Atlanta's John Marshall Law School recently announced it has launched a Criminal and Civil Justice Institute to help students pursue legal careers aimed at making a difference in their clients' lives and communities.

The law school said last week that it is partnering with two nonprofit organizations to provide students with mentoring, internships and other opportunities, including pairing them with legal professionals who will help them advance along their path to becoming practicing attorneys.

"This program is truly one of a kind, setting a new standard in legal education," the law school's Dean Jace C. Gatewood said in a statement. "We are proud to lead the way in preparing the next generation of highly skilled and ethical professionals."

Partnering with the school to launch the institute are Gideon's Promise, a nonprofit organization that trains and develops public defenders, and The Barristers Society, a nonprofit that offers mentoring to attorneys. Attorney Sam Starks, founder and president of The Barristers Society, will serve as the institute's executive director.

"Equal justice is an aspiration that has never been fulfilled," Starks said in a statement. "Through the CCJI, we have a unique opportunity to bring together lawyers who fight for the promise of equal justice everyday with law students who want to join this effort."

Starks told Law360 on Monday that The Barristers Society was started about five years ago to provide free training and mentoring to help produce better and more ethical attorneys, and ones who can effectively advocate for those who have historically been denied access to justice and had difficulty navigating the criminal justice system.

Jonathan Rapping, the founder of Gideon's Promise and a professor at the law school, will be the faculty director for the institute. Rapping is also director of the criminal justice certificate program at Atlanta's John Marshall Law School.

"AJMLS has long enjoyed a reputation for preparing practice-ready lawyers to represent people who lack access to justice," Rapping said in a statement. "Through the CCJI we can continue to develop future lawyers with exceptional legal skills, driven by justice-centered lawyering values, and connect them with a network of professionals to serve as mentors. Students will forge a professional identity aligned with their purpose for coming to law school."

Rapping told Law360 on Monday that Gideon's Promise was founded more than 15 years ago to help support and inspire public defenders.

Both Gideon's Promise and The Barristers Society have worked with the law school in the past to provide services and programs, and the launch of the institute formalizes and expands on this relationship, Rapping and Starks told Law360.

"Our missions are complimentary," Rapping said, adding that the nonprofit organizations have been working with the law school for about a year in preparation for the institute's launch. Many of its programs and services will kick off this August, he said.

Also, the two organizations will be moving their offices and operations to the law school. Starks, who operates his own firm, said students will have the opportunity to "shadow" him to learn about the work he does.

One of the institute's main aims will be "equipping law students and early-career attorneys with the practical skills, values, and mentorship needed to make an immediate impact on local communities," the law school's announcement said.

Its mission will be focused on advancing "justice for the underserved" and raising "the standard of representation in criminal and civil cases," the announcement said.

The institute will connect students with legal professionals to "bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world practice" and foster "a pipeline of legal talent committed to advocating for justice in Atlanta and beyond," the announcement said.

It will also host workshops, seminars and other programs to educate students and practicing attorneys.

Many of the school's graduates end up forgoing BigLaw and instead choose work representing clients in the criminal justice system, Rapping said.

"At Atlanta's John Marshall Law School, we have a special population of students," Rapping said in a promotional video about the institute. "They bring with them experiences that help them understand the populations that often fall through the justice gap. They bring a desire to serve people who most need good lawyers."

Starks added in the video that "the CCJI will be a hub for John Marshall students to find their purpose in the profession, to build connections to help them find meaningful career opportunities and to have the training and support they need to succeed, whether as law students or alumni."

Rapping said by email on Tuesday that the institute "builds on our Criminal Justice Certificate Program, which is designed to produce highly effective, compassionate, and ethical public defenders and prosecutors to raise the standard of practice in systems that often prioritize efficiency over justice."

"The CCJI will add to this work a focus on future lawyers who want to serve people in the civil arena as well as the criminal one," he said. "We want to help law students find their purpose in the law as they work to build meaningful and impactful careers. Through training, mentorship and experiential learning the CCJI will help students who are committed to social justice build a professional identity that aligns with their personal value system."

--Editing by Nicole Bleier.