Seattle U Law’s Moderate Means Program (MMP) was created to help individuals of moderate means (200 to 400 percent of federal poverty level) access civil legal services. These individuals often cannot afford attorneys but make too much to qualify for income-restricted legal aid.
- An ATJI Partnership Project operated in collaboration with the Washington State Bar Association and two other law schools in the state.
- Seattle U Law was the first law school to implement the program, in 2001.
The purpose of MMP is to increase access to civil legal services for individuals of moderate means (between 200 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level) who cannot afford to hire private attorneys at market rates but make too much money to qualify for traditional civil legal aid services. Through this program, eligible clients can get assistance in family, consumer, and housing law.
For more information about MMP.
Benefits
- Gain satisfaction helping moderate-income individuals who may not have access to legal assistance
- Build and hone your interviewing skills by working directly with clients
- Learn to use the Legal Server database, used by most of the civil legal aid organizations
- Receive training in substantive legal areas of family, housing, and consumer law, as well as how to issue-spot quickly and efficiently
- Hone your legal research, analysis, and writing skills
- Get detailed feedback from supervising attorneys
- Gain an understanding of the larger legal network by providing referrals
- Earn Pro Bono Pledge hours, and fulfill the professional skills requirement.
Note – Participation does not count toward your clinic or externship credit limits.
Participate
As a law student, you have two options to participate in the MMP:
- Fall or Spring Practicum (semester-long course) which offers 3 credits. Open to 2Ls and 3Ls.
Time commitment:
- Attend a class held two days per week, for three weeks, lasting one hour and 15 minutes.
- Commit to 8 hours per week for the remainder of the semester (once the initial training is complete)
- Once you complete the practicum, you can continue to work at MMP on a volunteer basis.
- Summer Internship (10 weeks, full-time or part-time) which is unpaid. Open to rising 2Ls (students who have completed their 1L year), and rising 3Ls.
Time commitment:
- Commit to a part-time internship of at least six hours per week or a full-time internship of 37.5 hours per week.
- Participate in intensive initial three-week training on family, housing and consumer law, client interviewing, professionalism and ethics, and program protocols and systems. Upon completion, students must perform intakes and make referrals for a minimum of 6 hours per week.
- Students who complete the summer internship are invited to continue to work at MMP on a volunteer basis.
