our commitment as a college has long been to serve the public interest and enable students to institute the change our communities demand. Paired with our distinguished programming and curriculum, the Racial Justice Advocacy Fund will ensure we do our part in confronting the inequity that remains in our institutions and leveraging the legal skills crucial to tackling these issues,” shared Erin O’Hara O’Connor, dean of the FSU College of Law.

Contributions to the Racial Justice Advocacy Fund will support stipends for students to offset the cost of traditionally unpaid work in areas of law where racial injustice is most prevalent, including externships, internships and programs through the Public Defender’s Office. Students will also have the opportunity to engage in racial equality-focused work with organizations like the NAACP, Color of Change, The Innocence Project, the National Urban League and the Consortium for Racial Justice and Social Reform, among others, to impact positive reform through our courts, trial work and advocacy.

“Though programs, such as those at Florida State, and nationwide law practices continue to serve as a pipeline for successful attorneys prepared to fight for racial justice, there’s always more we can be doing,” expressed Bruce Wiener (J.D., ’93), College of Law Board of Visitors member and founding contributor to the Racial Justice Advocacy Fund. “The collaborative endeavors behind initial funding of this important initiative will allow FSU to greatly enhance the number of students involved in these programs, and we hope others will join in supporting their efforts.”

Visit the FSU College of Law online for additional information on the Racial Justice Advocacy Fund and how to support.