News Archive
IU McKinney Students Put Skills to Work to Benefit Area Homeless
11/30/2022
IU McKinney law students worked with the IndyBar Public Outreach Committee on a pro bono project to assist Indianapolis-area people experiencing homelessness.
The Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention (CHIP) distributes thousands of its Handbook of Help, a listing of services available to individuals who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness, including Indianapolis area youth, formerly incarcerated individuals, and veterans.
The newest edition was updated by IU McKinney law student volunteers and Brittany Kelly, ’16, deputy director of the Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program (JLAP), in partnership with the IndyBar Public Outreach Committee.
IU McKinney students who worked on the project include Edgar Martinez, Adam Musters, John Oberdorf, Griffin O'Gara, Julie Nolan, and Jenna Cliatt.
Many people experience homelessness due to a lack of access to resources. The Handbook of Help serves Indianapolis residents experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness by thinking about peoples’ needs in a holistic way and breaking down barriers to access, according to Kelly.
“I am encouraged by this group of aspiring lawyers who saw the value in community outreach to help their neighbors in need,” she says. “The students did amazing work, even adding new resources that weren’t in the Handbook before.”
Martinez learned of the project in the Health and Human Rights course taught by Kelly at IU McKinney last year.
“Her teachings demonstrated that collaborative efforts among attorneys, social workers, and healthcare providers could help provide the resources needed to improve homelessness,” Martinez says. “Both my family and I experienced similar hardships earlier in my life. At a young age, I realized that a helping hand provides not only the means necessary to survive but also the encouragement needed to overcome any limiting barriers to succeed in life.”
The pro bono work reinforced an outlook that Martinez says he has learned in IU McKinney law school classes. “The rule of law can be used to help influence change for the betterment of society,” he says. “Working with CHIP has allowed me to help serve my community and strengthened my commitment to public service.”
