The Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of Law is a non­partisan think tank that combines public policy and public interest law to advocate for measurable legislative and legal changes that advance fundamental issues of democracy and jus­tice in the legal sector. Following the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission Supreme Court decision, the Brennan Center for Justice commissioned a Capstone team to examine the impact that corporate independent expenditures have on repre­sentative democracy. To understand the effect, the Capstone team compared trends in democratic indicators such as voter turnout, electoral competitiveness, and corruption convictions across states with varying historical restrictions on cor­porate independent expenditures. The information was compiled and analyzed to support the Brennan Center's campaign finance litigation efforts.

Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.) was charged by the State of Louisiana to coor­dinate the development of a new municipal water management system for the City of New Orleans and portions of its adjacent suburbs. In conjunction with this endeavor, the Capstone team prepared a reference document of case studies detailing best practices in worldwide water management systems, including physical components, financing mechanisms, and implementation strategies. In light of the area's postHurricane Katrina setting, the team emphasized storm water mitigation strategies in other lowlying and floodprone areas. Additionally, the team analyzed potential economic development opportunities and impacts that may present themselves with the implementation of the best management practices. GNO, Inc. will use these recommendations as it engages local political stakeholders, the general public, and consultants who will contribute to the creation of this new plan.

Main Street Legal Services (MSLS) is the clinical training program at CUNY Law School. MSLS has seven clinics, each of which operates as an independent silo of activity, with its own administrative proto­cols for case intake, case tracking, record keeping, communications, and conflict checking. The organization approached the Capstone team for advice on how to manage seven divergent practice areas in a coordinated fashion and implement and enforce uniform administrative protocols across the clinics. Of specific concern was the failure of many clinics to maintain comprehensive case records in the shared electronic case management system. The Capstone team conducted a review of the organization's administrative practices, surveyed key stakeholder groups (faculty, staff, students), and contacted other law firms and clinical programs to identify best practices in the field. The final report con­sisted of internal research findings, best practices of peer institutions, and recom­mendations that will streamline adminis­trative processes to strengthen the provision of quality client services and legal instruction.