Students will serve as advisors to parties involved in proceedings in which a complaint has been filed in relation to alleged conduct covered by Title IX of the Higher Education Amendments Act of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs or activities, and/or by UT Handbook of Operating Procedures 3-3031 (Prohibition of Sexual Assault, Interpersonal Violence, Stalking, Sexual Harassment, and Sex Discrimination). Students will help parties prepare for investigative interviews; identify and submit relevant evidence; review pre-hearing investigative reports and submit comments concerning those reports; and, in some cases, prepare for administrative proceedings before a Title IX hearing officer or University disciplinary body. Students also may help parties appeal disciplinary determinations. Students will work in teams, and students selected as team leads may appear with parties in Title IX hearings, where they will be responsible for asking direct and cross examination questions on behalf of their advisee. The law school’s advisor program will be available to complainants and respondents involved in Title IX proceedings, but student volunteers may choose to participate in the program only as complainant-advisors or respondent-advisors.
Organization
Title IX Project, Mithoff Pro Bono Program
The Title IX Project is an internal project of the Richard and Ginni Mithoff Pro Bono Program, operated in partnership with The University of Texas at Austin Title IX Office.
Project Details
- Website
- https://www.law.utexas.edu/probono/for-the-public/pro-bono-program-clinics/title-ix-project/
- Project Start Date
September 2022
- Approximate hours of work requested
- 20-50 hours over the course of the academic year, including training sessions; after the initial training session, students will be assigned to cases on a rolling basis as referrals are received
- Training
- Friday, September 16, 3:30pm-4:30pm (Zoom link via Canvas) AND Saturday, September 17, 1pm-4pm (Sheffield-Massey Room, TNH 2.111) (lunch provided at 12:30pm); attendance at the September 17 training session is required but a recording of the September 16 session will be available for volunteers who cannot attend that session
- Skills used
- Interviewing; client counseling; evidence review; document review; legal writing; potential oral advocacy
- Project location
- Students will conduct some advisee and attorney supervisor meetings in person; at this time all investigative interviews and hearings are being conducted virtually via Zoom or Teams
- Number of student volunteers requested
- 40
- Class year preference
- 1L, 2L, 3L, LLM
- Required skills
- Participation in the Title IX Advisors Program will require participants to be exposed to and be willing to discuss scenarios of alleged sexual assault, sexual exploitation, non-consensual sexual contact and/or other inappropriate sexual conduct; students with experience in team or project management and/or in oral advocacy are encouraged to apply for team lead roles
- To Apply
- Submit an application online at https://utexas.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6rlKDeIKNrZqk4e; applications submitted by noon on Friday, September 2 will receive priority consideration