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25th Anniversary

Pro Bono Pledge and Recognition Program

In honor of our 25 th Anniversary, the College of Law’s faculty, students and staff have pledged 25,000 hours of pro bono service.

Pro bono activities include not only those that ensure adequate legal services for moderate and low income individuals but efforts that enhance the capacity of law and legal institutions to do justice, and activities in the local community that promote justice.

The student portion of our 25 th anniversary pro bono pledge will be conducted in conjunction with the College of Law's Student Pro Bono Recognition Program. This program is designed to encourage students to engage in such activities while in law school and thus conduct themselves in accordance with highest values and standards of the legal profession. Indeed, an essential part of the professional development of lawyers is the inculcation of the fundamental values of the profession, and an important component of these values is support for and participation in pro bono service.

How Student Pro Bono Participation Will Be Recognized

Students who complete 50 hours or more of pro bono service during law school will graduate with "pro bono distinction". There are three levels of recognition:

With Distinction is awarded to students who complete between 50 to 99 hours of pro bono service;
With High Distinction is awarded to students who complete between 100 and 149 hours of pro bono service;
With Highest Distinction is awarded to students who complete 150 or more hours of pro bono service.

Recognition will include a notation in the graduation program and students will receive a special certificate of recognition.

Reporting Pro Bono Hours

To record pro bono hours, access the web-based self-reporting system. Access is controlled with the MyLaw ID system. All pro bono hours should be reported in the semester in which the work is performed.

You may opt to have your activities made public ally available via a checkbox in the reporting system. If you do not check the "Public Activity" box, details about your volunteer activity will not be accessible to the public; the College of Law’s interest is in the total hours of service provided by the community. We will make aggregate information available about the number of hours worked and organizations served through our

What Constitutes Pro Bono Service?

For purposes of its Pro Bono Initiative, the College of Law is defining pro bono service broadly, using the same definition provided to our students for their Pro Bono Recognition Program:

“Pro bono service consists of external (i.e. outside the law school) service rendered in the public interest and for the public good without receiving a fee or earning academic credit. Services that qualify as pro bono service under the Pro Bono Recognition Program include such services as service:

to the poor or to organizations that have as a principal purpose promoting the interests of the poor; or
to individuals, groups or organizations seeking to secure or protect civil rights, civil liberties or public rights; or
in connection with activities for improving the law, the legal system or the legal profession; or
to charitable groups or organizations; or
to community groups or organizations; or
to classes in any K-12 program.”

Despite this broad definition, we encourage College of Law faculty, as trained attorneys, to devote some of their pro bono hours to law-related work. ABA Model Rule 6.1 provides, in part, that a lawyer may fulfill his or her pro bono responsibility by providing legal services, without fee, to persons of limited means or to various organizations in matters designed to address the needs of persons of limited means; or by participating in activities for improving the law, the legal system, or the legal profession. Regarding the latter category, a comment to the rule provides: “Serving on bar association committees, serving on boards of pro bono or legal services programs, taking part in Law Day activities, acting as a continuing legal education instructor, a mediator or an arbitrator and engaging in legislative lobbying to improve the law, the legal system or the profession are a few examples of the many activities which fall within this [definition].”

We know that many members of the faculty already perform significant pro bono work. Continued performance of such work certainly qualifies as pro bono service for purposes of the Initiative. In recognition of the College’s heightened commitment to public service during its 25 th Anniversary Celebration, however, we encourage members of the faculty to consider spending some of their pro bono hours on a new or different project.

List of Pro Bono Opportunities and Contacts

The College of Law is partnering with several organizations (below) in its Pro Bono Initiative. In addition, we have a non-exhaustive list of pro bono opportunities and contacts. Moreover, the University Office of Civic Engagement maintains a web site listing numerous volunteer opportunities. More opportunities can be found throughGeorgia Advocates, an online resources co-sponsored by the State Bar Pro Bono Project, Georgia Legal Services and the Atlanta Legal Aid Society. Finally, volunteer opportunities will also be available in our two in-house clinics: the Tax Clinic and the HeLP Legal Services Clinic.

Note: Volunteer work on behalf of a candidate for office, or under the auspices of a political party, does not qualify for pro bono recognition under this program.

Partner and Participating Organizations

Organization
Atlanta Alliance for Developmental Disabilities	partner
Atlanta Legal Aid Society	partner
Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation	partner
Catholic Charities Atlanta	partner
Community Advanced Practice Nurses	partner
Georgia Appleseed Center for Law and Justice	partner
Georgia Legal Services Program	partner
Habitat for Humanity	participant
Hands on Atlanta	partner
Jennifer Ann's Group	partner
South Atlanta School of Law and Social Justice	partner
The New Schools at Carver	partner
Truancy Intervention Project	partner

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