Pro Bono Pledge

Pro Bono Pledge

The pro bono pledge is a voluntary pledge to complete at least 50 hours of pro bono work.  Pro bono work is work done on behalf of low-income or underrepresented people for which students receive no compensation whatsoever. Those students who fulfill the pledge will be acknowledged at graduation in the commencement program. Students may complete twenty-five (25) hours of non-legal community service, which does not need to be supervised by a licensed attorney. For the remaining twenty-five (25) hours or more, students must complete legally related community service, which must be supervised by a licensed attorney. Pro bono hours must be completed with a non-profit or not-for-profit organization, government agency or an official HUSL program. Students are able to begin completing pro bono hours during their first year because the hours accumulate until your last year of school.

Students shall enter their hours to be counted towards the Pro Bono pledge online, via 12Twenty. Detailed instructions are available in the Resource Library on 12Twenty. Please note that hours recorded in 12Twenty are only for tracking a student’s progress towards the pledge. Students should check with their respective state bar(s) to see what documentation is needed, if any, to prove completion of pro bono hours to gain admission the bar(s) to which they are applying.
 
For students applying to the New York Bar, please review New York Bar’s pro bono requirement. Unlike Howard's Pledge, the New York Bar allows applicants to use clinics and externships towards their pro bono requirement. However, under the New York requirement, community service does not apply unless it is law related and uses legal skills.
 

Pro Bono Opportunities

There are opportunities available for 2024-2025! Please review the Fall 2024 Pro Bono Trainings for Law Students flyer and sign up for opportunities of interest.

The HUSL Pro Bono Program will share additional pro bono opportunities via email to students. Students may also identify and/or create their own opportunities. If you would like to discuss how to approach organizations about doing pro bono work, please email the Director of Externships and Public Interest Programming
 

Recording and Verification of Hours

Students must enter their hours to be counted towards the Pro Bono pledge via 12Twenty. To record your hours, you will need to log onto 12Twenty and navigate to the “Experiential Learning” link in the lefthand sidebar.  Detailed instructions are available in the Resource Library on 12Twenty. When entering hours, students will need to provide their supervisor’s name and contact information for verification purposes. HUSL no longer requires documentation for proof of completion of pro bono hours. 
 

Externship and Clinic Hours

Clinic hours may not be used to fulfill the pro bono pledge.  However, externship hours worked beyond the hours required to receive credit for the externship may be counted towards your pro bono pledge hours, as long as a student does not receive any compensation, including travel or meal stipends, for the externship.