Downtown center opens; hub of community based research, service
BY LINDA EVANS
Editor, RichmondNow
The University has opened “UR Downtown” as a hub for legal and social services to the community as well as service, learning and research activities for undergraduate students and partner organizations.
Following restoration of the former Franklin Federal Savings & Loan building at 626 E. Broad St., UR Downtown opened for limited service in January. The University marked the official opening with a series of open houses in March, when donors, community leaders, partners and the general public toured the finished facility.
The downtown center is serving Richmond families through three programs: the Richmond Families Initiative, the Harry L. Carrico Center for Pro Bono Service and the Family Law Clinic.
“UR Downtown embodies a lot of what I hope the University will develop over the next decade—a presence in the city, a collaboration across schools, a partnership with other universities and a meaningful way to matter to Richmond,” said President Edward Ayers.
“The center continues the law school’s long history of community engagement and clinical learning,” said John G. Douglass, dean of Richmond School of Law.
“One of the strengths of the law school is that it is in a remarkably large, diverse legal community,” said Douglass. “This creates a rich opportunity for learning.” The center’s location makes the programs “more accessible to the bar, to potential clients and to the many community partner organizations with which we’ll be working.”
The law school and the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement collaborated to develop UR Downtown to allow for practical education that also assists underserved citizens.
The Wilton Companies spent $6 million to renovate the building and is providing use of a first-floor suite for UR Downtown. The renovation was both a historic and green project, and the University has applied for a gold certification by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) as a green building with minimal environmental impact.
Rich Johnson, president and CEO of the Wilton Companies and a University trustee, said, “We are pleased to be able to support UR’s efforts to enable its students and faculty to use its resources to serve our community.”
The 5,000 square feet of space designated for UR Downtown, represents about a $1 million contribution to the University from the Wilton Companies.
Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones (l) greets Harry L. Carrico, for whom the pro bono service center is named, at the opening celebration for UR Downtown.
The three programs comprising UR Downtown include:
- The Richmond Families Initiative. Under the direction of program manager Judy Mejia of the Bonner Center, faculty and undergraduate students will conduct research and analyze programs run by local agencies to support area families. The agencies will use the information to enhance their effectiveness and develop new programs.
- The Harry L. Carrico Center for Pro Bono Service. Law professor Tara Casey will direct this program, which provides legal services to low-income victims of domestic violence seeking protective orders or those seeking no-fault divorces. More than a dozen law students are receiving training to serve the needs of such victims. The no-fault divorce program is responding to an immediate need, since there is a three-month waiting list for that service at the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society.
- The Family Law Clinic. A multidisciplinary project of the law school’s National Center for Family Law and Virginia Common-wealth University, the clinic is directed by law professor Dale Margolin, who will supervise up to 10 law students a year in representing clients. Graduate students in VCU’s social work and psychology departments will work alongside UR students and faculty to ensure that clients have access to psychological care, counseling and social work services.