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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 9 amazing legal programs and law internships for high school students.

Extracurriculars

If you’re a high school student who’s interested in becoming a lawyer, you can actually start preparing for your future career now by participating in high school law internships and other law-focused programs. 

High school law internships, summer programs, and law volunteer opportunities for high school students all allow you to explore legal careers before you ever even get to college. We’ll explain everything you need to know about these programs, including:

• The types of law programs available to high school students 
• Real-life examples of law programs for high school students
• Tips for including your law experience on college applications 

Keep reading to learn more! 

What Programs and Law Internships for High School Students Are Out There?

When it comes to opportunities to explore the legal profession before college, there are four main areas to look at:

• Clubs and Classes
• Summer Programs
• Legal Internships for High School Students 
• Law Firm Volunteer Opportunities for High School Students 

Each of these possibilities has its own pros and cons, but the thing each has in common is that they can all get you ready for a career as a lawyer by teaching you skills you’ll need to succeed. 

Below, we’ve included what you need to know about what each one offers. You can also use the links above to jump to the section that most interests you. 

Legal Clubs and Classes

Clubs and student activities can teach you about the law and provide opportunities that can help you impress colleges.

While there aren’t a lot of clubs that focus directly on preparing you for a law career, you can join your school’s speech and debate team to practice your public speaking and argumentation skills. This is a fun option if you like the idea of going to tournaments and competing against students from other schools. Plus, debate requires you to do research and look at past precedents to make a case—something lawyers do regularly.

Running for a position in student government or taking part in model UN are also excellent options . Both involve public speaking, learning legal procedures, and solving problems to make positive changes. They also teach you valuable leadership skills, and taking part in activities like these demonstrates your willingness to challenge yourself and use your smarts to succeed. 

But that’s not all colleges care about. Universities and law schools also want to see that you’re driven and focused on academic achievement . So don’t forget to take classes that can help you prepare for a legal career. 

Here are a few examples of classes you might consider taking to help your applications stand out. Advanced English classes boost your reading comprehension and writing skills (both of which are extremely important skills for lawyers), and communication classes teach you rhetoric and public speaking. And if you’re looking to give yourself a strong knowledge base that relates to law, taking classes in history, civics, ethics, sociology, and psychology can give you an edge.

The biggest downside to these clubs and high school classes is that they aren’t specifically designed to train you for a law career. So while they’ll give you a good knowledge foundation, they don’t teach you what it’s like to be a lawyer. However, because these clubs and classes are either free or low-cost, it’s a good idea to take advantage of these opportunities!

Sure, summer road trips are fun. But if you want to be a lawyer, a summer law program can help you learn more about your future profession! 

Summer Law Programs

Summer law programs are a great way to learn about your future profession. These are usually one- or two-week long learning experiences that focus on teaching students different aspects of the law. These programs also introduce participants to lawyers, politicians, and other experts who can show students what it’s really like to work in law. As an added bonus: these programs look great on a college application!

The type of law these programs introduce you to can vary . For example, the ACLU’s summer program focuses on legal issues and policy debates related to civil rights and liberties. One thing most of these programs have in common, however, is that they also teach the debating skills that are crucial in the legal field. In contrast, other summer programs offer more of a general overview of the legal field!

The downside to summer law programs is that they’re quite expensive—many cost between $2,000-$4,000 to attend . Additionally, they can be pretty competitive and hard to get accepted into. However, if you’re a strong candidate and can afford the tuition, you’ll get to explore what it’s really like to be a lawyer and get even more prepared for college in the process. 

Law Firm Internships for High School Students

If you’re planning to become a lawyer in the future, you may have heard the advice that working as a legal intern maximizes your chances of getting accepted to law school . However, law internships for high school students are hard to find.

That’s because high school students are considered legal minors. That means lawyers have to be careful about the information they expose you to. This is especially true if the firm deals with high profile cases. Additionally, most of the year your school schedule will conflict with the hours that law firms are open , which limits your ability to work there.  

That said, it’s not totally impossible to find a law internship. The key to finding internships at law firms for high school students is to look locally. Although there are a couple national internship programs available for future lawyers who aren’t in college yet, most of those programs require you to live in a specific state or city. That’s why it’s best to start your search in your own backyard…so to speak, of course! 

Try doing an online search for something like “high school law internships” plus your state or town. You can also talk to local law firms to see if they accept interns who are still in high school on a case-by-case basis. And if you know someone who works in law, you can talk to them to see if they can connect you with a local internship! 

Obviously the main con here is that it’s hard to find law internships for high school students —NYC, Washington D.C., and several cities in California have state-wide programs, but most states do not. That means you’ll have to reach out to law firms in your area one by one to see if they offer law internships for high school students. 

Another potential issue is that most internships are fairly time-consuming and unpaid , so if you need to get a summer job to earn money, you may not be able to do an internship as well.

On the other hand, law internships give you a chance to get real work experience in a legal office . You’ll see what the day-to-day work of a lawyer really looks like, and you’ll probably get some great letters of recommendation for college!

A word of caution though: if you decide to look for an internship, make sure a parent or guardian knows what you’re doing and approves, just to be on the safe side. 

Law Volunteer Opportunities for High School Students

As a volunteer at a law office you’ll likely do the same kinds of things that an intern would—mostly clerical work to assist lawyers and paralegals. Similar to law internships for high school students, volunteer opportunities at a law firm can be useful but hard to come by . 

To try to find one, you’ll likely have to ask around. Talk to your counselors or teachers, and do some online research to see what might be available in your local area. You can also talk to your parents or guardians to see if they know any lawyers that might let you volunteer as part of their team. If you’re able to volunteer, you’ll get a chance to experience life in a law firm and see the judicial system in action.

But just like law internships, volunteer opportunities can be complicated for high school students since legal work is very sensitive. Since most high school students are minors, some law firms may not want, or be able to, involve them in their work. 

That said, both internships and volunteer work during the summer are a good way to explore the many possible areas of law you could practice one day . However, don’t worry too much if you can’t find an internship or law firm to volunteer at while you’re still in high school—you’ll have more of these opportunities once you get to college!

These programs get five stars from us!

Our Favorite Law Programs for High School Students

The list below features some of the best programs for future lawyers. Since most volunteer opportunities and law internships for high school students are based locally, this list mostly features national summer programs that anyone can apply for. 

So without further ado, here are our favorite law-based programs for those of you still in high school!

  ACLU Summer Advocacy Program

• One week in-person program in Washington, D.C.
• Cost: $2,500 (covers food, lodging, and activities); scholarships are available

In this intensive program, students aged 15-18 learn about issue advocacy (particularly civil rights and liberties) and legal strategy from lawyers, lobbyists, and prominent activists and experts. Through classes, lectures, and policy debates you learn how to be an advocate for change in the real world.

One key feature of the program is a Day of Action, where students actually have the opportunity to make their voices heard in Washington! For example, past students have lobbied Congress in person, held rallies at the Capitol, and conducted writing campaigns. If you’re interested in law and social justice, this is a great option!

Cornell University International Summer Debate Camp

• Nine-day in-person program in Ithaca, NY
• Cost: $3,500 (covers food, lodging, and activities); scholarships are available

While this program doesn’t strictly focus on law, students work with Cornell faculty members to learn new debate skills and practice them with other students from around the world . You’ll hear lectures about social issues and contemporary political topics that then become topics for debate, and you’ll take part in a tournament at the end of the program. This is a great option for students who want to hone their argumentative skills.

DOI Pathways Program

• Timing and location vary
• Cost: None; this is a paid internship opportunity

This is one of the only national high school law internships available. If accepted to the program, the U.S. Department of the Interior will place students with an agency that matches their academic interests. You’ll work either full or part-time, and must complete 640 hours of work experience for full credit. 

Keep in mind that while this opportunity is available to high school students, you’ll be competing with college and graduate students for positions . In addition, the workload could be prohibitive depending on your school schedule. That said, this program would give you excellent experience to put on college and job applications in the future!

Envision Law Program

• 10-day in-person program in Stanford, CA
• Cost: $4,095 (includes food, lodging, and activities)

This program allows students to immerse themselves in the theory and practice of law. You’ll learn legal rhetoric and ethics from law professors and legal experts, as well as how to make opening and closing arguments, how to cross examine witnesses, and how to manage a courtroom. 

Best of all, you’ll get to take part in a mock trial simulation and attend skills workshops to hone your writing and speaking abilities.

And if you’re interested in spending more time working on your debate and public speaking skills, the Stanford National Forensic Institute also offers multiple summer programs for that! 

National Student Leadership Conference Law and Advocacy

• Nine-day in-person program at either Duke, Georgetown, or Yale (your choice)
• Cost: $3,595 (includes food, lodging, and activities); check for scholarship availability

This NSLC program gives students a close-up look at what it means to be a lawyer. During the nine days you’re on campus you’ll be teamed up with other students to try a real case in a real courtroom! You’ll learn all about researching evidence, preparing witnesses, crafting arguments, making opening and closing arguments, and cross-examination. 

You’ll also visit a law school to see what it’s like, attend lectures from forensic and legal experts from top law firms and the Department of Justice, and get hands-on leadership training . Past guest speakers have even included Supreme Court justices! You also have the option of enrolling in an additional course for college credit. 

As a bonus: this program is offered at multiple different campuses and cities (and has multiple dates over the whole summer), so it’s accessible to more students. 

School of the New York Times: Government/Law/Ethics

• Two-week in-person program in Washington D.C. 
• Cost: $5,925 for the residential program; $5,325 for the day program

This program lets students explore how government, law, and ethics work to form the political and legal systems in the U.S . It focuses on how the idea of “the law” works in the real world to create the power structures in America.

You’ll go on site visits around D.C. to places like the Supreme Court building and the Capitol, hear lectures from experts in law and politics, and explore and analyze current political events . 

The main benefit of this program is the focus on ethics . Government and the law function on rules and regulations, but ethical considerations play a role in guiding those as well. By learning about the interaction between law and ethics, you’ll get a leg up on your pre-law college competition.

Senate Page Program

• Length of time varies by term. Fall term is four months, Spring is five months, and the two summer terms are around two months each
• Cost: None; this is a paid internship

This prestigious program is another one of the few national law-related internships available for high school students, but is only available to juniors and seniors. If you’re one of the lucky 30 people who are accepted each term, you’ll get an experience that’s guaranteed to impress any college! 

This internship is rigorous. If you’re accepted to the fall or spring terms, you’ll live in a dorm, go to school between 6:15-10:00 a.m., then work as a page in the Senate until 4 p.m . You can expect to be working and studying for 12 to 13 hours each day. (The summer terms don’t include classwork, so they’re a bit less intense.)

Page duties mostly include acting as a messenger, delivering correspondence and legislative materials in the Congressional complex, and preparing the chambers for Senate sessions. 

In order to apply to the program, you have to be sponsored by a current senator (usually from your state, although some senators are willing to sponsor out-of-state candidates). The application materials you need vary by senator and state, so you’ll need to contact your senator’s office if you’re interested in this opportunity.

UCI High School Summer Institute in Law

• One-week in-person program in Irvine, CA
• Cost: $1,110 (covers food, lodging, and activities)

This program introduces students to the legal system and major areas of law, and focuses on teaching the skills needed for a legal career such as: analytical reasoning, public speaking and writing, persuasive techniques, and negotiation. 

The great thing about this program is that even though it isn’t an internship, it still gives students exposure to the law field. 

  Wake Forest University Debate and Public Advocacy Institute

• One-week in-person program in Winston-Salem, NC
• Cost: Overnight $2,500, Day Camp $1,500 (covers food, lodging, and activities)

This program is focused primarily on debate and public speaking with the goal of helping students learn to advocate for themselves and others . You’ll learn about current social and environmental controversies, as well as rhetorical tricks and persuasive techniques that can help you develop your skills as a future lawyer. 

If you’re looking to boost your persuasive speaking skills, this is a good choice. 

Keep a journal while you're doing your legal internship. Those details can come in handy when writing your admissions essays!

How to Impress Colleges With Your Skills and Legal Know-How

No matter what type of opportunity you choose to pursue to boost your skills and prepare for a career in the legal field, you can (and should!) use your experiences to your advantage when it comes to applying for colleges.  

Below are a few tips on how you can let colleges know you’re committed to your future career.

Tip 1: Keep a Journal

Whether you’re taking advanced classes related to the skills you need to be a lawyer, joining a debate club or student government, attending a summer program, or doing an internship, you should record your experiences. 

Write down the kinds of skills you’re learning —like public speaking techniques or ways to advocate effectively for others—and go into as much detail as possible. The point here is to give yourself a written record of your experiences so you can include them in your college applications.

Be sure to also include your personal impressions and ideas about your experiences . If you attend a summer program or internship, write down how the experience impacted your life and future goals. That way you can reflect on them during the college application process and in college, too! 

Tip 2: Talk About the Experience in Your College Essay

Your college essay is one of the main ways that potential colleges get to know you. It’s your chance to really show them what you’re passionate about and why . 

Take a look at your journal and pull out a few of the experiences and law-related skills that are most meaningful to you. You can use these details as a way to focus your essay on why you want to be a lawyer and how you’ve been preparing for both college and your career. 

Schools want to accept driven students, so going into detail about your experiences in the clubs, classes, summer programs, or internships you’ve been involved in will show them how ready you are to excel at their school. 

Tip 3: Make a High School Resume

A high school resume functions as a snapshot of your skills, coursework, accomplishments, activities, and work history . 

Even if your college doesn’t ask you to send in a resume, having one on hand can help you out in a couple ways. First, a resume can help you prepare for a college interview —you can give it to your interviewer as a convenient reference, plus the act of writing it can help you find ways to talk about your skills briefly and effectively. 

Second, you’ll definitely need letters of recommendation, and letters that discuss your interests and abilities specifically are more impressive. By giving a resume to your letter writers, you ensure that your teachers or counselors are able to write you a letter that really makes you (and your accomplishments) shine! 

What’s Next?

Looking for even more information on preparing for a career in the legal field? Check out our article on the five steps to becoming a lawyer to give you an idea of what you can do in high school to get your career journey started off right.

Next, take a look at this ultimate guide to pre-law to get an idea of what college majors are most impressive to law schools. Spoiler alert: you don’t have to major in pre-law to be a great law school candidate!

Finally, we’ve got a list of 11 colleges with great programs to prepare students for law school to help you decide where to go to college. Take some time and choose the best school for your future!

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Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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Summer Activity Ideas for the Hopeful Future Lawyer

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For many high schoolers, the school year is a busy time packed not only with required coursework, but also with sports, clubs, and service projects too. For the student who has some idea of a potential career path through and beyond college, planning these activities may take on even more meaning. Aspiring pre-med students may volunteer at the hospital and take a course load heavy with math and science. Prospective political science majors are likely getting their feet wet in student government while studying history and the social sciences.

But what if you’re an aspiring lawyer? During the school year of course there might be mock trial or debate club. And there is valuable content across your curriculum from writing classes to research methods and social sciences. But when summer draws near and school lets out, where do aspiring young lawyers go to advance their knowledge and experience? What are some valuable summer activities for the future esquires out there?

The Path to Law School

If you’re considering a career in law, before you can really start to think about valuable high school summer activities, you need to understand the factors that will and will not weigh into any potential law school applications you submit in the future. Law is an extremely competitive career path with top law schools being among the most competitive programs of any academic path.

Keep in mind that law schools want well-rounded candidates. There is no pre-determined path or prescribed prerequisite undergrad work for law school acceptance, which means there is certainly no requirement for high school extracurriculars, which will be so distant by the time you submit your law school applications that they are unlikely to figure much in your admissions decision. Instead, maintain a strong GPA, build relevant skills, and create a well-rounded resume.

In fact, despite some colleges offering dedicated pre-law programs, in reality these programs give you very little advantage in the law school application game. In fact, some law schools report that these tracks devalue you as a candidate because you are less well-rounded that a student who has pursued a more diverse course load.

Indiana University advises that high school students interested in a career in law should “develop skills in writing, analysis, critical thinking, and research. They should develop a broad understanding of the world around them, and they should investigate the realities of a legal career.” In short, build core skills and explore the field of law professions.

Purpose of Summer Activities

Because there is no prescribed path to law school acceptance, you have a little more liberty in your choices for summer activities . Essentially, anything that builds relevant skills, creates a stronger college application, or allows you to explore your possible career path is a great fit.

Generally speaking, you can build the strength of your college application by pursuing activities that support your existing academic profile. Your summer pursuits should confirm dedication in areas in which you’ve already built strength over time, or they should fill in some blanks. For a student-athlete who is a proven leader, you might volunteer as a youth sports coach. Or, for a student who performs well in school and has served on student council but not participated in a service project, a summer spent giving back to the community is a good option.

Law school is not only exceptionally competitive. It’s exceptionally expensive too, and there is no guarantee that you will come out of law school with a job. For that reason, you’ll need to be ready to hit the ground running when you finish your law degree. That means that multiple and varied experiences in the greater field of law could potentially help you to define your career path sooner rather than later, giving you a bit of a head start when it comes time to select an area of specialty.

If you’re a high school student potentially interested in a future law career, read on for four smart summer activity choices.

How Should Potential Aspiring Lawyers Spend Their Summer?

1. service projects..

Service projects are always a great choice of summer activity, regardless of your intended career path. These types of community-oriented activities demonstrate your commitment to selfless causes and, when chosen mindfully, can fit seamlessly into your academic profile.

A new trend in service projects is volunteer abroad programs. These programs are typically part-international-adventure and part-service-learning. While this can seem like a fun and exciting option, there are some points to think about before signing up for one.

First, consider the financial feasibility of this option. Programs like this tend to be very expensive since they include international airfare, full-time lodging, and meals. Is a program like this cost-prohibitive? Also consider the emotional toll of serving in third world regions, working with limited resources to help real people in crisis. Are you emotionally mature enough for this kind of experience? And finally, think about the long-term goal for your service. These experiences abroad tend to be somewhat superficial as you don’t have the time to fully integrate into the community. Harvard’s recent Making Caring Common campaign , points out that it can be difficult to have a meaningful experience when you don’t have the time to form relationships with the people and community around you.

Rather than trying to find a community service project that complements a career in law or brings you to an exotic destination, think carefully about the issues that matter most to you on a local level. Do you live in a community affected by addiction or mental health issues? Do you have a grandparent who lives in assisted living? Find a cause that you truly care about, regardless of its relation to a career in law, and demonstrate that you are a well-rounded student who isn’t afraid of branching out for the benefit of the greater good.

2. Jobs or Internships

Unlike service projects, jobs and internships can be more easily tailored towards a potential career in law. Even internships that don’t necessarily seem directly related to a law profession can help to build relevant skills.

One thing to keep in mind is the importance of strong writing skills on the path towards and through law school. In the majority of law school courses, especially during your first year, grades are based largely on a single essay exam given at the end of each semester. In addition, the bar examination required of every law school graduate in order to practice law is at least half essay in every state. The ability to write well is integral to your success in law school, so any internship that incorporates writing skills will be beneficial in the long run.

Some common internships or jobs that build writing skills could include editing or communications. You might be able to score an internship with a local newspaper or help researchers with proofreading and publishing.

If you’re interested in internships specifically related to law, you’ll need to look into what is available in your region. For example, the Boston Bar Association provides a summer jobs program for high school students and the District of Columbia Courts host a Passport to Work Youth Employment Service .

You could also reach out to local law firms and ask if it might be possible to shadow in their office for a week or two to learn more about what they do on a day-to-day basis. If you can make a few connections, capitalize on them by asking lots of questions: find out why they went into law, how they chose a specialty, and how they recommend you prepare for a career in law. Before you finish shadowing a professional, ask if he or she can connect you to another in a related field.

See more law internships for high school students .

3. Summer Programs

Although it’s unlikely that a law school will give any weight to summer programs that you participated in before your undergrad years, the value of many of these programs comes from the insights you’ll gain about the career and yourself. It’s important to learn as much as possible about the profession and to get your feet wet in it before you commit the time, energy, and money to pursuing it. Summer programs are a good way to try the career on and see how it fits.

Some great options for summer programs that can give you an idea of what a career in law might be like include:

National Youth Leadership Forum: Law and CSI

National Student Leadership Conference program on Law and Advocacy

Georgetown Summer Institutes

Although these are all good options to experience a little bit of what being a lawyer might be like, it’s also good to explore summer programs outside of the field of law. Specifically, it’s a good idea, if possible, to pursue a summer program offered by a college in which you’re interested. Whether or not these programs offer relevant curriculum will be less important as the connections that you are able to make while there.

Building and maintaining a relationship with the faculty and staff at schools you’re interested in attending can give you an advantage when you apply for admission. To take full advantage, keep in touch with these mentors after the program, use them as resources during the admissions process, and be sure to let them know when and if you decide to apply.

4. Take an SAT Class

This might seem like a small, trivial thing to do over your summer break, but standardized tests aren’t left behind after high school. In fact, if you end up applying to law school, the SAT won’t even be the most important standardized test of your academic career.

Instead, the LSAT will take that honor. The LSAT, like the SAT, assesses reading and verbal skills through multiple-choice questions in sections such as Reading Comprehension and Analytical Reasoning. High school is admittedly way too early to begin preparing for the LSAT explicitly, but it’s not too early to begin becoming a standardized test master. Many of the strategies you learn to take your SAT will translate well to the LSAT.

Along with your undergrad GPA, your LSAT score is one of the most important factors weighed on law school applications. Learning how to take a standardized test, such as the SAT, is a lasting skill that you can carry with you to the LSAT in later years.

Ultimately a career in law is built on a broad foundation. You’ll need skills in writing, reasoning, and research, so the first step to preparing for a career in law is building these skills, which are ultimately marketable in many career paths. Gaining exposure to a professional law environment will help you to focus your career path, or might even inspire you to choose a different one. Regardless, plan to spend your summer building your skills and learning about the career to set you on the right track.

If you are a high school student who is considering your options for summer activities, find more information from CollegeVine here:

• What You Should Be Thinking About as a Junior – Part II: Extracurriculars and Summer Activities
• 6 Things You Should Do the Summer Before Senior Year
• 5 Things You Can Do this Summer Instead of an Internship
• How to Spend Your Summer as an Aspiring Engineer
• How to Spend Your Summer as a Prospective Poli Sci Major
• How to Spend Your Summer as a Prospective Econ Major
• Summer Activities for the Prospective Pre-Med Student

For more information about Pre-Law lines of study and preparation check out these CollegeVine articles:

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Majors, Minors, and More: Which Degree Should You Pursue?

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Want access to expert college guidance — for free? When you create your free CollegeVine account, you will find out your real admissions chances, build a best-fit school list, learn how to improve your profile, and get your questions answered by experts and peers—all for free. Sign up for your CollegeVine account today to get a boost on your college journey.

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Podcast Episode #83: How to Get Your Law Firm Passion Project from Ideation to Launch with Olga Galanter

by Molly McGrath | Dec 14, 2020 | Podcast | 0 comments

Olga Galanter joins us to share how she turned her estate planning “competitors” into referral sources. She also shares the “why” behind her website’s unconventional strategy and intentional design that basically says “Don’t call us.”

We also learn how Olga launched her passion project  Law Practice Academy  in 60 days during the pandemic. The Law Practice Academy was created to help attorneys practice law effectively and grow their law firms.

Olga Galanter is a member of the Florida Bar and is a graduate of both Far Eastern National University Law School, Russia (with Honors), and University of Miami School of Law. She also obtained a Master’s degree in Estate Planning from the University of Miami Graduate School of Law. Olga was born and raised in Russia and speaks fluent Russian and English.

The 8 Steps to Launch a Product in Your Law Firm:

• R & D –know the gap you need to fill and your audience.
• Chart your processes out with pen and paper.
• Determine what processes can be automated.
• Review your systems and processes from the opening to closing the file.
• Lock arms with someone that you trust. Block time and get it done.
• Get the website, “good enough.”
• Get the Beta version launched with live customers.
• Continue to refine and improve.

Listen Now!

How to go from “this will never work” to “this is working”:.

• Set aside time.
• I will work on this on Friday….EVEN if the office is on FIRE!
• Give yourself permission to tell everyone NO until the product is launched.
• Be willing to give up two weekends and a few nights to build your dreams.
• How to use fear to motivate you as a business owner.

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High School Students Interested in Law: Building Your Profile Strategically

David Merson

October 6, 2020

You have set your sights on a legal career and now you are wondering what you should do in high school to set yourself up for a strong college program and successful application to a top law school. What activities should you participate in during high school? Are there advanced classes you should focus on or take outside your high school curriculum? What about your college majors, what choices should you make? 

The good news is the legal field welcomes students from all different backgrounds but there are some key actions you can take now to make the path to law school smooth and rewarding. To guide you through steps to succeed as high school students interested in law, I have outlined how to best build your profile through strong academics and extracurriculars, as well as how to make the most of your college essay components.

A Challenging Course Load & Standardized Testing

Admissions officers are uniformly looking for students who challenge themselves in their high school curriculum. As high school students interested in law, should select the highest-level courses available in each grade. For example, you should plan to take 2-3 AP courses per year when possible. If your high school does not permit younger students to take advanced courses or has a limited number of such courses, you can look outside the high school curriculum. 

Motivated students will take online courses in advanced subjects during the summer. For high school students interested in law, you should choose classes that focus on critical reasoning, writing skills and analytical abilities. History, political science, philosophy and English typically emphasize writing and critical reasoning. Ideally, you will take a course your senior year that will require a significant research paper or project to demonstrate your overall accomplishments. But do not forget about STEM courses either! 

