List of Responding Schools
We host an Annual Recognition Event for Students, Faculty Advisors, and Community Partners who do exemplary pro bono work. We also participate in Pro Bono Week/ Month with a series of concerted efforts on and off campus to expose students to the importance of pro bono work.
The Annual Peter M. Cicchino Public Service Awards Dinner. This annual event is held in honor of beloved former WCL Professor Peter M. Cicchino, who passed away in 2000. Professor Cicchino was a brilliant scholar and teacher, and a brave and creative public interest lawyer, who among many other accomplishments founded the Lesbian and Gay Youth Project at the Urban Justice Center in New York City.
The Cicchino Awards Dinner is the academy awards of student public interest and pro bono work. At the dinner, all students who completed the Pro Bono Honors Pledge are recognized. In addition, four students and alumni who have distinguished themselves with public service work are presented with special awards called the “Cicchino Awards.” The named awardees receive an engraved plaque and cash award. The purpose of the dinner is to recognize public interest students and alumni before their peers. Students who complete the pledge are also recognized at graduation.
The "Sam Weddington Little Red Wagon Award" is presented annually to a student who demonstrates a desire to accomplish the goals of a service project, performs duties with an energetic, positive, and heartfelt attitude, and provides feedback about ways to improve services. The award is named after the late Sam Weddington who graduated from ASL in 2004. Sam and other members of the musical group, "The Law Revue," won the "The Little Red Wagon Award" three consecutive years at ASL. The original wagon award is derived from a donation to the Law school of a handmade red wagon by an elderly, poverty-stricken gentleman. The gentleman heard about the Law School's community service program and asked that we distribute the wagon to a "deserving child" because he "heard we gave a lot back to the community." The gentleman exemplified the attributes that a volunteer needs: one who gives from the heart.
The Willard Owens Award for Excellence in Community Serviceis presented annually to all 3L students who have performed a minimum of 300 hours of community service. The "Willard Owens Award" is named after the late Mayor of Grundy who dedicated many years of his life to the service of others.
Each spring ASL holds an awards banquet. Awards have been presented to students who have especially distinguished themselves in the community service program.
Upon graduation, a notation is made on the student's transcript as to whether or not the student has completed the community service requirement.
Students who graduate with 50 hours or more of pro bono service will graduate with pro bono distinction and will be recognized at graduation.
These are the three levels of recognition:
- Pro Bono Distinction is given to students who report between 50 and 99 hours of pro bono service.
- Pro Bono High Distinction is given to students who report between 100 and 149 hours of pro bono service.
- Pro Bono Highest Distinction is given to students who report 150 or more hours of pro bono service.
Those students with the highest number of hours are also eligible for graduation service awards.
In addition, a few of the groups have their own awards event.
There is an annual Pro Bono Reception that recognizes the graduating students who gained one of the Pro Bono Distinctions, volunteers with the various groups, highest achievers in the first and second year students, peer awards for best group and best leaders, outstanding advisors, and Matheson Service Awards - the highest graduation honor for service to the school. Awards are hand-made trophies made by the students of a nearby homeless school - and presented by the student who made the award to each winner.
Pro Bono Award to graduate who overachieves and goes beyond the minimum hours required.
Baylor Law won the 2010 Access to Justice Commission's Public Service Award. In addition, one of our students, Brittany Wray, won the Texas Access to Justice Commission's Law Student Pro Bono Award last year.
The Bill Kimble Service Award is given annually to two students who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to community service. This award is made possible by an annual gift from the Baylor Public Interest Legal Society and the Baylor Law Alumni Association in honor of Bill Kimble, a Baylor Law School graduate who has dedicated his life to providing legal services for the poor. The award is given to the two students who, by the annual Student Awards Ceremony, have accumulated the most hours in the Baylor Law School Pro Bono and Public Service Program.
Students are also recognized for their pro bono and community service work during the entirety of their law school career by achieving different levels in the Baylor Law School Pro Bono and Public Service Program:
Bronze Level - 75 hours
Silver Level - 150 hours
Gold Level - 200 hours
Platinum Level & designation as Public Interest Scholar - 225 hours plus at least 10 hours of coursework from designated public interest classes
We believe that students who demonstrate a commitment to pro bono work should be recognized for their efforts. The following levels of recognition are provided for students who fulfill their pro bono pledges:
1) 50 hours of pro bono work accumulated at time of graduation
Letter from Dean of BC Law School
2) 75 hours of pro bono work accumulated at time of graduation
Letter from Dean of BC Law School
Recognition for "Pro Bono Distinction" at awards ceremony during graduation weekend
3) 100 hours of pro bono work accumulated at time of graduation
Letter from Dean of BC Law School
Recognition for "Pro Bono Excellence" at awards ceremony during graduation weekend
Special recognition at graduation
In addition, a reception will take place annually for 1L's completing 15 hours of pro bono work and 2L's and 3L's completing 50 hours of pro bono work for the previous year (September 1st to August 31st).
The J.D. student and LL.M. student who complete the most hours in their graduating class are recognized with an award. Additionally, those students who have satisfied the Pro Bono Pledge are recognized with a notation on their law school transcript. A faculty member also receives an award.
Every fall, BU Law holds a pro bono event to kick off the year. The event is attended by students, faculty, staff, alumni and the legal community. Each year, an alumnus/a is presented with the Victor J. Garo, Esq. Award for Public Service.
In April, towards the end of the school year, the school hosts an event honoring students who have completed the pledge.
Graduating 3Ls and LL.M. students who have completed the Pro Bono Pledge receive Certificates.
The law school gives Distinguished Service Awards to recognize outstanding public interest, community, and pro bono service by students and faculty.
The Utah Bar Foundation also gives one or more Public Interest Awards on an annual basis to deserving law students.
The law school's student-run Public Interest Law Foundation gives three annual awards (one to a 1L, one to a 2L, one to a 3L) for public interest involvement.
The law school also gives a Public Service Award to each third year student that completes 50 hours of pro bono work during their time in law school.
Students are urged to keep a public service work log, and those graduating students who have performed more than 50 hours of public service during law school are recognized at a Pro Bono Awards Ceremony and Reception. Five levels of awards are presented to students reflecting the number of hours of pro bono service they have done, as well as one or two students designated by the faculty for a special award recognizing outstanding leadership and commitment to underserved communities.
The Pro Bono Program recognizes students who complete 50 hours (exclusive of training) of supervised pro bono legal service over two consecutive trimesters. Students may participate after they have completed their first year of school. Each spring students completing the requisite number of hours are inducted into the Pro Bono Honors Society at a celebration where the Dean, distinguished members of the bench and bar, faculty, and other public interest organization representatives are present. In addition, the law school officially recognizes these students with a notation on their academic transcripts, along with Pro Bono Honors Society Award Certificates from the Dean.
The following Pro Bono Awards are presented annually at the Campbell Law Day Awards Banquet:
- Outstanding Student Achievement in Pro Bono and Public Service
- Outstanding Student Organization in Pro Bono and Public Service
The faculty nominate a graduating student each year to receive the Pro Bono Publico Award presented at the commencement ceremony.
Campbell Law participates in the North Carolina State Bar's Annual Student Pro Bono Service Award by nominating one student each year.
Campbell Law participates in the North Carolina Bar Association's Certificate of Appreciation Program for students who complete 75 or more hours of pro bono service.
Recognition is given by a transcript designation of Pro Bono Honoree and a certificate of completion.
Through our voluntary Pro Bono Recognition Program, students who complete 50 or more pro bono hours are recognized at graduation for their achievements.The graduating student who completes the greatest number of hours is eligible for an award.
All students who have participated in pro bono are recognized at an annual spring Pro Bono Reception. Additionally, students who complete the Pro Bono Challenge at the following levels are recognized at graduation with a certificate from the dean and a notation in the graduation bulletin:
- 50 hours (Pro Bono Service Honors)
- 100 hours (Pro Bono Service High Honors)
- 150+ hours (Pro Bono Service Highest Honors)
The graduating students who have "honored the highest ideals of CUA Law by voluntary pro bono service to others" receive the Michael F. Curtin Pro Bono Award at graduation from both the day and evening divisions.
Commitment to Service Award
Students who complete 100 hours or more of pro bono work receive special recognition at awards day and graduation.
Because the CUNY School of Law's mission is to train students to become public interest lawyers, there are no formal awards. There is recognition for the pro bono hours that students put into volunteer public interest legal work at Commencement.
Students who volunteer at least 40 hours of public service during the school year receive certificates at the annual Academic Honors Ceremony. One student is named Pro Bono Student of the Year and, in addition to receiving a certificate, also receives a cash award of $50.
The Dean's Community Service Awards are given each spring to selected students for their commitment to community service. These awards involve a financial award of ½ tuition stipends or smaller $1000 stipends.
The annual Public Interest Honors Dinner is a community event held in April in which the Law School honors all students who show significant dedication to public interest and public service including those who have been leaders in pro bono service throughout their time in law school.
All pro bono hours, mandatory and voluntary, are reported on student transcripts.
Pro bono service is considered favorably by the committees that award public interest postgraduate fellowships and enhanced LRAP (Loan Repayment Assistance Program) packages.
Students have received awards from the City Bar for their pro bono work. The student leaders often are nominated for "citizenship" honors such as graduation co-chairs, marshals at graduation etc.
Cornell Law School Exemplary Public Service Awards and Celebration, held at the Cornell Club in New York City:
Freeman Award for Civil-Human Rights - Awarded annually to the law student or students who have made the greatest contributions during his or her law school career to civil-human rights.
Stanley E. Gould Prize for Public Interest Law - Awarded annually to a third year student or students who have shown outstanding dedication to serving public interest law and public interest groups.
Seymour Herzog Memorial Prize - Awarded annually to a student or students who demonstrate excellence in the law and commitment to public interest law, combined with a love of sports.
Harold Oaklander Public Interest Prize – Awarded to a student who excelled in the Harold Oaklander Public Interest Summer Fellowship Program to Advance Justice and Public Policy Against Persistent Unemployment
The Law School sponsors an annual Pro Bono Awards Luncheon during the spring semester to celebrate the outstanding achievements of law students and community partners engaged in pro bono service over the academic year. Students who complete a minimum fifty (50) service hours receive graduation recognition, including a notation in the graduation program, a pro bono honor cord, a transcript notation for “Pro Bono Service Distinction” and certificates of achievement from the Nebraska Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission and Nebraska State Bar Association.
There is a recognition reception for students completing at least fifty hours of pro bono or community service hours at the end of each academic year. Students also receive awards for completing 100 and 200 hours of service and graduating students who have completed 200 or more hours of service receive the Benjamin Hooks Distinguished Public Service Award.
Jeffrey and Elizabeth Goodman Distinguished Advocate Award
This award was established in 2003 by Jeffrey and Elizabeth Goodman, both 1985 graduates of the Drake Law School. Its purpose is to recognize a Drake Law School student who demonstrates excellence and proficiency in client representation and advocacy. The recipient receives a cash award.
