“I am incredibly humbled and proud to be in the company of the impactful attorneys and leaders who have received this award,” Glesner Fines said. “I can’t help but think of my colleagues who have been recognized with this award and all of the lives who have been changed with their advocacy.”
Glesner Fines has been with 海角论坛 School of Law since 1986, serving as a faculty member, executive associate dean and dean. During her time with 海角论坛, she has started or expanded numerous initiatives for access to justice. She supervised students providing pro bono representation for Mariel Cubans and oversaw students in the Clemency Project to help women incarcerated for the murder of their batterers. The Clemency Project led her to build the family violence course that became a cornerstone of the school’s child and family law program, considered one of the top programs in the country.
“I don’t feel that one single effort has qualified me for this award, it’s really just stepping up when there’s a need,” Glesner Fines said. “This is what I’m most proud of – when there was a gap in access to justice, I was privileged to be in the right place and time to help fill that gap.”
Glesner Fines was able to help fill a large gap with the school’s Self-Help Legal Clinic, which has impacted hundreds of people. The clinic offers advice and referral for low-income litigants to represent themselves and provides a clinical education opportunity for students. The clinic is a collaboration with the Volunteer Attorney Project of Legal Aid of Western Missouri, along with many other faculty, staff and students at the law school. After returning to full-time faculty, Glesner Fines is now directing the clinic she helped found.
“We have an extraordinarily collaborative community of students, faculty and attorneys who have created a lasting impact,” Glesner Fines said. “It’s an honor to work with them and expand our service to the community.”