21 st century lawyers are expected to have at least a basic understanding of physical and biological sciences, so taking science classes and doing well is advisable. Moreover, most competitive colleges will expect you to take four years of science including lab sciences as well as four years of math to include an advanced mathematics class beyond precalculus. Today’s legal practice often involves clients and issues from the scientific research, information technology, and engineering sectors that require lawyers to understand fundamental scientific concepts. Consequently, you should expect to take science courses in college as well, beyond whatever graduation requirements exist.

A successful lawyer is a great communicator, not only in formal writing and in person meetings, but also in informal communication like email, video conferencing, and even messaging. Many high schools offer courses in public speaking or business that require frequent presentations. Including these elective courses in your high school curriculum would be very wise. 

As far as standardized testing, high school students interested in law should consider taking two AP exams in History, Economics, English, or Psychology. Alternatively, they can elect to take SAT subject tests in History, Literature or even a foreign language. Plan to take these subject tests around the time of your AP (or IB) exams so that you can prepare for them simultaneously!

Excellent Grades

While a challenging course load is an important part of demonstrating academic rigor as high school students interested in law , the grades you get in those courses are especially important. Although you don’t have to receive all As and have a flawless record, your transcript should be made up of mostly As. Taking a challenging class isn’t going to benefit your profile if you’re going to struggle and not do well in it.

There’s an important balance that you need to strike with your course load to ensure that you’re pushing yourself, but not too hard. Your  guidance counselor  can also shed light on what a rigorous schedule looks like for other students at your school. For some, it may mean taking five AP classes while for others, it may mean a few AP courses with some regular classes.

Time management in high school is difficult, but knowing what kind of schedule works for you to succeed in classes goes a long way to helping you achieve strong grades. Pick up some  good habits  such as maintaining a calendar, prioritizing what’s important, and quitting clubs that aren’t beneficial to help you improve in your classes.

Best Majors for Future Law Students

There is no ideal major that you should have your eyes on as high school students interested in law. Fortunately, law school admissions offices welcome students with a variety of college majors. Common majors include political science, history, economics, and psychology. Nonetheless, science majors and even students in the arts are also encouraged to apply to law school. Consequently, you have the freedom to choose a college major that best suits your interest and talent so long as you have built that solid foundation in research and writing. 

Given the flexibility of college majors, high school students interested in law could pursue a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. In addition, many colleges also feature “pre professional” tracks including pre-law. Typically pre-law students do not have a strict set of curricular requirements in their college program and continue to choose their own independent major. The pre-law student may have an extra course or two to focus their studies, or such a program may require students take a certain number of courses in general areas to develop their critical thinking and analytical writing skills. Usually meeting these requirements can be done by taking many different classes.

Some schools, such as Fordham University , also offer a combination of a Bachelor degree and law degree (Juris Doctor). . While these combined programs do offer both a BA and JD degree in a shorter time frame like a total of 6 years total instead of 7, there are also serious drawbacks. The undergraduate program of study often is curtailed to fit into this shorter time frame and not always in a beneficial way. Also, attending the same school for both college and law school is not as diverse an educational experience as you could pursue by attending two different schools. So students exploring these programs should carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages of these combined degrees. 

Real Life Experience and Career Exploration

High school students interested in law  should find opportunities to pursue internships, mentorships, and volunteer work in organizations that will expose you to real world business, legal practice, or challenging social issues. Perhaps you can find a small role in a legal office helping with transcription, translation, office administration, and basic client communication. Your high school may offer internships and externships working alongside attorneys or other legal professionals, whether in private firms, government, or nonprofit organizations. Seek out and take advantage of these opportunities. 

As high school students interested in law , volunteer work is another great way to address issues of social justice while also sharpening your communication skills. Many high school volunteers will work directly with the public in marketing or fundraising campaigns. Other students will write about their activities on blogs and social media for these same organizations, developing clear and concise writing styles. Moreover, many charitable and community-based organizations work with populations like recent immigrants who are facing daunting legal issues. Here is another chance to learn about the real-world operation of law and its impact on people in your community. Colleges highly value service-related projects, and as a prospective “pre-law” student, community service should continue to have an important role in your college life. Take advantage of your summers to build your application profile around activities related to law and social causes.

Extracurricular Activities

The extracurriculars that you choose to get involved in during your high school years will provide insight into your interests. Don’t be afraid to dive deep into extracurriculars that excite you. There are some “classic” extracurricular activities typical of high school students interested in law . These would include public speaking and debate, moot court, Model UN, and student government. Incorporating one or two of these activities into your overall high school career makes good sense. But do not overlook the value of other traditional high school extracurricular activities like theater arts, sports, and music. Not only do these activities require excellent teamwork and strong individual performance in a competitive environment, they also show colleges that you are a highly engaged student who can efficiently manage your time and schedules. 

The good thing about your extracurricular involvement is that it does not always have to relate to your academic field. Admissions officers appreciate students that have varied interests. The main caveat to this point is consistency, long term involvement, and demonstration of leadership. The longer you have been involved in an activity, the more confidence admissions officers have in your passion and know that it is not something that you’ve suddenly become involved in just to add to your activities list.

Similarly, being a general member of a club should not be where you stop. You should strive to stand out from other  high school students interested in law.  A great way to do that would be to assume leadership roles, launch your own club, or take an initiative in a project or event which highlights our leadership and management skills. 

Strong Essays

This tip will be more relevant when you actually begin your college applications, but it’s never too early to start thinking about what you want to communicate in your application essays, especially your Common App  personal statement . This is the main essay that will be included in all of your college applications. Generally, your essays will be an opportunity for admissions officers to hear your voice and learn about you through your own words. As someone who is excited about law, you may think that you must write essays on a legal or political topic. In fact, this is very rarely the case because that subject is unlikely to relate to you on a personal level. Remember that your personal statement is about you as an individual, not your opinion or theory on a certain topic. 

Other pieces of your application (courses, grades, letters of recommendation, activities) will speak to your interest in the legal field. Your essays will give voice to your identity and what matters to you. Make sure that whatever topic that you choose to write about is something that couldn’t have been written by anyone else. Be true to yourself and pick a topic that conveys your unique story to admissions officers. Even if law is not at all related to the essay, show that you possess qualities that are key in a lawyer such as excellent communication skills, high regard for others, and the ability to understand an issue from multiple points of view. 

Looking Ahead

Later on, probably during the summer before your senior year of college, you will start the process of preparing applications to law schools. At that point, you will have a new essay to consider for the law school applications! This is a very different type of essay, and generally you can find a great deal of information about how to outline and write your law school application essay from your college’s pre-law Advisor and by visiting the admission website of your chosen law schools. For example, the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School’s Admissions Office provides an example of how your college can support you. 

Ultimately, the expectations for  high school students interested in law  are similar to those  for every other student applying to top-tier colleges. The difference here will be how much you have developed your analytical and writing skills, and how well you have been able to manage a demanding and challenging high school schedule. Becoming a lawyer will require a lot of hard work and commitment, from applying to colleges, applying to law school, graduating from law school, and passing the multistate bar examination. However, if you know that this is what you want to do, start now, and your transition to rigorous pre-law study will run much more smoothly.

Best of luck!

Tags : pre-law major , college law , Pre-Law , majors for law school , high school students interested in law

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Eight Students Named 2024 Skadden Fellows

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom named eight Yale Law School students and recent alumni as 2024 Skadden Fellows. The Skadden Fellowship Foundation awarded Grace Choi ’22, Diego Fernández-Pagés ’24, Rebecca Harris ’24, Alex Johnson ’24, Helen Malley ’24, Ben Menke ’24, Shyamala Ramakrishna ’24, and Isir Said ’22 two-year fellowships to pursue the practice of public interest law full-time.  

Grace Choi ’22

At the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project in New York City, Choi will work to implement a multipronged legal project to mitigate systemic barriers and hostile federal policy that currently narrow access to asylum.  

Diego Fernández-Pagés ’24

At Make the Road New York in Brooklyn, NY, Fernández-Pagés will work to address exploitation of immigrant workers of color in Westchester County by mobilizing two novel legal tools — a reporting app and Deferred Action for Labor Enforcement — to inform legislative advocacy, impact litigation, and workplace organizing building collective, democratic power.   

Rebecca Harris ’24

At the National Veterans Legal Services Program, Harris will work on direct representation, community outreach, and education and policy advocacy to the families of veterans with serious disabilities seeking caregiver benefits or appealing unfavorable decisions from the Department of Veterans Affairs.   

Alex Johnson ’24

At the LGBTQ & HIV Project at the ACLU in New York, NY, Johnson will bring impact litigation and develop public education materials to challenge and address state Medicaid programs’ prohibitions of and limitations on providing gender-affirming care.  

Helen Carstarphen Malley ’24

At the ACLU of Alaska in Anchorage, Malley will work on impact litigation, legislative advocacy, and community education to advance a state constitutional right to shelter and promote access to shelter.  

Shyamala Ramakrishna ’24

At A Better Balance in New York, NY, Ramakrishna will direct legal services, strategic litigation, and legal education to fight employers’ use of new technologies that deny low-wage workers in manufacturing, logistics, and retail their rights under federal, state, and local laws.

Ben Rodgers ’24

Rodgers will work on legal representation of migrant child workers with immigration, employment, and family law needs at the Central West Justice Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. There, he will collaborate with local nonprofit community organizations to provide empowering educational programs.  

Isir Said ’22

Said will work at CAIR Legal Defense Fund in Washington, D.C. on direct representation, public education, and policy advocacy to vindicate the rights of low-income Muslim women who have had their religious head covering forcibly removed while in police custody.  

The  Skadden Fellowship Foundation  seeks to improve legal services for the poor and promote economic independence, funding over 900 fellowships since 1988. Ninety percent of Skadden Fellows remain in public service, and many are still working on the same issues as their original fellowship projects.  View a complete list  of this year’s fellows.

In the Press

Should we seize russian funds to pay for the war in ukraine — a commentary by oona a. hathaway ’97, maggie mills ’24, and thomas poston ’24, social media is addictive. that’s not a crime. — a commentary by stephen l. carter '79, there’s a big opportunity coming to change course on the federal budget — a commentary by natasha sarin, a $1 billion bridge. the $300 million pier. why are project construction costs in ct so high, related news.

Veterans Clinic Threatens to Sue VA in Matter Representing Transgender American Veterans Association

Scholars Convene to Honor Professor James Whitman

Housing Clinic Files SCOTUS Brief on Behalf of Consumers in USDA v. Kirtz

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The Ultimate Guide to Pro Bono Work for Legal Professionals

January 19, 2021 

Table of contents:

What Is Pro Bono Work? Who Does Pro Bono Legal Work? The Need for Pro Bono Legal Professionals Benefits and Challenges of Pro Bono Work How to Find Pro Bono Legal Help

Offering pro bono legal help is not reserved for attorneys alone; professionals in a range of  legal careers  can offer their services on a volunteer basis. Pro bono work can allow paralegals, legal assistants and law students the chance to broaden their skills, take on passion projects and gain valuable professional experience while giving back to their communities. These tips can help them get involved in pro bono work.

What Is Pro Bono Work?

“Pro bono” is short for the Latin phrase “ pro bono publico ,” which translates to “for the public good.” For legal professionals, this volunteer work can include providing legal advice, reviewing or drafting documents, interviewing clients, speaking about or offering training on legal issues, being a member of a pro bono organization or joining a bar committee related to pro bono work or access to justice. 

The American Bar Association describes two categories of pro bono work (PDF, 272KB) :

“Direct legal representation provided to persons of limited means or organizations that support the needs or persons of limited means for which no compensation was received or expected.”

“Any other law-related service provided for a reduced fee or no cost (without expectation of fee) to any type of client, not including activities performed to develop a paying client or anything that is part of paying job responsibilities.”

Who Does Pro Bono Legal Work?

Attorneys are not the only legal professionals who can engage in pro bono work. David Bienvenu, chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service, said the committee views the pro bono work of paralegals as critical to expanding access to justice.

“Paralegals’ ability to complete intakes, request and collect supporting documentation, research legal issues and, in some cases (such as agency hearings), provide services contributes to expanding access to justice for those who cannot afford lawyers, as well as creating capacity within legal aid organizations and for pro bono attorneys to take on the work that paralegals are unable to perform,” he said.

Here’s how a range of legal professionals can engage in pro bono work:

The  American Bar Association  encourages attorneys to engage in 50 hours of pro bono work annually. Attorneys can take on entire cases or portions of legal cases at no cost to pro bono clients.

Paralegals and legal assistants.

The  National Federation of Paralegal Associations  code of ethics encourages paralegals to complete 24 hours of pro bono work annually.  Pro bono services paralegals and legal assistants can offer  include researching, interviewing, writing and representing clients in administrative hearings. 

While they cannot directly represent clients in pro bono cases,  judges can help support pro bono work  in their jurisdictions. Judges can work with local bar associations, create legal assistance programs, train pro bono attorneys and engage in other activities to promote pro bono legal services. 

Law and legal students.

Pro bono work can provide relevant work experience for students pursuing law and legal studies degrees. Students hoping to  become a lawyer  or  become a paralegal  can use pro bono service to build their resumes and gain employment. Some law schools require students to participate in volunteer work to graduate, and many support pro bono programs.

The Need for Pro Bono Legal Professionals

Although court-appointed attorneys are guaranteed for people in criminal cases, the same is not true for civil cases, so there is a need for legal professionals to volunteer in civil issues—from family law and domestic disputes to financial and foreclosure cases. 

Christine Flynn, a Philadelphia paralegal and pro bono coordinator for the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, said she has seen an increased need for legal professionals to volunteer across the board since the recession. 

Often, paralegals and other legal professionals help patch gaps in legal needs for individuals. Common places for legal professionals to volunteer include rural areas with few legal professionals; senior citizen legal clinics; limited license legal technician (LLLT) programs; and court-appointed special advocates (CASA) programs, in which paralegals act as representatives for minors at hearings. 

“We’re trying to face the unmet legal needs of the community,” Flynn said.

How to Find Pro Bono Opportunities

Paralegals should also ask their employers/prospective employers if they offer or support pro bono work.

“Don’t be afraid to ask when you go on your job interview if that firm is involved in pro bono and community service projects,” Flynn said.

Many law firms have pro bono policies in place, and interviewees can ask whether it provides for paralegal engagement, Bienvenu said.

“If there is no policy in place, paralegals may want to inquire whether the employer encourages pro bono participation by paralegal staff, whether work time may be used to engage in pro bono and whether there are prospects to team up with attorneys and other employees on pro bono opportunities,” Bienvenu said.

Beyond working through their employers, paralegals and legal professionals can turn to local legal associations, legal aid offices and walk-in clinics for pro bono opportunities.

“You can look in your own backyard,” Flynn said.

Organizations offering pro bono opportunities for legal professionals

These are just some of the organizations where legal professionals can seek pro bono work:

• National Federation of Paralegal Associations
• American Bar Association Center for Pro Bono
• National Pro Bono Volunteer Opportunities Guide
• Pro Bono Institute
• ProBono.Net
• Animal Legal Defense Fund

Legal professionals looking for pro bono work can also seek out local and regional paralegal associations and state bar associations.

Benefits and Challenges of Pro Bono Work

The benefits of engaging in pro bono work are similar to those for anyone doing volunteer opportunities, such as improved health and mental well-being. But it doesn’t come without obstacles.

Improving existing skills and acquiring new ones.

Legal professionals can practice communicating with clients, hone their research abilities and refine their skills at hearings.  

Gaining experience in areas outside a person’s expertise.

Pro bono work can be a great way for legal professionals to pursue passion projects or learn more about areas of law with which they are unfamiliar. 

Networking.

Pro bono work offers opportunities for legal professionals to meet others in the field.

Ethical requirements.

Paralegals, legal assistants and students must be careful to not engage in the unauthorized practice of law and ensure they are operating under the supervision of an attorney.

Time management.

If employers resist accommodating pro bono work during working hours, legal professionals should seek flexible pro bono work (such as research) or other opportunities outside working hours.

Doing pro bono work, especially during working hours, comes at the expense of billable work. Many law firm employees have to meet minimum billable hour requirements. 

How to Balance Pro Bono and Paid Work

Legal professionals can follow these general tips for balancing their paid work with volunteer activities.

Ask prospective employers. During job interviews, ask prospective employers whether they engage in pro bono work and whether comp time or other benefits are offered for pro bono work.

Gather support for new projects. If your employer does not have its own pro bono initiatives, ask about getting support to launch them.

Make time. Paralegals can use their lunch hours or small blocks of time before or after work to assist in volunteer work if they aren’t able to do it during business hours. 

Seek training. Take time to train and ask questions if you are volunteering in an area outside your expertise to make the transition more seamless.

Avoid burnout. Although providing pro bono services can help legal professionals find meaning in their work, they should take breaks from work and care for their physical and mental health to  avoid burning out.

How to Find Pro Bono Legal Help

People who can’t afford legal counsel are eligible for pro bono representation, and anyone can utilize free legal clinics and resources.

Many nonprofit organizations rely on pro bono work to support vulnerable populations, such as older adults, children, veterans and immigrants.

Tips for Finding Pro Bono Legal Representation 

People who need pro bono representation or legal help should be sure to go through the proper channels. For example, paralegals are not allowed to practice law but can offer services under the supervision of an attorney, so those seeking representation should make sure they go through the correct avenues.

These organizations can help people find free legal help for a range of issues:

• LawHelp.org
• American Bar Association: Free Legal Help
• ABA Free Legal Answers
• Legal Services Corp.
• State bar association, legal aid society, city courthouse or local law school
• Free legal clinics
• National Center for State Courts

Please note that this article is for informational purposes only. Individuals should consult an authorized legal professional before following any of the information provided.

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Leaving Her Heel Print in Miami for Law School

By Courtesy of The Daily Tar Heel 11-20-2023

Emily Gafcovich’s journey to becoming a lawyer started at the University of North Carolina, but she was able to truly blossom at Miami Law. She not only was closer to her family, but connected with a supportive community and opportunities that guided her to her future in law. 

Gafcovich, who is originally from Florida, said she chose UNC-Chapel Hill as her temporary four-year home due to the strong programs offered for both of her majors of psychology and political science and to experience a new city outside her home state. 

Studying psychology was always on Gafcovich’s path due to her interest in the subject, and she added political science later because she enjoyed the classes within the major. Gafcovich said she could never get enough of the content, specifically of the political science course “Constitution of the US” and others. This combination of majors at UNC is a common path for future lawyers and is what sparked Gafcovich’s decision to continue her studies and attend law school.

“Figuring out what you want to do as a lawyer is a great thing to do while still in school,” said Gafcovich. “There are a lot of opportunities to test out different areas of concentration.” 

Another key experience that inspired Gafcovich’s journey to law was her position within the student government office. During her shifts, she met graduate students studying law at UNC and heard stories about their journeys to law school. Through their testimonies, she decided law school was the perfect next step in her career. 

After graduating from UNC, Gafcovich set her sights on many law schools across the U.S. Still, her roots in Miami were calling her name, and so was the illustrious law program at the University of Miami. She knew Miami’s law program would offer everything she needed to become a successful lawyer: the amazing learning opportunities and the chance to be closer to home. 

“I would not be able to succeed as a lawyer without the support of my family,” Gafcovich said. 

As a first-generation law student, Gafcovich began her law school career without a specific focus of study. Through experiences such as working in Miami’s state attorney human trafficking unit and Miami Law’s Immigration Clinic , she has honed different specialties of law. She also actively participates on the Charles C. Papy, Jr. Moot Court Board , a student-run organization that teaches students how to litigate a case in a real-time court scenario.

When thinking about what’s next for her, Gafcovich plans to stay in the Miami area to be with her family. Although she has much to decide before graduation, she is leaning towards immigration law, as this is where she has found her passion through different rotations and classes at Miami Law.

Along with her passion for law, Gafcovich has also found her community at Miami Law with fellow law students and faculty, making her experience even more impactful as she prepares for her future. 

“My time at Miami Law has been exceptionally rewarding thanks to the warm and supportive community. The sense of belonging and camaraderie among students has made my journey enjoyable,” Gafcovich said. “Additionally, the wealth of opportunities within and outside the campus has allowed me to explore, learn and grow, making this experience truly great.”

Read about the 18 areas of study at Miami Law .

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Passion Project Ideas for High School Students in 2023

By Jin Chow

Co-founder of Polygence, Forbes 30 Under 30 for Education

15 minute read

If I could give my high school self one piece of advice, it would be to stress less about school and to spend more time pursuing passion projects!

Doing a passion project comes with so many benefits: you can take a potential college major on a test drive; it can help distinguish you from other applicants in the college admissions process ; and the most important benefit is that it can be a ton of fun! We’ve updated this list to include an even wider range of passion project ideas - they range from academic projects all the way to fun, creative things that you can do!

What is a High School Passion Project? 

A passion project is an endeavor that is uniquely yours. It is not a school assignment or a prescribed task - it is your opportunity to explore an area of interest that is unique to you. It is usually something that you pursue outside the confines of school work or your profession. It is a project or a hobby that you are excited to pursue because you’re intrinsically motivated to learn about the topic and to devote time and energy to it. Most importantly, it is something that brings you a sense of joy, intellectual and creative fulfillment, and personal satisfaction , and something you can proudly showcase on college applications .

Benefits of Pursuing a Passion Project

There are many benefits to doing a passion project in high school , but one of the most important is the opportunity to learn more about career paths. You can dive deep into a topic that interests you and see if that topic is something you could see yourself exploring further. A passion project allows you to engage with a topic in a way that you can’t get from just surface-level reading or research. Further, passion projects can help distinguish yourself as an applicant for college admissions. We’ve previously discussed on the Polygence blog how passion projects/research projects can help a student’s college application . In a time when college applications are becoming more test-optional and schools value extracurricular activities, passion projects can help you stand out. Finally, pursuing a passion project allows you to do something that you enjoy! You can choose what you want to do instead of being forced to learn about something you have no interest in.

Explore Real Passion Projects from our Students

Our students have done everything from animating award-winning short films to recreating historical dresses by hand. The common thread: exploring their passions deeply and creating something that is uniquely their own.

Examples of Passion Project Ideas for High Schoolers

Writing a research paper exploring a hypothesis or a question.

This is perhaps one of the most popular types of passion projects - the academic project! Do you wish you had more time to explore a particular unit that your teacher breezed through in school? Is there a nerdy question that’s been bothering you for months that you’re curious to find the answer to? Do you enjoy writing and clearly articulating your arguments and findings? If any of this resonates with you, this might be the right type of passion project for you!  To get started here, you need to first identify what question(s) and hypotheses you hope to explore. If writing a research paper sounds exciting to you, check out our guide! Here’s an example of a behavioral economics research paper written by Carmen, one of our Polygence students .

Writing a review paper

If you’re fascinated by a subject area you don’t know much about, writing a review paper could be a great way to kickstart your passion project journey. There is tremendous value in learning how to distill, paraphrase, and summarize existing research for the rest of the world to consume. Being able to write strong, informative review papers is critical to getting yourself ready for original research.  Polygence student Ahmet wrote his review paper on quantum algorithms . Check out our research showcasing opportunities to learn more about what journals and outlets are open to accepting review paper submissions!

Publishing a personal blog documenting your learning process 

If you enjoy writing in a more casual setting with a wider readership, then blog writing might be for you!  Whether you’re exploring an issue you care deeply about (e.g., prison reform, data privacy law), picking up a new hobby like tennis, or backpacking across the country this summer, keeping a blog can be a great way to synthesize what you’ve learned and share it with the world! Check out Irene’s interactive blog about Rome and Italy that she published on Medium!

Producing a podcast on a topic you care about

For those of you who prefer speaking to writing, podcasts are a great way to disseminate information!  Podcasts are a versatile medium that allows you to achieve a range of goals. Whether you want to interview a series of inspirational scientists, make science accessible to younger listeners, or educate the world about your unique insights on a topic, podcasts can be a great way to do that! Polygence student Audrey chose this approach for her project and created a podcast about skin disorders and mental health .

Writing an experimental proposal 

Lots of students think of white lab coats and pipettes when they think of the words “research” or “project”. But let’s face it, not all students have ready access to physical lab space and resources, and experimental design is. A great way to hone your experimental skills while you wait for space to open up is to practice crafting and designing an experiment that you can take to your school or an independent lab space afterward.

Designing an app or video game  

Calling all creative minds here! Are you a gamer yourself or have dreams to design the next big blockbuster app or video game? It’s never too early to try your hand at this and learn some new skills! You can even combine your building abilities with a social cause and design a website or app for a social cause that matters to you! Note that you will need to have some basic coding skills in order to do this project. Polygence student Rohil developed a website to gamify the process of learning about software algorithms and used various front-end and back-end technologies to make it happen.

Creating a social media campaign for a cause that matters to you

Many of you out there are social media whizzes - combining those skills with raising awareness for particular social issues could be a very rewarding and fulfilling experience. Have you been wishing you could do more for your community? Want to do fundraising for a particular cause? There’s simply no better time to start than now!

Designing an infographic

Are you a visual thinker who marvels at the ability of a well-crafted visual to “speak a thousand words”? Pick a complex topic or process (e.g., the process of breaking down plastic molecules in the environment; the history of affirmative action in higher education), and design an insightful and clear infographic to educate the world!

Writing a creative piece - a novel or screenplay or something else!

Trying to satisfy your creative urges and put pen to paper? A creative writing passion project might be just the right thing for you. Whether you’re writing a novel or a creative nonfiction piece, getting started is often the hardest part. You can lean on organizations and programs such as NaNoWriMo to find a community of other writers and creators!

