The Value of Pro Bono

"In engaging in public service, law students are awakened to the sense of personal satisfaction that comes from helping people, a feeling they are not likely to experience in their other classes."

-- Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

by Danny Wang
LCS Grad Fellow

Despite the challenging job market that confronts us, there are numerous pro bono opportunities that should be utilized by law students and graduates. For those who are unsure what pro bono work is, it is simply work done on behalf of the public good, which means you will be volunteering your legal services without expectation of compensation or class credit. However, in return, pro bono work offers a wide array of personal and professional benefits such as:

1. Providing valuable legal services for citizens and organizations with limited means, as more than 75 percent of the essential legal needs of the poor go unmet each year.
2. Developing and enhancing your legal practice skills (e.g. interviewing clients, writing and research, or engaging in trial preparation).
3. Obtaining valuable training in various areas of substantive law, which will not only make you more marketable to future employers, but will also help you figure out what practice areas you want to specialize in during and after law school.
4. Forging relationships with practicing attorneys who will later become part of your professional network.
5. Requiring only a modest time commitment, making them appropriate for first year law students.

For more information regarding how you can become involved in pro bono work, please stop by Law Career Services to pick up an updated list of Bay Area pro bono opportunities. This list includes a description of various organizations that are in need of volunteers and also provides general application instructions and contact information. This list can also be downloaded from the Resource Library on LCSonline.

You can also learn more about the value of pro bono efforts in the Pro Bono Workshop, which will be held today, Tuesday, March 3rd from noon to 1 pm in room 5207. This event will feature GGU alumnus Steven McDonald (JD 79) and Megan Colla of the Volunteer Legal Services Program run by the San Francisco Bar Association.