Trivia Tuesday: The Voluntary Pro Bono Program at Stanford Law ...

In today?s Trivia Tuesday, we?re taking a peek into?Stanford Law School?s Pro Bono Program, which is run through the law school?s?John and Terry Levin Center for Public Service and Public Interest Law.

Stanford?s approach to pro bono (law-related community service) is somewhat unusual, in that students complete all pro bono work on a voluntary basis.? While most law schools that have a robust pro bono program, such as Penn and Columbia, require that students perform a minimum number of hours of eligible work in order to graduate, Stanford?s Levin Center devotes its considerable resources just to the students who are interested in making the most of them.? Despite the voluntary nature of pro bono at Stanford Law, a significant ? and increasing ? proportion of the 1L class gets involved with Stanford?s Pro Bono Program each year.

Under Stanford?s Pro Bono Program, 1Ls sign up and pledge to perform at least 50 hours of pro bono work during their three years at SLS.? After completing two mandatory training sessions on ethics and professional responsibility as well as interviewing skills and cultural competency, the Levin Center helps students find placements with organizations seeking volunteers.? Many students do most of their pro bono work with the Levin Center?s nearly two-dozen projects, such as the SLS Social Security Disability Project and Elder Law Pro Bono Program, which are supervised by local legal aid and non-profit organizations and are held throughout the academic year and summer.? Upper-level students who are working for a clinic can apply to their pro bono goal any extra time spent at the clinic above the clinic?s credit requirement.? In addition, students are encouraged to find their own volunteer opportunities.

The most popular pro bono opportunity offered at SLS is the Pro Bono Alternative Spring Break, through which Stanford Law students commit their Spring (and, in some cases, Winter) break to working full-time in a legal capacity.? In the past, small groups of SLS students have provided legal assistance to at-risk communities in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and around the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Rita.? Last year, Stanford Law students on Alternative Spring Break traveled to Haiti with the University of Miami School of Law Health and Elder Law Clinic?to help Haitians register for Temporary Protected Status in the US.

Stanford Law students who complete at least 50 hours of service graduate with Pro Bono Distinction, which is symbolized by a lapel pin that they wear during the graduation ceremony, and are honored at the Public Interest Awards ceremony in May.

For more information about pro bono opportunities at leading U.S. law schools, be sure to read the?Clear Admit Law School Guides!

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