Law
school adopts pro bono requirement for students, faculty
Less than 10 percent of nation's
law schools require service
Excerpted
from The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier
MARCH 30, 2005 - - The law school recently approved
a policy requiring students to do pro bono work. The term comes
from the Latin word "pro bono publico," which means
"for the good of the public." The school is one of just
a few in the country to take such a step.
Law School Dean Richard Gershon said with the possibility
of 200 students graduating each year, the community could receive
some 6,000 hours of free legal help.
"When you become a lawyer, you have tremendous
power to help people, people who could otherwise not afford that
legal service," Gershon said.
The experience will help students develop professionally
while networking with local professionals, he said.
Students will volunteer with non-profit organizations,
immigration programs, in government offices and at other sites.
Students begin the pro bono work in the fall.
Faculty will adhere to the same pro bono requirements
as students, doing their service in three-year increments.
According to information from the American Bar Association,
only 14 of about 150 other law schools nationwide require pro
bono work to graduate. Such work is not a graduation requirement
at the University of South Carolina's law school, the state's
only other law school.
