معرفی
Clare Pastore serves as Professor of the Practice of Law at the USC Gould School of Law, where she teaches Poverty Law, Civil Rights, Race and Racism & Law, Suing the Government, Civil Procedure, Professional Responsibility, and the Access to Justice Practicum. While maintaining her academic position, she continues active practice as a leading member of the California public interest community, focusing on poverty, civil rights, race and justice, and access to justice issues.
Professor Pastore earned her BA with Phi Beta Kappa honors from Colgate University and her JD from Yale Law School, where she served as a senior editor of the Yale Law Journal. Prior to law school, she was a Fulbright-sponsored teaching assistant in a Paris public school. She completed a judicial clerkship with Judge Marilyn Hall Patel of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Her research focuses on the intersection of poverty, civil rights, race, and justice within the American legal system. Her work examines systemic barriers to justice for low-income communities and explores legal frameworks for expanding access to counsel in civil matters. She has been a pioneer in advocating for a civil right to counsel, particularly in eviction proceedings and other critical legal matters affecting vulnerable populations.
Professor Pastore's recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on expanding access to justice, particularly through establishing a civil right to counsel in eviction proceedings and other poverty-related legal matters. Her scholarly work spans legal ethics, housing policy, workers' rights, and constitutional protections for low-income litigants.
Professor Pastore has received numerous prestigious awards recognizing her excellence in both teaching and public interest law:
- 2024: Wage Justice Center Founder's Award
- 2020: Gould's Rutter Award for Distinguished Teaching
- 2019: Earl Johnson Equal Justice Award from the Western Center on Law and Poverty
- 2013: Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award for inspiring former students' societal contributions
- 2005: Wasserstein Fellow by Harvard Law School
- 1997: Recognized as one of nation's 45 most outstanding public interest attorneys under age 45
- 1999: Named one of California's top lawyers under 40 years old
- 2006-2009: Selected as Southern California's "Super Lawyer"
- 2004: Commended by official California State Assembly resolution for work on behalf of the poor
While specific grant funding details aren't provided, Professor Pastore's career demonstrates significant success in securing prestigious fellowships including the Skadden Fellowship that launched her career at the Western Center on Law and Poverty. Her work has clearly influenced public policy and legal practice, particularly through her leadership on the California Access to Justice Commission's Right to Counsel Task Force.
Professor Pastore serves on several influential committees and organizations that function as professional networks and advocacy teams. She is a member of USC's Center for the Changing Family and serves on the California Advisory Committee to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Wage Justice Center and the Steering Committee of the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel, demonstrating her active participation in collaborative efforts to advance justice for vulnerable populations.