Starting a company or club

If there’s an entrepreneurial side to you that’s waiting to be let loose, starting your own organization or company could be the perfect passion project for you. Is there a product you’ve always thought should exist but doesn’t? Is there a club that you wish existed at your high school but doesn’t? Do you and your group of friends already meet up regularly to discuss a topic, a book, current affairs, or favorite video games? The possibilities are endless and starting your own organization is a really great way to hone your skills as a leader and doer! Polygence student Nayan developed an online tutoring business as his project .

Writing a song 

For those who are musically inclined, composing a song and writing the lyrics to it can be a great way to both de-stress and build up your creative muscle! Whether you’re a classical musician hoping to untangle the secrets of Bach’s partitas and fugues or an aspiring jazz composer fascinated by syncopation and chord progressions, getting creative with music is one of the most rewarding passion projects you could engage in! Polygence student Ben was able to write and produce a full song from scratch !

Writing a series of poems

Are you tired of prose and want to experiment with the rhythm of words and language? Trying out poetry writing might be the right thing for you! You can pick your favorite poet and write your own verses that mirror their style, or you can pick a number of poets and create a mashup of their styles! If you’re interested in understanding the intersection between computer science and literature, you could even do a literary analysis project on the merits of using ChatGPT to write poetry! If you’re proud of your work, submitting it for publication in magazines, newspapers, or competitions is a great way to flex that creative muscle of yours. 

Create a research project tailored to your interests and your schedule

Polygence pairs you with an expert mentor in your area of passion. Together, you work to create a high quality research project that is uniquely your own. We also offer options to explore multiple topics, or to showcase your final product!

Producing a photography exhibition 

Are you a casual iPhone photographer but interested in learning more about what makes photos great? You can put together a local exhibition (or even one for your family and friends) with photos you’ve taken on a special trip, of a special someone, or even of still life around the neighborhood! The world of photography is vast and there is so much to learn - if you feel intimidated, start your passion project journey by following some photography blogs ! Polygence student Thea created a photo essay to explore the tension between the tenderness expressed by the women of the Levant region and the violence they face.

Starting a fundraising campaign or a non-profit 

Do you have a cause that you care deeply about? Starting a fundraiser or non-profit can be a fun and fulfilling experience because it gives you the opportunity to make a positive impact in your community or the world. It allows you to channel your passions, creativity, and leadership skills toward a cause you care about. Additionally, working with a team of like-minded individuals towards a common goal can be a bonding experience and provide a sense of accomplishment. The satisfaction of seeing the tangible results of your efforts and knowing that you have made a difference in someone's life is a reward in and of itself!

Learning a language and using it to journal

If you’re a language nerd and want your passion project to be both deeply personal and creative, learning a new language with the goal of journaling in it could be a great way to go! Language learning is a humbling and rewarding experience - it teaches you to think in a completely new way and to adopt a fresh perspective on the world. Passion projects don’t have to be world-shattering. Sometimes, the most fulfilling ones are deeply personal. As you progress in your writing, you can see your understanding of grammar and vocabulary expand, which can bring a sense of accomplishment.  

Learning an instrument and holding a recital 

On the topic of humbling learning experiences, learning to play a new musical instrument is very similar to learning a new language. Not only does it improve your musical skills, but it also develops discipline and perseverance. As you progress in your instrument, you can see your technique and ability improve, which can culminate in a performance you hold for friends and family, or for your wider school community. Public performance is an excellent platform to overcome performance anxiety and build confidence.

Building an AI model 

Are you a computer whiz with some experience in artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML)? Are you excited to apply your skills to a social good passion project or to investigate a dataset that you’ve always been wondering about? Building an AI model that answers a question or tests a hypothesis you have is a great way to challenge yourself! Check out some past projects on AI that Polygence students have completed with the help of AI models!

Competing in a science fair or a competition 

Are you a science whiz who wants to put your best foot forward at a science fair or a competition? We’ve got you covered! Check out our comprehensive guide on Regeneron ISEF - the nation’s most renowned science fair competition! There are a host of other local science fairs that you can participate in as well.

Developing a website 

Have you always wanted to try your hand at building a website to educate the world about a particular topic? Have you always wanted to put your HTML skills and design chops to the test? Building a website might be the right passion project choice for you! If you don’t have the requisite coding skills needed to build a website, you can always lean on website builders such as Wix and SquareSpace to get started! to get started! If you’re looking for inspiration, check out Arnav’s website on Alzheimer’s disease which he made using Wix.

Constructing a prototype of your very own invention 

Last but not least, there are plenty of passion project opportunities for those who prefer hands-on learning. Are you a knitter? A builder of robots? A constructor of models? Building something with your own two hands is a great way to engage with your passions. Think of a problem that you’d like to solve and let’s get building! For example, Polygence student Youssef designed a robot auto-snow-melter to help with his winter chores at home!

Creating a YouTube video

Interested in film or a big admirer of YouTube creators? Create a YouTube video to help others understand a topic that you’re passionate about. Try to be as creative as possible - there are so many different ways you can take this! If you’re looking for inspiration from existing creators, be sure to check out YouTube channels like Veritasium to get a sense of how you can create an informative and engaging video.

Creating a piece of art

If you’re excited about drawing or any other form of art, consider trying this for a passion project. You can look to create your own novel piece of work with your own technique, or even study from a master like Leonardo da Vinci to then inspire your own work. You can even combine this project idea with storytelling and create a graphic novel or comic book.

Making a series of TikTok videos

Educational TikTok videos are all over the Internet nowadays, and there are thousands of creators who are already dedicating themselves to making learning fun and entertaining. If there’s a topic that you’re passionate about and want to teach to an audience, consider making a series of TikToks that might catch someone’s eye as they’re scrolling through the platform. Creators like Cleo Abram and Hank Green are great examples and they don’t use any fancy techniques to make their videos engaging.

Creating a magazine or pamphlet

This could be an idea to consider if you’re interested in graphic design! You can take any topic that you’d like and present it in a pamphlet or magazine format, making intentional and creative choices about the design of the pamphlet. You can use tools like Adobe InDesign to get started with designing. Polygence student Sianna made her own fashion magazine that you can check out here.

Creating a board game or card game

This is a fun, out-of-the-box idea to explore! See if you can take an academic topic that you’re interested in and turn it into a fun game with its own mechanics and rules, and potentially its own unique board and game pieces. A potential idea could be to take a time period or concept from history and turn it into a board game with a realistic representation of people and events from that time period! You can also of course set the game in its own fantasy world and create a story around that world as well.

Performing your own one-person show or stand-up comedy routine

Think you have what it takes to make an audience laugh? Try doing a standup comedy routine! Develop your material by brainstorming ideas and writing down everything that comes to mind. Then you can look to edit and refine material by including themes, structuring the show, and practicing the performance. Perform in front of a live audience and use their feedback to refine the performance. This project can double as an opportunity to improve your public speaking skills and boost your confidence!

Analyzing a product

Passionate about new tech, retail, or fashion products? Love to give reviews or watch influencers give their take on new products? Analyze a product from a customer satisfaction perspective and then try to analyze it from the business’s perspective as well. How successful is the product in terms of its sales? How does it compare to the company’s existing products? How much does it cost to make?

Organizing a community service project

Help out your local community and boost your resume at the same time! A community service project can take a variety of forms, like doing a beach or public park cleanup, a neighborhood beautification project, or a food/clothing drive to support a non-profit or people in your community. Just think about something that would benefit the community in some way, and brainstorm what it will take to organize the event and what would be the best way to spread the news about the event.

Creating an online course

Do you enjoy tutoring or teaching others? Take that a step further by creating your own online course, which will allow you to reach a greater audience. Creating an online course with the topic of your choice is easy as ever, and can also be a great way for you to reinforce your knowledge about a topic and challenge you to explain it in an easy-to-understand way (which can often be very difficult especially when you get into advanced concepts). Here’s a great resource from Thinkific to help get you started on creating your own online course .

Organizing a career conference

A great passion project idea that often flies under the radar is organizing a conference! This is a bit easier to do if you’re affiliated with a school club, but see if you can get professionals or domain experts to come and speak to students and share their ideas. For example, if you’re part of a business club, see if you can find alumni from your high school who have careers in business and organize a conference where they can come and speak to students about their careers or specific areas of business. This conference can be a great event to put together for you and your peers to learn more about career paths. Furthermore, a conference has the flexibility to be either in-person or virtual. Finally, if you’re spearheading the effort to put together the conference, in your efforts to find speakers and alumni for the conference you’ll be able to meet so many great professionals who you can build relationships with and receive mentorship from!

Deciding on a Passion Project Idea to Pursue as a High Schooler

The first step to embarking on your passion project is deciding what you want to pursue. Try using idea generation techniques , such as mind mapping or brainstorming , to discern where your true passion lies and what will be the best focus for you. 

You can also find inspiration by exploring our lists passion project ideas that are specific to a topic or field:

Architecture Research and Passion Project Ideas

Arts and Humanities Research and Passion Project Ideas

Biology Research and Passion Project Ideas 

Business, Economics, and Finance Research and Passion Project Ideas

Chemistry Research and Passion Project Ideas

Computer Science Research and Passion Project Ideas 

Creative Writing Research and Passion Project Ideas

Data Science Research and Passion Project Ideas

Design Research and Passion Project Ideas

Engineering Research and Passion Project Ideas

Environmental Studies Research and Passion Project Ideas in Environmental Studies

History Research and Passion Project Ideas

Leadership Research and Passion Project Ideas

Literature Research and Passion Project Ideas

Medicine-Related Research and Passion Project Ideas

Neuroscience Research and Passion Project Ideas

Physics Research and Passion Project Ideas

Psychology Research and Passion Project Ideas

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10 Passion Project Ideas for High School Students

Your extracurriculars are the second-most important part of your college application after your grades. Top universities are looking for candidates who have meaningful extracurriculars and who have invested time and energy in projects that interest them. It is important to showcase your interests through your extracurricular activities and developing a passion project is a great way to explore your interests while enhancing your college application. Here we outline ten ideas that you could explore in high school.

What is a passion project?

A passion project is a personal project that someone undertakes out of a strong interest or curiosity in a particular topic, idea, or skill. It is usually a self-directed project that is not tied to any specific academic or professional requirement. Passion projects can take many forms, including creative endeavors, community initiatives, research projects, or personal challenges.

Pursuing a passion project can also be a deeply fulfilling and rewarding experience that fosters personal growth and self-awareness. It can boost confidence, build resilience, and encourage you to take ownership of your own learning and personal development. They provide a space for creativity, innovation, and personal growth, and can help individuals stand out in the competitive college application space .

What are the benefits of pursuing a passion project for college applicants?

For college applicants, pursuing a passion project can have several benefits, including:

• Demonstrating commitment : Pursuing a passion project shows commitment and dedication to a particular interest or cause. This can be attractive to college admissions committees, as it demonstrates an ability to pursue goals outside of traditional academic settings and can show a willingness to take initiative.
• Showcasing skills : Whether it's learning a new programming language, developing a volunteer program, or honing a creative craft, passion projects can be a great way to showcase skills and talents that may not be reflected in academic transcripts or test scores. For example, if you have a passion for filmmaking and have created a short film, this project can showcase skills in storytelling, cinematography, and editing.
• Standing out in the application process : Passion projects can help you stand out in the application process. College admissions committees often see a lot of applications from students with similar academic profiles, so a passion project can help you differentiate yourself from other candidates.
• Building a portfolio : Pursuing a passion project can help you build a portfolio of work that demonstrates your skills and accomplishments that may not be reflected in academic credentials. This can be useful in showcasing experience and expertise to potential colleges or future employers.
• Showing personal growth : Pursuing a passion project can demonstrate personal growth and development. It shows that you are willing to take risks and pursue interests outside of your comfort zone, which can be an attractive quality to colleges. 
• Exploring interests : Passion projects allow you to explore and delve deeper into areas of personal interest that may not be covered in traditional academic settings. This can lead to a deeper understanding of a particular subject and can even spark new interests or career paths.
• Enhancing creativity : Passion projects provide a space for creativity and innovation. You can approach your projects in unconventional ways, experiment with new ideas, and take risks without the pressure of academic expectations.

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Brainstorming Ideas for Passion Projects

Brainstorming passion project ideas requires a combination of self-reflection, community awareness, and creativity. By considering personal interests, community needs, and current trends, you can create projects that align with your passions and make a positive impact.

Here are some tips for high schoolers to brainstorm passion project ideas:

• Reflect on personal interests: Start by thinking about what you are passionate about. Consider your hobbies, extracurricular activities, and things that you enjoy doing in your free time. Think about how you can turn these interests into a project that can benefit others.
• Identify gaps in the community : Look for gaps or needs in your community that you can address through a passion project. This could be something as simple as starting a community garden or as complex as creating a program to address mental health issues in your school. By identifying needs in your community , you can create a project that not only satisfies your interests but also benefits others.
• Research current trends : Keep up to date with current trends and events that are happening in your area or globally. Look for opportunities to create a project that addresses a current issue or trend. For example, if you are passionate about environmental sustainability, you could create a project that addresses the issue of plastic waste in your community.
• Consider skills and talents : Consider your skills and talents when brainstorming passion project ideas. Think about how you can use your existing skills to create a project that aligns with your passions. For example, if you are skilled in graphic design, you could create a social media campaign to raise awareness about a particular issue.
• Collaborate with others : Collaborate with others to generate passion project ideas. Brainstorm with friends, family members, or peers who share similar interests. You can also reach out to community organizations or local businesses to identify opportunities for collaboration.
• Think about your college goals : Consider how your passion project can align with your college goals. Think about how your project can demonstrate your leadership skills, creativity, and commitment to a particular cause. This can help you stand out in the college application process.

10 Passion Project Ideas for High Schoolers

Here are 10 passion project ideas that you can consider. Remember, these are just ideas to get you started.

• Organizing a school-wide fundraiser to support a local charity or nonprofit organization.
• Creating a website or blog to promote mental health awareness and provide resources for students.
• Starting a tutoring program to help younger students in your school with their academic studies.
• Launching a recycling program in your school to promote sustainability and reduce waste.
• Developing a social media campaign to raise awareness about a social issue or advocacy cause.
• Creating a mural or art installation to beautify a public space or raise awareness about an issue.
• Starting a school garden to promote sustainable living and healthy eating habits.
• Hosting a community service event , such as a park clean-up or food drive, to support local organizations.
• Writing and publishing a book or blog about a personal experience, hobby, or topic that you are passionate about.
• Developing a mobile app or software program that solves a common problem or provides a useful service.

How can Crimson help?

At Crimson we provide a wide range of extracurricular resources that will help you develop your passion project and foster your interests. If you are a middle schooler interested in developing your social entrepreneurship or debating skills, Crimson Rise is the right place for you. With Indigo Research you can get 1:1 mentorship from top professors and PhDs to transform your academic passion into publishable research. If you are interested in an internship experience, Crimson Careers provides virtual work experience programs with leading global companies, like Uber, HSBC and Ferrari. If you are interested in traveling with some academic pursuit, Crimson Tours provides you with the opportunity to visit top US and UK universities. Finally, there are many more opportunities on our ECL page to suit every interest.

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Top 10 Benefits of Extracurricular Activities for High School Students

A Comprehensive List of High School Clubs Students Can Join or Consider Starting

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25 Passion Projects for High School Students to Improve Portfolio

• February 8, 2023
• College Admission Guidance , Parents Must Read , Student Admission , Under Graduate

Passion projects are an extraordinary way to study new skills, obtain confidence, and delve greater thoroughly into your interests. Additionally, you can demonstrate your strengths and extracurricular pursuits at some stage in the  college admissions process . As evidenced by the recent college acceptance rates, college admissions standards are becoming increasingly competitive. Therefore, if you intend to attend a highly-selective college, a passion project is a great way to stand out in the applicant pool.

Introduction

While the process of applying to college usually starts in senior year, building a strong applicant profile should begin earlier in high school. Many universities are going the ‘test optional’ route and this means a shift towards evaluating applicants using more qualitative criteria.

Universities look at the stories that students tell in their essays and the projects that they’ve created to back up their admission profiles. For many students, that means they are looking to create an individualized project of their own, AKA a passion project.

What is a passion project?

As the name implies, it is anything you take up because you are deeply interested in it / passionate about it! The project can take a variety of forms (we’ve explained some below) and cover an array of topics and interests.

To help with the ideation process, we have listed over 25 passion project ideas that are perfect for high school students (sorted into 6 main categories). 

25 Ideas for Passion Projects while in High School

Category #1: work on a research project.

Picking up a research project on a topic you’re passionate about is a great way to showcase your interest in the subject , relevant skills, and analytical and critical thinking skills. 

Thanks to multiple virtual and in-person research programs available, you can also choose to be mentored by scholars working in a field you’re interested in. Read how to find research opportunities as a high school student .

One way to do a research program to apply to summer research programs where you can work 1-1 with a PhD on an independent research project. Students that are low-income, can also apply to programs like the Lumiere Foundation .

Alternatively, you could conduct independent research on topics such as the one below –  

• Passion project idea: Working on a machine-learning-based platform that predicts the performance of a stock based on information from online communities, and compares it simultaneously with its performance for a few months to check its accuracy. One way to do that is to look at programs like Veritas AI . 
• Studying the relationship between the proximity of grocery stores and the spending habits of shoppers. 
• Studying biomimicry and developing solutions in a local context.
• Applying for and participating in summer research programs held by prestigious universities (bonus points if it’s the schools you’re applying to!). Check out this list of the most competitive summer programs .
• Reach out to professors and researchers via email or through online communities, and shadow them as a research assistant for the summer.

Let’s say you’ve done the research and written a stellar research paper, you should consider taking it to the next level by publishing it in a journal .

Application Open for Veritas AI Summer Program 2023

Veritas AI has a range of programs for ambitious high school students , from close-group, collaborative learning to customized project pathways with 1:1 mentorship. The programs have been designed and run by Harvard graduate students & alumni. In the AI Fellowship, you will create a novel AI project independently with the support of a mentor over 12-15 weeks. Examples of past projects can be found here .

Category #2: Bridge the gap between your academic interests and their real-world applications

If you can show ownership and your ability to take things to the next level / create opportunities, you can be sure to leave a lasting impression as a college applicant.

Taking up Spanish for your senior year of high school is cool. But translating that knowledge into a tutoring project or “Spanish for beginners” podcast is even cooler! 

Passion projects like these display the skill to be able to apply your academic learnings to the world around you, in an accessible, easy-to-understand manner. 

• Write a blog series on the basics of high-school world history.
• Take up tutoring roles with students of lower grades in a subject you are confident teaching and passionate about.
• Set up a podcast episode talking about home gardening and methods to set up a sustainable cycle of harvesting produce organically at home.
• Volunteer with a non-profit working with a field you’re passionate about (such as animal rights, and eco-consciousness) to assist them with their social media efforts or help them build or refine their website – the list is endless! 
• Publish an interview series with local community leaders from underrepresented ethnic and racial groups, talking about their experiences, learnings, and initiatives in the community. 

Category #3: Organize an event

As is the case with any passion project, there should be a very clear purpose for this one, or else it can seem like a ‘one-off’ effort (which is less impressive for a college application). Events are great for community engagement, creating awareness, and mobilizing efforts for causes.

Hosting an event involves more than simply deciding upon a venue and spreading the word about the event in your area. It shows your ability to think of the bigger picture, an eye for detail, and the ability to influence people to come together for a cause. 

• Host a live Q&A (in-person or over social media) with a team of doctors that worked closely with the community at the peak of the COVID pandemic.
• Create a series of videos on topics that you are passionate about, such as mental health advocacy, climate change mitigation, sexual wellness, etc. 
• Organize or lead discussion sessions on career plans, sharing circles for high school students to learn and engage with fellow college applicants.
• Take part in charity drives, garage sales, and collection drives in your vicinity.
• Set up a website or app collating all of the social events happening in your vicinity/state – a social calendar of sorts. 

Category #4: Work on your digital presence

Along with in-person projects, having an online presence that showcases your work and experience is an excellent addition to your application . It speaks of ambition and larger engagement. It also compels you to reflect so that you can stay relevant.

This lets admission officers take a look at your non-academic achievements and activities alongside your admissions essay.

• Create a website that showcases your academic achievements, extra-curricular activities, research projects, and hobbies.
• Set up a social media account that you regularly post on – it could be a word a day from a language that you’re learning, fun facts about astronomy, event updates, etc. 
• Start a YouTube channel that captures your passion – baking, traveling, writing, public speaking, and more! 
• Collaborate with your peers with a similar social media presence for short videos, and featured posts.
• Spread the word about your blog page, YouTube channel, website, or tech portfolio by sharing links with your friends, academic counselors, and family.

Category #5: Set up your own small business 

Setting up your own business is a great way of showcasing innovation, passion, problem-solving ability, and an array of skills that are valued professionally. This project can be as small or big as you’d like. 

• Hold bake sales every week with cookies, cakes, and brownies 
• Coach the elderly in computer literacy, and teach basic skills such as operating an email ID, ordering items from online retail stores, and staying safe from phishing and malware
• Offer your writing services to local businesses as a freelancer – blogging, copywriting, editing, etc. 
• Set up a thrift store for pre-loved clothes to promote sustainability amongst your peers! (Many people are setting up stores online, consequently building a massive social media presence – you can actually work at the interaction of two or more passion project areas)
• Ship hyper-local items from other states/countries such as bao buns, authentic ramen, spices, and sweets in your hometown.

On a side note, if business and entrepreneurship interests you, check out some of these competitions which also let you ideate business plans and pitch them!

Category #6: Work on writing projects 

Writing is a skill that comes in handy in a lot of situations. Knowing how to tailor your writing for a particular objective is a very handy communication skill to have. 

• Submit a research paper to renowned journals, such as the Concord Review .
• Start your blog page – cover niches such as film and entertainment, food, or even travel 
• Send an article or two to the local newspaper, or the newspaper at your high school 
• Conduct and publish an interview with an academician in your field of interest, and publish it in a magazine.
• Publish a set of short stories or a collection of poems with your peers. 

Now that we’ve covered over 25 passion projects that you can pick up, let’s take a look at why passion projects significantly increase your chances of getting into your dream school. 

Over 75% of all present Harvard students have worked on a passion project in high school. Your college application is sure to stand out if it displays a high-school journey that has the right balance of academic, extra-curricular, and passion-turned-project.

How to use passion projects for college admissions

You can showcase a passion project in a number of ways in your college application.

A) Add the project to your portfolio and activity list

For instance, if your passion project has required you to produce deliverables/project milestones which can be considered as ‘work’, then it can go in your activity list or as a portfolio that you add to your college application. 

B) Showcase the passion project as an academic achievement

If your passion is for educational purposes, it can be showcased as an academic experience. A great example of this is a research paper. If you have scaled a passion project over some time, you may even consider whether it can qualify as an extra-curricular activity.

C) Win competitions using your passion project

You can even compete in science fairs and competitions with your passion project and list that in your application if you win.

D) Write about your passion project in an essay

One of the best ways to showcase a passion project is to write about it in one of your essays (e.g., a supplemental essay ). The more you can use concrete examples of what you’ve done when writing, the better. For example, when asked the question why this major, you could talk about the passion project and how it connects to the major that you’re applying to. 

A pro tip: Use quantitative metrics to showcase your project’s impact

When talking about your project, focus on its impact. So, while you can speak about it qualitatively, do not forget that quantitative parameters matter. For example, “Discovered a polymer that is 5 times stronger than the average market variety and can be produced at 1/2 the price” .

Developing and launching a passion project takes dedication and motivation, two skills you need to highlight in your application. All things considered, the first thing that your passion project should have is ‘you’. Select an activity that matters the most to you, and reflects your values, beliefs, and interests.

Once you put effort into your passion project, you’d be surprised at how many individuals and groups you can engage with in the process.

Think hard about things that interest you/challenge you (or both!), identify patterns, and note some ideas down! You’ll have something solid before you know it. 

One way to do a passion project – Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you are ready to work on your passion project and could benefit from some mentorship, you could also consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program , a selective online high school program for students that I founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 2100 students apply for 500 spots in the program!

About Stephen Turban:

Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.

You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn . 

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51 Passion Project Ideas & Examples List for 2024

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Are you feeling stuck? Like you're treading in water, flapping around but not really going anywhere? If so, you're not alone.

Many people can feel frustrated, stuck, and ultimately unfulfilled when they get trapped in a basic work-life routine. One great way to free yourself from that basic routine of go to work/go home/ go to sleep/start over is by taking on a passion project. 

In this article, we will explore the concept of passion projects and then you will discover 35 ideas to help you get started .

But first, let’s begin with a simple definition.

Table of Contents

What Are Passion Projects?

Passion projects are projects that inspire you; projects that push you to explore your inner creativity and personality.

It is important to note that passion projects aren't hobbies nor should they be approached as some type of side income. Do not look for a passion project to free you from your current work set-up because the moment you transition a passion project from being fun and pursued solely for your own enjoyment in it is the moment many find that their passion in it will die. 

Instead, passion projects are projects that people should get into solely because they love how it makes them feel and how it inspires them to tap into something bigger inside themselves. 

Need some help finding a type of passion project for you to pursue?

Consider the following guide of 51 fantastic passion project ideas….

51 Passion Project Ideas to Pursue

Creative writing passion projects.

1. Start Writing Short Stories or Fan Fiction. You don't have to be a published author to get enjoyment out of creative writing. Writing short stories about characters you love, such as fan fiction , is a great way to get your creative juices going.

Plus, this type of writing has a great online community in which you can get involved in. If you ever find yourself drawn to write that great American novel, your practice in smaller works will give you critical experience, insight, and inspiration. 

2. Become a Reviewer for Something You Love.  Do you love visiting local restaurants? Getting your dogs cute toys and custom treats? Or do you have children with whom you want to experience more of your city? Whatever the case, combine that which you already do (eating, shopping, traveling) and start reviewing.

