Founded in 1996, the Center for Ethics and Public Service (CEPS) is a law school-housed ethics education, experiential skills training, and community engagement program devoted to the values of ethical judgment, professional responsibility, and public service in law and society. The CEPS mission is to educate law students to serve their communities as citizen lawyers.
History
For 29 years, CEPS has served as an incubator and an accelerator for numerous public service campaigns and initiatives, including clinics, interdisciplinary programs, student reading groups, summer colloquia, and oral histories and documentary films.
Programs
Black Church Program
A community outreach initiative in South Florida, partnering with faith-based groups to advocate for civil rights and social justice. Key projects include campaigns for equitable transit, fair housing, environmental cleanup, voting rights, and youth education in historically marginalized neighborhoods.
Addressing housing and health challenges in underserved communities of color in Florida, combining civil rights advocacy and grassroots organizing with university resources to promote social justice in education, health, housing, and equity.
This program includes both CLE-oriented practice seminars and student-centered leadership workshops in cooperation with Florida bar associations, federal and state courts, law firms, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations.
Preserving the cultural history of low-income communities of color in South Florida through oral history archives and documentaries. In partnership with Ransom Everglades High School, the project has produced five films since 2010, covering topics like Coconut Grove Village West, public school segregation, and environmental injustice in Miami.
Program faculty, staff, and students collaborate with the Florida bar and bench; anti-poverty, civil rights, environmental, and public health organizations; civic and faith-based groups, nonprofit corporations, and neighborhood associations; and schools across the University of Miami.
Community Impact
Since 1996, CEPS faculty and staff have trained more than 1,400 graduate and undergraduate fellows and interns and collaborated with more than 50,000 civic leaders in ethics and professionalism programs as well as anti-poverty, civil rights, environmental justice, and public health campaigns. CEPS faculty also have been widely cited in law journals and in the media.
“Since my 1L spring, I’ve worked alongside fellow students to advocate for fair and affordable housing in Coconut Grove Village West, focusing on the disparate impact of displacement. Throughout my years with the Housing Project, I have witnessed our collective efforts result in a demand for a fair housing investigation by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. As a Miami native, contributing to my community while receiving the support of CEPS’s generous donors has been especially meaningful. My time as a Peter Palermo Fellow at CEPS has deeply shaped my commitment to social justice, empowering me to advocate for equity throughout my legal career.”
Being a CEPS Peter Palermo Fellow has been one of the most enriching experiences of my law school journey. Through this fellowship, I have been able to contribute to important community initiatives, refine my professional skills, and grow as an aspiring attorney, all while reinforcing my commitment to using the law as a tool for justice and change. I am incredibly grateful for the support of our generous donors, whose contributions make this impactful work possible.
"My position with CEPS as a Steven Chaykin Fellow has been an invaluable opportunity to work at the intersection of law and social justice. The financial support we receive from generous donors not only acknowledges the importance of housing and health equity, but also enables me to focus my time and effort on making an impact. My fellowship has shaped me into a more effective advocate throughout my three years of law school and supports my goal of becoming an attorney committed to promoting equity and justice.”
"Few opportunities are comparable to my experience as the William M. Hoeveler Fellow in the Legal Profession Program. The Center creates such a unique educational practice-oriented environment for its fellows. A laboratory for leadership development and professional growth. I am grateful for this opportunity and the donors making this possible.”
“Being a Hunton Andrews Kurth Fellow has greatly enhanced my law school experience and work with CEPS by providing invaluable resources, mentorship, and a broader legal perspective on public service. As a law student, it has been incredibly rewarding to work in the intersection between health and housing at the community level. Engaging with community members and examining the health impacts of housing displacement has broadened my experience in public health. This opportunity would not be possible without the generosity of donors, whose support ensures that students like me can engage in vital public service work while developing the skills necessary to become effective legal professionals and advocates for our community.”
Alumni Testimonials
"CEPS was one of the biggest highlights of my law school experience. It challenged my ideas of justice and how the legal field fits into the fight for a more just world -- lessons I carry with me in my work every single day."
"The Center's Historic Black Church Program provided me with the opportunity to help challenge the displacement of low-income communities of color, and I carry that experience with me into my current work as a housing attorney at Legal Services."
"I owe a great part of my professional success and career satisfaction to the CEPS, as the hands-on clinical experience proved to be an invaluable step in securing my first job out of UM Law and has made giving back to the community a priority in my professional life."
"Through my involvement with the Center for Ethics & Public Service, I learned the importance of public service and mentoring and gained a broader perspective and more balanced viewpoint. I think that I am more compassionate and well-rounded lawyer because of my participation."
"I stay grounded by continuing to serve on the CEPS Advisory Board and as outside counsel for Greater St. Paul AME, supporting all the great work the students are doing."
"As for the Center, it was one of the highlights of my law school experience. It revealed the impact that this profession can have when a group of talented, motivated, and genuinely good people offer their time and talents to the community. This lesson has stayed with me and affected my pro bono efforts throughout my career."
"CEPS gave me an opportunity to explore legal employment first-hand and hear about the experiences of others. This was BEYOND valuable, in terms of deciding which path of public service would be best for me, and I am forever grateful!"
"The Center was the ONLY part of my entire law school experience, with the exception of the LitSkills course, that gave me real-life experience and the opportunity to work with (and deal with) real clients, with real issues that we could actually help. The Center was definitely a contributor to my confidence and ability to practice immediately after law school."
"CEPS taught me how to make my practice more client-oriented, appreciate and develop diverse teams, and support social justice work by partnering with local organizations and the organizers that make them run and carry out the vision of the people."
"My experience at CEPS highlighted the various legal career paths available within the public sector, and the importance of individual public service in creating the change we wish to see in the world."
"The Center does great work and is a wonderful way for students to learn while helping others."
Faculty and Staff
Professor Anthony V. Alfieri
Director, Center for Ethics & Public Service Founder, Historic Black Church Program aalfieri@law.miami.edu 305-284-2735
