The
Street Law Clinic is directed by Professor Richard L. Roe. In addition
to directing the Street Law Clinic, Professor Roe established and
directs the D.C. Family Literacy Project, which helps incarcerated
parents of young children to build their capacities to develop their
children's literacy, and the Georgetown Even Start Project which works
with homeless families.
Professor
Roe received his J.D. degree in 1977 from the University of Maine
School of Law and is a 1969 graduate of Yale College. After law school,
from August 1977 to August 1983, Professor Roe was a Program Director
for the National Institute for Citizen Education in the Law, which
promotes law-related education by publishing curriculum, training
teachers and lawyers, and providing assistance in program implementation
in law schools, public and private school districts, and community
and other settings. His responsibilities included: instructing teachers,
attorneys and other persons in substantive law and educational methodology;
planning and writing curricula in practical law and law in American
history; the development of a practical law curriculum for adult basic
education and English as a second language; and training correctional
administrators.
Professor
Roe's professional activities include:
- presentations at the American Association of Law Schools workshops
on teaching theory and practice;
- presentations on "Children's Literature and the Law," "Family
Literacy for Incarcerated Parents," and "Family Literacy in Correctional
and Homeless Settings: Using Children's Books to Teach Parenting
Skills" at the National Conference on Family Literacy;
- numerous training sessions and workshops at law schools, correctional
programs, and national and local conferences on a wide variety of
legal topics and educational methods regarding teaching about the
law to laypersons.
- numerous presentations to international visitors about Street
Law, family literacy and Georgetown clinical programs and methodology.
Professor
Roe has written an article "Valuing Student Speech: The Work for the
Schools as Conceptual Development," 79 Cal. L. Rev. 1269 (1991). This
publication examines recent cognitive research and applies it to the
learning environment of schools and the role of students' expression
in schools. He is editor and co-author of Great Trials in American
History, Text and Teacher's Manual, West Publishing Company, 1985.
His present research focuses on how children develop their legal culture.
Charisma X. Howell is the Clinical Fellow for the DC Street Law Clinic for 2006-2008. She assists with the instruction, observation and assessment of the participating law students as well as with clinic administration for special projects. Clinic seminar topics include criminal, torts, consumer, housing, family, and individual rights law. Further, Ms. Howell is responsible for writing the mock trial used in a citywide mock trial competition for high school students.
Ms. Howell attended Arizona State University achieving a BS in Management with an emphasis in Small Business and Entrepreneurship and obtained her law degree from California Western School of Law in San Diego, California.
During her law school career Ms. Howell amassed numerous academic and trial skills related awards. In 2005, Ms. Howell was a participant in the Institute for Criminal Defense Advocacy's Trial Skills Academy. Although the only student among 75 trial attorneys, Ms. Howell was named "Best Advocate." She won a not guilty verdict in her first criminal jury trial as a Post Bar Clerk for the San Diego County Public Defenders Office. Ms. Howell has worked for the Honorable Judge John A. Houston of the United States District Court, Southern District of California and also interned at the California Innocence project which seeks the release of wrongfully convicted prisoners in California.
While in law school, Ms. Howell assisted in the organization and facilitation of the Summer Law High Program and taught Street Law at an elementary school whose student body is comprised largely of homeless and "at-risk" students. Ms. Howell created and implemented law school pipeline programs aimed at sparking the interest of high school and middle school students in the legal profession. She has mediated cases in Small Claims Court and Juvenile Hall. She also participated in the Bail Project, a unique clinic which allowed law students to interview recent arrestees in jail, to obtain information for bail representation, provide advice as to rights, address concerns arising from incarceration and an opportunity to the represent the client at bail and arraignment hearings.
Revised December 18, 2006
(MA)
