From left: Kimberly Andreu and Kristin Belsito volunteer at the Humane Society as part of the ILSP Community Service Day.

Over 300 first-year law students at the University of Florida kicked off the school year by donating their time and efforts to a variety of organizations in Gainesville Friday, Aug. 20. Community Service Day is an annual tradition at UF Law and is part of the Introduction to Law School and the Profession (ILSP) program for incoming students.

“Community Service Day marks an end to the Introduction to Law School and the Profession Program, as well as a beginning to the new students’ legal careers,” Director of Student Programs at UF Law Michelle Ocepek said. “It helps instill the message that attorneys should participate in the community in which they live, and give back in meaningful ways.”

Students were put into groups to volunteer at sixteen different sites around Gainesville, giving their time to organizations such as Haven Hospice, the Humane Society and The Alachua County Conservation Trust.

“The experience was good because – as we’ve already started learning – being a public servant is an essential part of practicing law, and including something like Community Service Day helps to reinforce that fact,” said Kara Carnley, a first-year law student who volunteered at The Arc of Alachua County, an organization that provides a variety of services to the developmentally disabled.

At The Arc, students assisted with organizational and cleaning projects – duties that often take a back seat to caring for the clients, Carnley said. They also had a chance to play board games and spend time with the clients.

“It opened my eyes to another community in Gainesville that might not always get the attention it deserves,” Carnley said. With each student contributing three hours, UF Law’s 1L class donated approximately 920 hours in volunteer time and giving back to the community.

The students weren’t alone in their attempt to better their community. The project was just one of eleven, as all of the law schools in Florida created opportunities to give back. The project was organized by UF Law’s chapter of The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Law Student Division, along with the local Florida Bar affiliate. The event was titled, “Raising the Bar: Florida’s Legal Community Service Day.”

For those who aren’t familiar with the Midtown area of Gainesville, it’s home to some of the most popular bars in Gainesville, and is right across from main campus. Unsurprisingly, the popularity of these bars has also created a thriving business for any eateries that stay open late, serving pizza and sandwiches on paper plates and wax paper. The combination results in more than a little bit of litter scattered around, meaning that there was plenty of work for the volunteers.

The trash ranged from hundreds of cigarette butts and bottle caps to a pizza box, complete with unsavory contents. By the end, ten trash bags were full of trash picked up from about five or six blocks.