Create an online blog to share with others or make a personal journal or scrapbook. You can also do both, keep your private thoughts somewhere but also share via an online review site like Yelp.

3. Learn Calligraphy and Make Every Future Card and Present Personal.  This is a small creative writing passion project, but a project nonetheless. Calligraphy is a gorgeous written art form and a great side project for those who love writing and gift-giving. 

4. Engage in Letter-Writing Campaigns.  If you love writing but wish you could do something more meaningful with it, consider engaging in letter-writing campaigns. No matter what you are interested in or passionate about, letter-writing campaigns are an effective grassroots type of advocacy that can be highly effective. This type of passion project is great for fueling frustration you might have about big issues that would otherwise seem too big to tackle. 

5. Create Your Own Zine.  While zines are mostly connected with '90s and '00s youth culture, they are still popular, and they can be created by anyone of any age. Your zine can be about anything you like.

You can do a DIY zine about how to fish and cook those fish you catch, you can do a travel zine featuring your favorite places to travel, you can vent and use your zine as a place to talk about the craziness of your workplace. The world is your oyster. When you're done, keep it as your own personal book or send them out. 

In Your Backyard Passion Projects

6. Redesign Your Landscape.  Landscape design is a fun and creative venture that has the big benefit of leaving you with a gorgeous and possibly more functional backyard once you're done with it. But don't just jump into tearing up your grass. See this as a project to become well-versed in landscape design.

Take an in-person course on gardening at your local garden shop, read books about landscape design, volunteer with relevant groups to hone your skills, and really get an idea of how best to redesign your backyard landscape. 

7. Attract Bees, Birds, and Butterflies.  It's no secret that pollinators are in trouble. Consider taking on a passion project to invite bees, birds, and butterflies both to your backyard and your neighborhood. This type of project will often merge with the above landscape redesign project as you look to create homes and spaces for such animals to live and thrive in. 

8. Start a Community Garden.  Don't have a lot of space in your own backyard for plants and butterfly features? Why not share your interest and passion of gardening with others by starting a community garden ?

A cooperative garden is a great passion project for those who are outgoing and want more personal connections with their neighbors. That's because community gardens have a way of becoming multi-purposeful places in which people naturally congregate for events big and small. 

9. Train a Pup for Competition.  Agility courses, nose work, diving dogs — all of these are great areas of competition in which to train a dog. Taking on a puppy, whether you choose a rescue or go to a breeder, and training them to excel in some type of competition will come with its risks (you have to find or hope for the right personality) but this type of long-term human-animal partnership is a fantastic passion project.

When you really build up that relationship with your furry pal, you'll find that there really is nothing like the bond between a man and man's best friend. Plus, going to competitions is a great way to meet new people and new places. Live in the city and think you're limited? Check out ratting in NYC  (disclaimer, not for the squeamish). 

10. Hold Workshops.  If you have an activity you already love, then what about taking on as a passion project a mission to share that activity? Hosting a series of workshops in your own backyard or at some other venue is a great way to really unleash that creativity, get connected with other people, and even learn something about yourself. After all, they say the best way to learn something is to teach it. 

11. Raise Your Own Food.  And we're not just talking about a basic garden here. Check your local ordinances and see what they allow in terms of other types of food raising. Can you have chickens so as to have your own eggs? What about raising rabbits or ducks as an alternative source of meat?

Raising your own food is a hard but very rewarding passion project as better understanding where one's food comes from and what it takes to get it from farm to plate will go a long way in making one more empathetic and ecologically-conscious. 

Health and Wellness Passion Projects

12. Train for a Marathon.  Running marathons has become exceptionally popular in recent years thanks to it being such a low-cost activity that is available to anyone, anywhere. All you need is a good pair of running shoes to get started.

Training for a marathon is a great health passion project as it encourages one to work on their overall endurance and to get outside exercise every week. Then, at the end, you'll be rewarded with that big marathon run. 

13. Launch a Fitness or Nutrition YouTube.  Two of the biggest sub-niches on YouTube are exercise and nutrition videos. While yes, this means there are a lot of videos already out there, it also means there are a lot of people eager to see new and alternative takes on the best fitness and nutrition recommendations.

If you enjoy giving advice or you think you have a killer routine, then why not share it with the world via YouTube? You can also start by following already successful influencers and making yourself the first paradigm of health and wellness. 

14. Become a Fitness Instructor, Such as a Yoga Instructor.  While yes, you do have to be reasonably fit to be a yoga instructor, you can become an instructor with relative ease so long as you dedicate yourself to it.

Check online for local classes and yoga studios that offer teacher training you can do in your off-hours. Train and get your certification and then share that passion and experience with others. 

15. Train and Take on a Long-Distance Hike. Hate running but love the outdoors? What about training for a world-class long-distance hike? Hiking one of these ultimate scenic trails is a fantastic passion project to take on — and it certainly is a project.

You will need to work up your endurance on hikes and do experiments on short hikes to make sure you know how much you're willing and capable to carry for an enjoyable camping experience. This all takes time, but time well spent as you work towards your dream hiking adventure. 

16. Plan an Overnight Boating Adventure.  Another alternative is to get into boating, which has the big advantage over hiking of having the water vehicle carry all your gear instead of your back. Plus, there are so many different types of boats to look at as you consider where you want your passion project to take you.

Kayaks and canoes are fantastic boats for rivers and lakes and there are a great number of outfitters that can get you started with overnight boating adventures for just a small fee. You might also look at sailboats and sailing around local bays and similar waterways. 

Crafting Passion Projects

17. Take Up Knitting or Crocheting.  Knitting and similar needlework crafts are seeing a resurgence in popularity by people of all ages thanks to its usefulness and versatility. When you know how to knit, you can knit anywhere. Waiting for jury duty, relaxing while your partner watches their favorite television show, and when meeting up with friends at a barbecue.

It's a craft that keeps your hands busy but still gives you the presence of mind to converse and talk with others. Best of all, you have something at the end of it to show off. Watch some tutorials, grab some yarn, and join a Stitch N' Bitch group to get started. 

18. Take Actual Craft Courses Like Pottery Classes.  Ceramic pottery is a timeless art form and another great craft that gives you something really useful at the end of it. This, however, isn't a passion project you typically can start on your own because of the expensive equipment involved. So check your local community colleges and art groups to join a pottery class and get started. 

19. Refurbish Old and Vintage Furniture.  If you have a good aesthetic eye, are handy with tools, and have the right equipment, then maybe a good passion project is taking old furniture and either refurbishing it or transforming it into something new.

This is a great passion project to fill out your home and is one of the rare examples of a passion project that can turn a nice penny if you are gifted enough. 

20. Upcycle Old Clothes.  Furniture isn't the only thing that often goes out of date and out of care. If you're handing with a sewing machine or have always wanted to become handy with a sewing machine, then consider a passion project revolving around upcycling old and thrift store-bought clothes. 

21. Take Up Painting or  Become a Model for Others.  There are so, so, so many fantastic resources for those who want to get started painting. And painting is one of those passion projects that you can take anywhere and do anything with. For example, you might prioritize painting all of the clock towers in your state and then making your own little book about it. That's a fantastic goal to have as part of a painting passion project.

22. Take Up a Big Woodworking Project.  Woodworking is a fantastic niche in which to develop your own passion project goals. For example, consider aiming to build your own tiny sailboat or canoe within two years or so. To get started, you will first have to learn how to use and be comfortable with all manner of tools and slowly, but surely build up your skill levels. 

More Cerebral Passion Projects.

23. Commit to Reading X Books a Week or Month and Review/Post/Share Them.  Reading is another act in which the more you do it, the more empathetic you can become, thereby making you into a better person. The problem is that too many people get too distracted in today's ever-hectic world.

Making reading your passion project by setting out strict reading goals and then choosing some manner in which to share that which you've read. Such as with a book review newsletter, podcast, or blog. You might even start a book club to encourage others to get on the same page. 

24. Take on a Research Project and Follow Through with Something Like Writing a Biography or Historical Book.  You don't have to be an academic, published author, or working historian, sociologist, or economist to take on a research project. If there is something that interests you — a person, a historic place, or even a societal event or question — tackle it.

Make your interest the subject of a research project for which you gather information. Go to your local library, interview subjects, visit places. Gather as much information as you can and then create a podcast, film, or book in which you explain your findings and interpretation of the results. 

25. Tackle a Scientific Quandary.  Just because you failed physics in high school doesn't mean you have to give up on it altogether. The best passion projects are those in which you challenge yourself to overcome your previous limitations. Check out this list of fantastic educational channels and consider what scientific avenues you wish you knew more about, then go follow that passion. 

26. Put Together Your Ancestry.  Did you really have fun putting together your family tree in grade school? Consider then making putting together a fully fleshed-out family history. 23andMe and similar sites are great resources for getting you more information about your ancestors and the events that transpired to bring you where you are today. 

27. Learn How to Code and Then Build Something via Code.  Coding is a fantastic skill and one that really encourages problem-solving and creative thinking. But perhaps best of all, once you know how to code, then you can create. You can create your own app, game, or other item as part of a master passion project. 

28. Learn a Secondary Language and Make it a Mission to Volunteer or Visit the Country Where That Language is Spoken.  If you love traveling, then this type of passion project is one that will fulfill personal and societal goals. Learning a new language can be challenging but it offers opportunities to engage with new people in new ways.

If you choose to go for a new language, we recommend making the overall passion project a more physical goal, like going to that language's country of origin and volunteering or traveling in order to make real use out of your education. 

Other Great Passion Projects

29. Join a Birding Group and Go for a Big Year.  Birding is a great hobby that takes one out into nature to see wildlife in its natural environment. But birding is an activity that can be so much more than just a hobby. Check out the film  The Big Year   and, if it piques your interest, consider undergoing your own “big year” as a passion project. 

30. Organize Bicycle Rides in Your Neighborhood.  Riding bikes is one of the greatest activities one can do. You get exercise, efficient means of travel, and easy ability to talk while traveling. If you love riding bikes, then consider taking that passion to the next level by committing yourself to share that passion via group bike rides. 

31. Look for Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint.  If you wish you were more environmentally-friendly, then make reducing your carbon footprint via things like nixing plastic bags as your passion project. 

32. Grab Your Friends, Family, or Just Yourself and Make a Film.  A documentary about your shared hobby or a funny film sketch about that last time you went on vacation. When you make a film, the important thing is thinking about what you loved most about activity and finding the right way to share that with others. 

33. Run for a Local Office.  This one will require you to get pretty involved, but if you're tired of watching how your city or neighborhood operates, then take a more involved stance. Run for public office and help make those changes you so desire.

34. Start a Nonprofit.  Not all changes can be done politically. If you see a need in your community that can be best done via service, volunteer hours, or donations, then consider starting a nonprofit and working towards making those changes happen. 

35. Make Finding a Passion Project, Your Passion Project.  Still not inspired? Then how about creating a podcast series about you trying to find that passion project. Experiment with different hobbies, talk to other people about what makes them the happiest, and investigate your own skills to see what project would best suit you. 

Community Passion Projects

36. Charity Drives . Get involved in charity drives. Collect broken and old toys, wash them, fix where you can, and donate to local child shelters. Repair old clothes for the homeless, or travel with a couple of personal care packages in your car to give to homeless people to help improve their personal hygiene. 

A charity drive doesn’t always have to be big or a lot of money. Every action matters, if you are passionate about it. 

37. Recycling Projects . One of the most worthy passion projects you can participate in is recycling. Help spread awareness about which consumer materials we can recycle and how. Organize collection points, and feel part of a community as you all help each other care for the environment. 

The money raised from taking these materials to recycling plants can be donated to local charities or organizations. 

38. Upcycle Metal Trash for Outdoor Decor at a Local Park. If you have an artistic side, why not collect metal trash such as old cutlery, tin cans, motor parts, and more to create unique art sculptures and benches at a local park? 

You may need to request permission from your local town council to install these, and you’d have to ensure the finished project is safe for people to touch and sit on. What fun to see your creations amuse and entertain park visitors.  

39. Donate Gym Equipment to a Local Park. Many of us have loads of small hand weights, training aids, and stationary cycling bikes at home that we no longer use. Yet, there are many bored youths who frequent parks, who would love to get fit, work out, and not have to pay for an expensive gym membership. 

Work with the local city council to install gym equipment under covered areas at parks for local people to enjoy free of charge. 

40. Teach a Child New Skills. Do you have a special skill? Perhaps you can ride horses, play the violin, or mountain climb? You can share these skills with local children, helping them learn new skills and developing their sense of self. 

Your passion can become a child's or even a young adult’s passion. 

Supportive Passion Projects

41. Hug a Granny . Thousands of elderly citizens live out their last days in care facilities where they never see their children or feel loved. If you have a free day in the week or over a weekend, why not visit your local retirement village or frail care facility to spend some time with all the elderly people? 

Hug them, take them something sweet, or simply spend a few minutes talking with them. 

Listen as they reminisce and let them feel loved. If you can, make this a regular routine so they have something to look forward to. You will feel the blessings of caring for those who most need it. 

42. Fund a Dream . Facebook has a go-fund initiative where people can ask for help to fund some project such as emergency surgery for their child or a honeymoon. Choose a worthy cause and help fund that dream.

Perhaps you know of someone who desperately needs a helping hand and a few dollars. Help them by launching a go-fund project for them. 

43. Mentor a Child . Many children don’t have the benefit of a great role model, and you don’t have to be a celebrity or someone of social stature to be a mentor to a child. Children are growing up in broken homes with parents who divorce and may then remarry with partners who don’t want these children. 

Having a caring adult who will look out for them and listen and give life advice when appropriate is something that could make a world of difference to a child’s world. Perhaps you can step up and create a mentor group to support children in need. 

44. Talk to Me. One of the best signs I saw was a couple of mature gentlemen sitting in a coffee shop with a sign: “Talk to me.” These sprightly pensioners were making themselves available to be sounding boards to people who need a kind ear. 

Senior citizens have a lot of life wisdom to share, but sadly, many younger generation people don’t have the benefit of having their grandparents around to talk to or ask for advice. After having a cuppa coffee with these very wise men, I felt a ton better, and I had some ideas on how to sort stuff out. 

Maybe you can be that willing ear to people in your community?

45. Share Love Notes . Singer Dermot Kennedy’s song Something to Someone features snippets of him leaving wisdom and love notes all over the city. Why not make it your passion to leave notes for others to discover around your neighborhood? 

You could leave words of encouragement in library books, on the train, or tack up at the bus stop. We are so surrounded by negativity, and people will appreciate words of care and kindness placed at random places for them to find and draw cheer from. 

Legacy Passion Projects

46. Create a Family Book. My mom keeps a book of all her poetry, thoughts, and experiences. I guess you could call it a journal, but she also records what she remembers of family members who are now long gone. I never knew my grandmother on mom’s side of the family, so all I do know I have learned from mom’s family book. 

What could you record about your family, and how can you share it in an interesting way? With new media such as TikTok, you could even share videos and photos of loved ones, leaving the links in your family book. Perhaps your family book can take the form of a Facebook page? 

47. Invent Something to Solve a Problem. Are you an inventor? Do you see a problem and think “Man, I know how to solve that”? Take up the passion project idea of solving problems with easy and convenient inventions. From making unique gadgets to neatening up your office or recycling and upcycling projects, to designing a solution or invention from scratch, you can be an inventor in unusual ways.

What you will need is a curious life outlook, a practical mindset, and some ingenuity. It’s fun, and you may end up with a real winner too.  

48. Make a Family Calendar. If you have a large family, why not tackle the project of making a family calendar? You can use family gatherings and pick themes for everyone to dress up accordingly. 

Take some great and unusual family photos, or set up scenarios such as “murder scenes,” “your grandfather being sworn in as president of your family,” and “comic carnivals.” The only limit is your imagination, and your family will each appreciate a copy of the calendar in their Xmas stockings. 

49. Create a Sponsorship. If you don’t have children of your own, why not consider creating a sponsorship programme to help a local child in need achieve their dream of attending college one day or traveling the world to participate in a worthy student’s challenge? 

Your money would go to a worthy cause, and you can make a real and lasting difference to the lives of several students, leaving a legacy you can be proud of. 

50. Learn to Make Music. We aren’t all musicians, and many of us never have the opportunity to learn how to play an instrument. Why not invest in some music lessons to first decide what musical instrument would suit your needs, and then go all out and make this instrument your passion. 

Perhaps you can learn to play the violin, drums, cello, electric guitar, or saxophone and find a way to turn your passion into a beautiful noise. 

51. Self-Govern Your Area. This passion project isn’t about joining the local legislation. You’re not going to run for an office or try to make laws. Instead, step up and help out where your local city council may be falling short on their tasks. 

Perhaps you can step up and fill in that pothole that’s been nagging you when you drive every morning, or you could go paint the faded park swings that look so dreary. Start noticing where you can help out in small ways. 

It’s always best to approach your local council and get a letter of permission for any work you’d like to volunteer to do in your community. With roadworks, it may be necessary to get safety equipment and get permission to close off sections of the road. 

Final Thoughts on Passion Project ideas

As you can see, there are so many fantastic activities and events that you can take on as a passion project. The big thing to keep in mind that where hobbies are often small activities, a passion project should have an ultimate goal; a big event or a way in which you share your knowledge with others.

If you have some other great passion project ideas other than the ones we have listed, please share them in the comments!

Finally, if you want to develop a skill-based passion project, then check out this article on 101 skills you can learn in your free time .

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Pro bono project staff.

Sandra Madrigal

Executive director.

Sandra has over 18 years of leading local non-profits in Silicon Valley and Northern California. Her main objectives have been creating organizational vision, developing strategic plans, board development, and raising significant capital. Her expertise is in grant writing and major gifts where she helped to raise $1.6 Million for United Way Silicon Valley. She also served as the Executive Director for the Woodland Healthcare Foundation where she led a successful multi-million dollar capital campaign. Sandra’s successes have been recognized by our community. She received a Commendation from former Vice Mayor Cindy Chavez and a congressional recognition from Congressmen Mike Honda through her work with the Third Street Community Center. Most recently, Sandra has worked both as a coach and consultant for several Silicon Valley non-profits. Sandra is a local professional who grew up in San Jose and graduated from University of California, Santa Cruz.

Catherine Connor

Staff attorney.

At Pro Bono Project, Catherine serves works with domestic violence survivors and returning community members with their non-criminal restraining order, divorce, custody, and visitation matters. In addition, she advises clients on some civil issues. She also represents domestic violence survivors in family law court. Catherine was previously a staff attorney at the downtown San Jose Family Justice Center Courthouse where she assisted over 900 self-represented litigants who drafted family law motions and prepared other court documents. Her background includes drafting QDROs as well as analyzing community and separate financial interests in stock option accounts. Prior to and during law school, Catherine volunteered as a certified mediator in Small Claims Court and wrote articles on the effects of Proposition 47 on jail populations and public funding. She received her J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law and her B.A. in English with a minor in music from the University of California, Berkeley. In her teens and early twenties, Catherine trained as a classical lyric soprano and taught herself gospel and pop music. As someone born quadriplegic, Catherine was very motivated to find a job she “could do” in order to access her physical and social environment as equally as possible to her able-bodied peers. As an attorney, Catherine is motivated in making that her clients and community members have access to our judicial system so that they may be awarded equal rights and protections as provided by our laws.

Lisa Cope Duflock

Lisa is an attorney in Re-Entry Services, providing assistance in many areas to individuals following incarceration. She also provides domestic violence survivors with assistance obtaining domestic violence restraining orders and with family court matters. Lisa is very connected to the local community, volunteering at many agencies in Santa Clara County over 20 years, including Sunday Friends and Sacred Heart Community Services. Prior to joining the Pro Bono Project, Lisa worked as a research attorney and was a long term volunteer for the Eviction Clinic at the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley. Lisa graduated from Occidental College with an A.B. in Political Science, received her J.D. Summa Cum Laude from Santa Clara University, and recently earned an M.A. in History from San Jose State University.

Elizabeth Esparza

Case manager.

Elizabeth joined the Pro Bono Project in December 2004. She has attended San Jose City College. Elizabeth has done what no one has successfully done before — organized the reception position to meet all the demands of clients, staff, and volunteers. Elizabeth is fluent in Spanish and English.

Phoenix Forbes

Legal program coordinator.

Phoenix is a Santa Clara County native who received her B.A. in Counseling Psychology from John F. Kennedy University. Phoenix has twenty years of experience serving survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. She has been providing legal services since 2005, supporting clients through the criminal, civil, and family court systems. Phoenix is an active member of the domestic violence community and has served as Secretary and Co-Chair of the Legal Committee of the DV Consortium, and Co-Chair of the Family Justice Center Victim Services Committee. Phoenix was one of the founding partners at the North Santa Clara County Family Justice Center, and an integral part of its operation for five years. In 2019, Phoenix received the Santa Clara County DV Council’s Outstanding Advocate Award, and a Certificate of Recognition from the California Legislature Assembly.

Kenneth S. A. Grant

Supervising attorney, parentage project / re-entry client services.

Kenneth completed a B.A. at the University of Denver, a J.D. at the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law, and a M. St. at the University of Oxford, Wadham College. Kenneth is fluent in Russian and proficient in German. He has been an employee of the Pro Bono Project since December 2001. Kenneth started with the Project as a volunteer with the paternity program, and is currently the managing attorney for paternity cases and a supervising attorney for Re-Entry Client Services.

Rachel McKenzie

Managing attorney, pro bono project litigation.

Born and raised in Santa Clara County, Rachel received her B.A. with honors from University of California, Santa Cruz, and her J.D. with distinction in Litigation from Golden Gate University, School of Law in San Francisco. Since 2017, Rachel has been with the Pro Bono Project Silicon Valley. She is the Managing Attorney. Pro Bono Project is the second largest legal aid non-profit in the county. Prior to bringing knowledge, change, and growth to the Pro Bono Project, Rachel was a Judicial Attorney II at the Superior Court of Santa Cruz County. During this time, she held the Position of President of the Board of the California Family Law Facilitators Association and was an active board member for three years. Rachel has practiced Family Law her entire legal career and is committed to helping correct the injustices members of our community face daily. Lately, that focus has become more of a passion. Rachel was previously the chair of the Santa Clara County Domestic Violence Conference Committee for three years and remains on the committee. She sits on numerous county and statewide committees working for legal and social justice and systemic reform, especially as it surrounds Intimate Partner Violence. Rachel is a trained mediator and has a successful record reaching compromise, progress, and inclusion. As a devoted advocate, Rachel has received her certification from Cornell University in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), allowing her to bring more knowledge and skill to the table when establishing, discussion, and promoting DEI in the workplace, whether civically or corporately. In her free time, Rachel loves to read, write, garden, and travel.

Andrew J. Messersmith

Attorney virtual legal services program.

Andrew oversees the Virtual Legal Services Program, providing pro bono services to low income clients using virtual clinics. Andrew began his legal career in private practice in New York focusing on criminal defense, and family law. In 2015, Andrew was appointed as the first full-time Assistant Public Defender in Washington County, New York and represented clients in misdemeanor and felony matters including trials and appellate work. Since arriving in California, Andrew has represented clients in Family and Civil Court in Santa Clara County including divorce, custody, visitation, domestic violence restraining order, and civil restraining order matters. Andrew graduated Cum Laude from the State University of New York, College at Oneonta, and received his Juris Doctor degree from Yeshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law with a concentration in Intellectual Property. Andrew also studied Business and E-commerce Law at the University College Cork in Cork, Ireland. Andrew is admitted to practice law in California and New York.

Nancy Williamson

Nancy joined the Pro Bono Project in September 2019. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work from San Francisco State University, a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from San Jose State University, and a law degree from the University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. She then opened her own law office specializing in estate planning, trust administration, probate and conservatorships.

Infrastructure

We’re innovators. Our attorneys have earned a reputation for helping clients deliver first-of-their-kind projects. We handled the first procurement under California's P3 law and developed the nation’s first availability payment contract. We also negotiated the first toll concession agreement in Texas history and the world’s first fully automated toll road using electronic transponders to collect tolls. Clients trust us to find a way forward.

Our attorneys have extensive global experience planning, procuring and financing award-winning transportation, public building, water and wastewater projects. Clients appreciate our experience leading signature engagements, not only for public agencies in the United States, but also for private enterprises and for public agencies in Canada, Australia and Asia.

We have spent more than 20 years guiding clients through large and complex project delivery. Along the way, we pioneered the nation’s use of availability payment, toll concession, pre-development, and design-build agreements. We continue to advance thought leadership in transportation policy and shape industry best practices by developing new approaches and ideas in procurement, contracting, and financing.

Infrastructure is the lifeblood of our communities and our country. We are proud to be on the leading edge, helping progressive agencies deliver projects that improve the quality of our transportation, water, education, health and safety systems.

Our attorneys offer clients, colleagues, strategic partners and industry media a wealth of practical experience, insider insight and thoughtful analysis on our Infra Insight Blog . We blog about what we know best, from industry-leading procurements to local and national policy developments that affect the market and our clients. We invite you to subscribe so you don't miss our updates!

Professionals

Group chair.