International Academy of Trial Lawyers
Each year the academy awards a certificate and cash award to the student who best demonstrates the qualities of a good trial practitioner based on his or her excellence in legal clinic courses.
Robert J. Kromminga Award
This award is given to an outstanding clinical student in client representation and advocacy in the Criminal Defense Program. This award is made possible by the Iowa Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and is accompanied by a cash gift and a commemorative plaque.
Ferguson Prize
The Ferguson Prize Gold and Silver Awards are presented to the students who best exemplify the commitment of Drake Law School and the legal profession to public service and who have rendered outstanding service, primarily legal assistance, to eligible individuals or groups in the Law School Clinic or to other public service projects integrated with the Law School. The Ferguson Prize was established by Edwin Earle Ferguson Sr., LW’34. The Gold and Silver Awards are accompanied by cash gifts and commemorative plaques.
Marsha Ternus Outstanding Child Advocate Award
This award recognizes the student in the Children’s Rights Clinic that best lives up to the ideals of Chief Justice Marsha Ternus, who said, "Iowans like to say that we put our children first; it’s now time to show that we mean it." This award is accompanied by a commemorative plaque.
Students who significantly exceed the 50-hour requirement will receive a Pro Bono Recognition Award and be specially acknowledged in the graduation program. Students will receive a certificate based on the total number of pro bono service hours completed: Service Honors (100 - 200 hours) or Outstanding Service Honors (201+ hours). We also provide distinction at graduation for the Most Outstanding Public Interest Scholar, as well as an award for the graduating student who performed the most pro bono service hours during law school. All students who receive a pro bono award are also recognized at a public service awards ceremony.
The Dean and the Office of Public Interest and Pro Bono hold a year-end Public Interest Recognition Banquet at which students receive awards for pro bono contributions and for public interest leadership. The awards differ slightly each year based on what activity has taken place. Typical are: an award to all graduating students who took and met the Pro Bono Pledge; an award to all third-year students who participated in pro bono in each of their three years of law school; awards for outstanding leadership in public interest and pro bono; the Exceptional Pro Bono Service Award for over 100 hours in that year; the Substantial Pro Bono Service Award for between 50 and 100 hours that year; and the Significant Pro Bono Service Award for between 25 and 50 hours that year.
A special awards ceremony is held just before the graduation ceremony for the Faculty Awards. Three of the awards relate to public interest. The awards and descriptions follow:
Pro Bono Service Award: This award is presented to the graduating student who has most distinguished himself or herself by employing the education gained at DLS to provide free legal services, thereby carrying forward one of the finest traditions of the legal profession. In evaluating candidates, the selection committee may consider clinical course work and summer activities.
Public Service Award: This award is presented to the graduating student who has most distinguished himself or herself in activities involving service to the broader community outside the Law School, demonstrating that a life in the law can be a life of public service. This award is based upon public interest activities other than pro bono legal services. In evaluating candidates, the selection committee may consider course work in public law and summer activities.
Law School Community Award: This award is presented to the graduating student who has most distinguished himself or herself in serving and strengthening the law school community, contributing to the tradition of collegiality that is a hallmark of Duke Law School.
Students are honored for their pro bono accomplishments by publicity given to them in school publications and through panel presentations.
"Blue Print awards" that include an announcement and a cash prize
Once a Duquesne Law student has completed and documented hours of pro bono service, that student will receive a certificate of recognition for their pro bono achievement as well as a notation in the graduation program.
Students who meet the non-mandatory 50-hour requirement will receive a Pro Bono Service Recognition Certificate. Students dedicated to further service will be honored based upon the total number of hours completed. Those completing 61-120 hours will receive a Pro Bono Service Honors Certificate and 120+ will receive a Pro Bono Exemplary Service Certificate .
Pro Bono Certificate of Recognition for graduating students who have completed 75 hours of Pro Bono during their law school career.
Pro Bono Award for graduating student who has made outstanding Pro Bono contributions during law school.
The David Gergen Award is given to a graduating student whose activities represent outstanding leadership and professionalism.
Pro Bono: We hold an annual recognition ceremony for students who complete 25 hours of pro bono service within an academic year and medals for graduating students who meet the 75-hour pro bono requirement (JDs) or the 50-hour pro bono requirement (LL.Ms) during their tenure at Emory Law.
Public Service: The Dean’s Public Service Awards recognize up to ten students at graduation who have distinguished themselves through activities undertaken on behalf of the pubic interest either at the law school or in the wider community.
The Mark and Rebekah Wasserman Award is presented to a third-year student who exemplifies the greatest commitment to public interest law through their work at Emory Law. The recipient is nominated by faculty, staff and other third-year law students.
Students who perform 50 hours of approved pro bono or community service while in law school receive a certificate recognizing such achievement, and a notation of service will be included on the student's transcript. In addition, graduates who complete 50 or more hours will be recognized at graduation. Finally, a Public Interest Service Award will be presented at graduation ceremonies to the graduating student who has most distinguished himself or herself in the area of public service.
Third year students with at least 50 hours of approved services may be nominated by staff or faculty for the Alabama State Bar Pro Bono award. In 2010, a student from our school received this award.
Students who participate and complete at least 50 hours of work (a minimum of 25 hours must be legal work) receive a certificate signed by the Dean and are recognized during an annual Honors Reception. Students who participate and complete at least 125 hours of pro bono work (a minimum of 75 hours must be legal work) receive a certificate signed by the Dean, recognition during an annual Honors Reception, recognition at graduation, an honor cord to wear during the graduation ceremony, and a transcript notation as a Pro Bono Honors student.
The Jerome Kermit Coble, Jr. Award for Distinguished Public Service recognizes a student at each twice-a-year graduation ceremonies who has demonstrated a significant commitment to public service. It is anticipated that students participating in the pro bono program will be recognized during a reception, be distinguished at graduation, and receive a certificate.
The Barbara McCalla Memorial Award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated compassion, commitment to both the community and FCSL, and a strong interest in the support of justice for the less fortunate.
Awards and recognition have been given to students upon Commencement, including Community and Public Service Excellence Award, Pro Bono Service Award, and Excellence in Service to the Clinical Programs Award.
A Medal of Distinction in Pro Bono Service is awarded to recognize students who have completed at least 100 hours above the mandatory 30 pro bono hours.
Additionally, a reception is held for student organizational leaders and those students who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to community service and/or pro bono work.
Students who perform forty or more hours of public service receive a certificate recognizing distinguished pro bono accomplishment. Their pro bono service is also recognized in the commencement program.
At the annual Public Interest Resource Center Annual Awards Dinner, Fordham gives two pro bono awards, in addition to the awards recognizing the public service of alumni and friends of Fordham and the certificates to graduating students who have completed Fordham's public interest scholars program. The pro bono awards are:
The Archibald R. Murray Public Service Award: This award is given to students in the graduating class of the Law School who have devoted 100 - 249 hours to pro bono and/or community service work during their years as Fordham law students; those who completed 250 - 499 hours will receive a cum laude Murray Award; those who completed 500 - 999 hours will receive a magna cum laude Murray award and students who completed 1000 + hours will receive a summa cum laude Murray award. The award is named in honor of Archibald R. Murray a Fordham Class of 1960 graduate who was the Executive Director of The Legal Aid Society for over 20 years. The text of the award reads, “in grateful acknowledgment of your response to the call of public need as exemplified by Archibald R. Murray, Class of 1960, whose career embodies the highest standards of public service.” 309 members of the Class of 2019 are recipients of this award.
Student Leadership Award: This award is presented annually to students in the graduating class who have served on the Boards of Directors of their respective organizations in the Public Interest Resource Center during their years at Fordham Law. The text of the award reads,“in recognition of your outstanding commitment and efforts on behalf of the Fordham Law School community through your dedication and service to [your student public interest organization].” 53 members of the Class of 2019 are recipients of this award.
Pro Bono Recognition Ceremony
As a way of thanking students who participate in the Pro Bono Program, GW Law celebrates certain students each year before graduation. Any student who provides 50 hours or more of pro bono legal services while at the law school will be recognized. This includes an invitation for the student and a guest to attend the annual Pro Bono Reception (typically at a Nationals game) to receive the Dean’s certificate as well as inclusion in the Honors & Awards section of the Commencement Program. GW Law also partners with the GW Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service to recognize students who have submitted 100+ hours with silver graduation cords and the Presidential Volunteer Service Award, which consists of a gold-silver-or-bronze lapel pin signifying the number of hours submitted up to 250+.
The Office of Public Interest and Community Service (OPICS) hosts an annual reception to recognize the public interest and pro bono accomplishments of students and student groups. At the reception, students who have performed exemplary public interest or pro bono service are identified through nominations from students, staff, and faculty and highlighted.
Additionally, students who complete the Pro Bono Pledge receive a certificate signed by the Dean and special recognition at graduation.
Students who complete at least 50 hours of pro bono or public service work are eligible to receive recognition upon graduation. Students graduate with “distinction” for 50-99 hours; with “high distinction” for 100-149 hours; and with “highest distinction” for 150 or more hours of pro bono and public service work.
Pro Bono Honor Society: The Pro Bono Honor Society recognizes students who have performed a set amount of pro bono work each year. The membership induction criteria differ by law school year. The students inducted into the Pro Bono Honor Society are honored at the Public Interest Graduation in the Spring.
Public Interest Graduation Reception: The annual Public Interest Graduation Reception celebrates the accomplishments of 3Ls, alumni, current students, student leaders, faculty and staff who have been active in the public interest community on campus. PILF grants and other summer funding awards are announced, and faculty and alumni give speeches. Those receiving the Public Interest Specialization Certificate are also honored at this event.
Outstanding Public Interest Student Award: The Outstanding Public Interest Student Award is given to a student who has excelled in public interest coursework, community service and pro bono legal work outside the classroom.
The Center for Law in Public Service administers Gonzaga Law's Pro Bono Distinction program, which recognizes law student participation in pro bono service. Pro Bono Distinction is conferred upon first year students who complete 20 hours of community service, second year students who complete 30 hours of pro bono service, and third year students who complete 50 hours of pro bono service. The Pro Bono Distinction Platinum honor is awarded to the graduating law student who completes the highest number of volunteer hours during law school. Pro Bono Distinction offers progressive levels of recognition for those students who earn the Distinction for multiple and consecutive years. Students are recognized by the Dean for earning Pro Bono Distinction annually and at Commencement.
Kaufman Dinner - For all 3Ls, LLMs and SJDs planning to go into public service upon graduation or after a clerkship. Features a cocktail hour and sit down champagne dinner at the Harvard Faculty Club. The Law School Dean and Assistant Dean for Public Service and an alumnus in public service all speak. Is attended by faculty, clinical instructors and public service administrators who toast the students.
Gary Bellow Awards - Organized by a student group and selected by students through school-wide nominations and voting. An award is given to one otherwise unsung alum (i.e. not someone famous who has already won awards) and one student for their contributions to social justice. Features faculty and student speakers. Dean Kagan usually participates.
