…It is not an exaggeration to say that clinical legal education both in the U.S. and abroad would simply not exist in its current form without Lisa’s prolific body of work,” said Ted Afield, associate dean for Experiential Education and director of Clinical Programs.
Bliss, director of the Health Law Partnership (HeLP) Legal Services Clinic at Georgia State University College of Law is one of two people to receive the 2025 William Pincus Award for Outstanding Service and Commitment to Clinical Legal Education from the Association of American Law Schools (AALS).
“It is an honor to receive an award that has been given to towering figures in the field of clinical legal education. I am awed to be included among them. It has been a privilege to collaborate with GSU colleagues to grow our experiential programs, and to represent the College of Law nationally and internationally,” said Bliss, who also serves as a clinical professor at the College of Law.
“When I was hired to help start the HeLP Clinic with Sylvia Caley in 2006, we were the first two clinical professors at the College of Law. The HeLP Clinic was only the second clinic to be established. Georgia State Law has always been highly regarded for its exceptional practical training. I saw that adding clinics and developing new courses with experiential components was a way to expand hands-on training that complemented the experiences students were gaining through our robust externship program,” Bliss explained.
Bliss celebrates her award with colleagues Susan Chase, Emily Yaun, Tameka Lester, Emily Torstveit-Ngara Kendall Kerew, Christina Scott, Amanda Cole and Ted Afield.
When she began clinical teaching at Georgia State Law the college did not have a comprehensive clinical education program. This served as a major opportunity for Bliss. She led the charge for creating and expanding experiential learning opportunities for law students and served as the college’s first associate dean for Experiential Education and Clinical Programs beginning in 2016. She worked to expand the college’s clinical offerings (which now includes six programs) and incorporated experiential learning and practice-based training into the curriculum.
What some may view as a disadvantage, Bliss used as a guiding light for expansion and building relationships.
“Because the clinical program was small, it was easy to identify opportunities, and we were able to expand the number of clinics at GSU through generous donations and grants. I was happy to be a part of this growth, and I look forward to supporting the development of future opportunities for students,” Bliss added.
Her colleagues refer to her as an innovator and an advocate for experiential learning.
“Lisa Bliss embodies the clinical program at Georgia State University College of Law. The program is innovative and teaches students to learn the law, they must learn who they are, and to be an effective advocate, they must listen to what their clients say and empathize with what goes unsaid. This is how Lisa’s spirit and talent have inspired teaching, community engagement and the pursuit of justice inside and outside of the clinic. The students, staff and faculty have benefited from her research, mentorship and leadership. Her receipt of the William Pincus Award confirms what we have always known, and it honors her commitment to serving others,” said Courtney Anderson, interim dean of the College of Law.
Bliss’ work and knowledge in the field has directly impacted law students and faculty. She has educated faculty on the best practices of experiential education and worked with the administration to offer experiential education innovation grants to create experiential courses.
“Lisa Bliss’s impact on clinical education at Georgia State Law and around the world cannot be overstated. She co-founded the innovative, interprofessional HeLP Legal Services Clinic that is infused with her deep understanding of clinical teaching. Thousands of legal scholars have learned to be better teachers through her book and other writing, her teaching workshops, and her international residences,” said Leslie Wolf, director of the Center for Law, Health & Society.
The William Pincus Award is the highest award in clinical legal education from the AALS. It acknowledges excellence in service, scholarship, program design and implementation, and other activities benefiting clinical legal education and the advancement of justice.