Students will serve as advisors to parties involved in proceedings in which a formal 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. 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 prepare for administrative proceedings before a Title IX hearing officer. Students also may help parties appeal hearing officer 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 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. Title IX proceedings involve allegations of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, or sexual harassment involving university affiliates.
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 2021
- 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 24, 1:30pm-4:30pm; additional training sessions will be held periodically throughout the year to address specific tasks and skills
- Skills used
- Interviewing; client counseling; evidence review; document review; legal writing; potential oral advocacy
- Project location
- At this time all investigative interviews and hearings are being conducted virtually via Zoom or Teams; students may be asked to meet with their client and/or witnesses in person subject to the same masking recommendations that apply to in-person events on the UT campus
- Number of student volunteers requested
- 10, including 5 team leads
- 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_0vqU8elMgACq0cu; applications submitted by Wednesday, September 15 will receive priority consideration