The day before graduation, at "Class Day" which also features a keynote speaker, students are presented with awards for community service, and the student with the most pro bono hours is given the Andrew L. Kaufman Pro Bono Service Award. These awards are presented by the Law School Dean. Students who do over 1000 hours of pro bono service are recognized in the graduation program.
Graduating students who receive the Kaufman, Fine, Skirnick or Heyman Fellowships, in recognition of their potential for outstanding career in public service based on their existing accomplishments, are also listed in the graduation program.
The Graduates Celebration and Awards Ceremony takes place a few hours before Commencement. This program consists of an elected student speaker and a faculty speaker chosen by the graduating class. Numerous course and achievement awards are presented at this ceremony. A light dinner is served immediately following this celebration. Family and friends are welcome to attend.
- Pro Bono Leadership Award - Awarded to a graduating student who has excelled in serving one or more of the Law School's student-run pro bono organizations in a leadership capacity.
- Pro Bono Service Award of Excellence - Awarded to a graduating student who has excelled in dedication to and time spent performing pro bono service through the Law School's student-run organizations and/or outside activities.
- Public Service Certificates - Awarded to graduating students who have achieved certain levels of recognition. The levels of service recognized are Bronze Level (50 hours), Silver Level (125 hours) and Gold Level (200 hours). Hofstra's Public Service Certificate Program recognizes students for volunteering, under the supervision of an attorney and without pay or credit, with (1) nonprofit organizations that provide legal representation to individuals or groups who are under-served; under-represented or of limited means; (2) government agencies; or (3) attorneys providing legal services free of charge or at significantly reduced cost. In addition, volunteer hours with Hofstra Law School student groups that advocate on behalf of clients, such as the Courtroom Advocates Program (DVCAP) and the Unemployment Action Center (UAC), and for groups that provide legal education, such as the Mock Trial Enrichment program, count towards the Certificate
Students who complete the Pro Bono Honors Pledge receive a certificate of achievement at the graduation ceremony.
Chicago-Kent College of Law hosts an annual reception during which the "Chicago-Kent Certificate of Service" is awarded to students who complete at least 50 hours of volunteer service during their time at Chicago-Kent. The "Dean's Distinguished Public Service Award" is given to students who complete at least 250 hours of volunteer service. These students' names are engraved on name plates and mounted on a plaque which is displayed in the building.
Chicago-Kent also acknowledges all students who receive the Chicago-Kent Certificate of Service (50 hours of volunteer service), as well as students who receive the Dean's Distinguished Public Service Award (250 hours of volunteer service), in the bulletin at graduation.
Pro Bono Awards Ceremony: Awards are given annually to the student from each class who has reported the most pro bono hours during the academic year.
Graduation: Certificates are given annually to each graduating student who has met the aspirational goal of performing 60 hours of pro bono service during the course of their degree work.
Leonard D. Fromm Public Interest Award: This award is given annually to recognize outstanding commitment to public interest law by a faculty member. The honoree is chosen by members of the Public Interest Law Foundation (student organization).
Community Pro Bono Award: This award is given annually to recognize outstanding pro bono service by a lawyer in the Bloomington community. The honoree is chosen by a faculty-community committee.
Students who complete at least 50 hours of pro bono work during the course of their law school career receive a notation on their official transcript and their names are listed in the graduation program as Pro Bono Program participants according to contribution level. Recognition levels are as follows:
- 50-99 hours: Bronze level
- 100-199 hours: Silver level
- 200+ hours: Gold level
The John Paul Berlon Pro Bono Award
is given to a graduating student who has contributed a significant amount of time to the Pro Bono Program and to other community activities throughout their law school career. The recipient of this award is someone who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to public service.
Students who volunteer at least 75 hours in a school year receive Pro Bono Distinction recognition. Graduating students in the top 10% of their class for total pro bono hours accumulated during their law school career receive the Excellence in Pro Bono Service award. The student with the highest overall pro bono hours receive the Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears Pro Bono Award.
The Pro Bono Honors Program recognizes students who contribute 30 or more hours of law-related volunteer work during the school year. Students are provided with an award certificate at the annual Pro Bono & Community Service Honors Lunch, a notation on their transcripts, and recognition in the graduation program.
Lewis & Clark Law School offers a Public Interest Law Certificate for students who complete academic, pro bono, and paper requirements.
Each year, a Lewis & Clark Law student is honored by the Oregon State Bar in recognition of the most hours of pro bono service to the Oregon legal community.
At the 3L Awards Banquet held in the spring, Liberty University School of Law recognizes the pro bono and community service efforts of third-year law students with the Street Law Leadership Award and the Pro Bono Distinguished Service Award. Also at the banquet, students who report 25 hours or more of pro bono or community service since enrolling as a Liberty law student are recognized with Pro Bono/Community Service Certificates. They are recognized again at graduation. In 2010, the law school noted two levels of distinction for pro bono/community service: 25-50 hours and 51-99 hours. Additionally, the Virginia Bar Association honors students who perform at least 35 hours of pro bono or community service during the academic year with Certificates of Appreciation, and the Center for Career & Professional Development hosts a luncheon in the spring for all students who participate in Street Law during the academic year. Students are presented with Certificates of Appreciation at the luncheon.
Students who complete 50 hours or more of pro bono service during law school wear white cords at graduation and receive a notation on their transcript, as well as in the Commencement Program.
Students are presented with a certificate of appreciation/completion documenting the total pro bono/public service hours performed.
The Dean of the Law School distributes service awards at graduation to students who have demonstrated strong commitments to community service programs.
Awards given at annual luncheon or reception
At the graduation ceremony, students are recognized for public service and leadership. Their names are listed in the program and they are asked to stand to be recognized by their fellow classmates and invited guests.
Loyola hosts an annual Public Interest Convocation. All first-year students are required to attend the convocation, which each year recognizes one lawyer who has devoted their career to full-time public interest work, and another lawyer who has devoted a substantial portion of their career to pro bono service.
Loyola Alumni Awards that include recognition for public interest or pro bono work include:
- the Public Service Merit Award,
- the Norman C. Amaker Award of Excellence, and
- the Donald Hollowell Distinguished Service Award
The Gillis Long Poverty Law Center annually recognizes students, faculty, and alumni who have demonstrated a commitment to working for social justice for the poor. These Public Service Awards are presented at the Spring Distinguished Speaker Lecture.
Marquette recognizes students who complete 50 hours of qualifying pro bono legal service with a service honor cord at graduation and induction into the Pro Bono Society, with special honors for those achieving 120 hours of pro bono service. Qualifying pro bono hours must be: (1) primarily legal in nature, (2) not for credit or compensation, (3) supervised by a licensed attorney, and (4) of service to low-income people, those with barriers to equal access to justice, or a nonprofit whose mission is to serve the same.
Visit http://www.law.marquette.edu/community/pro-bono-society for more information.
Students who have completed at least 50 hours or pro bono work are recognized at graduation with a special cord and notation in the commencement program. There is also an annual award for outstanding student pro bono work each year.
The school's Public Service Transcript Notation program provides recognition for appropriate public service legal work. For more information about the program, please visit https://www.nesl.edu/practical-experiences/pro-bono. The school also assists eligible students in being recognized by the Supreme Judicial Court through its Pro Bono Honor Roll program. https://www.mass.gov/guides/law-students-pro-bono-honor-roll-requirements-and-guidelines
The Dean Timothy J. Cronin, Jr., Award recognizes one graduating student who has shown the greatest promise of outstanding contributions to public service.
There are several award given for public interest work or pro bono service:
- The Alexander D. Forger Award for Distinguished Service to the Profession (given to a student for demonstrated commitment to the public interest)
- The Lung-chu Chen Award for Excellence in the field of Human Rights
- The Justice Rose E. Bird Award for Motivation in Pursuing Public Interest Law
- The New York State Bar Association Student Award (given to a student for demonstrated commitment to the public interest)
All students who have earned a public service certificate are recognized in the graduation program & receive a notation on their transcript.
Pro Bono Service Award - Graduating students performing at least 50 hours of pro bono work will receive a Pro Bono Service Award Certificate from the Dean. Students may also list the Pro Bono Service Award as an honor on their resume with the description "for completion of 50 or more hours of public service."
All students who have participated in pro bono activities during the previous academic year are recognized at a Pro Bono Student appreciation event held during Law Week, a week of special events and competitions held each year in April. Third-year students who have performed 75 or more hours of pro bono while in law school receive a certificate of recognition from the North Carolina Bar Association and are honored at the Law Week awards banquet.
Pro Bono students' names are printed in the Law School's newsletter, The Weekly, and on the school's announcement board, and they are treated to cookies and badges identifying them as "Pro Bono Superstars."
The Outstanding Graduate Student Awards annually recognize the accomplishments of individual graduate students in the greater Northeastern University community. Awards are given for research, practice-oriented education, and community service at an annual awards presentation program and reception in April. Northeastern law students typically receive one or more of these awards annually.
One Northeastern University School of Law student per year, along with one from each of the five other area law schools in the area, are recognized at the Association of Corporate Counsel-Northeast Branch (ACC) dinner for displaying exemplary ethical conduct in an internship, through a clinic, or in some other class situation.
The Northeastern Law Magazine profiles faculty and administrators who engage in pro bono and public interest service. A link to the magazine on-line is: www.neu.edu/law/magazine
In addition, faculty profiles emphasize public interest and pro bono work. See: http://www.northeastern.edu/law/faculty/directory/index.html
The Public Interest Law Scholars (PILS) are invited to an annual dinner hosted by one of the scholarship's major donors. This dinner brings current PILS scholars and PILS alumni/ae together to celebrate accomplishments, discuss the scholarship program, and welcome new recipients.
National Lawyers Guild (NLG) recognizes a student's contribution to social justice movements and to building the NLG at their schools. The NLG is the nation's first integrated bar association and exists for the purpose of representing progressive political movements, using the law to protect human rights above property interests and to attain social justice.
Clover Family Award - graduation award presented to graduate with the highest number of legal volunteer hours engaged during three years of law school.
Marla Dickerson Award - graduation award presented to graduate who has demonstrated the strongest commitment to public interest law.
Edward F. Diedrich Award - graduation award presented to graduate whose community service demonstrates a strong interest in protecting the civil rights of the underprivileged members of our community.
Student recognition for pro bono work is given by a transcript designation. The student most active in pro bono volunteer work is recognized at the annual pro bono luncheon of the Northern Kentucky Volunteer Lawyers.
Students who fulfill Northwestern Law’s public service hourly goal are honored at a luncheon during graduation week and receive special recognition at graduation. Their names are highlighted in the graduation bulletin, and they receive distinctive honor cords and tassels to wear at the graduation ceremony. There is special recognition for students who have committed significantly more time, including receiving a certificate of outstanding service and having their name placed on a permanent plaque at the law school.
The Peter Lardy Memorial Scholarship is given to the student for his or her contribution to the community.
