Clare R. Norins, assistant clinical professor and inaugural director of the University of Georgia School of Law's First Amendment Clinic. (Courtesy photo)

The University of Georgia School of Law hired a civil rights lawyer to lead its new First Amendment Clinic.

Clare R. Norins, a former associate with New York boutique Beldock Levine & Hoffman, started work last week as the clinic's inaugural director. She also will serve as an assistant clinical professor and teach a seminar course on the First Amendment.

"I've always approached the law from a social justice perspective," Norins said Monday. "The First Amendment is a very rich area of the law."

She took a big picture approach with a dual program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earning a J.D. and a master's in social work.

During her 15-year legal career, Norins has worked in private practice, government and education. At Beldock Levine, she handled Section 1983 litigation of First Amendment and other constitutional claims. She served as class counsel on behalf of 1,200 political demonstrators, journalists and bystanders arrested in connection with what she described as "protected expressive conduct" during the 2004 Republican National Convention. She also represented individuals and public employees on First Amendment discrimination and retaliation claims in federal court against the city of New York, according to her bio on the university website.

She later served as an assistant attorney general in New York in the office's Civil Rights Bureau. There she investigated and negotiated resolutions that redressed claims of racial inequities in public accommodations. She also secured financial and equitable relief for skilled tradeswomen who had experienced discrimination—including sexual harassment—in their employment with New York's largest utility company.

Most recently, Norins was assistant director of UGA's Equal Opportunity Office, where she investigated civil rights complaints by members of the university community, including employment discrimination and Title IX grievances.

Norins said she has three primary goals for the new clinic:

• Defend and advance First Amendment freedoms of speech, press, assembly and petition through direct client representation and advocacy;
• Provide law students with the real-world practice experience to become leaders on First Amendment issues; and
• Serve as a resource for organizations, journalists, public employees, and members of the public on issues of free expression and open access to public information.

She said she plans to organize opportunities for lawyers and members of the public to discuss First Amendment and related issues. She invited questions and ideas through the clinic's email address, [email protected].

Plans for the clinic were announced last fall with a $900,000 gift from the Stanton Foundation, an organization established by former television broadcasting executive Frank Stanton. Stanton was a longtime president of CBS and a defender of the First Amendment.

"We are grateful to the Stanton Foundation for this gift and look forward to helping support First Amendment protection issues with this clinic," School of Law Dean Peter B. "Bo" Rutledge said upon announcing the gift. "The creation of the First Amendment Clinic adds to the School of Law's robust clinical and experiential learning opportunities and furthers our mission to educate the next generation of lawyers so they can become leaders in their communities."