Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What attorneys/organizations may participate in the UNC School of Law Pro Bono Program?
Any attorney or organization that performs legal work at a free or reduced rate may receive student assistance from the UNC School of Law Pro Bono Program on a project. Whether you are a private firm, non-profit legal organization, judge, or government organization, you may participate if the work being done by the student is pro bono work.
What is pro bono work for the purposes of participation?
The following criteria must be met for a students work to qualify as pro bono for the purposes of recognition by the UNC School of Law Pro Bono Program:
- The law student must engage in law-related activities;
- The law students work must be supervised and/or approved by an attorney. Supervision and/or approval includes, at a minimum, attorney review of student work product;
- Receiving class credit for law-related activities precludes these activities from qualifying for pro bono credit. Receiving monetary compensation for law-related activities precludes these activities from qualifying for pro bono credit;
- The law related services must be provided to the client for free or at a substantially reduced rate (whether reduced rate work will qualify as pro bono may depend on several factors, including the actual rate being charged the client, whether or not the attorney would bill for work performed by students, the economic factors preventing the client from obtaining full-rate services, and the population affected by the legal issues involved); AND
- The law related activities must be on behalf of:
- person(s) of limited financial means; OR
- person(s) with limited access to legal representation; OR
- nonprofit, civic, community, religious, or governmental organizations.
The following activities are expressly excluded from qualifying for pro bono credit:
- Work done on law journals;
- Work resulting in submission of writing into competition or other journals;
- Work on law-related symposiums, conferences, and panel discussions; AND
- Any and all fundraising activities
How do I get involved with the UNC School of Law Pro Bono Program?
Whether you have a project or not, please fill out a General Interest Form. And, if you have a specific project or opportunity for a student to work with your organization, you can fill out a Posting Form. The information on the General Interest form will allow us to notify you when a student has requested a project in one of your areas of practice, so you may have a chance to take advantage of their help.
What if my organization does not have an attorney to supervise the students work?
In order to participate, your organization must have an attorney to supervise the student. If you do not have a supervising attorney at your organization or elsewhere, please contact the Attorney Projects Coordinator (Lauren Felter at lauren.felter@gmail.com). In certain instances, we have been able to find attorneys at the law school willing to supervise the students. There is no guarantee that this will be possible, but it should not prevent an organization that wants to participate from asking.
What resources does the UNC School of Law Pro Bono Program offer?
Students are allowed to use the pro bono office to send and receive faxes, make long distance phone calls, send mail, and use office supplies. Additionally, students are able to use their student Lexis-Nexis accounts as well as the Law School library for research. If a project requires unreasonable expenses, the Pro Bono Program reserves the right to request that the expenses be covered by the attorneys organization.
What are the qualifications of students who participate in the program?
Students who participate in the program vary in skill level and experience, but each student who works on a project will be enrolled at the University of North Carolina Law School. However, if you have projects that require certain skills (i.e. language, 2L or 3L only, certain classes), please indicate them on the project request form.
What does my organization gain from participating in the program?
By participating in the Pro Bono Program, you will receive student assistance in performing pro bono work. Our students can do a variety of tasks such as research, writing, client in-take, litigation preparation, investigation, community education and by performing these assignments, students allow organizations to commit more time to pro bono work in their communities and beyond. In addition, all attorneys who participate (even by simply submitting a project) will receive a thank-you letter at the end of the semester as well as an invitation to attend our annual Pro Bono Program reception in the spring.
What if I have trouble contacting the student who is working for me or any problems with the students performance?
If you have any concerns or questions about the project and its performance, please contact the Attorney Projects Coordinator (Lauren Felter at lauren.felter@gmail.com) or the UNC School of Law Pro Bono Program at 919.962.5685.
If I submit a project, am I guaranteed to find a student to complete it?
Many attorneys and organizations submit projects to the program each year. As a result, unfortunately, not all of the projects are filled each year. The Pro Bono Program spends a lot of time advertising these projects, but cannot guarantee that your project will be filled. However, regardless of whether or not the project is filled, we promise to be in regular communication with you about the status of your project.
What are some types of projects that may be submitted to the UNC School of Law Pro Bono Program?
Projects may range from research, writing, client in-take, litigation preparation, investigation, community education, to advocacy. You may be as general or as specific as you would like in your description. However, we do find that more specificity in the projects is helpful for students looking for a certain area of law.
Is there an opportunity to give feedback to the student and the UNC School of Law Pro Bono Program regarding the project?
Yes, at the end of the year we send out evaluations to all participants in the program (whether or not a student filled their projects) in order to ensure that any needs and concerns are addressed and to also receive input on how to better serve your needs.