Pro Bono Honors Pledge Program
PROGRAM OVERVIEW INFORMATION
Washington College of Law was founded on the principle of advancing the causes of low-income and underrepresented people. The Pro Bono Honors Pledge Program furthers this goal by recognizing the voluntary, uncompensated work on behalf of low-income and underrepresented populations undertaken by WCL students while at the law school. The program is also designed to encourage students to continue carrying out pro bono service in their careers as attorneys after graduation, and is a great way to get experience in a field in which you may be interested.
Through the program, students pledge to complete a minimum of 75 hours of pro bono and community service projects at organizations working on behalf of low-income and underrepresented populations. At least 50 hours of the pro bono work completed must be with an organization engaged primarily in law-related or legal work. However, students may complete up to 25 of their 75 hours in non-legal community service work. This allows first year students to participate immediately. Students who decide to pledge and participate in the program after their first year must complete all their 75 hours by doing law-related work.
Students who complete the pledge prior to the end of their final year at WCL will be listed in the honors section of the graduation bulletin. They will also receive a certificate indicating the different level of honors based on the total number of hours completed: Honors (75-125 hours), Outstanding Service Honors (125-175 hours) and Exceptional Service Honors (175+ hours). Additionally, students will be recognized at a public service awards ceremony each spring.
The Office of Public Interest maintains a listing of pro bono placements in the metro Washington, DC area (available below). Student organizations and individual students are welcome and encouraged to create their own pro bono projects. The Public Interest Coordinator is available to answer questions about the Pro Bono Honors Pledge program and to meet with students one-on-one to discuss potential pro bono placements and projects.