SMU DEDMAN SCHOOL OF LAW — The White House and the U.S. Department of Justice recognized the pro-bono legal services SMU’s Dedman School of Law offered through its free COVID-19 Helpline to North Texans dealing with consumer, employment and immigration legal issues. The effort was honored for its response to Attorney General Merrick Garland’s call to action to the legal profession to ease the pandemic-related housing and eviction crisis. Eviction moratoriums were expiring around the country when Garland called for help in August 2021, and SMU Dedman Law’s clinic faculty and students were already in place to respond.  Dedman Law launched the COVID-19 Helpline in June 2020 to assist North Texas residents and small business owners through a free legal helpline with matters related to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as housing, immigration, and consumer protection. Working under the supervision of SMU Law Clinic faculty, 75 students staffed the phone lines which received approximately 2,400 calls and helped 300 tenants throughout 2020-2021. The Helpline was also a collaborative effort with local legal service providers, law firms, and private pro bono attorneys.