• Los Angeles

Group Members

• Washington, DC

• Orange County

• San Francisco

• Ensuring Funding for Transportation Improvement Projects Throughout San Francisco 2022
• Improving Connectivity for an Iconic Arizona Highway 2021
• Moving Light Rail-Adjacent Developments Forward for the VTA 2021
• Closing the First TIFIA Rural Projects Initiative Loan 2021
• Addressing Congestion in the Big Easy 2020
• Creating Connections Over the Hudson River for Years to Come 2020
• Guiding First-Of-Its-Kind Highway Project in Nebraska 2020
• Moving Public Microtransit Forward 2020
• Easing Congestion in Southwest Austin 2020
• Guiding University’s First Major Design Build Project 2020
• Reshaping Seattle’s Waterfront with a Two-Mile-Long Tunnel 2019
• Helping MBTA Keep the Green Line in the Black 2019
• Driving Consolidation at LAX 2018
• Elevating Travelers at LAX 2018
• Reaching the First Higher-Education P3 Deal in the U.S. 2017
• Sealing a Deal for Arizona's Largest Highway Project 2016
• Shining the Light on Detroit-Area Highways 2015
• P3 Project Spells Relief for Fort Worth-Area Drivers 2015
• Procuring Segments for the Grand(est) Parkway of All 2015
• Slashing Commutes in North Texas 2015
• Driving North Carolina's First Transportation P3 to Financial Close 2015
• Paving the Way for Presidio Parkway Project 2015
• Florida's Innovative P3 Success Continues with I-4 Ultimate Project 2015
• Toll Bridge Raises the Bar in P3 Financing 2014
• Improving Safety and Easing Congestion in Virginia with the Midtown Tunnel Project 2014
• Bridging the Gap Between Port of Miami and I-395 2012
• Increasing Mobility in Central Texas with SH 130, Segments 5&6 2010
• Solving Traffic Congestion in Florida: I-595 Corridor Improvement Project 2009
• Negotiating an Amended P3 Agreement and Resoliciting a Replacement Design-Build Contractor for Maryland’s First Transit P3 Project
• UPDATE | Extended Again: Federal and California Tax Relief for California Storms 10.17.2023 | Nossaman eAlert
• OMB Issues Final BABA Guidance and USDOT Issues Final Public Interest Waiver 09.19.2023 | Nossaman eAlert
• Construction & Claims: August 2023 08.01.2023 | Nossaman eAlert
• Construction & Claims: July 2023 07.01.2023 | Nossaman eAlert
• CEQA Reform: Making Sense of California’s Budget Trailer Bill 06.15.2023 | Nossaman eAlert
• Construction & Claims: June 2023 06.01.2023 | Nossaman eAlert
• California Water Views - 2023 Outlook 04.01.2023 | Nossaman Periodical
• Construction & Claims: April 2023 04.01.2023 | Nossaman eAlert
• Financing Gateway and the P3 Pipeline 03.30.2023 | The Bond Buyer Podcast
• Ninth Circuit’s 'Primary Purpose' Test Governs for Dual-Purpose Attorney-Client Communications 03.21.2023 | Nossaman eAlert
• Cyber Hygiene Now Part of Public Water System “Sanitary Survey” Check-Ups 03.16.2023 | Nossaman eAlert
• Construction & Claims: March 2023 03.01.2023 | Nossaman eAlert
• Could Critical Infrastructure Suffer from a PIPEDREAM? 02.15.2023 | Nossaman eAlert
• Water, Hospitals and Intellectual Property…the Cyber Risk Surges, Particularly for U.S. Critical Infrastructure 11.04.2022 | Nossaman eAlert
• New Cyber Rules for Freight & Passenger Rail Announced 10.27.2022 | Nossaman eAlert
• Back to the Boardroom: California Local Agency Teleconferencing Rules for 2023 and Beyond 10.25.2022 | Nossaman eAlert
• $1,000,000,000 Now Available to State, Local & Tribal Entities for Cybersecurity Planning & Improvement 09.16.2022 | Nossaman eAlert
• Managing Enhanced Risk in the Mega Project Era 08.01.2022 | National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine
• Design-Build in the Transportation Arena 03.01.2022 | Design-Build, Public-Private Partnerships and Collaboration Handbook, 13th Edition
• NEPA is Not the Right Vehicle to Address Climate Change 10.22.2021 | Eno Transportation Weekly
• Everything Local Public Agencies Need to Know About California’s New Rules on Virtual Meetings During the Pandemic 09.17.2021 | Nossaman eAlert
• $65 Billion Investment in the Future of Broadband 08.25.2021 | Daily Journal
• The U.S. Senate Infrastructure Bill: Securing Our Electrical Grid Through P3s and Grants 08.05.2021 | Nossaman eAlert
• U.S. Infra Faces New Stresses 01.13.2021 | Project Finance International
• How COVID-19 May Change Universities' Use of P3s 12.02.2020 | Law360
• Governor Newsom Signs Major Housing and Transit CEQA Streamlining Bill 10.06.2020 | Nossaman eAlert
• Trump Executive Order: Environmental Streamlining or Political Quagmire? 06.11.2020 | Nossaman eAlert
• DCPCs Bridge the Beltway Gap 06.01.2020 | Project Finance International
• Hiking Back Up the Recovery Mountain 04.20.2020 | P3 Bulletin
• Proposed NEPA Regulations: No Significant Changes for Highway and Transit Projects 02.28.2020 | Eno Transportation Weekly
• CEQ’s Proposed NEPA Regulations: Are They Really That Terrible or So Very Helpful for Surface Transportation Projects? 02.21.2020 | Eno Transportation Weekly
• Legal Issues Related to Large-Scale Airport Construction Projects 02.01.2020 | Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Airport Cooperative Research Program Legal Research Digest
• Legal and Contractual Issues in Lump-Sum Design-Build Implementation on Large-Scale Airport Projects 02.01.2020 | Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction
• Lessons Learned from Progressive Design-Build Implementation on Airport Projects 11.01.2019 | Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction
• Public-Private Partnership (P3) Procurement Guide 03.01.2019 | U.S. Department of Transportation
• Final Rule Amends FHWA, FTA & FRA Regulations to NEPA and Section 4(f) 11.20.2018 | Nossaman eAlert
• Risk Sharing & Transfer Using Alternative Project Delivery Methods & Contracting 08.17.2018 | TR News
• P3 Delivers APM at LAWA 06.01.2018 | Project Finance International's 2018 Global Infrastructure Report
• LRT, the P3 Way 04.2018 | Railway Age
• Next Stop for Infrastructure Policy: Congress 02.20.2018 | Nossaman eAlert
• East End Crossing Project—Availability Payment P3 in Action 06.2017 | World Highways
• California Supreme Court Rejects Claim by Second-Lowest Bidders on Public Works Contracts that Low Bidder Interfered with a Prospective Economic Advantage 03.10.2017 | Nossaman eAlert
• The New IRS Management Contract Safe Harbor Rules: Bring It On 11.2016 | Public Works Financing
• What Does the Case Law Say? Geotechnical Risk on Design-Build Projects 08.24.2016 | GEOSTRATA
• Arizona Wades Into P3 Mainstream With South Mountain Freeway $916M DBM Deal 02.2016 | Public Works Financing
• Capturing Innovation 02.01.2016 | P3 Bulletin
• Environmental Provisions of the FAST Act 01.04.2016 | The Natural Lawyer
• Liability of Design-Builders for Design, Construction, and Acquisition Claims 12.2015 | NCHRP Study 20-06
• NSRP South Line: A Landmark Project for PPPs in the Philippines 09.2015 | Construction Law International
• New Safety NPRM & Recent Letter from the Acting Administrator Demonstrates FTA's Continued Implementation of its MAP-21 Safety Mandate 09.10.2015 | Nossaman eAlert
• FHWA Takes a Look at an Innovative Contracting Method 08.24.2015 | Law360
• Federal Highway Administration Publishes CM/GC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 08.20.2015 | Nossaman eAlert
• Federal Transit Administration Proposes New State Safety Oversight Rule 06.16.2015 | Nossaman eAlert
• Leveling the Playing Field for P3s in the U.S. 06.15.2015 | Project Finance International
• Wanted: Trillions of Dollars – New Financial Instruments Might Finally put Sorely Needed Private Dollars to Work 06.01.2015 | Real Assets Adviser , A Publication of Institutional Real Estate Inc.
• FRA's Proposed Rule on Risk Reduction Programs Puts the Outreach Obligations Squarely on Railroad Management 04.28.2015 | Nossaman eAlert
• DBOMs Away Spring 2015 | P3 Bulletin
• Talking Transportation Dollars & Sense: The Future of Funding 04.08.2015 | Eno Center for Transportation
• Models for Transportation Project Delivery 03/04, 2015 | Right of Way
• DBFOM vs. DBOM 02.2015 | Public Works Financing
• New Notice, Registration & Reporting Requirements for California Public Works Projects 01.29.2015 | Nossaman eAlert
• I-4: The Ultimate Project 01.01.2015 | Project Finance International
• Florida's Forward Thinking 10.2014 | World Highways
• I-4 Ultimate Financial Close A P3 Benchmark 09.01.2014 | Public Works Financing
• Guidance for Managing NEPA-Related Risks and Other Risks in Project Delivery 05.2014 | National Cooperative Highway Research Program
• Improving the Nation's Freight Transportation System 10.01.2013 | U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• Effect of Public-Private Partnerships and Nontraditional Procurement Processes on Highway Planning, Environmental Review, and Collaborative Decision Making 2013 | Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Strategic Highway Research Program
• It's All About Timing: PPP Payments 06.2013 | Project Finance International Global Infrastructure Report
• D.C. Circuit Holds EPA can Invalidate a Clean Water Act Section 404 Permit After it is Issued 04.25.2013 | Nossaman eAlert
• U.S. P3 Procurement Gets It Just Right 02.13.2013 | Project Finance International
• Interstate Tolling Policy Must Change 09.2012 | Public Works Financing
• Back to the Future: The CEQA Future Baseline Question Is Back in Court as the Supreme Court Grants Review of Neighbors for Smart Rail 08.13.2012 | Nossaman eAlert
• MAP-21: Public Transportation Safety 08.09.2012 | Nossaman eAlert
• MAP-21: Treatment of Public-Private Partnerships Under Surface Transportation Reauthorization 07.16.2012 | Nossaman eAlert
• MAP 21: Tolling Rights Expand Under Surface Transportation Reauthorization 07.11.2012 | Nossaman eAlert
• MAP-21 Creates Potential to Accelerate Project Delivery 07.09.2012 | Nossaman eAlert
• MAP-21: Surface Transportation Reauthorization Ushers in Significant Changes to TIFIA 07.06.2012 | Nossaman eAlert
• TIFIA Loans: Long, Patient, Flexible 07.2012 | Public Works Financing
• Nossaman Analysis: TIFIA Will Remain Oversubscribed 06.2012 | Public Works Financing
• Getting the 'Best Value' from Best Value Procurements Spring 2012 | Design-Build Institute of America Integration Quarterly
• Path Cleared for Class Tax Claims 08.08.2011 | Daily Journal
• Congressman Mica Introduces New Surface Transportation Proposal 07.11.2011 | Nossaman eAlert
• CEQA Baseline Confusion Threatens Projects Throughout California 03.29.2011 | Nossaman eAlert
• New Surface Transportation Legislation Likely to Encounter Many Roadblocks in the Coming Months 03.01.2011 | Nossaman eAlert
• 2010 Transportation Infrastructure Year in Review 02.17.2011 | Nossaman eAlert
• Recent Developments on the Constitutionality of Toll Discount Programs 10.25.2010 | Nossaman eAlert
• Financial Close of Texas DOT's I-635 Marks Monumental Achievements 07.01.2010 | Public Works Financing
• Legislative Developments 06.01.2010 | American Bar Association
• Oil Spill Class Action Certification Decision Remanded for Future Factual Determination of Predominance and Superiority 04.01.2010 | The Natural Lawyer
• Public-Private Partnerships for Transportation Projects: Beyond Design-Build 03.11.2010 | Construction Law Update
• Novel Risk Allocations for POMT 11.01.2009 | Public Works Financing
• Buildings by Design 05.04.2009 | Daily Journal
• Road Rules 04.30.2009 | Daily Journal
• Lessons Learned: Florida I-595 Project 04.30.2009 | Public Works Financing
• Infra PR: California Passes New Transport PPP Law 04.28.2009 | Infrastructure Journal
• California Passes First Significant Transportation PPP Law in 20 Years 04.27.2009 | Nossaman eAlert
• Tolling Agreements Signed for Texas Roads 04.16.2009 | Infrastructure Journal
• USDOT Signs First Tolling Agreements Under Express Lanes Demonstration Program 04.15.2009 | Nossaman eAlert
• 50-State Survey of Transportation Agency Design-Build Authority 04.08.2009 | (reflects legislative developments through March 2009)
• California Passes New Design-Build Law for Highway Projects 04.01.2009 | Nossaman eAlert
• Public-Private Partnerships Model Legislation 03.20.2009
• Paying Our Way: A New Framework for Transportation Finance 02.26.2009 | Report of the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission
• National Infrastructure Reinvestment Corporation: A Proposed Refinement of the "Bank" Concept to Optimize Economic Benefits and Leverage Federal Investment 12.31.2008 | Public Works Financing
• Public-Private Partnerships: Recent Developments in the U.S. Transportation Sector 07.2007 | Privatisation & Public Private Partnership Review (Euromoney Yearbooks)
• Public-Private Partnerships: A Sea Change in the US Transportation Sector 07.01.2006 | Privatisation & Public Private Partnership Review 2006/07
• Best-Value Procurement Methods for Highway Construction Projects 01.01.2006 | NCHRP Report 561
• Innovative Contracting Practices for ITS 04.01.1997 | Task E- Final Report, prepared for the Federal Highway Administration
• Federal Court Dismisses Fishing Industry Challenge to Massachusetts Offshore Wind Project 10.23.2023 | Endangered Species Law & Policy
• Is Green Power the Future of Clean Water? 10.10.2023 | Infra Insight Blog
• The Future of Desalination, Post-Poseidon 09.19.2023 | Infra Insight Blog
• Major Changes Coming for the Davis-Bacon Act 08.23.2023 | Infra Insight Blog
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Lists Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl as Threatened with a 4(d) Rule 07.25.2023 | Endangered Species Law & Policy
• California Amends Fully Protected Species Statutes: Streamlining or More Red Tape? 07.14.2023 | Endangered Species Law & Policy
• FHWA Issues FONSI for MTA’s Central Business District Tolling Program 07.11.2023 | Infra Insight Blog
• Governor Newsom’s Infrastructure Package of Budget Trailer Bills Down But Not Out 06.16.2023 | Infra Insight Blog
• Key Considerations for Zero-Emission Vehicles and Charging Infrastructure in California 05.04.2023 | Infra Insight Blog
• California Water Views - 2023 Outlook 04.06.2023 | California Water Views
• California Water Views - 2023 Outlook 04.01.2023 | California Eminent Domain Report
• 2023 Inflation Adjustments to Civil Penalties for Violations of Wildlife Protection Laws Announced 02.07.2023 | Endangered Species Law & Policy
• Federal Agencies Release National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization 01.19.2023 | Infra Insight Blog
• Expert Panel Highlights Best Practices for Successful P3 Approaches 12.29.2022 | Infra Insight Blog
• Army Corps Releases Draft EIS on Delta Conveyance Project 12.27.2022 | California Water Views
• UPDATE: House and Senate Pass Nearly $38 Billion in Funding for Water Projects as Part of National Defense Authorization Act 12.22.2022 | California Water Views
• FERC Approves Surrender License for Lower Klamath Project 11.22.2022 | Endangered Species Law & Policy
• U.S. Department of Transportation Proposes Important Buy America Actions; FTA Administrator Issues Buy America Dear Colleague Letter 11.14.2022 | Infra Insight Blog
• More Bat News, Service Proposes to List Tricolored Bat as Endangered 09.14.2022 | Endangered Species Law & Policy
• Draft EIR Released for Delta Conveyance Project 08.02.2022 | California Water Views
• EPA Announces No Safe Level for Two PFAS and $1 Billion in Funding 06.16.2022 | California Water Views
• U.S. Department of Transportation Issues Temporary Waiver of Buy America Requirements for Construction Materials 06.01.2022 | Infra Insight Blog
• Poseidon Water’s Coastal Commission Application Denied – Setting Up an Uncertain Future for Desalination 05.17.2022 | California Water Views
• Metropolitan Water District Announces Required Water Reductions Affecting up to Six Million Californians 05.02.2022 | California Water Views
• Office of Management and Budget Issues Buy America Implementation Guidance 05.02.2022 | Infra Insight Blog
• Recent and Proposed Legislation Impacting the Eminent Domain & ROW Industry 04.04.2022 | California Eminent Domain Report
• FTA Releases Initial Guidance for Capital Investment Grants Program 03.30.2022 | Infra Insight Blog
• Biden Administration Prepares Compensatory Mitigation Policy 03.23.2022 | Endangered Species Law & Policy
• New Executive Order Will Now Require Project Labor Agreements for Major Federal Construction Projects 02.22.2022 | Infra Insight Blog
• Diminutive Desert Owl Makes Big Waves 12.29.2021 | Endangered Species Law & Policy
• Department of the Interior Releases Hefty Agenda 12.21.2021 | Endangered Species Law & Policy
• How Government Funding Dysfunction Limits Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Implementation 12.15.2021 | Infra Insight Blog
• New Infrastructure Bill Expands TIFIA Program 11.12.2021 | Infra Insight Blog
• WEBINAR: Turning the Tide on Cybersecurity for the Water Sector 11.08.2021 | California Water Views
• $65 Billion Investment in the Future of Broadband 08.13.2021 | Infra Insight Blog
• Public-Private Partnerships Promoted in Bipartisan Infrastructure Package 08.02.2021 | Infra Insight Blog
• New California Budget Proposal Provides Massive Funding Boost to Higher Education 05.26.2021 | Infra Insight Blog
• WEBINAR: Living on the Edge: Managing Sea Level Rise in California 05.18.2021 | California Water Views
• WEBINAR: Charting a Course for Offshore Wind Energy in California 05.03.2021 | Endangered Species Law & Policy
• WEBINAR: Charting a Course for Offshore Wind Energy in California 05.03.2021 | California Water Views
• WEBINAR: Charting a Course for Offshore Wind Energy in California 05.03.2021 | California Eminent Domain Report
• President Biden Unveils Historic Infrastructure Proposal 03.31.2021 | Infra Insight Blog
• Sea Level Rise Legislation – What’s on the Horizon? 03.25.2021 | California Water Views
• Sea Level Rise Legislation – What’s on the Horizon? 03.25.2021 | California Eminent Domain Report
• U.S. DOT Announces Latest Round of INFRA Grants 03.04.2021 | Infra Insight Blog
• North Carolina Commission Recommends P3s as a Tool to Address Transportation Infrastructure Needs 02.18.2021 | Infra Insight Blog
• Integrating Infrastructure and Community to Revitalize the L.A. River 01.29.2021 | Infra Insight Blog
• Can Parking Benefit Districts Step In as Revenue Sources Dry Up? 01.07.2021 | Infra Insight Blog
• Austin Voters Approve Tax Measure to Help Fund $7.1B Project Connect Plan 11.19.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• WEBINAR: Flood or Drought? A Discussion of the Election’s Potential Legislative Impacts on the Water Sector 11.18.2020 | California Water Views
• CEQA Amended to Expedite Transit and Sustainable Transportation Projects 10.19.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• Governor Newsom Signs Major Housing and Transit CEQA Streamlining Bill 10.08.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• COVID-19 Puts Universities’ Use of P3s to the Test 09.29.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• Key CEQA Compliance Considerations for Vehicle Miles Traveled Analyses 09.22.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• San Luis Obispo Regional Transportation Authority Closes First TIFIA Loan Under Rural Projects Initiative 09.10.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• FCC’s 5G Fast Plan Gains Momentum 08.24.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• COVID-19 and the Future of Transportation in California 07.30.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• NEPA Rules Finalized; Effect Remains to be Seen 07.21.2020 | Endangered Species Law & Policy
• Law Seminars International’s CEQA and the NEPA Rewrite Seminar 06.29.2020 | Endangered Species Law & Policy
• Water Storage and Dam Management Strategies in Light of Climate Change Impacts 06.24.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• A Path to Transit and Transportation Project Success in the Wake of the Pandemic 06.17.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• Trump Executive Order: Environmental Streamlining or Political Quagmire? 06.11.2020 | Endangered Species Law & Policy
• TxDOT Keeps Design-Build Projects in the Fast Lane 06.08.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• WEBINAR: A Path to Transit and Transportation Project Success in the Wake of the Pandemic 06.02.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• WEBINAR: A Path to Transit and Transportation Project Success in the Wake of the Pandemic 06.01.2020 | California Eminent Domain Report
• WEBINAR: A Path to Transit and Transportation Project Success in the Wake of the Pandemic 06.01.2020 | California Water Views
• WEBINAR: A Path to Transit and Transportation Project Success in the Wake of the Pandemic 06.01.2020 | Endangered Species Law & Policy
• Senate Committee Clears the Path for Additional WIFIA Funding 05.11.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• Lest the Hopeful News Gets Lost: How CECorps is Providing Hope to Underserved Communities 05.06.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• Essentially, Road Work Continues 04.30.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• Impacts of COVID-19 on U.S. Infrastructure Projects 04.23.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• Navigating Environmental Compliance for Public-Private Partnership Projects 04.17.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• The Case for Adequate Public Transportation Funding During the COVID-19 Pandemic 04.15.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• Another False Start for the Long Awaited Infrastructure Bill 04.09.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• Water Supply & Delivery Projects Under the ESA 03.31.2020 | Endangered Species Law & Policy
• Navigating COVID-19 for the Right of Way Industry 03.25.2020 | California Eminent Domain Report
• Force Majeure Events – Will Your Project Contract Require a Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic? 03.18.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• Jacksonville’s Program to Meld Old Infrastructure and New AV Technology 03.11.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• Los Angeles Metro to Study Proposed 405 Toll Lanes 03.03.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• Dude, Where’s My Infrastructure Funding? 02.14.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• FTA Announces $11 Million Innovation Initiative 02.12.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• Rhode Island Driving for a Different Outcome in Federal Truck Toll Lawsuit 02.05.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• TIFIA Goes Rural! 01.23.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• University of Iowa Vows to Go Green with its Utility Public-Private Partnership 01.15.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• Sacramento Joins Los Angeles in Spearheading Mobility Innovation 01.07.2020 | Infra Insight Blog
• New Mobility Public-Private Partnerships May Address Transportation Gaps in the Future 12.10.2019 | Infra Insight Blog
• Bridging Public Pension Funds and Infrastructure Investing 07.11.2019 | Infra Insight Blog
• P3 Investors: Are You In The Zone? 05.06.2019 | Infra Insight Blog
• P3 Policy and Delivery Summit in Washington D.C. May 14-15 04.12.2019 | Infra Insight Blog
• Bipartisan Support for Bill Authorizing Tax Exempt Financing of Public Buildings 04.02.2019 | Infra Insight Blog
• Financial Close Achieved for Consolidated Rent-A-Car Facility at LAX 12.10.2018 | Infra Insight Blog
• Commercial Close Achieved for Groundbreaking ConRAC Project at LAX 11.09.2018 | Infra Insight Blog
• Port of Wilmington Uses P3 Concession to Develop Port Facilities 09.28.2018 | Infra Insight Blog
• LA Metro Announces P3 Job Opportunity 09.17.2018 | Infra Insight Blog
• Port of Vancouver USA Completes $251M Rail Access Improvement Project 08.30.2018 | Infra Insight Blog
• Updated: FRA Releases Latest Railroad Progress Report as PTC Deadline Looms 08.28.2018 | Infra Insight Blog
• FRA Announces $318 Million in CRISI Grant Funding Availability 07.24.2018 | Infra Insight Blog
• FTA Dear Colleague Letter Raises Concerns Regarding Federal Share Treatment of TIFIA and RRIF Loans 07.19.2018 | Infra Insight Blog
• Federal Maritime Funding Opportunity Prioritizes Innovative Project Delivery 07.02.2018 | Infra Insight Blog
• Q & A - Rail Infrastructure Needs at Ports 06.20.2018 | Infra Insight Blog
• Employment & Employee Benefits Law Update: Staying Compliant in 2024 11.16.2023
• Infra Insight: Exploring International Trends in P3 Delivery 11.08.2023
• Building a Safer, Resilient California 09.29.2023 | Anaheim, CA
• Strategies to Modernize Energy, Water & Other Utilities 09.21.2023 - 09.22.2023 | San Diego, CA
• TRB's 62nd Annual Workshop on Transportation Law 07.23.2023 – 07.26.2023 | Richmond, VA
• Follow the Funding: Navigating the Competitive Grant Process 07.13.2023
• A Conversation on IIJA Implementation and Implications for P3 Delivery 07.12.2023 | Washington, DC
• The New Buy America Requirements and Impact on Transportation Projects 06.21.2023
• Risk Allocation in Infrastructure Projects 05.29.2023
• In Their Own Voices: Engaging MWDBE Firms 05.11.2023 | Atlanta, GA
• How Do I Design a P3? Best Practices in Deal Structuring and Contract Management 05.08.2023 | San Diego, CA
• 11th Infrastructure Zoom Breakfast of Spring 2023 04.28.2023 | Virtual Meeting
• Anatomy of a P3: Pre-Procurement and Procurement 04.20.2023 | Stanford, CA
• California Electric Vehicles & Charging Infrastructure 04.18.2023 | Los Angeles, CA
• 2023 P3C Conference 03.06.2023 - 03.08.2023 | Dallas, TX
• Understanding the Public Sector Perspective 02.05.2023 – 02.07.2023 | New Orleans, LA
• TRB’s 102nd Annual Meeting 01.09.2023 | Washington, DC
• Best Practices for Successful P3 Procurements: Identify the Appropriate P3 Process for Your P3 Approach 12.01.2022 | Arlington, VA
• Partial Acquisitions: Project Benefits and Mitigation Strategies Related to Offsetting Severance Damages 11.16.2022
• Changes in the Law – Eminent Domain and Infrastructure Update 11.04.2022 | Las Vegas, NV
• 2022 Design-Build Conference & Expo 11.1.2022 – 11.4.2022 | Las Vegas, NV
• 2022 P3 Higher Education Summit 10.03.2022 – 10.04.2022 | Washington, DC
• Regulatory Uncertainty and Linear Infrastructure Projects: Where Are We and What’s Ahead? 09.01.2022
• The Evolution of Alternative Delivery - The Expansion of P3 Delivery Options 08.23.2022
• How Do I Design a P3? Best Practices in Deal Structuring and Contract Management 08.12.2022 | San Diego, CA
• TRB's 61st Annual Workshop on Transportation Law 07.24.2022 – 07.27.2022 | Portland, OR
• Implementing the IIJA 07.14.2022 | Washington, DC
• Ch-Ch-Changes in the Law: Eminent Domain and Infrastructure Update 06.06.2022 | Cleveland, OH
• Price Certainty in an Uncertain World: Industry Concerns with Fixed-Price Contracting for APM Projects 06.02.2022 | Seattle, WA
• Owners Perspective: Real Life or Simply Fantasy 06.02.2022 | Chicago, IL
• P3s: The Opportunities and Implications of Working with Private Partners and the U.S. DOT to Deliver Transit Capital Projects 04.03.2022 | Boston, MA
• From Conception to Reality – What it Takes to Build a Housing Unit in California 03.18.2022 | Malibu, CA
• 2022 P3 Conference & Expo 03.14.2022 – 03.16.2022 | Dallas, TX
• Show Me the Money: How the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Will Benefit Public Projects 02.24.2022
• Upcoming Texas Infrastructure Projects: How Will Texas Agencies Deploy / Prioritize Projects in Light of the Anticipated 35B Allocation 02.24.2022 | Houston, TX
• 2021 P3 Government Conference 12.07.2021 | Arlington, VA
• CEQA Streamlining for Transportation Projects 11.03.2021
• 2021 Design-Build Conference & Expo 11.01.2021 – 11.03.2021 | Denver, CO
• Why Institutional Investors May Find New Opportunities in P3 Infrastructure Investments 10.27.2021 | New York, NY
• Alternative Project Delivery Models and Procurement Strategies for Infrastructure 10.07.2021 | Sacramento, CA
• Introduction to Public-Private Partnerships for the Design-Builder 09.30.2021 | Washington, DC
• P3 Projects Coast to Coast 09.15.2021 | Dallas, TX
• TRB's 60th Annual Workshop on Transportation Law 09.13.2021 – 09.15.2021
• Using Partnerships for Airport Infrastructure 07.19.2021 - 07.20.2021 | San Diego, CA
• Best Practices in Pre-Development Agreements (PDAs) 07.15.2021
