The Pro Bono Program: Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What type of work qualifies as pro bono?

  2. Does work performed for a law school clinic or externship program qualify as pro bono?

  3. Does work for a law school faculty member qualify as pro bono?

  4. Does non-legal volunteer work qualify as pro bono?

  5. Does work done for my summer employer qualify as pro bono?

  6. Does volunteering with a public service student organization qualify as pro bono?

  7. Do judicial clerkships qualify as pro bono?

  8. Does teaching in a mock trial or Street Law program qualify as pro bono?

  9. Is work for a political campaign pro bono?

  10. Can I get pro bono credit for poll monitoring?

  11. Does translation work qualify as pro bono?

  12. Can I log training hours?

  13. Can travel time for a pro bono project be logged?

  14. Can I develop my own pro bono project?

  15. Is completion of the Pro Bono Challenge required for graduation?

  16. Can I volunteer more than 75 hours?

  17. Do I need to perform 25 hours annually in order to meet the Challenge or can I complete 75 hours in a single semester or year?

  18. May I volunteer for more than one pro bono project at a time?

  19. How do I log my hours for the Pro Bono Challenge?

  20. How does my supervisor submit a project in GoodWorks?

  21. When do I need to log my hours in order to qualify for the Pro Bono Challenge?

  22. Can 1Ls participate in the pro bono program?

  23. Can LL.M.s participate in the pro bono program?

  24. Will hours logged for the Pro Bono Challenge qualify for the New York Bar Pro Bono Admission Requirement?

1. What type of work qualifies as pro bono?

Pro bono is intended to provide volunteers with legal experience, so the work should require the application of law, development of legal policy, or client advocacy. Work that is primarily clerical does not qualify as pro bono. All work must be supervised by a licensed attorney.

Examples of appropriate pro bono assignments could include:

  • assisting an attorney at trial
  • interviewing clients and/or witnesses
  • drafting documents and/or legislation
  • providing community legal education
  • legal research and writing

Pro bono work must be done for low-income or under-represented clients, legal services providers, nonprofit organizations, governmental agencies or private law firms providing pro bono services.  Volunteers may not be compensated financially or with academic credit.  All work should be completed while the student is enrolled at the Law School.

2. Does work performed for a law school clinic or externship program qualify as pro bono?

Work performed for a clinic providing legal assistance to underrepresented individuals or organizations, supervised by a faculty member, and not done for academic credit, qualifies as pro bono. Any externship hours performed beyond the hours required for credit also may be counted as pro bono. For example, if your externship requires you to work 10 hours a week and you work 20, the additional 10 hours qualify as pro bono.

3. Does work for a law school faculty member qualify as pro bono?

Hours spent working on a faculty member’s pro bono project can be logged. Research assistance with academic or scholarly work is not pro bono. Work that is compensated financially or with academic credit also does not qualify as pro bono.

4. Does non-legal volunteer work qualify as pro bono?

Pro bono work must be law-related and necessitate the use of legal skills. Community service such as tutoring, mentoring, participating in food drives or community build days is not pro bono. Doing community service work in addition to pro bono is encouraged and five of those hours may be counted for purposes of a Public Service Summer Grant.

5. Does work done for my summer employer qualify as pro bono?

Summer work, compensated or not, may not be logged as pro bono unless it is done in addition to work normally required by the summer employer. For example, hours spent on a pro bono assignment for your firm would not qualify because they were done as part of your employment. However, if you volunteered for an additional pro bono project to be completed outside of your regular work hours, those hours could be logged. Similarly, if you volunteer to continue with your summer employer beyond the required number of weeks, those extra hours would qualify as pro bono. Any qualifying hours done on behalf of a public service organization other than your summer employer may also be counted as pro bono.

6. Does volunteering with a public service student organization qualify as pro bono?

If the student organization has an attorney or faculty supervisor and the work otherwise qualifies as pro bono, time spent volunteering for the organization or administering the project counts as pro bono. Fundraising or clerical work on behalf of a student organization is not pro bono.

7. Do judicial clerkships qualify as pro bono?

Clerking or interning for a federal, state, or local judge does not qualify as pro bono. Volunteer hours performed on behalf of a court sponsored program (i.e. Drug Court) that serves pro se litigants or indigent clients can be logged.

8. Does teaching in a mock trial or Street Law program qualify as pro bono?

Teaching in law-related programs designed for students of limited financial means qualifies as pro bono. Mock trial and other educational programs provided for non-disadvantaged student populations may not be logged. Such programs provided for university or college students generally do not qualify as pro bono.

