CLEA established this award to honor and recognize a case or project that truly contributes to the public good. The award may be given to an individual law student or a team of law students in a clinical program, to a clinic or clinical program, or to a group of clinics or clinical programs working collaboratively.

The criteria for the award are:  

1. The case or project:  

• effectively calls attention to and/or significantly redresses a high priority need of underserved or low-income residents or communities; or  
• makes a notable or meaningful contribution to the advancement of civil rights, civil liberties, human rights, legal services for the underrepresented, environmental protection, or consumer protection

2. The case or project has been carried out in conformity with the highest standards of professional conduct and competence; and 

3. The case or project serves as an inspiring model for engaging in legal work under challenging conditions in furtherance of the common good. 

Prior award recipients:

2022: University of Maine School of Law’s Refugee and Human Rights Clinic and Cornell Law School’s Death Penalty Program

2021: Irwin County Detention Center Project, Collaboration of Harvard Law School, University of Georgia School of Law, Texas A&M School of Law, Columbia Law School, and Boston University School of Law

2020: University of Chicago Law School, Federal Criminal Justice Clinic

2019: University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law, Legislation Clinic

2018: Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Health Justice Project

2017: Justice Lab at Temple University Beasley School of Law

2016: University of Denver Sturm College of Law, Civil Rights Clinic; and

Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University, Law Reform Advocacy Clinic 

2015: Saint Louis University School of Law Legal Clinics

2014: Charlotte Law School, Civil Rights Clinic's "Ban the Box" Campaign  

2013: CUNY School of Law, CLEAR Project's "Mapping Muslims" Report

2012: Alabama School of Law, Tornado Relief Assistance Project; and

Quinnipiac School of Law, Civil Justice Clinic

2011: Albany Law School, Civil Rights & Disability Law Project

2010: University of Miami School of Law, Health and Elder Law Clinic

2009: University of Washington School of Law, Environmental Law Clinic

2008: Rutgers-Newark School of Law, Constitutional Litigation Clinic

2007: Tulane School of Law, Criminal Law Clinic

2006: Golden Gate University, Southeast San Francisco Energy Project

2005: Florida State University College of Law, Children's Advocacy Center

Maryland School of Law, Walter Henry Arvinger Legal Defense Team

2004: University of Chicago Law School, Police Accountability Project; and

CUNY School of Law, Clinical Programs

2003: University of Miami School of Law, Foster Children’s Mental Health Project

2002: University of Denver School of Law, predatory lending project