The University of Houston Law Center received a $100,000 donation from the BeyGOOD Foundation, founded by music icon and Houston native Beyoncé Knowles-Carter to support its Criminal Justice Clinic, according to a press release.
“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” UH Law Center Dean Leonard Baynes said in a press release. “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.”
The funds will ensure the Criminal Justice Clinic, one of nine in-house clinics at UH Law Center, 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.
“We are so appreciative to the BeyGOOD Foundation for this impactful gift,” UH Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Eloise Brice said in a press release. “Our students will be able to benefit from practical, real-world experience and impart their expertise to members of our community who are in need of their services.”
Criminal defendants who are represented by highly trained attorneys receive more favorable outcomes than those who are not. Statistics show anywhere from 2% to 10% of individuals in prison were wrongfully convicted, or between 43,000 to 230,000 people, according to a press release. And according to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, defendants of color have worse criminal justice outcomes compared to white defendants.
Knowles-Carter, one of the most-decorated artists 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.
For more information about UH Law Center, go to law.uh.edu.