Pro Bono Program
In furtherance of St. Thomas University School of Law’s mission to provide service to the community, which incorporates the American Bar Association’s Pro Bono Commitment and Rule 6.1 of the Model Rules of Professional Responsibility, all students must complete forty (40) hours of pro bono as a graduation requirement. First-year law students are only allowed to participate in community based pro bono; however, second- and third-year law students are able participate in both legal and community based pro bono.
Students may fulfill the pro bono requirement with all forty (40) hours of legal based pro bono. Or in the alternative, students may fulfill the pro bono requirement with up to twenty (20) hours of community based pro bono. This requirement instills a long-term pro bono ethic among law students and provides them with practical legal experience. Students work under the supervision of lawyers in a variety of non-profit legal service organizations, government agencies, and law firms.
The Career Services Office coordinates the pro bono program, developing a variety of sites where students can fulfill their pro bono requirement, and maintains the records of students’ pro bono work. A comprehensive handbook explaining the pro bono program, listing the organizations, and containing the reporting forms can be found in the Career Services Office, or by downloading it here.