• How Federal Transportation Policy Developments Impact You 06.16.2021
• Linear Infrastructure Redux: Adapting Your Projects to Meet the New Regulatory Climate 06.15.2021
• Environmental Compliance & Permitting for Utilities 06.09.2021 - 06.10.2021
• The P3 Water Summit 04.21.2021 - 04.23.2021
• Navigating Environmental Compliance for Public-Private Partnerships 04.21.2021
• DBIA's 2021 Design-Build for Transportation & Aviation Conference 04.21.2021
• The First 100 Days of President Biden’s Environmental Policy: Revolution or Back to Basics? 04.15.2021
• Projects in Progress: Fostering Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Through Mentorship Programs 04.08.2021
• Construction Claims: Lessons from the Field for Public Owners 03.11.2021
• Financing and Governance Approaches in Urban Rail Sector 02.25.2021
• 2021 TRB Annual Meeting: Launching a New Century of Mobility and Quality of Life 01.25.2021 - 01.27.2021
• P3 Predevelopment Agreements/Progressive P3s – Design-Build Opportunities and Challenges 10.29.2020
• Applying Design-Build Best Practices to Higher Education Project Delivery 10.29.2020
• Resiliency in Transportation Planning 10.02.2020
• 2020 P3 Airport Summit: The Digital Conference 09.23.2020
• P3’s for Counties: An Efficient Project Delivery 09.17.2020
• Resiliency Matters 09.17.2020
• TRB's 59th Annual Workshop on Transportation Law 09.15.2020 - 09.16.2020
• Key CEQA Compliance Considerations for Vehicle Miles Traveled Analyses 08.04.2020
• Adapting Your Linear Infrastructure Projects to Changing Regulatory Frameworks 07.30.2020
• DC Roundtable 07.17.2020
• 2020 P3 Water Summit 07.08.2020 - 07.10.2020
• A Path to Transit and Transportation Project Success in the Wake of the Pandemic: A Panel Discussion Among Legal Professionals 06.03.2020
• Performance Based Contracting for Public Buildings: The What, Why and How 03.02.2020 | Dallas, TX
• Federal Natural Resource Law and Development of Linear Infrastructure 01.24.2020
• 2020 TRB Annual Meeting - A Century of Progress: Foundation for the Future 01.12.2020 | Washington, DC
• Building Michigan’s Infrastructure Through P3s 12.03.2019 | Lansing, MI
• Emerging Issues in Project Finance 11.18.2019
• What Do Design-Builders Need to Know About P3's? 11.07.2019 | Las Vegas, NV
• Delivering Campus Infrastructure Through Partnerships 10.24.2019 | San Diego, CA
• Funding and Finance: Build a Stormwater P3 10.07.2019 | Monterey, CA
• 2019 P3Bootcamp 09.25.2019 | Los Angeles, CA
• After the Honeymoon: Successful P3 Contract Management or What Do We Do Now 09.15.2019 – 09.17.2019 | Marina del Rey, CA
• The Workshop 09.11.2019 | Chicago, IL
• U.S. Infrastructure Trends & Policy for Federal, State & Local Government 08.09.2019 | San Francisco, CA
• TRB's 58th Annual Workshop on Transportation Law 07.23.2019 | Cleveland, OH
• 2019 Public Private Partnership Airport Summit 07.22.2019 | San Diego, CA
• (Don’t) Kill All the Lawyers . . . Untangling Risk Issues in P3 Projects 07.19.2019 | Washington, DC
• Conducting a P3 Procurement 06.26.2019
• Preparing for a P3 Procurement 06.24.2019
• An Overview of the P3 Procurement Guide 06.17.2019
• Assessing the Impact of State-Level P3 Laws on Development 06.13.2019 | New York City
• Contracting for Innovative Transport Services 06.11.2019 | Stockholm, Sweden
• Reducing Transportation Project Risk: Effective Use of Risk Transfer, Performance Guarantees, Surety and Insurance 06.06.2019
• Latest Developments in Project Finance 05.16.2019 | Denver, CO
• The P3 Policy and Delivery Leaders Summit 05.15.2019 | Washington, DC
• Public-Private Partnerships – Success Stories 05.14.2019 | Washington, DC
• Indo-Pacific Public-Private Partnership Consultations 05.13.2019 | Denver, CO
• 2019 P3 Water Summit 04.23.2019 | San Diego, CA
• Next Generation of Infrastructure Projects 04.08.2019 | Santa Monica, CA
• Development, Design & Construction – ‘Delivering our Future’ – a P3 Panel 03.27.2019 | Los Angeles, CA
• 2019 Public-Private Partnership Conference and Expo 03.04.2019 | Dallas, TX
• 2019 Port Financing/Funding 01.30.2019 | Tampa, FL
• Lessons Learned from Contract Terminations and Contractor Bankruptcies (San Diego Expressway P3) 01.14.2019 | Washington, DC
• Transportation for a Smart, Sustainable, and Equitable Future 01.13.2019 | Washington, DC
• Identifying and Developing a P3 Project 12.12.2018 | Washington, DC
• Tapping Into Alternative Project Delivery for Water Projects in California 12.11.2018
• Public Buildings 101: The What, Why, and How 11.27.2018 | Washington, DC
• NCPPP's 2018 P3Bootcamp 10.22.2018 | Phoenix, AZ
• Public-Private Partnership (P3) Procurement Training Course 10.16.2018 | Washington, DC
• Innovative Project Delivery Models Worldwide 10.11.2018 | Los Angeles, CA
• Fresh Perspectives and New Challenges 09.27.2018 | Chicago, IL
• Basics of P3 Infrastructure Investments and Infrastructure Diligence 09.21.2018 | Glendale, CA
• Private Financing for Port Infrastructure 09.18.2018 | Seattle, WA
• Public-Private Partnership Higher Education Summit 09.12.2018 | San Diego, CA
• The 2018 Public Private Partnership Airport Summit 07.23.2018 | San Diego, CA
• Plenary Session: The Trump Administration and P3 Policy 07.19.2018 | Washington, DC
• 57th Annual Workshop on Transportation Law 07.15.2018 | Cambridge, MA
• What’s Ahead for New York Agencies Already Using Design-Build and Those with Newly Granted Authority? 06.05.2018 | New York, NY
• The Automated People Mover – Transforming LAX 05.17.2018 | San Diego, CA
• Innovative P3 Arrangements 05.09.2018 | Norfolk, VA
• P3s – What is Next in Implementing/Managing Public-Private Partnerships? 05.05.2018 | San Francisco, CA
• Railway Age and Railway Track & Structures 2018 Conference 04.27.2018 | Baltimore, MD
• What's Ahead for U.S. Infrastructure Development? 04.23.2018 | Washington, DC
• P3s – What Works – What Doesn’t 04.16.2018 | Washington, DC
• Harnessing Alternative Delivery for the One Water LA 2040 Plan 04.04.2018 | San Diego, CA
• A New Kind of “Water” P3: Linking Water and Transportation Projects 04.03.2018 | San Diego, CA
• Design-Build Contracting Risk Transference – Owner & Industry Perspectives 03.22.2018 | Portland, OR
• Insuring Design-Build Projects: How Cost-Effective Insurance Can Help Ensure Project Success! 03.22.2018 | Portland, OR
• 2018 Public-Private Partnership Conference & Expo 02.27.2018 | Dallas, TX
• P3Connect 2018 01.23.2018 | Miami, FL
• Transportation: Moving the Economy of the Future 01.08.2018 | Washington, DC
• 2017 P3 Bootcamp 12.04.2017 | Los Angeles, CA
• 2017 P3 Federal Conference 11.29.2017 | Washington, D.C.
• ACWA's 2017 Fall Conference & Exhibition: CA Water Strong 11.29.2017 | Anaheim, CA
• A Tale of Two States – How Design-Build Spurs an Infrastructure Renaissance in New York and New Jersey 11.08.2017 | Philadelphia, PA
• Infrastructure Development and Impact on the Supply Chain 10.16.2017 | Washington, D.C.
• Implementing Higher Education P3s: The UC Merced, Ohio State University and University of Massachusetts Experience 10.02.2017 | San Diego, CA
• The Trump Administration’s Infrastructure Plan 09.19.2017 | Long Beach, CA
• Implementing Higher Education P3s: The UC Merced, Ohio State University and University of Massachusetts Experience 09.18.2017 | San Diego, CA
• Legal Issues for Airport P3s – The LAX Experience 09.16.2017 | Fort Worth, TX
• Workforce Development: Planning for the Future 08.16.2017
• The Power of P3 for Oklahoma, Design-Build Institute of America 08.03.2017
• The P3 Airport Summit 07.25.2017 | San Diego, CA
• Effective Industry Engagement During the Procurement Process 07.23.2017 | San Diego, CA
• Public Private Partnerships: How Can We Unlock Potential? 05.16.2017 | Washington, D.C.
• Hearing on Leveraging Federal Funding: Innovative Solutions for Infrastructure 05.16.2017 | Washington, DC
• Regulation-Proof Airport Investment: Leveraging the Federal Infrastructure Paradigm Change 05.10.2017 | Long Beach, CA
• Update on Federal Landscape 05.02.2017 | Santa Monica, CA
• Public-Private Partnerships: The New Paradigm 04.20.2017 | Denver, CO
• Design-Build in Texas: What’s Going On Now, Lessons Learned and What’s Next? 04.2017 | Dallas, TX
• DBIA's 2017 Design-Build in Transportation Conference 03.28.2017 | Minneapolis, MN
• The New World of Public-Private Partnerships 03.09.2017 | Los Angeles, CA
• 2017 Public-Private Partnership Conference and Expo 02.27.2017 | Dallas, TX
• Protecting Drivers and Their Data: To Regulate or Not to Regulate? That is the Question 02.07.2017 | Austin, TX
• Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) for Social Infrastructure 01.30.2017 | Austin, TX
• Design Build Finance Operate Maintain P3s - Basic Characteristics 01.20.2017
• 2017 TRB Annual Meeting 01.08.2017 | Washington, DC
• Let’s Get Jurisprudential: Hot Topics in P3 Law and Procurement 11.14.2016 | Toronto, Ontario
• How California Has Developed the P3 Structure 10.27.2016 | Las Vegas, NV
• Public Private Partnerships – Hot Topics and Case Studies 10.19.2016 | Chicago, IL
• University of California Merced 2020 Project – Early Lessons from a Path Breaking Project 10.04.2016 | San Diego, CA
• NCPPP's 2016 P3Bootcamp 09.27.2016 | Phoenix, AZ
• P3s and the FAST Act: How Agencies Can Maximize New Infrastructure Delivery Tools 07.18.2016 | Calgary, Alberta
• Emerging P3 Markets: Are We Headed for a Bull Rally 07.14.2016 | Washington, DC
• Infrastructure – Private Sector Investment in the African Power Sector 07.01.2016 | London, United Kingdom
• The State of the Transportation P3 Industry 06.29.2016 | Chicago, IL
• P3 Market Trends 06.28.2016 | Chicago, IL
• Roundtable on Early Involvement of Private Developers in the Consideration of Long-Term P3 Concession Options 05.23.2016
• Role of Legal Counsel in Availability Payment DBFOM Projects 05.04.2016 | Portland, OR
• P3 Decision Makers: What Evidence do They Need? 04.26.2016
• Overview of Federal Legislation, FAST Act and P3s 04.26.2016 | Arlington, VA
• Leveraging Public-Private Partnerships for Project Development: Deal Structures and Documentation 03.24.2016
• Federal Policy Trends and Legislative Outlook Roundtable 03.17.2016 | Washington, DC
• Social Infrastructure and Innovative P3s 03.08.2016 | Dallas, TX
• P3C 2016 Public-Private Partnership Conference & Expo 03.07.2016 | Dallas, TX
• Lessons Learned in Large Construction Projects — Overhead and CM/GC 02.22.2016 | Santa Fe, NM
• The Growth and Management of the Municipal and Civic Pipeline 02.17.2016 | Miami, FL
• P3s in Florida 01.29.2016 | Tallahassee, FL
• Current Trends in P3 Project Delivery in U.S. and Canada 01.12.2016 | Washington, DC
• Staying on Track, Lessons Learned from an On-Time, On-Budget Light Rail Project 12.03.2015
• L.A. Olympics 2024: Project Delivery Methods for Cost and Schedule Control 11.20.2015 | Los Angeles, CA
• Delivering Large-Scale Water Infrastructure Projects 11.19.2015 | Carlsbad, CA
• PPP Perspectives 11.17.2015 | New Britain, CT
• Using Availability Payments for Social and Transportation Infrastructure Projects 11.03.2015 | Denver, CO
• International Perspectives on Delivery of Water Projects 11.03.2015 | Denver, CO
• P3 Procurement Approach and Process Overview 10.29.2015 | Stanford, CA
• How to Procure a P3 Project 10.22.2015 | Washington, DC
• The Future of Alternative Delivery in California 08.28.2015 | Anaheim, CA
• Emerging Trends in P3 Project Delivery in U.S. and Canada 07.21.2015 | Chicago, IL
• A P3 Future in Massachusetts 07.21.2015 | Boston, MA
• Risk Management Inside Legal Strategies, Legal Perspective 07.21.2015 | Chicago, IL
• P3 How-To 06.29.2015 | Sacramento, CA
• P3 Champions Reveal Their Pipelines 06.15.2015 | New York, NY
• Public-Private Partnerships Today & Tomorrow 05.29.2015 | Austin TX
• International Perspectives 05.21.2015 | Chicago, IL
• Considerations for the Designer in Design-Build Delivery 05.07.2015 | San Francisco, CA
• Public/Private Financing Partnerships: Balancing the Different Needs to Finance the Nation’s Infrastructure 03.19.2015 | San Antonio, TX
• P3s in Transportation 03.12.2015 | Atlanta, GA
• Balancing RFP Requirements Wants and Needs 03.10.2015 | San Antonio, TX
• Key Considerations for Implementing PPP Projects 02.24.2015 | Dallas, TX
• Risk Transfer Strategies in Different Project Delivery Models: Legal Perspective 01.12.2015 | Washington, DC
• Comparing P3 Models: Which Is Best for Taxpayers? 11.17.2014 | Miami, FL
• National Council for Public-Private Partnerships/Performance Based Building Coalition P3s for Public Buildings Summit 11.17.2014 | Miami, FL
• All Projects are Local: Procurement and Financing Structures 11.16.2014 | Arlington, VA
• Understanding Public-Private Partnerships 10.30.2014 | Raleigh, NC
• PPP Post-Award Practices: PPP Agreement Administration and Insurance 10.07.2014 | Dallas, TX
• The Value Proposition of P3s: The State DOT Perspective 07.28.2014 | Denver, CO
• U.S. P3 Infrastructure Forum 06.17.2014
• P3s in California 05.16.2014 | Sonoma, CA
• The Transportation PPP Market & MAP-21 05.07.2014 | Washington, DC
• Alternative Delivery Panel 04.08.2014 | Palm Springs, CA
• 21st Century Infrastructure and PPP Innovation for a Resilient Economy 04.03.2014 | Los Angeles, CA
• General Session – California High-Speed Rail 03.20.2014 | San Jose, CA
• Value for Money Analysis: Choosing the Best Project Delivery Method 03.20.2014 | San Jose, CA
• Agreements for P3 Projects 03.12.2014 | Miami, FL
• Thinking About TIFIA? Here's What You Need to Know 03.11.2014 | Washington, DC
• The Contract Documents: Whose Project is it Anyway? 01.23.2014 | New York, NY
• Celebrating Our Legacy, Anticipating Our Future 01.12.2014 | Washington, DC
• Who Takes the Toll Risk: Availability Payment Transactions vs. Revenue Bond Financing 11.14.2013 | Chicago, IL
• Capturing Innovation in Design-Build and PPP Procurement Processes: A Review of Successes to Date and Lessons on Optimization 11.05.2013 | Las Vegas, NV
• California Water Law: All Points of View 10.28.2013 | San Francisco, CA
• Shouldering the Construction Risk Burden – The State of American Infrastructure 10.03.2013 | Dallas, TX
• Basic Characteristics of P3 Project Delivery and Payment Mechanisms 09.19.2013 | Long Beach, CA
• P3s & Innovative Procurement Strategies 08.06.2013 | San Francisco, CA
• ARTBA P3s in Transportation Conference 07.26.2013 | Washington, DC
• Oversight Hearing on Implementation of MAP-21’s TIFIA Program Enhancements 07.24.2013 | Washington, DC
• TRB's 52nd Annual Workshop on Transportation Law 07.21.2013 | Nashville, TN
• Tracking MAP-21 Improvements and 2014 Reauthorization Needs 07.15.2013 | Washington, DC
• Innovation Capture: Optimizing a Key Public Sector P3 Value Component 06.17.2013 | New York, NY
• Emerging Infrastructure Investment Strategies 04.30.2013 | Beverly Hills, CA
• Public-Private Partnerships: Insights from Industry Experts 04.22.2013 | Atlanta, GA
• MAP-21 – What’s Next: Federal Tolling Law? 04.15.2013 | Philadelphia, PA
• The TIFIA Story: Meaningful Reforms Under MAP-21 04.02.2013
• Availability Payment P3s: Owner, Equity and Design-Builder Perspectives 03.19.2013 | Orlando, FL
• DBIA Design-Build in Transportation Conference 03.18.2013 | Orlando, FL
• Procurement and the Laws of Competitive Bidding: Managing Risks 02.07.2013 | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
• Alternative Delivery Methods, Recent Outcomes and Legislative Recommendations 02.07.2013 | San Francisco, CA
• Rethinking Infrastructure Delivery 11.23.2012 | Istanbul, Republic of Turkey
• Federal Tolling Law Under MAP-21 11.18.2012 | Pittsburgh, PA
• Innovative Public Procurement in Virginia: The Current State of Design-Build and P3 11.03.2012 | Charlottesville, VA
• Roads, The Presidio Parkway Project 10.18.2012 | San Francisco, CA
• Key Issues at the Federal Level Affecting P3s 10.10.2012 | Washington, DC
• California Public-Private Partnership Authority 09.27.2012 | Long Beach, CA
• CCAC Annual Meeting 2012 09.12.2012 | San Diego, CA
• Webinar: MAP-21 - Meaningful Reforms and Practical Implications 07.19.2012
• Lessons Learned Forum 04.27.2012 | Phoenix, AZ
• Design-Build Institute of America's 2012 Design-Build in Transportation Conference 04.25.2012 | Phoenix, AZ
• Equity Investment in California Transportation: Legal Foundation and Limitations 04.05.2012 | Sacramento, CA
• Public Private Partnerships: Making P3 Transportation Projects Work in Southern California 03.21.2012 | Los Angeles, CA
• Projects Showcase – Where Will the Next Deals Originate From? 03.13.2012
• Innovative Finance Strategies for Highways, Rail, Transit, Aviation, and Water Infrastructure 02.27.2012 | Washington, DC
• The New West Partnership Trade Agreement and Public Sector Procurement in Saskatchewan 02.02.2012 | Regina, Saskatchewan
• TRB's 91st Annual Meeting 01.25.2012 | Washington, DC
• Design-Build Procurement Workshop 11.04.2011 | Sacramento, CA
• Successful Teaming: Turning Sticks & Stones into Bricks & Mortar 10.21.2011 | Orlando, FL
• New Frontiers in Alternative Contracting: Saving Money and Reducing Time 10.16.2011 | Detroit, MI
• Hearing on the President’s Proposal to Form a National Infrastructure Bank 10.12.2011
• Implementing Partnerships in California 09.09.2011 | Redondo Beach, CA
• TRB's Annual Workshop on Transportation Law 07.17.2011 | Seattle, WA
• Public-Private Partnerships 05.17.2011 | San Antonio, TX
• Infrastructure West Finance Forum 05.10.2011 | San Francisco, CA
• Joint Venture Public and Private Partnerships 04.20.2011 | Austin, TX
• Lessons Learned Forum 03.28.2011 | Kansas City, MO
• Private Sector Perspectives on Risk Management 03.15.2011 | Washington, DC
• Public-Private Partnerships for California Transportation Projects 03.15.2011 | Los Angeles, CA
• Hearing on Improving and Reforming Our Nation’s Surface Transportation Programs 03.14.2011 | Maitland, FL
• Federal Funding: The Case for an Expanded TIFIA Program 02.22.2011 | Sacramento, CA
• Financing Tools Available Through Partnerships 01.20.2011 | Sacramento, CA
• Public-Private Partnerships for California Transportation 01.20.2011 | Sacramento, CA
• Public-Private Partnerships Forum – PPP Law, Structures and Contracting 11.04.2010 | Indian Wells, CA
• Applying Innovative P3 Tools to New Highway Construction: A Tale of Two States 10.18.2010 | Puerto Rico
• Expanding Existing Federal Programs for Funding and Financing Transportation 09.30.2010 | Washington, DC
• Risk Management Considerations for Long Term P3s 07.14.2010 | Newport, RI
• Selecting P3s for Procurement: Evolving from Episodic to Programmatic Public Sector Decision-Making 05.20.2010
• Leveraging Private Capital for California's Infrastructure Needs 05.02.2010 | Napa, CA
• Overview of the Texas Department of Transportation Design-Build and Public-Private Partnership Program 04.22.2010 | Dallas, TX
• Innovative Financing for Design-Build Transportation Projects - Non-Toll Financing Alternatives 04.22.2010 | Dallas, TX
• California's Infrastructure – Financing and Procuring Construction Projects; Design-Build and Public-Private Partnerships; More Treatment Plants Needed for Water Supply 11.05.2009 | Palm Springs, CA
• 3rd Annual Public Private Partnerships Conference - "A Path Forward for Arizona" 10.22.2009
• What Are P3s? – P3 Contractual Issues 09.29.2009 | Phoenix, AZ
• P3 Implementation, Best Practices, Lessons Learned 09.29.2009 | Phoenix, AZ
• US P3 Infrastructure Finance Forum 2009 06.18.2009 | New York, NY
• Airport Project Delivery Systems Summit IV 06.03.2009
• Design-Build for Public Entities 05.29.2009 | San Diego, CA
• 50th Annual Municipal Seminar 05.14.2009 | Indian Wells, CA
• Design Build and Infrastructure Partnership Projects: The Details of California's New Legislation 03.12.2009 | Napa, CA
• ABA Mid-Winter Meeting 01.22.2009 | New York, NY
• Demystifying Best Value in Project Procurement 01.13.2009 | Washington, DC
• Nossaman Names Elizabeth Cousins Chair of Infrastructure Group 11.14.2023 | Nossaman News Release
• Nossaman Ranked Among "Best Law Firms" in the U.S. for 2023 11.05.2023 | U.S. News & World Report  and  Best Lawyers
• Nossaman Highlighted in the Mid-Market 50 10.16.2023 | ALM’s Law.com
• Nossaman Recognized as a Social Impact Leader 09.26.2023 | Law360
• Liz Klebaner Comments on Impact of AB 1307 09.08.2023 | Law360
• Nossaman Ranked as a Top 10 Firm for Women Equity Partners 08.31.2023 | Law360
• Nossaman Attorneys Recognized in  Best Lawyers in America  and  Best Lawyers: Ones To Watch for 2024 08.17.2023 | Best Lawyers
• Nossaman Again Named to Prestigious Top 150 Under 150 List 08.01.2023 | Vault
• Nossaman Recognized as a Top 10 Firm for Diverse Equity Partnerships 07.26.2023 | Law360
• Nossaman Again Recognized as a Top Firm for Diverse Attorneys 07.25.2023 | Law360
• Remembering Ed Kussy 07.25.2023 | Nossaman Announcement
• Nossaman Ranked in Top Quarter of U.S. Firms on Women in Law Scorecard 06.15.2023 | National Law Journal
• Nossaman Recognized Again for Infrastructure, Environment, Renewable Energy and Land Use Work 06.12.2023 | The Legal 500
• Chambers  Recognizes Nossaman's Eminent Domain & Valuation, Environment & Land Use, Healthcare, Infrastructure and Real Estate Groups 06.01.2023 | Chambers USA
• Patrick Harder Recognized as a “Top 100” Lawyer for Los Angeles 05.22.2023 | Los Angeles Business Journal
• Elinor Eizdi and Yukiko Kojima Recognized as Top Women Attorneys in Los Angeles County 04.17.2023 | Los Angeles Business Journal
• Nossaman Elects David Graeler as New Managing Partner 03.21.2023 | Nossaman News Release
• Elizabeth Cousins and Yukiko Kojima Recognized as "2023 Visionaries" in Finance 03.19.2023 | Los Angeles Times
• Nossaman’s Infrastructure Group Once Again Recognized by Chambers Global 02.20.2023 | Chambers Global
• Patrick Harder Discusses P3 Outlook for 2023 02.14.2023 | Infralogic
• Brandon Davis Discusses Impact of California Budget Cuts on Transit Agencies 02.03.2023 | ENR California
• Andrée Blais Discusses Use of VfM Model on Infrastructure Projects 02.01.2023 | P3 Bulletin
• Shant Boyajian Comments on One Year Anniversary of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law 11.10.2022 | Law360
• WTS-LA Highlights Member of the Year Win for Nancy Smith 11.01.2022 | WTS-LA
• Elizabeth Cousins Recognized as Environmental MVP 09.29.2022 | Law360
• Andrée Blais Named Transportation MVP 09.26.2022 | Law360
• Andrée Blais and Elizabeth Cousins Recognized as Law360 MVPs 09.05.2022 | Law360
• Nancy Smith Named WTS Los Angeles Member of the Year 09.01.2022 | Nossaman Announcement
• Yukiko Kojima Shortlisted for Leading Women in Infrastructure Award 08.22.2022 | P3 Bulletin
• Nossaman Once Again Ranked as a Top Firm for Women Equity Partners 08.22.2022 | Law360
• Nossaman Attorneys Recognized in  Best Lawyers  and  Best Lawyers: Ones To Watch  Reports 08.18.2022 | Best Lawyers
• Andrée Blais Recognized as a West Trailblazer for 2022 08.05.2022 | The American Lawyer
• Nossaman Congratulates Project Team on Recognition for Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project 07.20.2022 | Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania
• Shant Boyajian Named “Rising Star” in Transportation 06.24.2022 | Law360
• Nossaman Recognized for Infrastructure, Environment, Renewable Energy and Land Use Work 06.22.2022 | The Legal 500
• Nossaman Congratulates University of Hawaii on Nonprofit Project Award for Life Sciences Building 06.21.2022 | NAIOP Hawaii
• Chambers Recognizes Nossaman's Eminent Domain & Valuation, Environment & Land Use, Healthcare, Infrastructure and Real Estate Groups 06.01.2022 | Chambers USA
• Elizabeth Cousins Once Again Recognized as One of California’s Top Women Lawyers 05.18.2022 | Daily Journal
• Alfred Smith Recognized on The National Black Lawyers Top 100 List 04.01.2022 | NBLTop100.org
• Andrée Blais and Corey Boock Recognized as "2022 Visionaries" in Finance 03.28.2022 | Los Angeles Times
• Nossaman’s Infrastructure Group Once Again Recognized By Chambers Global 02.28.2022 | Chambers Global
• Nossaman Congratulates Florida Department of Transportation on I-4 Express Opening 02.26.2022 | Various Media Outlets
• Nossaman's Infrastructure Group Once Again Profiled as a "Project Finance Practice Group of the Year" 02.16.2022 | Law360
• Byron Gee and Yukiko Kojima Recognized as "Minority Leaders of Influence" 02.07.2022 | Los Angeles Business Journal
• Elizabeth Cousins Discusses Market Sounding for San Diego County Biogas Recovery Project 01.24.2022 | Inframation
• Nossaman’s Role on Modesto Seventh Street Bridge Project Highlighted 01.17.2022 | Modesto Bee
• Shant Boyajian Discusses Effect of Delayed Federal Funding on Infrastructure Projects 01.17.2022 | The Bond Buyer
• Shant Boyajian Discusses Impact of Temporary Spending Bill on Infrastructure Funding 01.12.2022 | CQ Roll Call
• Chris Carney Discusses Infrastructure Challenges and Opportunities for Buttigieg 01.03.2022 | The Hill
• Brandon Davis Named to "Thriving in Their 40s" List 12.20.2021 | Los Angeles Business Journal
• Chris Carney and Michael Stroud Recognized as Top Lobbyists 12.01.2021 | The Hill
• Nossaman Congratulates San Diego Association of Governments on Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project Opening 12.01.2021 | Multiple News Outlets
• Nossaman Congratulates TCA on Oso Parkway Bridge Honor 11.01.2021 | Los Angeles Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
• Nossaman Ranked Among "Best Law Firms" in the U.S. for 2021 11.01.2021 | U.S. News & World Report  and  Best Lawyers
• Shant Boyajian Discusses Impact of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act on Freight Industry 11.01.2021 | American Journal of Transportation
• Shant Boyajian Discusses Impact of Infrastructure Bill on P3s 09.28.2021 | The Bond Buyer
• Elizabeth Cousins Recognized as a West Trailblazer for 2021 09.01.2021 | The American Lawyer
• Shant Boyajian Featured in U.S. Chamber of Commerce Opinion Article on Infrastructure Package 08.30.2021 | uschamber.com
• Nossaman Congratulates Teddy Low on Visionaries & In-House Counsel Leadership Recognition 08.24.2021 | Los Angeles Times
• Nossaman Attorneys Recognized in  Best Lawyers  and  Best Lawyers: Ones To Watch  Reports 08.20.2021 | Best Lawyers
• Nossaman Lauded as a “California Powerhouse” 08.06.2021 | Law360
• Shant Boyajian Quoted on $1.2T Bill to Rebuild the Nation's Infrastructure 08.02.2021 | Law360
• Congratulations to the Regents of the University of California and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority for ARTBA Recognitions 07.16.2021 | Nossaman Announcement
• Shant Boyajian Quoted on Bipartisan Infrastructure Spending Bill 07.07.2021 | Inframation
• Nossaman Recognized for Infrastructure, Environment, Renewable Energy and Land Use Work 06.14.2021 | The Legal 500
• Chambers Recognizes Nossaman's Eminent Domain & Valuation, Environment & Land Use, Healthcare, Infrastructure and Real Estate Groups 05.24.2021 | Chambers USA
• Elizabeth Cousins Recognized as One of California’s Top Women Lawyers 05.20.2021 | Daily Journal
• New Nossaman Partners Noted in Law360 05.07.2021 | Law360
• Fred Kessler Comments on FHWA Guidance on Transmission Lines 05.06.2021 | Law360
• Andrée Blais Discusses Progressive P3s 05.01.2021 | Public Works Financing
• Elizabeth Cousins and Liz Klebaner Recognized as "Women of Influence" 04.26.2021 | Los Angeles Business Journal
• Two Nossaman Partners Recognized as "2021 Visionaries" in Finance 03.28.2021 | Los Angeles Times
• Shant Boyajian Quoted on Biden Administration Infrastructure Spending Bill 03.18.2021 | Inframation
• Nossaman Congratulates Florida Department of Transportation and Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development on Recognitions from P3 Bulletin 03.05.2021 | P3 Bulletin
• RFQ For Package 4 of East County Advanced Water Purification Project Highlighted 02.26.2021 | Inframation
• Nossaman’s Infrastructure Group Once Again Recognized By  Chambers Global  02.18.2021 | Chambers Global
• Shant Boyajian Quoted on Biden Administration’s Discontinuation of Cost-Share Rule for Transit 02.16.2021 | Law360
• Nossaman Names Four New Partners 02.09.2021 | Nossaman News Release
• Two Nossaman Practice Chairs Recognized Among "Minority Leaders of Influence" 01.25.2021 | Los Angeles Business Journal
• Shant Boyajian Quoted on GARVEE Bond Program, Biden Impact 01.04.2021 | Inframation
