How to participate
Intent
You must submit a letter of intent to the Career Services Office as early as your first year or as late as the end of your third semester of law school. First year students are limited to submitting no more than 20 hours during their first year for hours earned while classes are in session. Hours completed before the letter of intent has been filed may be counted if appropriate forms demonstrating completion are filed within 30 days of filing letter of intent and an explanation for the late filing is submitted.
Placement
The Career Services Office will help you find approved pro bono placements that match your interests. The office maintains a list of approved placement opportunities. You may arrange your own placement with pre-approval from the pro bono office. All pro bono placements must be supervised.
Tracking hours
Students must turn in a log of their hours signed by the student and his or her supervisor at the end of each month. Hours will be kept on file in the pro bono office.
Definition of work
- Pro Bono and Public Service: services involving direct representation of underserved people or organizations serving underrepresented people, service to governmental organizations, and services to other public interest organizations involved in legal representation or advocacy.
- Service to the Profession: service to the Bar or bar-related organizations, organizations dedicated to improving la or the legal system, other law-related organizations and the law school and its organizations. Purely or primarily social activities that do not constitute service.
- Service to the General Community: non-law related work that benefits the community (ex. Christmas in October, Habitat for Humanity, etc.)
- Uncompensated: work for which no credit or monetary compensation is received.
- Partially Compensated: work for which course credit or monetary compensation of at least 50 percent below the going rate for law clerk work is received. If a law student performs the work above and beyond what is required for credit, additional work may be considered uncompensated at the discretion of the course supervisor.
Recognition
The Pro Bono/Public Service Program recognizes students at different levels of service.
Honors in Pro Bono/Public Service (200 hours)
- At least 140 hours must be uncompensated. Of the remaining 60 hours, no more than 15 may be compensated, and the remainder uncompensated or partially compensated.
- At least 160 hours must be in the pro bono and public service category.
- Up to 20 hours may be in the service to profession and up to 20 hours may be in the service to the general community.
Special Recognition for Pro Bono/Public Service (150 hours)
- At least 105 hours must be uncompensated. Of the remaining 45 hours, no more than 15 may be compensated, and the remainder uncompensated or partially compensated.
- At least 120 hours must be in the pro bono and public service category.
- Up to 15 hours may be in the service to profession and up to 15 hours may be in the service to the general community.
Recognition for Pro Bono/Public Service (100 hours)
- At least 70 hours must be uncompensated. Of the remaining 30 hours, no more than 10 may be compensated, and the remainder uncompensated or partially compensated.
- At least 80 hours must be in the pro bono and public service category.
- Up to 10 hours may be in the service to profession and up to 10 hours may be in the service to the general community.
