Career Services

Pro Bono / Community Service

The Pro Bono Project:

  • Provides desperately needed legal services to organizations with limited resources
  • Helps develop a sense of professional responsibility for law students, including giving back to the community
  • Gives law students valuable practical experience and professional feedback
  • Provides an opportunity for students to meet and interact with attorneys in the community
  • Instills goodwill on behalf of the law school, its graduates, and our community

Mission
The mission of the Pro Bono Project is to help students develop an awareness of their future ethical and professional responsibilities to provide service to their community. Participation in the program gives students the opportunity to perform valuable community service while learning about the legal needs of the underserved and developing the legal skills necessary to help meet those needs.

Commitment
Students work on projects for a variety of agencies including non-profit organizations, courts, government agencies, legal service providers, and individual pro bono attorneys. The work must benefit an underserved population in the community and be performed without either compensation or academic credit. Students agree to perform all assignments in a professionally responsible manner, which includes maintaining client confidentiality and refraining from giving legal advice to clients.

Finding an Opportunity: Students

The Center for Career Services has compiled a list of local organizations that accept law student volunteers. Local Pro Bono Opportunities Chart [82 Kb PDF]

Students are encouraged to use the Public Service Law Network Worldwide website at www.PSLawNet.org

Students are encouraged to find opportunities on their own that align with their interests, subject to approval.

Students may contact the legal service providers in their hometown for opportunities.

Upon completion of 35 hours, students are eligible to receive a certificate of recognition for their service at the Center for Career Services' annual spring brunch. This brunch is designed to honor these students and celebrate their accomplishments and commitment to the Pro Bono Project. In addition, the student's participation will be further honored at graduation.

Be sure to subscribe to the Pro Bono-Public Interest Listserve for timely announcements regarding pro bono and public interest law opportunities, fellowships and vacancies. To subscribe, go to the listserve homepage at https://lists.law.ufl.edu/mailman/listinfo/pubint-l or send a blank email to pubint-l-subscribe@lists.law.ufl.edu. To unsubscribe from the Pro Bono-Public Interest list, send a blank email to pubint-l-unsubscribe@lists.law.ufl.edu.

Questions?
Contact Samara Sarno, Assistant Director, (352) 273-0860 sarno@law.ufl.edu

FORMS
Commitment Form, Log Form & Evaluation [31 Kb PDF]

Pro Bono Info Sheet [20 Kb PDF]

Community Service Information Sheet [20 Kb PDF]

Community Service Time Log [12 Kb PDF]

 

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