The Pro Bono Honor Program is supported and recognized in a variety of ways at Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law. Each year, students are recognized for their commitment to pro bono with an awards certificate, by wearing a gold cord at graduation, and being recognized at an honors program.
Students who complete 30 hours of pro bono work receive a special certificate and a notation on their transcript.
At various levels of donated hours, Public Service Fellows are recognized at the College's Hooding and Honors Convocation ceremonies. Also honored are Pro Bono Publico honorees, Equal Justice Works and Skadden Fellows.
OCU recognizes students performing certain benchmark levels of pro bono service at an annual luncheon; students receive certificates and plaques for their hours of service. An alumnus of the school is also recognized for pro bono service and a noteworthy speaker from the region is invited to the luncheon. Students receiving the Dean's Summer Pro Bono and Public Interest Law Fellowships are also recognized at the luncheon,. Along with the supervising attorneys from their Fellowship host placement site. Fellowship recipients are also recognized at an annual law school awards ceremony in the spring. The Public Interest Law Group recognizes a faculty member for pro bono service at the same awards ceremony.
Students who have performed at least sixty hours of public interest work over the course of their law school careers can apply to be formally recognized as Public Interest Advocates at graduation. Each academic year, students are offered a minimum of two opportunities to submit certification applications in order to receive recognition as a public interest advocate. In addition to recognition at graduation, students are honored for their commitment to service at an annual reception. The Pro Bono Program gives special recognition to students who have completed those sixty hours in a pro bono setting, with no compensation in the form or credit or pay.
PILP recognition reception
Sappern recognition reception
Graduation awards reception for community service awards
Students who complete 35 hours of pro bono service will be recognized at commissioning, honored at a Public Interest Awards reception, and receive a Certificate of Completion signed by the Dean of the Law School.
Students who complete 100 hours of uncompensated law-related pro bono activity, that is not for academic credit, receive a certificate at the law school’s graduate reception. A Public Service Award is granted to a student or students who have been exemplary in serving the community. A Pro Bono Collaborative Award is granted to "a student or students who demonstrate professionalism, collaborative spirit and exemplary commitment to serving the community and promoting justice for the underrepresented through their PBC work."
Public Service Award
Pro Bono Collaborative Award
Clinical Legal Education Association Clinic Award
Clinical Legal Education Association Externship Award
Kathleen M. Birt Memorial Conflict Resolution Prize
Association of Corporate Counsel Northeast Chapter Law Student Ethics Award
All students who have been recognized for 100 or more hours of pro bono and the winners of the above awards are listed in the commencement program.
Full-time/part-time students who accumulate hours from eligible pro bono efforts receive graduation pro bono awards.
Pro Bono Publico Award: recognizes 50 (full-time)/35 (part-time) or more hours of pro bono service
Dean's Pro Bono Publico Award for Exceptional Service: recognizes 100/70 or more hours of pro bono service Dean’s Pro Bono Publico Award for Exceptional Service with Distinction: recognizes 200/140 or more hours of pro bono service
At the end of their final year of law school, all students who have provide 35 hours of pro bono service are invited to a reception at the law school. In addition, they wear a red carnation at graduation and are recognized during the commencement ceremony. Finally, the students receive a notation on their law school transcripts and a certificate upon graduation.
The University recognizes faculty members' pro bono service through the Distinguished Service Professor program.
The Pro Bono Service Project recognizes students with a Public Service Award which will be given at Commencement to students who have completed at least 500 hours of qualifying service.
Students who demonstrate an exceptional level of pro bono service, including dedicated service to specific pro bono projects will be eligible for additional awards at Commencement.
Each spring the Law School holds two awards ceremonies.
The Clarence Darrow Award Ceremony recognizes students and a member of the legal profession for their contributions to public service in the legal profession and through participation in community services projects.
On the day of graduation, graduating students are honored for their work in the legal clinic, and a third-year student is honored for his or her interest in civil rights and work with indigent clients.
Students
Students are encouraged to apply, if eligible, to gain membership into the State Bar of Texas Pro Bono College upon completion of 50 hours of legal pro bono service per year.
Students who complete at least 100 hours of public and/or pro bono service are recognized at graduation with a St. Mary’s University Pro Bono and Public Service Certificate.
Each semester, a St. Mary’s student is recognized by the Community Justice Program and AT&T’s Excellence in Pro Bono Legal Services Award.
Law School
St. Mary’s has previously received awards for its pro bono achievement, including the President’s Honor Roll for Community Service, 2013 and the Texas Access to Justice Commission Law School Commitment to Service Award.
Every year, St. Thomas Law recognizes its law students for completing 100 or more hours of pro bono service at the Annual Public Service Awards Program held in April. Law students who complete at least one hundred (100) hours of pro bono will be awarded Certificates of Commendation at a year-end ceremony. Also, these students will receive special recognition in the graduation program, be given a cord for graduation, and have this honor noted on their final transcript. The graduating 3L with the highest number of legal pro bono hours is awarded an inscribed plaque at the Commencement.
Each year students who complete at least 30 hours of pro bono work and/or recognized community service are awarded a certificate of merit and are honored with a reception given by the law school.
The Center for Social Justice and Public Services recognizes students for their pro bono service, awarding certificates at a special Social Justice Graduation held each spring. In addition, student pro bono work satisfies one of the requirements for a graduation certificate in Social Justice and Public Service. The Center also makes annual awards to faculty and staff who have contributed significantly to social justice.
The Access to Justice Institute hosts a special reception to recognize students who have contributed to the pro bono work done through the Institute. The AtJI awards students who contribute 50 hours or more of pro bono work with a special certificate. In addition, graduating student leaders and those who have contributed 100 hours or more of service throughout the year, are awarded a trophy upon in recognition of their word. The Institute also awards faculty and staff members and local attorneys, judges and community advocates who have made significant contributions to the Institute.
The Seattle Journal for Social Justice hosts a special rece
ption for students who work with and contribute to the journal. The Accesst to Justice Institute's Award of Distinction for Public Service - Professor Boerner was honored for his ongoing tenacity and vision for the Access to Justice Institute since its inception. He has served as a constant support, providing guidance, mentorship and encouragement for the Institute.
The Access to Justice Institute's Award of Distinction for Public Service - Professor Thomas Fischer - As a visiting professor of Conflict in Law, Prof. Fischer played a crucial role in the development of the Hague Project's bench guide chapter. He supervised, advised and edited the chapter while serving on the Project's judicial bench guide committee.
We honor public interest students and celebrate public interest service in our graduation ceremony program. The Law School recognizes and provides awards to selected graduates who contribute the greatest to the public interest. Contributions include student leadership in community service and pro bono work. The Center for Social Justice honors clinical students who excel in the provision of public interest legal services with awards. Also, students who complete at least one semester of pro bono work are individually named in the graduation booklet.
Each student who completes the 35 hour requirement of the Center for Social Justice's Pro Bono program is given a plaque.
Students donating 50 or more hours of service in the Pro Bono Honors Program qualify for special recognition. The special recognition takes two forms: a notation on the student's transcript, and a certificate presented during the awards ceremony at the May and December graduation luncheons.
The School of Law gives the Pro Bono Award to the student with the most pro bono hours at graduation.
Students performing 200 or more hours of law-related public service are recognized at graduation on the Pro Bono Honor Roll.
The Public Service Program Award Luncheon celebrates graduating students and selected recipients of: (i) the George and Katrina Woolverton Public Service Award; (ii) the Woolverton Family Public Interest Award and (iii) the Southwestern Public Interest Law Service Award. Each award category presents a selected graduating student with letters of recognition from local, state and federal elected officials, award certificates and a monetary award for their demonstrated commitment to pro bono or public interest career practice.
The Dean of the Law School also distributes letters of recognition for those continuing students who fulfilled a service pledge of a minimum of 25-hours in an academic year.
Students who undertake 50 hours or more of pro bono service during their three years at the law school will be recognized for their contributions at a reception in their honor, the annual Public Interest Awards ceremony and graduation.
In honor of William F. Blews (JD 1966), Stetson University College of Law has established an award to recognize those students who perform at least twice the number of pro bono hours required for graduation. Awards are presented to students at the Honors and Awards Ceremony prior to graduation. Recipients also wear blue cords over their robes at Commencement.
Every student who completes 50 hours of pro bono service by graduation will receive a letter from the Dean of the Law School and a notation on his/her academic transcript. Every student who completes 75 hours of pro bono service by graduation will receive a letter from the Dean of the Law School, a notation on his/her academic transcript, and a notation in the graduation bulletin. Every student who completes 100 hours or more of pro bono service by graduation will receive a letter from the Dean of the Law School, a notation on his/her academic transcript, a notation in the graduation bulletin, and a Pro Bono Certificate presented at the end-of-year Pro Bono Reception. In addition, each year one Day Division student and one Evening Division student who have performed exemplary pro bono service while in law school will be selected to receive special recognition at the annual Awards Ceremony during graduation weekend.
Informal recognition for student and faculty achievement in public interest and pro bono activities is also provided throughout the year via publications in the student newspaper, Dicta; in the Alumni Magazine; in the Rappaport Center's weekly e-letters; on the law school's website; and on the law school's internal computer system with daily announcements and updates for the law school community.
Haywood Burns/Shanara Gilbert Award - A national award presented yearly by the Northeast People of Color Legal Scholarship Conference to a law professor who has displayed exemplary activist work as a teacher, scholar, and lawyer. A national award presented yearly by the Northeast People of Color Legal Scholarship Conference to a law professor who has displayed exemplary activist work as a teacher, scholar, and lawyer.
Faculty can designate a Faculty Award to recognize a student who has excelled outside the classroom setting, which may include pro bono service.
The Dale S. Margulis Award is presented to the member of the graduating class who has contributed most to the Law School and the community.
The Distinguished Service Professorship is conferred upon faculty having achieved a distinguished reputation for service not only to the campus and the University, but also to the community, the State of New York or even the nation, by sustained effort in the application of intellectual skills drawing from the candidate's scholarly and research interests to issues of public concern. It is bestowed on faculty in any of the disciplines or fields of study.
The Women Lawyers of Western New York Award This award is a new award to be given annually to a woman member of the graduating class whose performance in academic and Law School activities in the areas of children's rights and/or family violence is exceptional. It is given by the Women Lawyers of Western New York.
Because the College of Law is proud of our students' commitment to pro bono and community service work, we have created a special recognition program. In order for a student to receive special recognition at graduation, a student must be in good academic standing and have completed at least 50 hours of pro bono and community service within this program. Students, Faculty, Alumni and staff gather for the Public Service Annual Recognition Reception, held in the Spring each year.
There are three categories of Pro Bono and Community Service Recognition Awards: Community Service Award (for students who have completed the recommended 50 hours of service); Blue Pro Bono Cord and Community Service Award (for students who have completed 75 hours of service) Orange Pro Bono Cord and Community Service Award (for students who have completed 100 hours of service). In addition, the top three graduating students providing the most pro bono and community service hours will be individually recognized.
