New ASU Alumni Law Group bridging gap between school, practice

Dean Douglas Sylvester of the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law was quoted in a June 17 article in U.S. News and World Report entitled, “Consider Law Schools with In-House Firms, Incubators.”

Reporter Delece Smith-Barrow reported on school-based firms in which new attorneys may spend up to three years honing their skills, and she included the new ASU Alumni Law Group, opening this fall. The nonprofit, fee-for-service law firm – modeled after teaching hospitals – will help bridge the gap between law school and practice by hiring and training recent ASU law graduates in the practical aspects of lawyering, and further preparing them to succeed in the legal market.

It will partner with other ASU initiatives focused on improving Arizona’s economy and quality of life, and will provide low-cost, high-quality legal services to a wide variety of clients, including those who cannot afford market rates. Proceeds from the firm will go toward student scholarships.

Sylvester told Smith-Barrow that the firm will hire about 10 alumni as associates, who will be supervised by approximately six experienced partners.