Student-Led Pro Bono Projects

Students should follow the project on LEO Engage and keep an eye out for any upcoming events or workshops. Students can also contact the student leader for more information on how to participate. 

Before commencing their volunteer service, students should apply through the Experiential Learning tab on 12twenty and list a student leader as their supervisor. Once students have logged all their hours, they may submit their experience for final approval, which will be approved by the student leader and the Public Interest Department. 

For more details on how to submit your pro bono hours, please consult the Pro Bono Handbook.

Students interested in starting their own project must set up a meeting with the Director of the Public Interest Law Department, Professor Buhai, sande.buhai@lls.edu, to discuss the project's purpose, eligibility, leadership, supervision, and logistics. 

Following the initial meeting, student organizers must submit a formal application:

NEW SLPBP Application

Purpose

• The project must serve an indigent, underrepresented, or disadvantaged population, address an unmet legal need, or otherwise fall within the area of public interest, public service, or social justice advocacy.
• The project’s purpose must be broad enough to be relevant across multiple years and not limited to a single short-term issue or event.
• The project must be affiliated with a student organization registered with Loyola Law School.
• The project may partner with an approved, external (non-LLS) public interest organization, though this is not required.

Leadership

• The project must be initiated and led by students.
• There must be at least two dedicated student leaders who take on managerial responsibility for the project.
• Student leaders must regularly communicate and cooperate with the Public Interest Law Department Director and other relevant LLS faculty and staff.
• Student leaders are responsible for:
  • Participating in the SLPBP orientation held each August at the start of the fall semester
  • Supervising the 12twenty application process each semester for all student volunteers, ensuring all participating students log hours accurately and on a continuing basis
  • Notifying the Public Interest Law Department of any significant changes to the project’s scope, supervising attorney, faculty advisor, or student leadership
  • Submitting the End-of-Year Reflection Form at the conclusion of each academic year, including a summary of the project’s accomplishments, total student volunteer hours, and plans for continuation
• Student leaders may count substantive organizational and coordination work toward their own hour pro bono requirement, provided the work is verified by the supervising attorney. However, hours claimed for administrative or coordination work may not exceed half of the hours the student leader spends doing substantive legal volunteer work in the same project. For example, if a student leader contributes 8 hours of direct legal service, no more than 4 of those hours may be claimed for administrative work.

Supervision

• Every SLPBP must have an engaged and committed supervising attorney who is currently licensed to practice law and has been licensed for at least two years.
• The supervising attorney should be affiliated with a partner organization or be a member of the LLS faculty.
• The supervising attorney is responsible for:
  • Providing appropriate training to student volunteers
  • Actively supervising all student legal work
  • Providing timely and meaningful feedback or evaluations to student participants
  • Giving final approval of student hours on 12twenty
• The supervising attorney must have adequate resources to effectively supervise and support the anticipated number of student participants.
• If the supervising attorney changes at any point, student leaders must notify the Public Interest Law Department immediately and update the supervisor information in 12twenty.