9. Is work for a political campaign pro bono?

Fundraising and other partisan work on behalf of a political campaign does not qualify as pro bono. However, law-related work with a federal, state, or local legislator’s office or for a legislative committee or commission can count toward the Challenge.

10. Can I get pro bono credit for poll monitoring?

Poll monitoring or observing at voting sites must necessitate the use of legal skills to count as pro bono. For example, hours spent developing law-related materials to educate voters, legal research, and drafting or follow-up on voting rights cases could be logged. Work that is routinely performed by non-lawyers or college students is not pro bono.

11. Does translation work qualify as pro bono?

Hours volunteered to provide written or oral translation of legal documents/proceedings on behalf of a pro bono client may be logged. All qualifying translation work must necessitate the use of legal skills or knowledge.

12. Can I log training hours?

Training that is required for participation in a project qualifies as pro bono. However, training hours may not be logged until you have volunteered an equal or greater number of hours for the project.

13. Can travel time for a pro bono project be logged?

Travel time in conjunction with a pro bono project may not be logged.

14. Can I develop my own pro bono project?

Law students are encouraged to create their own pro bono projects. Contact the staff of the Pro Bono Program (probono@law.virginia.edu) for assistance and advance approval of your project.

15. Is completion of the Pro Bono Challenge required for graduation?

The Pro Bono Challenge is a voluntary program and not a requirement for graduation. However, all students are strongly encouraged to participate in pro bono during their time at the Law School. Students who complete the 75-hour Challenge (25 hours for LL.M. students) will be recognized at graduation and receive a certificate of achievement signed by the Dean.

16. Can I volunteer more than 75 hours?

Students may complete as many hours of pro bono service as they would like during their time at the Law School. However, a minimum of 75 hours (25 hours for LL.M. students) must be logged in order to meet the Challenge.

17. Do I need to perform 25 hours annually in order to meet the Challenge or can I complete 75 hours in a single semester or year?

You do not need to log 25 hours annually, although students who complete 25 hours by the end of their first year and 50 hours by the end of their second year will be recognized. Students must log at least 75 hours (25 hours for LL.M. students) by May 1 of their graduation year in order to meet the Challenge.

18. May I volunteer for more than one pro bono project at a time?

Students may volunteer for more than one pro bono project, however, it is advisable to start with just one before deciding to take on additional work.

19. How do I log my hours for the Pro Bono Challenge?

Students log their pro bono hours by submitting an online work log and completing the student evaluation through GoodWorks.

20. How does my supervisor submit a project in GoodWorks?

To register a pro bono project in GoodWorks, supervisors need to submit a Pro Bono Project Request form. They will have the option of listing you as the volunteer for the project. Once the form is approved, you will be able to log your hours in GoodWorks.

21. When do I need to log my hours in order to qualify for the Pro Bono Challenge?

Your work log should be submitted through GoodWorks at the conclusion of each pro bono project. All logs must be completed by the last day of classes in April, even if you intend to continue volunteering on the same project over the course of the summer or during the next academic year.

22. Can 1Ls participate in the pro bono program?

All students are encouraged to volunteer for a pro bono project as soon as they feel ready. Many students will do pro bono during the fall of their first year, but others will wait until winter break or the spring semester. Before taking on a pro bono project, assess your ability to commit to volunteering in addition to your academic and other commitments. Some pro bono projects are not offered to first-year students due to the need for more advanced legal skills.

23. Can LL.M.s participate in the pro bono program?

All students are encouraged to participate in the Pro Bono Program regardless of class year or career plans. LL.M. students who log at least 25 hours will meet the Pro Bono Challenge. LL.M.’s can participate in pro bono work to earn hours for New York Bar admission requirement or to be recognized at graduation for completing the Challenge.

24. Will hours logged for the Pro Bono Challenge qualify for the New York Bar Pro Bono Admission Requirement?

While the rules for the New York Bar Pro Bono Requirement and the Pro Bono Program are similar there are important differences. Some hours logged to meet the Challenge will not qualify as pro bono under the New York rule. All pro bono hours used to fulfill the New York requirement must be verified with an Affidavit of ComplianceMore

 

NACHIKETA BARU

“I believe that my involvement in the pro bono program at UVA has not only prepared me to become a more competent lawyer but a better-rounded and more balanced person.”

—NACHIKETA BARU '22

More