Third-year student Debra Haas has received a LAGBAC Scholarship grant to work in the law school’s Pro Bono Clinic. Haas will focus her time on the Pro Bono Clinic’s Name and Gender Marker Change Project. She plans to use the grant to expand the current services to clients of the clinic and help develop new educational and outreach programs to the transgender community in Chicago.
“I helped this past spring semester with the Name and Gender Marker Change Project and wanted to continue to help this summer. As a proud member of the LGBT community, I realize the extraordinary barriers and discrimination our Trans community faces on a daily basis. By helping members of the Trans community obtain personal documents such as drivers licenses, state IDs, birth certificates and social security cards that match their preferred true selfs, it can dramatically change a person’s life. Real barriers to almost every aspect of life, employment, housing, can be lifted. It’s an empowering and important project, and I’m happy to help,” said Haas, who also is the president of John Marshall’s OUTLaw student organization.
The LAGBAC Scholarship is awarded by the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago Foundation to support law students working full-time over the summer for a qualified public interest organization. Recipients must work 300 hours to 400 hours over a 10-week period.
