HOUSTON – The University of Houston Law Center (UHLC) is celebrating a transformative $100,000 gift from the BeyGOOD Foundation, founded by Houston’s own music superstar, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.
This generous contribution will support the Law Center’s Criminal Justice Clinic, enhancing its ability to provide pro bono legal services and hands-on legal training for students.
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“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of UHLC. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”
The Criminal Justice Clinic, one of nine in-house clinics at UHLC, provides students with practical legal experience through client interaction, interviewing, counseling, negotiating, and advocacy.
The $100,000 gift will fund a full-time faculty director for the clinic, increasing the student enrollment and enhancing outreach efforts to assist underserved communities near the university.
“We are so appreciative to the BeyGOOD Foundation for this impactful gift,” said Eloise Brice, vice president for advancement and alumni at UH. “Our students will benefit from real-world experience and impart their expertise to members of our community who are [in] need of their services.”
Criminal defendants with access to highly trained attorneys are statistically more likely to receive favorable outcomes.
This emphasizes the clinic’s critical role in bridging the gap for underserved populations, especially minorities within our community, who often face worse criminal justice outcomes.
According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, racial disparities remain a significant challenge within the legal system.
J. Anna Cabot, clinical associate professor and assistant dean of clinical programs at UHLC, highlighted the clinic’s dual mission of education and service. “We’re teaching future attorneys not only legal and lawyering skills but also how to critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the system so they can serve communities that lack options for effective and ethical legal representation.”
The BeyGOOD Foundation’s mission to create economic prosperity, justice, and well-being aligns with UHLC’s vision of ensuring equitable access to legal representation.
Beyoncé, a Houston native and the most-decorated artist in Grammy history, founded BeyGOOD in 2013 to support organizations and initiatives that uplift communities.
“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions,” said Baynes. “[Together], through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas, and the nation.”
The funding marks a significant step forward in addressing disparities within the criminal justice system and nurturing a new wave of compassionate, highly skilled legal professionals dedicated to service and justice.
