Emily Chiang, Associate Professor of Law at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, will be recognized as the University of Utah Engaged Scholar of the Year on March 28 at the Community Engagement Recognition Luncheon to be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Union Pano East room.
The purpose of the awards is to recognize the work of outstanding faculty, staff, students, and community partners at member institutions statewide.
Chiang was nominated by members of the College of Law’s Clinical Program faculty and staff for her work with the Public Policy Clinic, one of the first “hybrid” clinics at the College of Law. Students in the practicum class/clinic work under Chiang’s supervision to address current civil rights and public policy issues faced by the community. Working as a small legal team, students reflect upon and learn from each other’s experiences as they strategize about solutions. From 2009 – 2011, students focused on indigent defense reform, partnering with the ACLU of Utah to draft “Failing Gideon: Utah’s Flawed County-by-County Public Defender System.” In 2011 – 2012, students worked on school-to-prison-pipeline issues in Utah and collaborated with the ACLU to provide legal analysis on more than a dozen bills pending before the state legislature, including drafting language in a bill that was adopted during the 2012 legislative session. Although the College of Law Clinical Program has long provided opportunities for students to engage in service work, the Public Policy Practicum/Clinic is a unique opportunity to promote law reform on behalf of disadvantaged groups.