There is an annual fall event where members of the Rubin Public Interest Law Society are recognized as well as recipients of summer SPIN grants.
There is a special awards ceremony which takes place before graduation. Two awards are given specifically for public interest:
The Henry Kent Anderson Human Services Award - Awarded to a student whose challenging career has deomstrated, through exemplary word and deed, a concern for the victims of society's inequities.
The Beth Cross Award - Awarded to graduates who are planning a career in public interest law and and who have demonstrated Ms. Cross' commitment and dedication to providing legal assistance to underserved populations.
The Lynne M. Abraham Award - Awarded to the graduating student with outstanding grades in Criminal Law and Professional Responsibility who plans to work in a public service position.
The Gideon Award - This award is given to a graduating student who will be working for the Defender Association of Philadelphia and who exhibits overall academic achievement.
In addition, during graduation ceremony, members of the Rubin Public Interest Law Honor Society are asked to stand and their names are also included in the graduation program.
At graduation, the dean of student affairs awards the Equal Justice Award to the graduate who has completed the most pro bono hours in excess of 100 hours. The student is awarded a plaque and his or her name is also engraved on a permanent plaque which remains in the law school.
In addition, a donor established the MacLean Boulware award to acknowledge a graduating student who has demonstrated a commitment to the law school and the community through service and involvement and shows promise to practice with high ethics.
Faculty and Institution Awards and Recognition:
- Several law professors and staff have been recognized for their efforts and participation in volunteering at the evening pro bono clinics.
- The Criminal Clinical Program, under the supervision of Criminal Clinic Director Patrick S. Metze, was recently awarded the prestigious Gideon Award and was also the recipient of the Texas Tech University Teaching Academy Departmental Excellence in Teaching Award for 2013.
- Three law professors (Larry R. Spain, Wendy Tolson Ross, and J. Wesley Cochran) have been recipients of the John Crews Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year Award presented by the Lubbock County Bar Association and Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas.
Student Awards and Recognition
- The Elma Moreno Pro Bono Award, named for the long-time director of the Equal Justice Volunteer Program of what was formerly known as West Texas Legal Services, recognizes a student for outstanding pro bono service with a cash stipend.
- Students subject to the public-service graduation requirement who perform at least 60 total hours before graduating will receive recognition and honors at graduation.
- Students admitted to the Pro Bono Honor Roll will be recognized for their service at the annual Honors and Awards Ceremony in April and held each spring and in the hooding-ceremony materials when they graduate.
- The Dean’s Award: 100 hours
- The Excellence Award: 50 hours
- The Honors Award: 30 hours
- The Texas Tech Law Pro Bono Achievement Award recognizes students who have performed at least 150 total hours over all three years.
- The Pro Bono Graduating Student of the Year Award is reserved for the top graduating pro bono student.
- Every year, Legal Aid of North WestTexas recognizes students for their participation and assistance at the pro bono legal clinics held throughout the community. Students are recognized at an annual recognition event co-sponsored by Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas Equal Justice Volunteer Project and the Lubbock County Bar Association.
- Several students have been recognized with the CLEA (Clinical Legal Education Association) award during the past years.
Upon completion of 40 hours of pro bono work, it is noted on the students' record that the Public Interest Law Perspective has been completed.
In addition, students public service work is recognized at a breakfast held the morning of graduation.
Pro bono and public interest work is also recognized with other Law School student awards.
Tulane Law School holds a ceremony and reception each year during which graduates are recognized for their unique contributions to pro bono and to community service. The Brian P. McSherry Community Service Award is given to the graduating student who has demonstrated the greatest dedication to the Law School's pro bono program. The General Maurice Hirsch Award is presented to the graduating student who has contributed most distinctively and constructively to university or community needs. In addition, University-wide awards are given to graduate students on the basis of outstanding service contributions. Also, the LSBA recognizes one law student from each of the 4 law schools at a yearly pro bono awards ceremony held at the LA Supreme Court.
Tulane Law School holds an annual recognition lunch in the spring term of the academic year. Students who have excelled in their individual pro bono contributions or in the leadership of organizations responsible for pro bono work are recognized at this event.
Amongst the numerous awards presented at the annual Spring Fling, are:
- Student-Funded Summer Grants (beginning Spring 2005), presented to select students that will work summer public interest jobs.
- Most Active Student Organization, a component of which is community service, including pro bono work.
The Lucy Sprague Public Service Scholarship is presented at May graduation to an individual that has made a demonstrated commitment to public service work while in law school and obtains post-graduate employment in furtherance of such public service commitment. Up to $25,000 is available to be awarded each year and typically goes to one student.
The Elmer C. Kissane Public Service Award is presented each December and May to one graduate that is starting a career with the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. The $5,000 award is presented to each recipient upon the completion of one year of post-graduate work with the Cook County State's Attorney's Office.
The Program Coordinator, with the assistance of the Assistant Dean for Career Services and Strategic Initiatives, tracks the total number of student community and pro bono service hours using a two-pronged methodology. First, students must complete a Certification of Supervisor form detailing, among other things, the hours worked, and the name and type of service project. This form must be signed by an authorized representative of the organization. Second, students must submit all hours in a web-based reporting application via Symplicity and upload their signed Certification of Supervisor form. To receive credit toward the graduation requirement students must complete both prongs of the reporting procedure by an established deadline for each semester. The Assistant Dean for Career Services and Strategic Initiatives. verifies and approves all hours submitted.
The student(s) (one full-time and one part-time) with the highest total number of pro bono hours at graduation, as determined by compiling the data received from the reporting procedure, are recognized at commencement and given a monetary award funded by a local law firm. Additionally, all graduating students who complete over 300 hours of pro bono and community service hours receive a certificate and gold cords to be worn at commencement and are recognized in the commencement program, and at a special ceremony held prior to commencement.
Students completing 150 or more hours of pro bono work during law school are recognized by The Supreme Court of Ohio and the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation.
Students volunteering at least 50 hours in a Legal Services office during their law school experience receive the Volunteer Lawyers Program Student Award from the Alabama Bar. These awardees are honored at the swearing-in ceremonies for new members of the Alabama Bar, and receive recognition in The Alabama Lawyer.
The Dean's Community Service Award was created in 1999 "to encourage law students to become involved in public interest activities in their communities, and to continue their involvement throughout their lives."To earn this award, law students must perform at least 40 hours of non-legal community service while in law school.
To be inducted into the Order of the Samaritan, a student must qualify for both the Law School's Dean's Community Service Award and the Alabama State Bar's VLP Student Award OR the Public Interest Institute's Independent Legal Public Service Program.
Students earning the Dean's Service Award wear a special cord at graduation and are recognized during the ceremony. Students earning the Order of Samaritan are recognized at graduation with presentation of a special service medallion.
Each month, one student participating in VLP Advocates is selected as the Outstanding Law Student of the Month Award. A plaque with the student's picture is erected in the law school campus.
Each fall, VLP sponsors an annual recognition luncheon for its entire program. At the luncheon, a law student is honored as the Outstanding Law Student of the Year.
In the spring, VLP organizes a law student recognition event held at Arizona Law. The law school dean and a Superior Court judge typically speak at the luncheon, where VLP thanks each of the students for their participation.
Students at the law school are encouraged to engage in pro bono and community service through a variety of means. Students who perform over 50 or 100 hours of pro bono receive formal recognition of their service. They are recognized with a notation on their transcript, in the graduation program, and with a medallion to be worn at graduation. They are also recognized at the School of Law’s annual award ceremony.
The Robert F. Fussell Pro Bono Award is given annually to the student who gives the most hours to pro bono service during their law school career. Service, giving and professional responsibility exemplified by Judge Fussell’s distinguished career in public service and his dedication to pro bono work.
During Pro Bono Week, the ten students with the highest number of pro bono hours are invited to an event with the Dean, the director of the Public Service and Pro Bono Program, and other faculty.
In 2019, the School of Law initiated a Pro Bono Fellowship Program. Each year, the Dean appoints one or more promising law students to serve as a University of Arkansas School of Law Pro Bono Fellow during their third year of law school. The fellowship recognizes and supports exemplary law students committed to pro bono. It also seeks to further promote pro bono and other forms of service by all of our law students. Pro Bono Fellows are selected based on their: interest in and commitment to pro bono and community service, significant leadership potential, and performance of substantial pro bono work. They serve as student leaders of the law school’s Public Service and Pro Bono Program. Among other things, they attend outreach events with other law students, participate in one-day clinics, assist with recruitment of students for pro bono service, and engage in planning related to the program.
Dean’s Certificate of Public Service
A student who completes 100 hours of public service during a 12 month period in which the student is in good standing at UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law will be awarded a Dean’s Certificate of Service, with the award noted on the student’s transcript. A student who completes 300 hours of public service during the period the student is in good standing at UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law will be awarded a Dean’s Certificate of Distinguished Service, which will also be noted on the student’s transcript.
For graduates who successfully complete the Public Interest Law Program, a special graduation ceremony is held to honor them. At the ceremony, students receive a certificate acknowledging them as a Public Interest Law Scholar.
Each year the Law Student Association bestows the Martin Luther King Jr. Service Award upon a graduating student who exemplifies Dr. King's vision and commitment to public service. In the nomination and selection of this prestigious award, special emphasis is placed on service performed without either credit or monetary compensation. Those represented offer a combination of competent legal representation and a commitment to the underrepresented and disenfranchised.
Students who fulfill the Berkeley Law Pro Bono Pledge (at least 50 hours of law-related volunteer work before they graduate) are honored at commencement and at the Public Interest & Pro Bono Graduation Ceremony. Pro bono work completed during their first and second years also helps students obtain eligibility to receive Edley Grants to fund their summer public interest work. Individual students also receive special recognition for exceptional service, e.g. the Francine Diaz Memorial, Eleanor Swift, and Brian M. Sax awards.
Students meeting the 45 hour goal prior to graduation will be inducted into the Pro Bono Society and recognized in the graduation program. This achievement will also be noted on the student's transcript. Students who meet the aspirational goal set for practicing attorneys and provide 150 hours of pro bono services during their tenure at Hastings will be recognized at graduation and on their transcripts for Outstanding Achievement in Pro Bono.
The UCI Law Awards Celebration honors students, faculty, and private attorneys that have participated in the Pro Bono Program and have demonstrated leadership skills. This event is held annually in the Spring and recognizes students for their pro bono achievements, especially those students who go above and beyond the recommended number of hours to be completed each year.
Awards given out at this event include: Pro Bono Independent Spirit Award, Most Pro Bono Hours, Pro Bono 50 & 100 (Hour) Clubs, Most Pro Bono Projects, Pro Bono Leadership Award and Pro Bono Achievement Awards (recognizing all students who met the recommended number of pro bono hours).
