What type of pro bono legal service(s) have you performed?
During my second year of law school, I did Pro Bono work through Volunteer Lawyer’s Project of CNY, or “VLP” in their Tenant Rights department. This program provides no-cost representation for qualified tenants facing eviction and judgement in the City of Syracuse’s special housing court. I began by observing court proceedings, conducting legal research, and completing application forms with prospective clients. Then, once I had a good understanding of the process, VLP agreed to sponsor my student practice order, which allowed me to represent clients and interact with the judge in court.
What benefits did you experience from doing this work?
Through this experience, I learned how to manage a case from beginning to end. I completed intake and evaluation, researched claims, drafted and filed answers and counterclaims, negotiated with opposing parties, argued before the court, and ultimately made a real difference in our client’s lives. This was extremely rewarding and also grew my confidence exponentially. It’s one thing to watch other lawyers in court, but it’s a whole different experience to do it yourself and this experience proved to me that I could do that.
What would you say to other law students considering pro bono work? Why would you recommend it to others?
I would ask other law students considering Pro Bono, what are you waiting for? There literally isn’t a single down side to doing Pro Bono work. It’s a rewarding experience for everyone involved and has led to many more opportunities because it expanded my legal network, improved my confidence and experience levels, and gave me a positive legal reputation in the community.