Pro Bono Program

 
The Pro Bono Program: Frequently Asked Questions

Can 1Ls participate in the pro bono program?

First-year students are encouraged to get involved in pro bono as early as possible in their law school career. Many first-year students will do pro bono during their first semester, but others will decide to wait until the winter break or the spring semester. Before committing to a pro bono project during your first semester, consider your ability to successfully take on such a project in addition to your academic and other commitments. Some projects are not available to first-year students due to the need for advanced legal skills.

Is the 75-hour Pro Bono Challenge a graduation requirement?  Can I do more than 75 hours of pro bono? How do I log my hours for the Pro Bono Challenge?

The Pro Bono Challenge is a voluntary program and not a requirement for graduation.  You can do as many hours of pro bono as you would like, but you must do at least 75 to be certified as completing the Challenge.  In order for your hours to count towards the Pro Bono Challenge, you must submit an online work log at the end of the semester in which the work is completed. All hours for the year must be submitted by the last day of classes. Before your hours can be approved, you must also complete a student evaluation. You will not be able to log any hours until you have a completed volunteer agreement on file.

What type of volunteer work qualifies for the Pro Bono Challenge?

Pro bono work must be:

How do I find a pro bono project?

The Pro Bono Program strives to find an appropriate pro bono opportunity for every student that requests one. All available projects are advertised to students through e-mail alerts.

A.  In-House Projects: These projects require either a semester- or year-long commitment of approximately 3-8 hours per week. They offer students hands-on; experience with a variety of legal tasks including research, writing, client interviewing, and for third-year practice certified students, the opportunity for court appearances. Applications are required and space is limited. Examples of such projects include the Hunton & Williams Pro Bono Partnership, the Legal Outreach Project and the Access to Justice Partnership.

B.  Ad-Hoc Projects: These short-term pro bono opportunities are typically initiated by outside organizations, local attorneys or Law School faculty members. These projects generally have more limited and less structured time commitments.

C.  Student-Initiated Projects: Students may develop their own pro bono projects. However, projects that are not supervised by an attorney or a Law School faculty member will not qualify as pro bono. Student-initiated pro bono projects must be approved in advance by e-mailing lawprobono@virginia.edu.

Does work done for a law school clinic qualify as pro bono?

Work done in association with a law school clinic can count as pro bono only if the hours are supervised by a clinical faculty member, the student confirms that they are not currently enrolled in the clinic, and/or they provide written verification that the work is not being done for academic credit.

Can work for a law school faculty member qualify as pro bono?

Volunteering for a faculty member on a pro bono matter for which the student is uncompensated (i.e. not working as a student research assistant) will qualify.  Scholarly research does not qualify.

Does work done for my summer employer qualify?

Pro bono work completed over the summer will qualify for the Pro Bono Challenge only if it is done in addition to any work normally required by the student’s summer employer and the student is uncompensated during the period the work is performed. Please e-mail lawprobono@virginia.edu before you take on any summer pro bono projects to be sure they qualify.

Do judicial clerkships qualify as pro bono?

Clerking for a judge does not qualify, but volunteer work for a court program (e.g. Drug or Family Treatment Courts) may count if the work otherwise meets the definition of qualifying pro bono. You should contact lawprobono@virginia.edu to verify that your volunteer assignment with a court will count towards the Pro Bono Challenge.

Does work for a political campaign qualify?

Work for the campaign’s general counsel or legal staff would qualify as pro bono.  Fundraising and other organizing projects are not considered pro bono.

Does translating work qualify?

Translation (written or oral) work that is performed for a pro bono case qualifies.

Does travel time qualify?

Training and travel time directly related to the provision of pro bono services qualifies.

Does work for a student public service organization qualify?

Work with a student public service organization that is not supervised by an attorney and/or not law-related such as tutoring, donating blood, fund-raising, home-building projects, or Big Brother/Big Sister does not qualify for the Pro Bono Challenge. Any appropriately supervised legal work will qualify. If you have a question as to whether or not a particular project qualifies, please contact us at lawprobono@virginia.edu before volunteering.