With countless court cases shaping life in the Trump era, the new head of Illinois State University’s Legal Studies program says public education about the legal system is critical to maintaining trust in it.
Amelia Buragas took over this month as director of ISU’s Legal Studies program following the retirement of Tom McClure. The position gives Buragas, an attorney and former Bloomington City Council member, a unique vantage point into how young people perceive the legal profession.
One data point: Law school applications were up around 20% for the incoming year, she said, citing the Law School Admission Council.
“Something about the current climate, the current conversation about the law, is increasing interest among people in becoming attorneys and going to law school,” Buragas said.
There are many theories as to why. One that Buragas finds compelling is increased media coverage of legal proceedings.
“People are more aware of how the law impacts their daily lives,” she said. “They’ve seen how the law can be used as a tool to do things they agree with – or disagree with. And they’ve seen how, under our system of law and this philosophical concept of the rule of law, we need people who know how the system works.”
Public confidence in the legal system is essential for it to function, Buragas said. That requires proactive public education about what lawyers and the courts can – and can’t – do, she said.
One example comes from ISU’s Legal Studies program, which along with its partners regularly brings real Fourth District Appellate Court cases to ISU for oral arguments. Earlier this year, the appellate court heard arguments in two high-profile Twin City murder cases now on appeal.
“It gives students and members of the public the opportunity to understand that they might not agree with the court’s outcome, but if they have a better understanding of the court’s process and the constraints that are sometimes placed on the court, they can respect its decision,” Buragas said.
Legal Studies program’s growth
Buragas is taking over the Legal Studies program while it’s in a strong position – which she attributed in large part to McClure’s leadership. As of last spring, the program had 183 students [majors and minors], up 50% from 2021, she said. All classes are taught by licensed attorneys, she said, including retired judges and many attorneys working full-time in the field.
The Legal Studies program is unique, she said, because its graduates also earn an American Bar Association-approved certification as a paralegal. Some graduates go on to law school, while others become paralegals or go another direction with their career.
One success is an expungement clinical program offered in partnership with Prairie State Legal Services, a legal aid firm. Students assist people seeking to expunge and seal their criminal records.
“It’s something that’s giving back and providing a necessary service to individuals in our community,” Buragas said. “We’ll look at that program and say, OK, how can we improve on this? Is it still meeting the needs of Prairie State Legal Services, and how can we maintain and strengthen that relationship?”
She said it’s popular with the students. And keeping young people engaged and interested in careers in the legal profession can have a direct impact on access to justice. Imagine a state, county or city that can’t attract enough lawyers or paralegals to serve its residents.
That’s already a reality in some places. Low-income Americans received no or inadequate legal help for a staggering 92% of all the civil legal problems that impacted them substantially, according to a Legal Services Corporation report.
“That’s a problem. This could be an individual [determining] whether they have custody of their children or lose their custody. Whether they will lose their home to foreclosure proceedings. These are impactful legal proceedings where there’s no constitutional right to an attorney, and many people are finding they’re having to navigate that by themselves,” Buragas said.
“The access to justice gap is real,” she said. “It’s been historically present. And it’s pervasive. And it’s been a very difficult problem to solve.”
