Pro bono
Why Pro Bono?
Pro bono offers an outlet for students to continue service to the community but with a new focus on legal-related projects. Working in pro bono offers law students the opportunity to apply what they learn to real projects under the supervision of licensed attorneys. Such projects offer students practical experience while helping members of the public who would not normally have access to legal assistance.
Through this experience, students have the opportunity to work alongside and get to know practicing lawyers and get exposure to a number of different practice areas. The ultimate goal it to build a bridge between students, the legal profession, and those groups who are typically underserved in the legal system.
GET INVOLVED!
Interested in volunteering? Let us know! Please complete the 2012 Volunteer Interest Form and submit to probono@elon.edu and we will get you connected to volunteer opportunities in the area!
Please visit our Report Your Hours page to learn more about how student involvement in pro bon is recognized at Elon Law.
What Counts as Pro Bono?
Eligible pro bono work is any uncompensated work done for a non-profit organization, a government agency such as the Guardian ad Litem program, a law-student led pro bono project, or a private attorney representing a client on a no-fee or reduced fee basis. The work has to be legal or law-related (volunteering to build houses with Habitat for Humanity or tutoring in an after-school program does not count as pro bono). Volunteer hours with a judge or the district attorney’s office do not count as pro bono for these purposes.
Hours worked for the Innocence Project and VITA Project count as pro bono hours. Training required to undertake the pro bono placement also counts as pro bono hours (example: Innocence Project training, Guardian ad Litem training, VITA training). Hours completed for a class clinic, externship or Street Law program beyond the number of hours required for the course, also count as pro bono hours. Hours worked for clients in the Leadership and Public Law class, beyond the expected 40 hours, also count as pro bono hours.If you received any financial compensation, including public interest stipends such as the IOLTA Public Interest Stipend, the hours performed are not considered pro bono. Work done for a public interest employer beyond the number of hours required to fulfill the commitment for the stipend does count as pro bono.
Pro bono work at a placement that you have arranged yourself counts toward your total pro bono hours: it does not have to be at a placement arranged through the law school to qualify!
student perspectives
on pro bono service
Gwendolyn Lewis
“I value the power of pro bono work and I believe that every person committed to the legal profession is placed in a position of privilege that bears with it the expectation from our community that we will give back and we will dedicate our time to the enhancement of our communities. My work as a Guardian ad Litem has influenced my life tremendously. I dedicate my time to several pro bono opportunities and they each independently offer me an opportunity to make a difference in the life of another person. The impact for the person is substantial, but oftentimes the lasting impact for myself is just as substantial.
Jason Senges
"During the summer of 2011 I had the opportunity to work full time with the general counsel of a nonprofit organization. Since legal work is so specialized there was no one within the organization that was able to assist the General Counsel when there was a large workload. Because of my work in the summer the general counsel was able to catch up on the backlog of work and focus on creating new deals for the organization. It was rewarding to know that the specialized skills I learned in law school after only one year could be so quickly utilized to help a non-profit organization achieve its goals."
Austin Morris
"I am fortunate to have participated in a number of pro bono projects. Through Tax Counseling for the Elderly, I have completed income tax returns for members of the community who might not otherwise have been able to afford quality tax preparation. Through Wills for Heroes, a program overseen by the North Carolina Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division, I have aided in the preparation of basic wills for Greensboro’s police, fire department, and EMS first responders. Pro bono service has, without a doubt, strengthened my legal education. Elon is an ideal institution for students interested in community leadership because it is supportive of pro bono endeavors. Pro bono service is more than a complement to our chosen profession; it is in fact part of what it means to be a lawyer."