• Congratulations to the Washington State Department of Transportation and Arizona Department of Transportation on WASHTO Award Wins 12.01.2020 | Western Association of State Highway Officials (WASHTO)
• Nossaman Ranked Among "Best Law Firms" in the U.S. for 2020 11.11.2020 | U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers
• Lincoln South Beltway Project Wins “Deal of the Year” 11.09.2020 | The Bond Buyer
• Shant Boyajian Discusses One-Year Surface Transportation Extension 10.15.2020 | Inframation
• Liz Klebaner Noted for Work with San Diego Association of Governments on AB 2731 10.15.2020 | The Mid-Market Report
• Nossaman Congratulates City of Long Beach on New Bridge Opening 10.05.2020 | Nossaman Announcement
• Nossaman Congratulates SANDAG on Passage of AB 2731 10.02.2020 | Nossaman Announcement
• Yukiko Kojima Comments on Diversity & Inclusion In P3 Industry 10.01.2020 | P3 Bulletin
• Ashley Dunning and Patrick Harder Named "Top 100" Lawyers 09.16.2020 | Daily Journal
• Brooke Marcus Wahlberg Comments on NEPA Reforms 09.03.2020 | Inframation
• Nossaman Attorneys Recognized in Best Lawyers and Best Lawyers: Ones To Watch Reports 08.20.2020 | Best Lawyers in America
• Brandon Davis Quoted on Easing of Approval for Transit-Oriented Developments 08.17.2020 | Inframation
• Brandon Davis Quoted on Transit-Oriented Development in U.S. Cities 07.30.2020 | Inframation
• Congratulations to the Texas Department of Transportation on Award for North Tarrant Express Segment 3C 07.13.2020 | IJ Global
• Barney Allison Comments on New GASB Guidance for Availability Payments 06.24.2020 | Inframation
• Shant Boyajian Discusses Obstacles Facing INVEST in America Act 06.15.2020 | Law360
• Nossaman Recognized for Infrastructure, Environment, Renewable Energy and Land Use Work 06.10.2020 | The Legal 500
• Shant Boyajian Shares Insights on INVEST in America Act 06.09.2020 | Inframation
• Barney Allison Discusses COVID-19 Impact on P3 Market 05.18.2020 | Inframation
• Brooke Wahlberg Quoted on NWP 12 Ruling 05.06.2020 | PFI
• Shant Boyajian Quoted on Stimulus Support for P3 Opportunities 05.01.2020 | Inframation
• Brooke Wahlberg Comments on Impact of NWP 12 Ruling 04.27.2020 | Law360
• Yukiko Kojima Named One of Top Women Attorneys in Los Angeles 04.24.2020 | Los Angeles Business Journal
• Chambers Recognizes Nossaman's Eminent Domain & Valuation, Environment & Land Use, Healthcare and Infrastructure Groups 04.23.2020 | Chambers & Partners
• Patrick Harder Discusses Pandemic Impact on Infrastructure Projects 04.2020 | P3 Bulletin
• Patrick Harder Discusses Impact of Pandemic on Infrastructure Landscape 04.03.2020 | Law360
• Fred Dombo Comments on Impact of COVID-19 Relief Bill on Transportation Industry 03.26.2020 | Law360
• Nossaman’s Infrastructure Group Once Again Recognized By Chambers Global  03.2020 | Chambers Global
• Michael Stroud and Chris Carney Noted for Tradepoint Atlantic Work 03.03.2020 | The Hill
• Nossaman Elevates Two to Partner in California 02.25.2020 | Nossaman News Release
• Infrastructure Group Named "Transportation Practice Group of the Year" for Fifth Consecutive Time 02.13.2020 | Law360
• Shant Boyajian Quoted on House Democrats Renewed Push for Infrastructure Package 01.30.2020 | Law360
• Shant Boyajian Quoted on Transportation Legislation and Regulation to Watch in 2020 01.01.2020 | Law360
• Congratulations to Los Angeles World Airports on WTS Innovation Award for APM 11.07.2019 | WTS-Los Angeles
• Yukiko Kojima Quoted on P3 Best Practices 10.25.2019 | Construction Dive
• Geoffrey Yarema in the Spotlight for Role in SFCTA’s Downtown Rail Extension Project 10.09.2019 | P3 Bulletin
• Shant Boyajian Quoted on America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act of 2019 10.09.2019 | Inframation News
• Congratulations to Los Angeles World Airports on P3 Bulletin Award for APM Financing 10.03.2019 | P3 Bulletin
• Barney Allison Quoted on TIFIA Program 09.20.2019 | Bond Buyer
• Congratulations to Los Angeles World Airports for Earning the "Innovation of the Year" Award 07.23.2019 | American Road & Transportation Builders Association
• Barney Allison Quoted on U.S. P3 Industry Trends 07.17.2019 | Inframation
• Nossaman Named #1 Infrastructure Legal Advisor in U.S. 06.2019 | Inframation
• Shant Boyajian Quoted on Mid-Year Transportation Policy Issues to Watch 06.10.2019 | Law360
• Nossaman's Infrastructure and Environment Groups Earn Recognition 06.07.2019 | Legal 500
• We Congratulate Los Angeles World Airports on their Global Project Wins 06.04.2019 | P3 Bulletin
• Three Partners Named "California Trailblazers" 06.03.2019 | The Recorder
• Nossaman Named "Outstanding Legal Advisor of the Year" 05.15.2019 | National Council for Public-Private Partnerships
• We Congratulate Los Angeles World Airports and LAWA CEO Deborah Flint on NCPPP Honors 05.15.2019 | National Council for Public-Private Partnerships
• Andrée Blais and Lori Anne Dolqueist Named to "Top Women Lawyers" List 05.08.2019 | Daily Journal
• Chambers Recognizes Nossaman's Eminent Domain, Environment & Land Use, Healthcare, and Infrastructure Groups 04.25.2019 | Chambers & Partners
• Evan Caplicki Quoted on Contractors' Use of In-House Design-Build 04.03.2019 | Engineering News-Record
• Patrick Harder Recognized as a "California Lawyer of the Year" 03.27.2019 | Daily Journal
• LAX Automated People Mover Project Wins "North American PPP Deal of the Year" Award 03.14.2019 | IJGlobal
• Fred Kessler Quoted on Pennsylvania Turnpike Litigation 02.27.2019 | Philadelphia Magazine
• Infrastructure Group Named "Transportation Practice Group of the Year" for Fourth Year Running 02.19.2019 | Law360
• Infrastructure Group Again Profiled as a "Project Finance Practice Group of the Year" 02.12.2019 | Law360
• LAX Automated People Mover Project Wins "Americas P3 Deal of the Year" 02.06.2019 | Project Finance International
• Two Nossaman Partners Recognized among "Most Influential Minority Lawyers" 01.28.2019 | Los Angeles Business Journal
• Corey Boock Quoted on MDOT I-75 Project's Success 01.19.2019 | IJGlobal
• Infrastructure Group Recognized as Transportation, Project Finance Practice Group of the Year 01.13.2019 | Law360
• Infrastructure Team Featured for its P3 Work for Los Angeles World Airports 12.07.2018 | Daily Journal
• Infrastructure Team Featured for I-75 Work with MDOT 12.04.2018 | Daily Journal
• Shant Boyajian Quoted on Midterm Election's Impact 11.16.2018 | Inframation
• Patrick Harder Named "Real Estate Lawyer of the Year" 10.17.2018 | Los Angeles Business Journal
• LAX Automated People Mover Project Recognized with Award for Best Transit Project 10.10.2018 | P3 Bulletin
• Infrastructure Partner Barney Allison Quoted In P3 Bulletin 10.04.2018 | P3 Bulletin
• Infrastructure Partner Barney Allison Comments On PABs For IJ Global 10.03.2018 | IJ Global
• Patrick Harder Named to "Top 100" 09.19.2018 | Daily Journal
• Nossaman Infrastructure Team Featured In Daily Journal's Dealmakers Column For P3 Work For Los Angeles World Airports/City Of Los Angeles 06.26.2018 | Daily Journal
• Nossaman Helps LA Metro Secure Gold Line Funding 06.21.2018 | San Gabriel Valley Tribune, International Railway Journal, Railway Age, Mass Transit Magazine
• Nossaman's Eminent Domain, Environment, Healthcare, Infrastructure and Public Policy Practices Recognized by Chambers 05.11.2018 | Nossaman News Release
• Infrastructure Partner Yukiko Kojima Named to Daily Journal's Top Women Lawyers List 05.02.2018 | Daily Journal
• Infrastructure Attorney Stephanie Kam Authors Article For Railway Age On P3 Light Rail Financing 04.17.2018 | Railway Age
• Infrastructure Partners Andrée Blais and Elizabeth Cousins Recognized In LABJ's Most Influential Women Lawyers Supplement 04.17.2018 | Los Angeles Business Journal
• Infrastructure Partners Nancy Smith and Patricia de la Peña Quoted in ENR on Design-Build Risk Management 03.28.2018 | ENR: Engineering News-Record
• Shant Boyajian Quoted In Law360 On Federal Gas Tax 03.20.2018 | Law360
• Infrastructure Group Once Again Named Practice Group of the Year by Law360 02.26.2018
• Shant Boyajian Quoted In Law360 And Inspiratia On Trump Administration's Infrastructure Plan 02.12.2018 | Law360 and Inspiratia
• Shant Boyajian Quoted In Law360 On Wish List For Trump Administration's Infrastructure Plan 01.29.2018 | Law360
• Nossaman's Infrastructure Practice Group Profiled In Public Works Financing's Women's Issue 01.24.2018 | Public Works Financing
• Nossaman Congratulates the Indiana Finance Authority, Texas Department of Transportation and Michigan Department of Transportation on Being Honored with NCPPP Project Awards 01.23.2018 | National Council for Public-Private Partnerships
• Infrastructure Partner Yukiko Kojima Named Law360 Project Finance MVP 01.08.2018 | Law360
• Nossaman's Work With ETM-LA, Angels Flight Highlighted In WTS Los Angeles Newsletter 12.19.2017 | Women's Transportation Seminar – Los Angeles Newsletter
• Infrastructure Partner Andrée Blais Quoted In ENR 11.13.2017 | ENR
• Infrastructure Chair Patrick Harder Recognized In LABJ's Leading Lawyers Supplement 10.30.2017 | Los Angeles Business Journal
• UC Board Of Regents and UC Merced Honored With P3 Bulletin Awards 09.28.2017 | P3 Bulletin
• Elizabeth Cousins Named Law360 "Rising Star" In Transportation 08.14.2017 | Law360
• Eighteen Nossaman Attorneys and Four Practices Recognized by Chambers USA 05.31.2017 | Nossaman News Release
• Infrastructure Partner Nancy Smith Named to Daily Journal's Top Women Lawyers List 05.30.2017 | The Daily Journal
• Infrastructure Attorney Shant Boyajian Quoted in InfraAmericas 05.30.2017 | InfraAmericas
• Infrastructure Partner Geoff Yarema Quoted in InfraAmericas 05.30.2017 | InfraAmericas
• Nossaman Infrastructure Partner Geoffrey Yarema Testifies before Environment and Public Works Subcommittee 05.18.2017 | Environment and Public Works Subcommittee
• Infrastructure Partner Geoffrey Yarema Named a P3 Pioneer by NCPPP 05.18.2017
• Infrastructure Partners Nancy Smith and Yukiko Kojima Recognized In LABJ's Most Influential Women Lawyers Supplement 05.05.2017 | Los Angeles Business Journal
• MDOT Purple Line Light Rail Project and UC Merced 2020 Project Win "Deal of the Year Awards" From IJGlobal 04.07.2017 | IJGlobal
• Nossaman's Work, Angels Flight Reopening, Receives Coverage In Los Angeles Times, New York Times, And Other Media! 03.15.2017 | Los Angeles Times, New York Times
• Law360 Profiles Infrastructure Group For Transportation Practice Group of the Year Series 03.14.2017 | Law360
• UC Merced 2020 Campus Expansion Project Named "Americas P3 Deal of the Year" by Project Finance International 03.02.2017 | Thomson Reuters
• Law360 Profiles Infrastructure Group For Project Finance Practice Group of the Year Series 02.24.2017 | Law360
• Nossaman Infrastructure Practice Highlighted In P3 Digest 12.22.2016 | P3 Digest
• Nossaman Infrastructure Chair, Patrick Harder, Selected To Advisory Board of Cornell University's Program in Infrastructure Policy (CPIP) 12.21.2016 | CPIP
• Law360 Names Infrastructure Partner Nancy Smith as a Transportation MVP 12.21.2016 | Law360
• Law360 Names Infrastructure Chair Patrick Harder as a Project Finance MVP 12.21.2016 | Law360
• MDOT Purple Line Light Rail Project and FDOT Port Miami Tunnel Project Win Awards From P3 Bulletin 11.17.2016
• Infrastructure Partner Nancy Smith Named To Daily Journal's Top 100 09.21.2016
• Two Partners Recognized In LABJ's Most Influential Minority Lawyers Supplement 09.13.2016
• Infrastructure Partner Nancy Smith Pens Article For GEOSTRATA 08.24.2016 | GEOSTRATA
• Infrastructure Partner Barney Allison Quoted On P3 Projects To Watch In Law360 07.13.2016 | Law360
• Nossaman's Eminent Domain, Environment & Land Use, Healthcare, Infrastructure and Public Policy Practices Recognized by Chambers 06.03.2016 | Nossaman News Release
• Nossaman Infrastructure Partner Brandon Davis Named To Daily Journal's 40 Under 40 List 05.31.2016
• Nossaman Named to "Midsize Hot List" for Third Year in a Row 05.31.2016 | National Law Journal
• Brandon Davis Named 2016 "Rising Star" 04.22.2016 | Law360
• Nossaman Infrastructure Partners Honored With DBIA Awards 04.22.2016 | Design-Build Institute of America
• Nossaman Infrastructure Chair Patrick Harder Quoted In Inspiratia 03.11.2016 | Inspiratia
• Nossaman Team Featured in Daily Journal for Arizona DOT Work 03.09.2016 | Daily Journal
• DesignBuildDoneRight.com Notes Partner Nancy Smith's Contributions To NCHRP Report On Design-Build Liability 02.04.2016 | DesignBuildDoneRight.com
• Nossaman's Infrastructure Group Recognized as both a Project Finance and Transportation "Practice Group of the Year" 02.01.2016 | Law360
• Infrastructure Group Earns "Southern California Practice Group of the Year" Honor 01.04.2016 | National Law Journal
• Nossaman Infrastructure Partner Nancy Smith Pens Article For Public Works Financing 01.01.2016 | Public Works Financing
• Nossaman Partner Ann-Therese Schmid Quoted In The Boston Globe On Green Line Extension Project 11.30.2015 | The Boston Globe
• Nossaman Infrastructure Partner Ann-Therese Schmid Discusses Green Line Extension Project In Commonwealth Article 11.30.2015 | Commonwealth
• Nossaman Partner Barney Allison Quoted in Law360 on P3s 11.18.2015 | Law360
• Nossaman's Infrastructure Chair, Patrick Harder, Quoted On P3s In Higher Education 10.27.2015 | InfraAmericas
• FDOT and I-4 Ultimate Project Win P3 Awards 10.26.2015 | P3 Bulletin
• Port Miami Tunnel Honored With NCPPP Infrastructure Project Award 07.30.2015 | Nossaman Announcement
• Barney Allison Quoted in ENR Article on Water Resources Reform and Development Act 07.02.2015 | Engineering News-Record
• Eminent Domain, Environment & Land Use, Healthcare and Infrastructure Groups Recognized 05.19.2015 | Chambers & Partners
• Port of Miami Tunnel Honored with Globe Award 04.21.2015 | American Road & Transportation Builders Association
• I-4 Ultimate Project Receives Three Industry Awards 03.26.2015 | Nossaman Announcement
• Evan Caplicki featured in DBIA Integration Quarterly 03.17.2015 | DBIA Integration Quarterly
• Minority Powerbrokers Q&A: Nossaman's Simon Santiago 02.19.2015 | Law360
• Nossaman #1 in Five Categories in League Table Rankings 02.05.2015 | IJGlobal
• Project Finance MVP: Nossaman's Patrick Harder 12.31.2014 | Law360
• Linda Morgan Named to Amtrak Panel on Rail Gridlock 11.17.2014
• Amtrak organizes panel to study Chicago rail gridlock 10.31.2014 | Progressive Railroading
• Nossaman Appoints New Partner 07.21.2014 | P3 Bulletin
• Schmid Rejoins Nossaman's Infrastructure Practice 07.21.2014 | RailWay Age
• Details About Crude Oil Rail Shiments Shrouded in Secrecy 06.20.2014 | Sacramento Bee
• Nossaman LLP Adds Australian Public-Private Partnerships Attorney Elizabeth Cousins 06.16.2014 | P3 Bulletin
• Nossaman Once Again Named to "Midsize Hot List" 05.27.2014 | National Law Journal
• Four Nossaman Practice Groups Earn Recognition in National Ranking 05.23.2014 | Chambers and Partners
• Nossaman Posts Draft Model P3 Legislation for Public Buildings and Invites Comments 04.28.2014
• Law360 Names Attys Who Moved Up The Firm Ranks In Q1 04.10.2014 | Law360
• Nossaman Once Again Recognized as a "Global Leader in PPP Projects" 03.13.2014 | Chambers and Partners
• Nossaman Adds Canadian P3 Specialist 03.13.2014 | P3 Bulletin
• Transportation's Next Chapter: Maintenance, Mobility, Money 03.12.2014 | Engineering News-Record (ENR)
• Nossaman Makes New P3 Hire 03.11.2014 | Infrastructure Journal
• Nossaman Hires Social Infra P3 Lawyer 03.10.2014 | InfraAmericas
• People & Places: Andrée Blais 03.07.2014 | Project Finance
• Female Powerbrokers Q&A: Nossaman's Nancy Smith 02.24.2014 | Law360
• Project Finance Group Of The Year: Nossaman 01.28.2014 | Law360
• Nev. Board OKs $100M Bond Sale For Vegas Highway Project 01.14.2014 | Law360
• Cautious Optimism for US Infrastructure in 2014 01.08.2014 | InfraAmericas
• Nossaman Named to List of "Top Project Finance Practice Groups" 01.02.2014 | Law360
• Project Finance MVP: Nossaman's Corey Boock 11.27.2013 | Law360
• The ARTI of the Deal: Illustrating Why Local Can Be Better 10.17.2013 | Women's Transportation Seminar (WTS) Los Angeles Chapter Newsletter
• Illiana Corridor P3 RFQs to be Issued This Fall 09.25.2013 | InfraAmericas
• North Tarrant Express P3 Reaches Financial Close 09.20.2013 | InfraAmericas
• DOT Moves To Streamline TIFIA Loan Decisions 08.05.2013 | Engineering News-Record
• Nevada Issues RFQ for Project Neon P3 07.31.2013 | InfraAmericas
• Senate Grills New DOT Secretary On Infrastructure Loans 07.25.2013 | Law360
• Preferred Bidder Selected for USD 840m Northwest Corridor P3 07.24.2013 | InfraAmericas
• Nossaman Partner Geoffrey Yarema Testifies Before U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works 07.24.2013
• Riverside County Closes 91 Express Upgrade Bonds 07.10.2013 | Project Finance Magazine
• Don't Restrict Joint Muni-Finance, P3 Lawyer Warns 06.27.2013 | The Bond Buyer
• Environment & Land Use, Healthcare and Infrastructure Groups Honored 05.24.2013 | Chambers and Partners
• VfM: A Useful Tool for Procurement Authorities But Not a Deciding Factor 05.22.2013 | InfraAmericas
• Why You Won't Own Your Road 05.16.2013 | National Journal
• Deal Analysis: East End Crossing 05.10.2013 | Project Finance Magazine
• Mayer Brown, Nossaman Seal $677M Ohio River Bridge Bonds 04.01.2013 | Law360
• Nossaman Recognized as "Top Legal Advisor" Globally 04.01.2013 | Infrastructure Journal
• Obama Offers Details on Infrastructure Plan But Stakeholders Say Solvency Issues Remain 04.01.2013 | Bloomberg BNA
• Nossaman Recognized as a Global Leader in Infrastructure 03.25.2013 | Chambers and Partners
• Real Estate Deals of the Year - Presidio Parkway 03.22.2013 | San Francisco Business Times
• Dulles Greenway: Deal or No Deal? 02.08.2013 | Washington Business Journal
• DOT Chief Ray LaHood Leaves Agency At Crossroads 02.04.2013 | Law360
• Nossaman is Home to One of the "Top Project Finance" Groups 01.02.2013 | Law360
• Commercial Close for East End Crossing 12.28.2012 | Infrastructure Investor
• Indiana Closes on Louisville's New East End Crossing Over Ohio River IN-KY 12.28.2012 | TOLLROADSnews
• Nossaman Receives Top "Best Law Firms" Rankings 11.16.2012 | U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers
• Walsh-VINCI-Bilfinger Berger Selected for Ohio River East End Crossing at 23% Off & Early 11.16.2012 | TOLLROADSnews, InfraAmericas, and Project Finance
• Nossaman Names New Head of Infra Practice Group 09.19.2012 | InfraAmericas
• Nossaman Names New Practice Group Leaders for Infrastructure and Real Estate 09.18.2012
• Nossaman Names Patrick Harder New Infrastructure Chief 09.18.2012 | TOLLROADSnews
• Port of Long Beach Awards Design-Build Contract for the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project 07.23.2012
• Hochtief, Meridiam Team Reaches Financial Close on Presidio Parkway P3 06.20.2012 | InfraAmericas
• Nossaman Aids Caltrans In Closing $1.1B Parkway Project 06.19.2012 | Law360
• California Closes on $1.1B Presidio Parkway P3 Financing 06.18.2012 | The Bond Buyer
• Hochtief and Meridiam close on Presidio Parkway 06.15.2012 | Project Finance Magazine
• Deal for Golden Gate bridge project closes 06.15.2012 | The Daily Journal
• Hochtief, Meridiam seal $1.1bn Presidio PPP 06.15.2012 | Infrastructure Investor
• US' Presidio Parkway P3 reaches financial close 06.15.2012 | Infrastructure Journal
• Nossaman is a "Leading Law Firm" in Infrastructure and Healthcare 06.07.2012 | Chambers and Partners
• Nossaman Partner Linda Morgan Mentioned in The Calgary Herald and The Toronto Star 05.17.2012 | The Calgary Herald and The Toronto Star
• Can California Afford to Modernize Infrastructure? 04.12.2012 | California Economic Summit Blog
• Nossaman Set for Infra Expansion 03.02.2012 | Infrastructure Journal
• Nossaman in Infrastructure Build Out 02.07.2012 | Infrastructure Investor
• Transportation's Future a Rocky Road 10.24.2011 | Politico
• Obama Infrabank Won't Fly 10.13.2011 | Toll Roads News
• Hearing on National Infrastructure Bank: More Bureaucracy & More Red Tape 10.12.2011 | U.S. House of Representatives
• Obama, Infrastructure & Job Creation 09.09.2011 | Infrastructure Journal, Bond Buyer, InfraAmericas
• Debt Deal, Shrinking Revenues Have States Looking to Private Sources for Infrastructure 09.01.2011 | BNA Daily Report for Executives
• The 63-20 Ruling, P3s and US Infrastructure 07.20.2011 | Infrastructure Journal
• GOP Leaders Table Reauthorization Bill 07.07.2011 | Public Works Financing
• Nossaman Again Recognized as a "Leading Law Firm" 06.13.2011 | Chambers and Partners
• Villaraigosa's Transportation Innovation 03.30.2011 | Los Angeles Times
• Nossaman Partner Geoff Yarema Testifies at House Transportation Committee Hearing 03.21.2011
• LBJ Freeway 01.31.2011 | Inspiratia
• Presidio Parkway Contract Signed, Court Date Set 01.04.2011 | Project Finance
• Congress Urged to Reform Surface Transportation Funding 12.13.2010 | InfraAmericas
• Illinois DOT Chooses P3 Advisor 11.17.2010 | InfraAmericas
• Port of Long Beach Gets Green Light for Bridge Project 11.05.2010
• State of Illinois selects P3 advisers 10.28.2010 | Infrastructure Journal
• LA Metro deal gets TIFIA loan approval 10.26.2010 | Infrastructure Journal
• Rest Stops: The Case for Interstate Commerce 10.11.2010 | Congressional Quarterly
• Long Beach upholds Gerald Desmond EIR 10.05.2010 | Infrastructure Journal
• Port of Long Beach's $1B Gerald Desmond Bridge Project Reaches Major Milestone 10.04.2010
• "Analysis: Is Obama's Infrastructure Bank for Real?" 09.14.2010 | Project Finance
• Arizona DOT Appoints P3 Advisers 07.30.2010 | Infrastructure Journal
• Texas' LBJ Freeway Managed Lanes P3 07.30.2010 | Infrastructure Journal
• Infrastructure Investors are Willing to Pound the Pavement 07.19.2010 | Engineering News-Record
• Nossaman Shines Among Super Lawyers' Rising Stars 07.07.2010
• Nossaman Honored as a "Leading Law Firm" 06.11.2010 | Chambers and Partners
• MDOT Signs Nossaman as Legal Adviser on DRIC 04.28.2010 | InfraAmericas
• NCTA Renews Contract With P3 Adviser Nossaman 04.21.2010 | InfraAmericas
• Three Bidders Shortlisted for Presidio Parkway 04.12.2010 | InfraAmericas
• Bidders Prepare for California's Pathfinder Presidio Parkway P3 03.24.2010 | InfraAmericas
• Infrastructure Journal Honors Texas Project as Global Transport Deal of the Year, Recognizes Florida Projects and Nossaman's Role as Transport Legal Advisor 03.16.2010
• Florida Department of Transportation Honored for Two Projects 03.09.2010
• Second Georgia P3 due in early summer 03.03.2010 | Infrastructure Journal
• Florida's I-595 Corridor Expansion 03.02.2010 | Infrastructure Journal
• Georgia solicits first P3 highway project 03.01.2010 | Infrastructure Journal
• Qualifications due in March for Californian P3 02.15.2010 | Infrastructure Journal
• LA Metro Approves Six P3 Development Studies 02.05.2010 | InfraAmericas
• Texas Managed Lanes P3 targets April FC 01.28.2010 | Infrastructure Journal
• Caltrans RFQ for Presidio Parkway P3 01.22.2010 | Infrastructure Journal
• 2009 League Tables: Transport Legal Adviser 01.15.2010 | Infrastructure Journal
• Federal TIFIA loan support for P3s for 2010 to be closed Dec 31 - though protests may see deadline pushed back 12.17.2009 | TollRoadsNews
• Texas toll road reaches US$2 billion FC 12.17.2009 | Infrastructure Journal
• USDOT changes to TIFIA selection process 12.15.2009 | Infrastructure Journal
• First Project Announced at Georgia's P3 Industry Workshop 12.04.2009 | InfraAmericas
• North Tarrant Express bonds to price in mid-Dec 11.26.2009 | Infrastructure Journal
• Georgia to Hold Industry Day for P3 Program 11.23.2009 | Infra Americas
• Looking ahead to 2010 11.18.2009 | Project Finance International
• Los Angeles Moots Six P3s 11.18.2009 | Infra Americas
• Projects revealed for Georgia P3 programme 11.05.2009 | Infrastructure Journal
• Florida's POMT reaches financial close 10.16.2009 | Infrastructure Journal
• Florida's POMT P3 to sign today 10.14.2009 | Infrastructure Journal
• US states face $9bn in transportation funding cuts 09.28.2009 | Infrastructure Investor
• Miami-Dade County Approves US$75m Credit for POMT 09.21.2009 | Infra Americas
• Ten Banks to Fund Port of Miami Tunnel 09.09.2009 | Infra Americas
• Nossaman Builds Online Presence with Infrastructure Blog 09.02.2009
• Should Existing Interstate Highways Be Tolled? 08.19.2009 | National Journal Transportation Experts Blog
• Fiddler in the Law Firm 08.18.2009 | Los Angeles Business Journal
• Financing completed for Triangle Expressway 07.15.2009 | Infrastructure Journal
• TIFIA loan approved for Triangle Expressway 07.14.2009 | Infrastructure Journal
• Commercial close for North Tarrant Express 06.25.2009 | Infrastructure Journal
• IJ Opinion: US P3 - a tale of two cities 06.22.2009 | Infrastructure Journal
• LA Metro P3 screening due in September 06.09.2009 | Infrastructure Journal
• Port of Miami Tunnel lurches back with TIFIA 06.03.2009 | Project Finance
• Breakthrough for POMT as Commercial Close is Reached 06.03.2009 | P3Americas / InfraNews
• Port of Miami Tunnel commercial close 06.03.2009 | Infrastructure Journal
• Discussions resume with previous POMT bidder 05.26.2009 | Infrastructure Journal
• Interest gathers for US car parking monetization 05.21.2009 | Infrastructure Journal
• North Tarrant Express to reach commercial close 05.19.2009 | Infrastructure Journal
• What Does Collapse of Midway Airport Deal Mean for Privatization? 05.13.2009 | National Journal Transportation Experts Blog
• Bid Deadline for Mississippi Parkway P3 Set for June 05.11.2009 | P3Americas
• Investors Flock To Jersey Turnpike: Authority sells more than $1 billion in ‘Build America' bonds to fund $7-billion capital program 05.06.2009 | Engineering News-Record
• LA Metro authority names P3 consulting team 05.01.2009 | Infrastructure Journal
• ACS Team and North Carolina Sign PDA for Mid-Currituck Bridge 04.29.2009 | P3Americas
• News analysis: US road subsidies cuts would hit states, not investors 04.28.2009 | Infrastructure Investor
• Nossaman Ranked Highly as Legal Adviser of Global PPP Project Finance Deals by Dealogic 04.10.2009
• Nossaman Ranked Highly for Global PPP Project Finance Deals 04.10.2009 | Dealogic
• What Role Should Public-Private Partnerships Play? 04.07.2009 | National Journal Expert Blogs - Transportation
• Groundbreaking Legislation Set to Kick-Start Californian P3s 03.23.2009 | Infrastructure Journal
• Nossaman Model PPP Legislation Now Available Online 03.20.2009
• North Carolina Approves PDA for Mid-Currituck Bridge P3 03.18.2009 | P3Americas
• Patrick Harder Leads Team to Successfully Close $1.8B Florida I-595 Deal 03.11.2009 | Nossaman News Release
• Landmark Floridian deal reaches financial close 03.04.2009 | Infrastructure Journal
• Panel: Raise gas tax, charge drivers by the mile 02.27.2009 | Associated Press
• Gas taxes don't cover road upkeep 02.26.2009 | Marketplace Radio Morning Report
• Experts: Switch Transportation Funding Away from Gas Tax 02.26.2009 | Engineering News Record
• Public Pension Fund Joins Private Team on Texas North Tarrant Toll Concession 01.30.2009 | Public Works Financing
• Obama Stimulus Complicates Highway Reauthorization 01.30.2009 | Public Works Financing
• Cintra-Meridiam team lands Texan toll road 01.29.2009 | Infrastructure Journal
• Toll lane plans ready for Legislature to consider 01.27.2009 | Las Vegas Sun
• Nossaman Named Top North American Transport PPP Legal Advisor of 2008 by Infrastructure Journal 01.23.2009
• N.C. Mid-Currituck Bridge to ACS Team 12.31.2008 | Public Works Financing
• States, Investors Drumming for PPPs But Lenders Buckle 12.04.2008 | Public Works Financing
• Final proposals submitted for Texas toll road 12.04.2008 | Infrastructure Journal
• Nevada Names Advisors for its First Ever P3 11.10.2008 | P3Americas
• Nevada appoints legal advisers for PPP pilot 11.07.2008 | Infrastructure Journal
• Florida's I-595 on track for scoring committee 10.10.2008 | Infrastructure Journal
• Nossaman receives honors from the American Road and Transportation Builders Association 10.01.2008
• Texas extends deadline again for North Tarrant Express 09.29.2008 | Infrastructure Journal
• Port of Miami Tunnel green light to close financing 09.19.2008 | Infrastructure Journal
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Home > Blog > Crimes of Passion: The Definition, History, and Laws

