Directory
William and Mary Law School
William and Mary
Law School Pro Bono Programs
Contact Information
Lauren Curran
Assistant Dean, Career Services
757-221-5814
[email protected]
Category Type
Formal Voluntary Pro Bono Program Characterized by a Referral System with Coordinators
Description of Programs
Pro bono service takes many forms at William & Mary Law School, including: Eviction Diversion Program: A partnership among the Greater Richmond Bar Foundation, Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, and Central Virginia Legal Aid Society, EDP protects low-income tenants from eviction. Attorneys and students serve as third-party neutrals by facilitating payment plans that help people stay in their homes. Students for the Innocence Project: Assisting the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project to exonerate wrongly-convicted inmates, students participate in investigation and research of claims of actual innocence. Wills for Seniors: Students work with attorneys from the law firm of Williams Mullen to conduct intake interviews and help draft, execute, and witness wills and advance medical directives for low-income clients referred by the Peninsula Agency on Aging. Students also provide substantial unpaid, credit-bearing legal service through externships and clinics. The range and breadth of student nonlegal community service is as diverse as our students themselves. They volunteer on campus, in greater Williamsburg, in their home communities, and throughout the United States and the world.
Other than through the Law School’s clinics, William & Mary does not provide pro bono assistance directly to members of the public. People seeking pro bono help may want to use these resources: (1) their local legal aid provider; (2) the Virginia State Bar’s Free Legal Answers and Lawyer Referral Service.
Location of Programs
All programs are administered through the Office of Externships and Public Service or the Clinics Office.
Staffing/Management/Oversight
Not a dedicated staff position. Pro bono staff handles externships as well.
Funding
Funding for staff and programmatic activities is provided through the Law School operating budget. Several clinics are funded through a mix of private support and grant funding.
Faculty and Administrative Pro Bono
Members of the faculty and administration provide pro bono service, but that service is not tracked formally.
Awards/Recognition
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.
Alternative Spring/Winter Break Pro Bono
None.
Law School Public Interest Programs
Contact Information
Robert E. Kaplan
Associate Dean and Professor of the Practice
757-221-3804
[email protected]
Certificate/Curriculum Programs
J.D. students may earn academic concentrations, including one in Public Interest and Social Justice.
Public Interest Centers
Information about public interest centers is here.
PI Career Support Center
Through individual advising, programs and workshops, and library resources, the professionals in the Office of Career Services devote substantial time to helping students and graduates secure public service jobs. Students accept post-graduate and summer positions with government agencies, private nonprofit organizations, prosecutors, public defenders, and judges. An overview of recent employment outcomes, including the number of new graduates employed in government and public service, is here.
Public interest and government employers recruit William & Mary students through a variety of interview programs. Our students also participate in annual interview programs exclusively for government and public interest employers, including the Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair and the Government and Public Interest Interview Program.
Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAP)
Information about William & Mary's Loan Repayment Assistance Program is here.
Fellowships
The Public Service Post-Graduate Fellowship (PGF) Program provides stipends to select members of the most recent graduating class who, after passing the bar, work with an eligible private nonprofit organization, public defender, prosecutor, or government agency. Students apply for funding during the spring of their 3L year and are selected through a rigorous, competitive application process.
The Law School Admission Office awards scholarships based on commitment to public service.
The Law School has a robust summer public service fellowship program. Funding sources include money allocated by the Dean, endowments, and alumni donations.
The William & Mary Public Service Fund, a student organization, raises money for summer public service fellowships and loan repayment assistance.
The Law School receives grants for summer fellowships from the Virginia Law Foundation and the Virginia State Bar's Criminal Law Section.
7/25/2024