UCI Law graduates who complete more than 120 hours of pro bono service during their law school careers graduate with "Pro Bono Honors" and wear a cord over their graduation regalia. Those completing more than 200 hours of pro bono service graduate with "Pro Bono High Honors" and wear a gold stole over their graduation robes.
Students are encouraged to take the Pro Bono Pledge at the start of their time at UCLA Law. Students who complete 50 pro bono hours before graduation receive Pro Bono Distinction; students who complete 150 pro bono hours before graduation receive Pro Bono High Distinction. Pro Bono Highest Distinction is awarded to one to three students who log the most pro bono hours and play a leadership role in pro bono projects.
Students are also eligible to receive a U Serve LA award, given to students, alumni, faculty and staff who make significant contributions to pro bono and public interest. These awards are given at our annual U Serve LA celebration, where we celebrate our honorees and raise funds for pro bono and public interest programs at UCLA School of Law.
All students who complete at least 50 hours of pro bono service receive a Dean's Certificate of Recognition and all students who complete at least 250 hours receive Pro Bono Honors. These students also all receive special recognition at graduation. In addition, the graduating student completing the most pro bono hours receives a special Award of Excellence.
Student pro bono service is recognized through our transcript recognition program, which is voluntary. Students who provide 15 hours of law-related service in a given semester receive notations on their transcripts. Students are also recognized at the graduation ceremony as well as in the graduation program.
Recognition dinner each fall recognizes those students who received summer public interest fellowships the proceeding summer.
Annual Senior Dinner presents an award for Public Interest Service and Leadership.
Students who complete at least 50 hours of public service work will be recognized at graduation, and their public service will be reflected on their transcripts. The graduating 3L who earns and logs the most public service hours will be recognized at the Student Awards Banquet and will have their name added to a plaque.
The Clinics give an "Excellence in Clinical Legal Education" award to students, but this award is not tied to the number of hours students provide. It's an overall assessment made by the faculty who teach Clinics.
For faculty, there is the annual Clifford J. Calhoun Public Service Award.
Students receive recognition certificates for outstanding service based on number of hours worked in pro bono projects. The Law School also recognizes student commitment to public service through individual awards at graduation including the Honorable M. Joseph Blumfeld Prize, the National Association of Women Lawyers Award, the Joseph F. Noonan Memorial Award, and the Women Law Students Association Award.
All students who devote a significant amount of time to pro bono service during their law school careers will be recognized formally at graduation, will wear a special cord at the ceremony, and receive a special notation on their transcripts designating their service.
Yearly, the Student Law Office gives awards to the best students in each of their five clinics. The externship office also gives awards to the best students in public sector and judicial externships.
The Dean often sends out email acknowledgments to the students and faculty when both students and faculty are involved in significant pro bono accomplishments.
Students have also been nominated for, and won, outside awards such EJW service award, post graduate public service fellowships, and law student of the year.
We have an Annual Recognition event where students receive certificates for their service, student groups are recognized for their contributions and the the pro bono student of the year is named.
Pro bono students are listed in the Commencement Program
The UGA School of law annually presents the Ellen R. Jordan Award at graduation to a student who demonstrates a strong commitment to and achievement in the practice of public interest law.
The School of Law's chapter of the Equal Justice Foundation presents annual awards to an outstanding public interest student and practicing attorney.
The school's Environmental Law Association presents an annual award for environmental advocacy.
Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii sponsors a Pro Bono Award for Students.
Pro Bono Service with Distinction is awarded to graduating students that complete more than 100 hours of pro bono service. One graduating student is selected each year for the Above and Beyond award for their dedication to pro bono service.
Class of 1996 Public Interest Award
The Class of 1996 endowed an award for a student who participates in a summer legal pro-bono opportunity each year. Students are selected for this award primarily on their personal statement regarding their public interest goals.
David Schulman Student Engagement Award
This annual award for a 3L student is intended to reward students who have been fully engaged in both academic and extra-curricular offerings at the College of Law. The recipient must have maximized their opportunities for growth in the legal community by actively engaging in multiple academic and extra-curricular activities including, but not limited to, legal journals, moot court and other skills competitions, clinics and field placements, College of Law student government, College of Law faculty/student committees, public interest, and officer-level leadership in student organizations. Additional legal engagement, such as volunteering legal services to non-profits, is also be considered.
Larry Travis Bushong Student Award
This award arises from an annual writing competition which results in the selection of the best student written article or paper dedicated to presenting topics relating to gay and lesbian legal rights issues.
Pro Bono Notation
The College of Law offers an optional Pro Bono Notation on its transcripts for students who perform at least 60 hours of pro bono service during their three years of law school. The notation appears on the official and unofficial transcripts of qualified students. It also appears on the students’ grade report for the semester in which the Pro Bono Notation is earned. Earned Pro Bono Notations are also listed for each qualified student, as one of the limited student awards listed in the Graduation Program.
Rickert Award for Excellence in Service
One of several awards established in memory of Joseph W. Rickert, a distinguished local lawyer, recognizes annually the achievements of third year students who have demonstrated an outstanding degree of commitment and excellence in providing Public Service or Service to the College of Law. Up to eight awards may be issued each year. Rickert Award winners are honored at a dinner where their individual accomplishments are acknowledged, identified in the graduation program, and given monetary and commemorative recognition of their achievements.
Public Interest Law Foundation Summer Public Interest Grants
Funded in part by the proceeds of the SBA/PILF Auction, the Public Interest Law Foundation annually issues multiple awards for students engaged in government or public interest summer work. Public interest opportunities include direct legal work for government placements (e.g. public defender, judicial externship, EPA, etc.), and non-profit organizations. A primary part of the selection criteria is the applicant’s demonstrated commitment to a career in public interest.
SBA Leadership & Engagement Grants
Funded by the proceeds of the SBA/PILF Auction, the Engagement and Leadership Grant Program is an SBA initiative to assist College of Law students who will spend their summers providing legal work in government or public interest positions for little or no compensation. Additionally, the grants are designed to recognize students who have demonstrated engagement or leadership which has contributed to the College of Law.
Outside Public Service Awards
Countless other outside public service awards are promoted to the College of Law students through a weekly newsletter, intranet postings, and through separate promotional emails sent directly to students.
The Boyd Service Award is bestowed at graduation on students who have completed at least 100 hours of service. The award is recognized by a designation on the diploma and by wearing an honor cord at the commencement ceremony.
The Pro Bono Society is a law student group that emphasizes the importance of public service and volunteerism in the legal profession. The Pro Bono Society serves as a vehicle to assist law students seeking to earn the Boyd Service Award. Membership is an earned honor that signifies an objectively measured commitment to serving others during the school year, as well as the development of the skills and values important to a life of public service in the tradition of "pro bono publico." Students must complete 15 hours of service and attend at least one "Lawyers and Leaders" program each semester to be eligible for membership.
The following awards are presented to graduates at the Hooding Ceremony. The Walter Hiersteiner Outstanding Service Award is given to the 3L student whose service to his or her fellow students in the school of law or the university community demonstrates the greatest promise for contribution to the legal profession and to society. The Justice Lloyd Kagey Leadership Award is also awarded to a 3L student who has most distinguished himself or herself through leadership in the School of Law. The Samuel Mellinger Scholarship, Leadership, and Service Award is given to the 3L student who has most distinguished himself or herself in the combined areas of scholarship, leadership and service. The Robert F. Bennett Award is given to the 3L whose undergraduate degree is from a Kansas University or college, and who has demonstrated leadership qualities through public service. The Janean Meigs Memorial Award is given to the graduate who has demonstrated a caring spirit in service to the students of the university and/or the community at large.
The College has recently established the Robert E. Harding, Jr. Professorship to support a faculty member whose work advocates the rights of, and justice for, the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized.
The Samuel L. Greenebaum Award is given to the law student achieving the highest number of pro bono hours.
Third year students who have met the 80-hour pro bono legal public service standard are honored at a special pro bono/public service luncheon held during graduation week in the spring. Honorees are presented with a certificate.
The names of those students who have met the 80-hour pro bono standard are listed in a special section of the commencement program, and a notation is added to each of their diplomas.
Maine State Bar Association Pro Bono Student Award - This award is given to a student whose law-related service to the community, without compensation or academic credit, exemplifies the legal profession's tradition of pro bono service.
Graduates receive Public Service Award for graduating law students from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law who, during their law school careers, have engaged in service and legal work that significantly advances the public interest. Also, the following Awards noted at graduation celebrate the public service accomplishments and commitment to public service of graduating law students: The Hoffberger Clinical Law Prize; The Community Scholar Prize; The Anne Barlow Gallagher Prize; Ward Kershaw Fund Award and The William P. Cunningham Awards and the Rose Zetzer Fellows.
The law school recognizes students who perform pro bono service that significantly exceeds the 30 hours required by giving the following awards at the time of graduation: the "Servant of Justice Award" for performing at least 100 hours, and the "Leader for Justice Award" for performing 200 or more hours.
The Law School offers two awards to formally recognize students' contributions to pro bono work and general community service:
1. The Rodney K. Smith Award is given annually to one student in recognition of exemplary pro bono work based on the quantity, character, and content of the work. .
2. The Dean's Distinguished Service Award requires legal service or general community service and is presented to all students who have given at least 30 hours of service within one semester or more. Recipients are eligible to wear honor cords at graduation. .
Students from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law are often recipients of outside awards. Our students recently received the following awards:
1. The Irvin Bogatin Social Justice Award, which is presented annually to a student who exemplifies the fulfillment of an attorney's responsibility to provide access to justice to low-income persons and to advance the cause of social justice. It is presented by the Bogatin family through the Memphis Bar Association. .
2. The Memphis Area Legal Service's Law Student Volunteer of the Year Award. .
3. The Tennessee Bar Association's Law Student Volunteer of the Year Award. .
4. The Pro Bono Publico Award, which is a national award given out by PSLawNet.org or PSJD.org to a law student who has dedicated his or her career to serving the public. .
Exemplary Service Award
A qualified candidate is one who engaged in meaningful service to the community through an existing organization or clinic. Service is broadly defined to include both "law-related" work and other work. Service includes advocacy on behalf of low-income, underrepresented and disenfranchised individuals, as well as work on behalf of non-profit, religious, or educational organizations whose overall mission and activities are designed to address the needs of the above-mentioned individuals or other public interest-related causes (such as human rights, environmental justice, etc.). A student who receives academic credit and/or compensation for this work is not disqualified from receiving this award.
Innovative Service in Public Interest
This award recognizes innovation in the creation of a new program, or in the meaningful expansion of an existing program, and may be given to an individual student, a group of students, or a student organization. The program may relate to any public interest endeavor. A student who receives academic credit and/or compensation for the work is not disqualified from receiving this award. Student work that qualifies involves: (1) work on behalf of the poor or organizations whose overall mission is to assist the poor; (2) work to secure or protect civil rights, civil liberties or public rights, or charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental and educational organizations in matters in furtherance of their organizational purposes; and, (3) participation in activities for improving the law, the legal system or the legal profession.