Crimes of Passion: The Definition, History, and Laws

December 23, 2015

Many people may have heard the phrase “ crime of passion ” but they may be unsure of its exact definition or its use in legal cases. Under Texas law, the term crime of passion refers to a specific type of criminal action that occurs under legally defined circumstances. This term has strong implications in a legal case, especially when it comes to the sentencing and punishment phase. In most cases, a person who is convicted of a crime of passion may receive a less harsh sentence than a person who is convicted of a planned, calculated offense.

Crimes of Passion in Texas

In order to better understand this crime, it is helpful to compare it to other offenses.

Crimes of Passion vs Premeditated Crimes

In order to convict someone of a crime under Texas law, it is necessary in most cases to prove the motive of the defendant. This is important because most Texas crime definitions have language that refers to the intent or motive of the person charged with the offense.

For example, many Texas crime definitions refer to actions that are committed “knowingly”, “intentionally” or recklessly. This is because a person who commits a criminal offense with intent and on purpose while fully understanding the nature of their actions is perceived to be a more serious violator of the law and public safety.

In most cases, a person who commits a crime of passion is breaking the law after reacting to a situation . They are caught up in the emotion, or “passion”, of the moment and they commit the crime without planning beforehand or previous intent.

The classic scenario of a crime of passion plays out like this: a person comes home and catches their spouse in the midst of being unfaithful. In a rage, the cheated spouse lashes out and attacks their husband or wife . Before they realize what they have done, they cause serious or even fatal injuries to their spouse.

They may be judged as guilty of a crime of passion. This is because, before they arrived home, they had no bad intentions and they had not planned to commit any crimes. Although this scenario involves a marital affair, the term “passion” does not only apply to people who are romantically involved. It simply refers to overpowering emotions that lead a person to break the law .

As a comparison, a premeditated crime involves planning and an intentional decision to commit a crime . Premeditated offenses are considered much more serious than crimes of passion.

A Historical Legal Term

There is a long history of the use of a “crime of passion” defense in America. This defense was used for the first time in 1859 when a congressman used it to explain his actions after he was charged with the murder of his wife’s lover.

Although it was historically used as a defense for many types of crimes, it is usually applied to murder cases in the modern era.

For example, Chapter 19 of the Texas Penal Code refers to a murder committed in the influence of sudden passion after an adequate cause .

Adequate cause is defined as a cause that can reasonably be expected to create:

If an adequate cause creates these feeling in a reasonably calm person, that person may be rendered temporarily incapable of thinking clearly or rationally . This may cause a person to act under the influence of sudden passion. The Penal Code defines a sudden passion as a state of mind:

• Caused by and arising out of a provocation with the victim
• Occurring in the midst of a conflict and not based on a previous conflict

For example, imagine that a person gets into a fight at a bar with a stranger. They become enraged after being insulted and they attack the person who insulted them. As a result, the person being assaulted suffers a head injury and dies.

In Texas murder cases, a person charged with murder is allowed to raise the issue of sudden passion and adequate cause as a defense. If this defense is successful, the person may have their charge reduced to second degree felony murder, rather than first degree murder .

A person who is facing murder charges can consult with an attorney to discuss and plan defense options. An attorney may be able to submit evidence which shows that the defendant acted in a sudden passion after being provoked. If this is successful, the charges may be reduced, leading to a less severe sentence.

If you or someone you know has committed a crime of passion, get legal defense you can trust. Houston attorney, Brett Podolsky can help you. Contact his office today at  713-227-0087 .

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EU criminalises environmental damage ‘comparable to ecocide’

Directive punishes most serious cases of environmental damage, including habitat loss and illegal logging

The European Union has become the first international body to criminalise wide-scale environmental damage “comparable to ecocide”.

Late on Thursday, lawmakers agreed an update to the bloc’s environmental crime directive punishing the most serious cases of ecosystem destruction, including habitat loss and illegal logging, with tougher penalties.

Marie Toussaint, a French lawyer and MEP heading EU efforts to criminalise ecocide, said the decision “marks the end of impunity for environmental criminals” and could usher in a new age of environmental litigation in Europe.

The environmental crime directive will be formally passed in the spring, and member states will then have two years to put it into national law.

Although the agreed text does not itself include the word “ecocide”, its preamble says it intends to criminalise “cases comparable to ecocide”. These are actions that cause widespread, substantial and irreversible or long-lasting damage to large or important ecosystems, habitats or the quality of air, soil or water.

This closely follows a definition of ecocide developed by an international panel of legal experts in 2021. The definition was mainly intended to be adopted by the international criminal court through an amendment to the Rome statute – the key goal of the Stop Ecocide Foundation – but is now increasingly being used for national-level legislation . Scotland, for example, recently began consulting on whether to introduce the UK’s first ecocide law.

The revised EU law specifies which kinds of environmental activities are covered. These include water abstraction, ship recycling and pollution, the introduction and spread of invasive alien species, and ozone destruction. But it does not say anything about fishing, the export of toxic waste to developing countries or carbon market fraud.

Having a permit to carry out listed activities will not automatically be an excuse. Individuals and companies will have committed a crime if that authorisation was obtained fraudulently or by corruption, extortion or coercion, or if it breaches substantive legal requirements.

Lawmakers did not agree to extend these obligations to offences committed outside EU borders on behalf of EU companies, but individual member states would be able to choose to do this.

The law introduces new penalties, ranging from prison sentences for individuals to exclusion from access to public funds for companies. Member states will also be able to choose whether to introduce fines for companies based on a proportion of their turnover (up to 5% depending on the crime) or fixed amounts of up to €40m (£35m).

Virginijus Sinkevičius, EU commissioner for environment, oceans and fisheries, said environmental crimes were serious, lucrative and on the rise. Annual revenues from the illegal waste market in the EU, for example, ranged between €4 and €15bn .

“The EU agreed a new law that recognises their gravity, especially when large ecosystems are destroyed,” said Sinkevičius. “Our health depends on the state of the environment in which we live, so we must deter criminals willing to destroy ecosystems for profit.”

Toussaint said the EU had now adopted some of the most ambitious legislation in the world. “In the European political context, this text is a point of support for all those who defend the environment in court and fight the impunity of criminal firms who too often flout the laws and work today to unravelling environmental democracy in Europe .”

The agreement followed months of negotiation between the Council of the EU, European Commission and parliament, as well as civil society campaigning.

Jojo Mehta, co-founder and executive director of Stop Ecocide International, said the updated law would help member states take environmental harms much more seriously. “This is highly significant and to be wholeheartedly commended, and we can see from the rapidly growing momentum of the ecocide law initiative that European states will not be long in engaging more deeply with it in their own jurisdictions.

“Indeed, I have no doubt that with this direction of travel being rapidly established, it is only a matter of time before ecocide is recognised in criminal law at every level.”

• Green politics
• European Union
• Trees and forests

More on this story

EU strikes landmark deal on law to restore and protect nature

EU ban on deforestation-linked goods sets benchmark, say US lawmakers

Landscape restoration projects across Europe boosted by $26m awards

EU aims to curb deforestation with beef and coffee import ban

Trade officials ‘taking a chainsaw’ to EU forest protection plans

Reducing scope of EU anti-deforestation law misguided, say scientists

Leaked EU anti-deforestation law omits fragile grasslands and wetlands

Success of past rewilding projects shows path to restoring damaged ecosystems

For peat’s sake: the race is on to save Britain’s disappearing moorland bogs

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https://www.wsj.com/articles/harmony-review-barry-manilow-broadway-bruce-sussman-comedian-harmonists-germany-world-war-ii-musical-72163639

‘Harmony’ Review: Barry Manilow’s Broadway Passion Project

The pop singer-songwriter’s admirable but busy musical centers on the comedian harmonists, a german vocal sextet with jewish members whose success was cut short by the nazis’ rise..

Charles Isherwood

Nov. 13, 2023 11:18 pm ET

It’s no secret that the musical “Harmony” has been a longtime passion project for its authors, the famed pop fixture Barry Manilow and his songwriting partner Bruce Sussman . The show made its debut more than a quarter century ago in Southern California at the La Jolla Playhouse, was subsequently produced at other regional theaters, finally made it to off-Broadway last year, and now caps its long journey with an arrival on Broadway.

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Lawmaker eyes repeal of 'crime of passion' as legal defense

The repeal of the Revised Penal Code provision allowing crime of passion, or the defense used if the killing or infliction of injuries were done out of a "justified burst of passion," has been proposed in the House of Representatives.

4Ps party-list Representative JC Abalos made the proposal under House Bill 7567, which deletes Article 247 of the Revised Penal Code which states that "[A]ny legally married person who having surprised his spouse in the act of committing sexual intercourse with another person, shall kill any of them or both of them in the act or immediately thereafter, or shall inflict upon them any serious physical injury, shall suffer the penalty of destierro (prohibiting from residing within 25 kilometers from the concerned individual)."

Article 247 also states that if the offender would inflict upon offending party physical injuries of any other kind, the offender will be exempt from punishment.

"Honor-based violence is gender-based violence. Killing, and inflicting violence can never be justified; even under the pretext of honor and reputation. Case records show that victims are predominantly women," Abalos said in his explanatory note.

Abalos cited Article 2 Section 11 of the Constitution, which provides that "[T]he State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights."

Abalos also argued that while the first two paragraphs of Article 247 apply to both spouses, the third paragraph only pertains to daughters, not to sons.

He was referring to Article 247's provisions stating "[T]hese rules shall be applicable, under the same circumstances, to parents with respect to their daughters under eighteen years of age, and their seducer, while the daughters are living with their parents" and that "any person who shall promote or facilitate the prostitution of his wife or daughter, or shall otherwise have consented to the infidelity of the other spouse shall not be entitled to the benefits of this article."

"The third paragraph pertains only to daughters and not sons. These reveal discriminatory gender-based presumptions under the existing law. Hence the repeal of this provision is earnestly sought," Abalos said.

House Bill 7567 has been referred to the House revision of laws panel chaired by Manila Representative Eduard Maceda last March 15, or the last session day before Congress adjourned for the Holy Week break until May 8. —Llanesca T. Panti/KBK, GMA Integrated News