Student Testimonials

Jacob Clauson

I did pro bono work at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe over my 1L winter break. My project dealt with the rights of unaccompanied minor immigrants detained in the US. The supervising attorney did not expect me really to know anything besides how to do basic research and he
gave me plenty of background material to get familiar with the overall project. He was very helpful and  patient in explaining the specifics of what I needed to do. I really enjoyed the project - it was both challenging and rewarding to be a part of such an important effort.

Rebecca Fleishman

I did a remote pro bono project with the Alliance for Justice, reading and summarizing opinions written by a circuit court judge that had been appointed by the Bush administration. It was definitely do-able as a 1L; I did it from home, on my own time, and it was not really any different than reading for class. The instructions were very clear and the attorney in charge provided me with examples of summaries off of which I could base mine. It was a really good way to keep up my reading skills over winter break and the sample summaries helped me develop an eye for the key facts and issues in the cases.

Daniel Chun

I worked with NC LEAP (North Carolina Lawyers for Entrepreneurs Assistance Program) which helps low income business owners sort through their business law needs. There are not many programs that help with the private sector, but there are several other programs that provide assistance to not-for-profit organizations. I found that the people are friendly, and the director happens to be a UNC Alum. She has great connections within the legal community of North Carolina, and getting in good with her has opened many doors for the future. If nothing else, it is a very fertile ground for networking opportunities.

I've also had great experience talking to people about their legal needs. Putting a face to a question makes the work that much more personal, and seeing their smiles after researching their problems and giving them an answer makes me happy. Many Pro Bono opportunities are from smaller operations, so the responsibilities you can pick up are not necessarily busy work. They were very understanding that I'm a 1L and yet very thankful for everything I did. They havealso let me continue my involvement into the school year and I hope to gain more and more experience, as well as a recommendation down the line.

I could not be happier about my Pro Bono project.

Julie Zibulsky

I really enjoyed working with our high school group for street law. I spent about 20 to 30 minutes before a session reading over the provided curriculum for that day, and then an hour in the classroom per week. We taught a class of mainly sophomores and juniors at Pittsboro High School. There are five sessions; the earlier ones are lesson based and then you prepare the students for a mock trial that they do the last week. It is about a 3 hour commitment with driving per week for 5 weeks.