Each year, we award a Pro Bono Service Award to one or more outstanding 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls, and LLMs. We also award an annual Outstanding Pro Bono Project Award.
Students who complete the Voluntary Pro Bono Pledge attend an annual banquet in their honor, a certificate signed by the dean, and recognition in our graduation program.
Law students who volunteer for at least 50 hours over their law school careers are recognized at a ceremony before their graduation. They receive a certificate, transcript note, and are eligible for certain scholarships. In addition, MJF recognizes one outstanding law student volunteer at their annual awards celebration.
At the end of the Academic Year, students achieving a specified number of hours of pro bono work are recognized with a certificate. There is further recognition for those students in each class who have performed the highest number of pro bono hours each year.
There is a faculty award that is given to a student for community service.
Pro Bono Certificate
Students are encouraged to complete at least 50 hours of pro bono law-related services while enrolled at the College of Law. Students who complete at least 50 hours of qualified pro bono work while enrolled as a student at the College of Law will receive from the Dean at graduation a Pro Bono Certificate and a notation of this accomplishment will be made on the graduation program*. Students earning a Pro Bono Certificate will also be honored with pro bono cords at graduation. Moreover, students completing:
- 75 hours to 99 hours will receive a Pro Bono Certificate, Silver Level.
- 100 to 199 hours will receive a Pro Bono Certificate, Gold Level.
- 200 hours or more will receive a Pro Bono Certificate, Platinum Level.
The Pro Bono Certificate awarded will be reflected on the student’s official transcript.
Student Award for Outstanding Impact through Pro Bono Service
Each year a student may be presented with an award for his or her outstanding impact through pro bono service. The impact may be measured by reviewing a single act or project, or multiple acts or projects performed by the student during his or her enrollment at the College of Law. Criteria to be considered may include, but is not limited to: total pro bono hours, record of pro bono work performed, and the overall impact the pro bono work has had on a community or underserved population.
Nominations for the award will be solicited and accepted by March 31 of each year. Upper-class students at the College of Law are eligible for nomination for the award. Nominations may be accepted from students, faculty, administration and staff, or by self-nomination. Nominations should include a detailed description of the pro bono work completed by the student nominated, including a description of the impact the work has had on a community or underserved population.
The Pro Bono Committee will review nominations and vote to select the recipient of the award. An announcement will be made shortly thereafter. In the event of a tie, or where two students are determined to be equally deserving of the award, the Committee may select two recipients for the award. The award will be reflected on the student’s official transcript.
The School conducts a reception each semester honoring all students who participated in the Community Free Legal Education Service Program. Outstanding students in the program are awarded certificates and scholarships for their service.
Additional annual awards are the Barbara Buckley Community Service Award awarded to an outstanding graduating student who contributed significantly to the outside community and to the law school community and the Clark County Outstanding Student Pro Bono Award awarded to a student for outstanding pro bono contributions in the legal community.
Deans Certificate for Exemplary Pro Bono Contributions
Upon graduating from the University of New Hampshire School of Law, law students are acknowledged and rewarded for their continued pro bono contributions. During graduation, student awardees receive certificates of achievements signed by the Dean of the Law School and are publically acknowledged by UNH School of Law faculty and their fellow law students.
The UNH School of Law Teen Court program was a 2010 finalist for the Spirit of New Hampshire Award—an award recognizing excellence in volunteerism and active contributions to the New Hampshire community. Law students volunteering as Teen Court mentors will be attending a statewide banquet to honor the program.
UNH School of Law Annual Public Service Dinner
The Annual Public Service Dinner, held during the spring semester, brings faculty, students, and local community members together to celebrate and honor leaders promoting social justice. A social justice leader and UNH Law School social justice activities are recognized and rewarded at this annual event.
Student awards at graduation include an annual award for social justice, clinical honors, and awards for contributions to Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Pro Bono Publico Awards
Each April, the Pro Bono Program hosts its Pro Bono Publico Reception. The reception honors students' pro bono efforts throughout the year. The ceremony recognizes 3L students that completed over 75 hours of pro bono service while in law school and yearly award winners for the Pro Bono Publico Awards (recognizing an alumnus, faculty member, student group, 1L, 2L, 3L, and graduating student for their pro bono contributions throughout the year). The ceremony is attended by students, faculty, staff, and attorney partners.
North Carolina State Bar
Each year, the North Carolina State Bar recognizes one graduating UNC Law student for his or her pro bono work.
Recognition at Graduation & Transcript Notations
Students who complete one hundred or more hours of pro bono service are recognized individually at the May commencement ceremony. Students documenting 50+, 75+, or 100+ hours of pro bono service receive notations on their UNC Law transcripts.
Invitation and Participation in Special Events
Since 2016, the Program has hosted an invitation-only networking event with alumni and attorney partners early in the Spring semester for graduating students with 75 or more hours of pro bono service. The goal of the event is to help students transition their passion for pro bono into practice.
Students and faculty who work more than 25 hours on pro bono projects in an academic year are recognized at an annual Pro Bono Awards Reception. Graduating students are recognized at Commencement.
Students who engage in pro bono are recognized multiple times during each academic year. During ABA Celebrate Pro Bono Week, students who have participated in pro bono the previous year are recognized. Oregon Law awards multiple awards at the end of each academic work, including Pro Bono Honors for any 3rd year student who has met the pro bono hour goal for students. Other honors include recognizing a student from each class who has done the most pro bono in the past year. Two 3Ls are selected each year for outstanding pro bono service and awarded scholarships.
Each year the law school holds a Public Interest Recognition Reception for students participating in public interest and pro bono programs. A third year student is also awarded the Distinguished Public Interest Student award.
In the Anual Awards Ceremony, a certificate is given to each of the students who participated in the Enlace Program
Pro Bono Certification Award and Recognition Program recognizes students who devote significant time to perform pro bono service and public interest work during their law school careers.
Each spring, the UST School of Law has a Mission Awards Ceremony in which it recognizes students, staff, and faculty who have exemplified the law school's mission and vision. One category of award focuses on community and service. In addition, one member of the first-year class, the second-year class, and the third-year class is recognized with a Living the Mission Award which recognizes students with the highest level of commitment to the Public Service aspect of the Mission of UST. In addition, as part of graduation, the commencement program recognizes all graduates who have logged more than 150 services hours – three times our graduation requirement.
Student Pro Bono Legal Advocates holds a dinner and reception recognizing PBLA's membership and board. At the dinner, various awards are presented including awards for the student who has volunteered the most hours and for the outstanding student from each legal clinic.
Several public interest awards are presented at the law school's awards ceremony including an award by the Center for Public Interest Law for the most outstanding public interest advocate and by the Childrens' Advocacy Institute for the most outstanding child advocate. An Alec Cory Pro Bono Service award is also given. Students who have volunteered over 50 hours of pro bono service are identified by wearing honor cords at graduation.
Students are asked to commit to deliver a minimum of 75 hours of pro bono services over the course of their three years at USF Law by signing the Pro Bono Pledge. Students who perform 25 hours (first year of study), 50 hours (second year of study), or 75+ hours (third or final year of study) of unpaid, supervised legal work are eligible for a pro bono publico award.
At our annual end-of-year Public Interest Celebration, we award pro bono publico awards to all eligible students. We also recognize those students who have earned a Public Interest Law Certificate (which requires a combination consisting of coursework, a writing requirement, practicum "pro bono" hours and community service).
At the annual Law School Awards luncheon for academic and service awards to students and faculty, 10 Outstanding Student Pro Bono Awards are presented and 1 Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year . In addition the Pro Bono Program presents an award to the "Outstanding Student Organization" for their demonstrated commitment to the goals of the Pro Bono Program.
Many of the general student awards have a pro bono factor in their criteria.
Individual letters of recognition sent to parents or significant persons upon graduation; external and internal law school and University publications; personal notes of thanks sent during the year upon completion of significant events or activity.
The State Bar of South Dakota created and now presents during its annual meeting the William F. Day, Jr., Pro Bono Award, which in 2010 was presented to law student Andrea Rosenburg of Buffalo, NY.
The PILF Spring Awards Luncheon honors summer grant and clinical fellowship recipients, outstanding alumni and students in public interest, post-graduate fellowship recipients, and students and student organizations who fulfilled more than 100 hours of public interest service.
The Annual Law School Awards ceremony honors recipients of Shattuck Awards, Mason Brown Award and the Miller-Johnson Equal Justice Award -- all of which place an emphasis on service to the community.
The faculty adopted a pro bono policy which provides that students that engage in significant pro bono work while students at the College of Law will receive at graduation accolades. More specifically, students that dedicate 25+ hours of pro bono service will receive certificates of recognition, students that engage in 50+ hours of pro bono service will receive pins in addition to the certificates, and students that engage in 75+ hours of pro bono service receive cords to wear at graduation in addition to the certificates and pins. Additionally, all student participants are recognized in the graduation program.
Prior to graduation a pro bono recognition banquet sponsored by the College is held that honors all students that participated in a significant manner during the academic year. This banquet is attended by faculty and staff as well as students, and generally features a speaker from the local bar association.
Students that engage in Alternative Spring Break also receive certificates of recognition for their service during this event.
Texas Law Fellowships, a student organization, presents annual Excellence in Public Interest Awards to students, faculty, and attorneys at a reception each spring.
The Justice Center presents annual awards in recognition of outstanding pro bono and public service work to graduating students each spring
The top 6 clinical program students are honored annually and awarded $1,000 at a Kennedy Center program sponsored by Jack Olender, a local attorney and philanthropist.
The School of Law's web site and quarterly newsletter, the ADVOCATE, celebrate and acknowledge individual student pro bono accomplishment. The ADVOCATE is mailed to approximately 6,000 members of the community. See http://www.law.udc.edu
Pacific McGeorge Capital Center for Public Law & Policy recognizes students who work on behalf of others in legal or community service as they earn their law degrees. Students receive the Capital Commendation for Public Service at the:
- Star (50 hour),
- Superstar (100 hour), or
- Extraordinary Commitment (150 hour) levels
Capital Commendation students receive a certificate acknowledging their achievement, special notation in the graduation program, and a special reception celebrating their accomplishments
Students participating in the Public Service Commendation Program may be selected for the annual Outstanding Public Service Volunteer award.
The Martin Belsky Award in Public Interest Law is awarded annually to a graduating student who has demonstrated commitment in the areas of public service, diversity, religious respect and promotion of constitutional values.
The Dicta Public Service Award is awarded annually by a vote of the student body to the student or student group who during the previous year demonstrated the most outstanding efforts and commitment in the area of public service.
The Scott A. Sanditen Memorial Award is awarded annually to a student who exemplifies Mr. Sanditen's service to the community and helping those in need.
Graduating students who report a minimum of twenty hours of public service are permitted to note that in the graduation program along with other honors.
Graduating students completing 50 or more volunteer service hours are recognized in the graduation program and receive their "Certificate of Service" by graduation. They are also recognized in various materials relating to PBI. PBI volunteers are nominated for various awards throughout the year, such as the Utah Celebrates Pro Bono Law Student Award and the Utah State Bar's Law Student Award.
