Stetson Law has a long history of students who step up to the challenge of making a difference with their legal education. Ultimately, pro bono service will enrich you intellectually, personally, and professionally. Your integrity, reliability, and competency will also grow. Students who have worked diligently at their assignments may earn letters of reference from their pro bono supervisors for future employment. Your pro bono service will also expand your professional network, improve your lawyering skills, enhance your research abilities, and provide you with a wide variety of opportunities to develop your professional identity. This crisis has been referred to as the justice gap.Īs a Stetson Law student, you have the ability to help close the justice gap by providing pro bono services.īy providing pro bono services, you will change the lives of those you serve and you will develop a better understanding of how the law impacts your community. Public defense attorneys are overwhelmed. In civil proceedings, the number of people appearing in court without attorneys has soared. Many middle and low-income citizens are often unable to obtain affordable legal assistance. If you hope to perform pro bono with a private firm, organization, or attorney, you must submit a letter from the supervising attorney that (1) describes the case, (2) certifies that the attorney will not be compensated for the case, and (3) states that the attorney will be supervising your work directly and thoroughly. Other examples of legal pro bono work include legal research for a faculty member that cannot be done by a paid Research Assistant, or work with a governmental or non-governmental organization. In this scenario, the supervising attorney must provide legal services at no cost, and with no expectation of payment. Legal pro bono can also include work for a private attorney who is doing pro bono work. For example, if you volunteer at a legal services office or the Community Law Program and perform client intake, assist staff attorneys, write memoranda for a judge, or work with staff counsel at a local government, you are engaging in legal pro bono work. Legal pro bono hours may consist of assisting “authorized” public or non-profit organizations. Please remember, all legal pro bono work must be supervised by an attorney. Regardless of how or where you volunteer, pro bono work will give you a chance to apply your new skills and to experience first-hand legal work. Some students work with legal clinics, others donate their time to help seniors and veterans with their taxes, and some help in the court system. There is nothing like hands-on legal experience to reinforce a legal education. You will not graduate if you do not complete your pro bono hours.For example, if you are scheduled to graduate in May, your pro bono hours must be worked, submitted, and approved by December of the previous semester. It is preferred that students must complete all pro bono service hours before the beginning of their last semester of law school.We suggest that students complete at least 20 hours of pro bono service (10 hours of legal pro bono and 10 hours of non-legal pro bono) before the start of their second fall semester.Students may start volunteering as soon as they feel comfortable, including during the first year of law school.The rule recognizes that only lawyers have the special skills and knowledge needed to secure access to justice for low-income people. Model Rule 6.1 states that lawyers should aspire to render, without fee, at least 50 hours of pro bono legal services per year, with an emphasis on services that are provided to people of limited means or to nonprofit organizations that serve the poor. The ABA Rules of Professional Conduct (Rule 6.1) Voluntary Pro Bono Publico Service describes the responsibilities of attorneys to engage in pro bono service. The American Bar Association requires that lawyers continue their pro bono work throughout their careers. Stetson, like most institutions, believes that law students should begin this practice while still in school and continue this tradition throughout their legal careers. Pro bono is short for the Latin term pro bono publico, which roughly translates to “for the public good.” In the legal community, the designation is given to the free legal work done by an attorney for indigent clients, individuals caught in the justice gap, charitable organizations, and nonprofit entities. Pro bono service is an integral part of a lawyer's responsibility and has been for centuries.Ĭountless Stetson Law students, faculty, alumni and staff members have been recognized for their pro bono commitments and contributions.
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