Clark Holds Forum On Public Interest

In a heated meeting with about 200 law students yesterday, Dean Robert C. Clark described his vision of the Law School as an institution of teaching and research--not one that should place special priority on training future public interest attorneys.

Clark, who has been under fire since his September decision to close the school's placement office that advised students interested in non-profit careers, said that he recognized the "moral" value of legal services, but said that the Law School had duties in other areas as well.

The dean began the forum, his first public dialogue with students on the public interest law question, with an admission that he has not successfully conveyed his position on the controversial topic.

"I don't think my framework for approaching [the issue] has been effectively communicated by me," Clark said. "Imagine if you were in my shoes."

But Clark did not say his decision to eliminate the specialized career office had been a mistake.

After Clark's decision last fall, hundreds of students and several alumni and professors gathered for a protest rally in the student center, and more than half the student body later signed a petition calling for the restoration of the positions.

Clark responded by establishing a faculty-student public interest action committee to define the Law School's commitment to public interest law and make recommendations on how to carry itout.

In his speech yesterday, Clark said that asdean he had to spread limited resources among avariety of funding needs, including facultyresearch, clinical programs and public interestfellowships.

While he said research and the clinicalprograms--which give students hands-on experienceworking with poor clients--were appropriatechannels for Law School money, Clark said he feltthat in most cases he would oppose internallyfunding more public interest programs.

Clark announced however that an outside donorhad established an endowment that each year willfund four public interest fellows to come to theLaw School.(See related story.)

After his speech, Clark faced an hour ofsometimes heated questioning from studentsgathered in Pound Hall.

Nearly every student comment was critical ofClark, with many questioning his commitment topublic interest law and others attacking theadministration's recent decision to increasetuition by 8 percent.

"It's your school and the alumni's school, butit's not being treated as our school," said onestudent.

Steven R. Donziger, a member of the EmergencyCoalition for Public Interest Placement, listedstatistics showing that a large majority ofAmericans cannot afford adequate legalrepresentation. "I want to know that you'rebothered," he said to Clark.

A calm Clark gave short, measured responses tomost of the student questions, and afterwardscalled it "a good exchange of views." "I thoughtit was fun," he said.

During his speech to students Clarkacknowledged the importance of volunteerism andsocial service, but said that Law School graduateswho pursued private careers made importantcontribution to society.

"I believe most good things affecting humannature are produced in private wealth," Clarksaid.

He said the Law School should "be run to servethe public interest," and the best way to do thatis to further research and teaching.

"The corollary of my view is that [the LawSchool] oughtn't to put a major amount of fundinginto the production of legal services," he said,adding that legal services are "not what we'rebasically about as an institution."

"The primary stress [of the Law School] oughtto be on generating and disseminating knowledgeabout the legal system," Clark said.

Clark said that Harvard's ability to conductresearch is unique among law schools while manyother groups specialize in public interest law.

Professor of Law Christopher Edley, one of twofaculty members designated to respond to Clark'sremarks at the forum, criticized the dean's"atomistic view of why we're here."

Comparing Clark's reasoning with that of alarge corporation that freely pollutes theenvironment and lays off workers, Edley said theschool should play an constructive role in thecommunity