David T. Lewis Clinical Award
This award honors a student (or students) who have demonstrated an outstanding devotion to clinical work. The recipient must have utilized the Clinical Program to his/her optimal educational advantage and achieved identifiable educational benefit (or accomplishments) through that clinical work. Additionally, the recipient must have distinguished him/herself primarily through successful clinical work (rather than through other activities or endeavors.)
Steven Magleby Memorial Award
Steven Magleby was a graduate of the University of Utah College of Law who devoted much of his professional life to defending and advocating for the rights of people with disabilities. He served for many years as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Disability Law Center. He championed the rights of people with disabilities and set a high standard for legal advocates and attorneys representing and advocating for people with disabilities. Because of the generous donations and contributions by the family and friends of Steven Magleby, a Memorial Law Student Fellowship Fund has been created to honor his memory. Beginning in June of 2000, the Steven Magleby Memorial Law Student Fellowship Fund will present a scholarship to an outstanding University of Utah College of Law student who demonstrates a devotion to furthering the goals for which Steven dedicated so much of his life.
Recognition of all of pro bono and Lewis Award achievements are noted in the Res Gestae alumni magazine.
Students who complete their required hours receive a certificate of recognition at the end of their first and second years.
Graduating students who have logged at least 75 pro bono hours are recognized in the commencement brochure and receive a certificate of completion signed by the Dean.
The Law School’s annual Pro Bono Award is granted to a graduating J.D. student who demonstrates an “extraordinary commitment” to pro bono service and who exemplifies pro bono leadership through delivery of essential volunteer legal services to underserved communities. Award recipients are selected, not only on the basis of the number of hours of service performed, but also on the substance and scope of their work. Those honored with the pro bono award volunteer well in excess of the 75 hours required to meet the Pro Bono Challenge. In honor of their achievement, the award recipient is recognized at the Law School’s graduation ceremony and receives an award commemorating their pro bono contributions.
Students, Faculty, Alumni and Staff receive law school sponsored awards in recognition of their public service at the following events:
Annual Student Public Interest Law Association Dinner and Auction (Hall of Fame Inductees).
Annual Alumni Awards Dinner
Annual Law School Student Bar Association Gala Awards (awards are given to students, faculty, staff and alumni)
Pro Bono Honors Annual Recognition Event (Pro Bono Honors Program Award and Pro Bono Student of the Year Award)
The Pro Bono Society was formed in September 2011 to recognize the outstanding efforts of law students engaged in pro bono during their tenure at UW Law School. Students who graduate in 2014 or later and complete a minimum of fifty hours of pro bono services will be inducted into the Pro Bono Society and graduate with pro bono distinction.
At the end of each school year, a reception is held to recognize those students who completed the VLS Pro Bono Pledge.
The Junius Allison Legal Aid Award and the Carl Rutkowski Clinic Award are announced at graduation.
The Student Bar Association recognizes a student each year for his or her contributions to pro bono/public service at the school.
At the annual Awards Ceremony, Vermont Law School recognizes numerous students for their accomplishments, including the recipient of the National Association of Women Lawyers Award, which is given to a graduate who has contibuted to the advancement of women in society and promotes issues and concerns of women in the legal profession.
The Kempner Award is named after former Vermont Law School Dean Maximilian W. Kempner. Max Kempner holds the profession and its members to the highest standards of competence, integrity, respect, fair mindedness, and public service. The award is given each year to the graduating student who throughout his or her law school career best exemplifies these attributes.
Luncheon and video scroll of all "scholarship", which includes pro bono and/or public interest service.
Vermont Law School recognizes and celebrates students who receive external awards for their public interest efforts, including Schweitzer Fellows and Vermont Campus Compact Award recipients.
The Villanova Law Alumni Association annually gives the Law Alumni Award for Pro Bono Service to the third-year student who has contributed the most meaningful service to those in need. In deciding who should be the recipient of the award, the committee considers both direct and indirect service. The Alumni Association also gives the Donald W. Dowd Alumni Association Award for Public Service, which recognizes outstanding service by alumni to society. The award is presented to an alumnus or alumna who has dedicated time and energy to the public welfare. The Law School also selects third-year students to receive the Eve Biskind Klothen Law Student Public Interest Award, which is presented by the Philadelphia Bar Association annually at its summer Quarterly Meeting.
Students are also recognized through the Dorothy Day Award for Pro Bono Service, which acknowledges students who have volunteered at the inception of their careers to take on the added responsibility of pro bono service by providing direct representation to the poor or disenfranchised. The award is named for Dorothy Day (1895-1980), a Catholic journalist and peace and justice activist who co-founded the Catholic Worker and established Houses of Hospitality to help feed, clothe and comfort the poor. To be eligible for the award, Villanova Law students must complete a minimum of 60 hours of pro bono service during their three years of law school.
Each year the Dean and the Villanova Law Alumni Association Leadership host a brunch, designed to welcome members of the graduating class into the Association and to celebrate the tradition of service by Villanova Law students and graduates. The program includes presentations of the Law Alumni Award for Pro Bono Service and Dorothy Day Service Awards to third year students.
American Bar Association Judith Weightman Award (2012)
North Carolina Bar Association Law School Pro Bono Award (2013)
American Bar Association Day of Service Award (2016)
Smith Anderson Award (given each year for great community service)
Law students that complete more than 100 hours of uncompensated law related service are awarded a certificate and honored at commencement.
Washington University School of Law grants special recognition to students who make significant public service contributions. Every spring the School of Law holds the Public Service Law Celebration for students and supervisors who volunteered during the year, student organization leaders, Public Interest Summer Stipend recipients, and others who have made significant contributions to public service programs. At the Celebration, the Public Service Law Student of the Year and the Public Service Employer of the Year awards are presented.
The Public Service Student of the Month award is designed to highlight dedicated students. The chosen student's picture and a description of what the student is doing are featured on the Public Service Project's bulletin board in the Student Commons.
Commitment to public service is recognized on transcripts with the following labels:
- Public Service Project Participant, with honors: 15-25 hours in one year.
- Public Service Project Participant, with high honors: 25-45 hours in one year.
- Public Service Project Participant, with highest honors: 45 or more hours in one year.
The Pro Bono & Public Service award is given to graduating students in recognition of outstanding pro bono and/or public service commitment. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs and the Public Service Coordinator select each year's recipients.
Since the inception of the pro bono program, well over one hundred (100) students have fulfilled their pledge to devote fifty (50) hours of pro bono legal services and earned the Warrior Pro Bono Award. Graduates who have fulfilled the pledge and earned the award are celebrated in their commencement program and provided an honor cord in recognition of their devotion to pro bono legal services.
Annual event at which students performing exemplary public interest work are recognized.
Students meeting 25 hour public service challenge are recognized at graduation hooding ceremony.
Recent highlights of Faculty and Administrative Staff awards and recognition include:
Amy Bandow, Assistant Professor has been recognized annually by the Supreme Court of Florida for performing at least 20 hours of pro bono in the service years 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017.
Laura Bare Tankel, Associate Director Career and Professional Development: Recipient, 13th Judicial Circuit, Florida Pro Bono Recognition Awards 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Daniela Mendez, Director Tampa Bay Campus, was recognized at the 2021 Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Service Award Ceremony for her community service with Crossroad for Florida Kids. Ms. Mendez completed over 100 community service hours for the organization during the 2020-2021 school year.
As all students must satisfy a pro bono graduation requirement, the School of Law does not award other pro bono related awards at this time.
The Standing Pro Bono Committee of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts has conferred the John Adams Pro bono Publico Award upon recent graduates of the School of Law, and we are honored to count a past recipient of the award as a current faculty member.
- Certificate of Public Service - 40+ hours of public service
- Certificate of Distinguished Public Service - 100+ hours of public service
- Certificate of Exemplary Public Service - 200+ hours of public service
- Wallace Davis Public Service Award
- Robert Green Public Service Award
In the spring of each semester, there is a student awards ceremony that serves to recognize students for service and academic achievement. At this ceremony awards are given to students based on a high level of commitment to public interest. At graduation, students who have earned pro bono distinction are noted in the graduation program and wear an honorary red cord.
In the spring, there is a student awards ceremony on each law school campus that serves to recognize students for service and academic achievement. At this ceremony, students who have earned pro bono distinction receive certificates. In addition, students who have won summer public interest fellowships are recognized. Several awards/scholarships for a demonstrated commitment to public interest are also given. In Harrisburg, a Dean of Students Pro Bono Award is given. Students, their families, faculty, and donors are all invited to this event. A reception follows the ceremony.
At graduation, students who have earned pro bono distinction are noted in the graduation program and wear an honorary red cord.
Willamette gives an annual Pro Bono Student of the Year award to the graduating student who has contributed the most pro bono work during law school. All students who participate in the Pro Bono Honors Program are honored at our Spring Reception. Those completing the minimum number of hours required earn certificates.
The Pro Bono Honors Program is designed to encourage students to participate in community-based volunteer legal service projects. The Program allows students to enhance their learning experience through hands-on involvement in the community, while providing valuable services to people in need. Students may also participate by volunteering beyond the hours required for academic credit in clinics and externships. Doing so permits them to continue developing their legal skills while serving the public."
The Virginia State Bar has honored the volunteer attorneys and students of William & Mary's Lewis B. Puller, Jr. Veterans Benefits Clinic with the Lewis F. Powell, Jr., Pro Bono Award. Students’ work in other clinics and the Coastal Policy Practicum also has garnered recognition.
William & Mary students have won the Virginia State Bar’s Oliver White Hill Law Student Pro Bono Award numerous times. The award annually recognizes one recipient among all Virginia law schools for extraordinary achievement in pro bono and undercompensated public service in Virginia.
The Law School confers student awards for which public service is a criterion.
The work of the student groups is celebrated at the bi-annual Public Service Reception. The reception serves to celebrate the service of the Law School community. An important part is to honor one student organization and one clinic that have performed especially noteworthy public service. This selection is based on student nominations and votes, which the Student Representatives administer on behalf of the Career Development Office.
During Public Law Advocacy Week, Cardozo hosts its Annual Public Service Recognition Ceremony, INSPIRE! The event honors students, faculty, staff, and alumni in our community who INSPIRE us to serve the public good.
During graduation ceremonies, the Law School recognizes outstanding public service law students through a variety of awards, including:
- E. Nathanial Gates Award: for outstanding academic work or public advocacy that contributes to the achievement of equal justice under law.
- Jonathon Weiss Award for Public Interest Law: for commitment to public interest law during the student's law school career.
- Stanley H. Beckerman Public Interest Award: for outstanding commitment to assisting less fortunate persons in need of legal representation by virtue of excellent performance in a clinic, exceptional qualities, and career choice.
- Archie A. Gorfinkel Award: for the most promising and accomplished graduate entering the field of criminal law.
12/16/2022