The BeyGOOD Foundation, founded by music icon Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, has given a $100,000 gift to support the University of Houston Law Center's Criminal Justice Clinic.
"I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center," said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. "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."
"We are so appreciative to the BeyGOOD Foundation for this impactful gift," added Eloise Brice, vice president for advancement and alumni at UH. "Our students will be able to benefit from practical, real-world experience and impart their expertise to members of our community who are need of their services."
The funding will ensure the Criminal Justice Clinic, one of nine in-house clinics at UHLC, has a full-time faculty and director, allowing more students to enroll in and benefit from the program. In addition, it will enhance the clinic's community outreach efforts that educate and assist the underserved communities neighboring the University.
"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." - Leonard Baynes, UHLC Dean
"The clinic provides a unique and valuable training experience for our students in how to navigate and work within the criminal justice system through client interaction, interviewing, counseling, negotiating, and oral and written advocacy," said J. Anna Cabot, clinical associate professor and assistant dean of clinical programs at UHLC.
"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."
Knowles-Carter, a Houston native and the most-decorated artist in Grammy history, launched BeyGOOD in 2013 on a mission to support organizations, institutions and people in transforming their communities into places of well-being, economic prosperity, generosity and justice.
Criminal defendants who are represented by highly trained attorneys receive more favorable outcomes than those who are not. Statistics show anywhere from 2-10% of individuals in prison were wrongfully convicted, or between 43,000-230,000 people. And according to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, defendants of color have worse criminal justice outcomes compared to white defendants.
"At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where 'everyone has the opportunity to prosper', as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings," Baynes said. "And 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."
