The Duke AIDS Legal Project has been providing free legal assistance to low-income HIV-infected clients since 1996. The AIDS Legal Project offers law students the opportunity to develop practical lawyering skills through direct representation of clients under close attorney supervision. Each semester ten students are enrolled in this clinical law course, delivering over 100 hours of direct client services each. The students receive practical skills training, specialized training in the law relating to HIV/AIDS, and academic credit. Through their work, the AIDS Legal Project fills a critical need for legal representation of some of the neediest clients in North Carolina.

People with HIV/AIDS face a variety of legal problems related to their illness. The AIDS Legal Project is the only law office in North Carolina devoted exclusively to issues important to people with HIV, including Social Security and private disability, permanency planning for children of HIV-infected parents, end-of-life planning, insurance, privacy and discrimination.

The AIDS Legal Project has helped many clients gain some financial security and the peace of mind of knowing that their children have been planned for and end-of-life decisions have been made. We have helped clients fight overt discrimination. We have empowered HIV/AIDS clients and their caregivers by providing education on a statewide basis.