FINRA Funds Four Law School Clinics to Help Investors

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Investor Education Foundation today announced $1 million in grants to launch four law school clinics that will provide legal help to underserved investors involved in securities disputes. These start-up grants will help fill the gap in legal representation for investors with small claims who do not have the financial resources to obtain legal counsel. The Foundation awarded $250,000 each to:

• Florida International University College of Law, Miami, Florida;
• Howard University School of Law, Washington, D.C.;
• Pepperdine University School of Law, Malibu, California; and
• Suffolk University Law School, Boston, Massachusetts.

The FINRA Foundation chose these law schools because they are well-positioned to launch and maintain clinics that will allow supervised law students to take on securities disputes. As a condition of the grant, each law school was required to demonstrate institutional support of the clinic beyond the three-year grant program and provide investor education and outreach in their community. Students who participate in these clinics will not receive compensation, but will benefit from serving the public interest, earning course credit and gaining experience representing clients in actual cases.