By Gwyneth K. Shaw
Each spring break, students spread out all over the country — from Alaska to Kentucky — for the UC Berkeley Law Alternative Service Trips (BLAST) program. And each year, students who participate call it one of the best parts of their law school experience.
BLAST, part of the law school’s Pro Bono Program, builds on long-term relationships with partner organizations that work with the students and the communities that surround them. The mutual investment has paid huge dividends, for students and the people they serve.
This year’s BLAST trips went to Alaska, Atlanta, California’s Central Valley, Hawai’i, Kentucky, and Tijuana, Mexico, and one new territory for the program: Montana. There, students teamed up with the Montana Legal Services Association, working to expunge the criminal records of low-income people, including some affected by domestic violence.
“We were very fortunate to connect with a UC Berkeley Law alumni who was willing to supervise us,” says Montana Co-leader Anisa Ricci ’26. “Montana has limited civil legal aid services as compared to the Bay Area. This trip gave us an opportunity to support attorneys and clients in more rural parts of the country.”
In their down time — a perennial source of joy and camaraderie for BLAST participants — Ricci and the rest of the group saw bison and geysers at Yellowstone National Park and squeezed in some skiing. But the biggest thrill came from their legal work.
“BLAST is an incredible opportunity to immerse yourself in pro bono work full time,” Ricci says. “A major highlight was learning that some of our clients successfully had their criminal records expunged.”
The Pro Bono Program also includes 40 Student-Initiated Legal Services Projects, and Call for Necessary Engagement in Community & Timely Response, which pairs students with community partners to help meet urgent needs. Students log thousands of collective pro bono work hours each year, and repeatedly call the program integral to their student experience.
BLAST trips are funded by the Pro Bono Program to ensure accessibility to all students. Each group is co-led by students, typically a pair but occasionally a trio, who build and maintain relationships with the supervising attorneys they work with as well as handle travel logistics and help foster the relationship between students.
Hands-on help, plus activities
Each trip works with one or more local legal organizations, which partner with the law school and provide legal supervision and guidance for the students. It’s also an opportunity for students to get to know one another and their chosen area better — and, outside of their full-time work week, to have some fun together cooking, sightseeing, and building community.
“Each of our BLAST trips was originally founded by one or more Berkeley Law students with an authentic connection to that community,” Pro Bono Director Deborah Schlosberg explains. “Students apply to join a trip in the fall and then meet as a group monthly to prepare for their work week at the end of March.
“At its heart, BLAST is a service-learning opportunity that equips students with the tools to understand the complex needs of communities similar to and different from their own, helping foster an active generation of thoughtful community lawyers. Our students provide valuable pro bono legal services during their BLAST trips, but they take away just as much, if not more — learning from their supervising attorneys, their clients, and the community.”
Students can join a BLAST group as early as their 1L year and often return to lead a trip as a 2L or 3L.
“BLAST has been one of my favorite experiential learning opportunities in law school,” says Mackenzie Gettel ’25. “Co-leading both Alaska 2024 and Hawai’i 2025 empowered me to engage in Indigenous and environmental advocacy, both of which deepen my understanding of how I can support communities across the country using legal skills I learned through pro bono.”
Hannah Pigg ’26 co-led the Central Valley trip after going to Alaska as a 1L.
“I wanted this trip to be as fun and impactful for my ‘Blasties’ as my first trip was for me,” she says. “Overall, the trip was incredible and our group really bonded!”
The trips are also a way for J.D. students and students in the school’s one-year Master of Laws (LL.M.) program to work together and get to know one another. LL.M. students are increasingly involved in pro bono work during their time in the Bay Area.
An immersive experience
Jacob Wilson ’27 describes how the Central Valley group spent their days doing substantive legal research and providing critical direct services on behalf of two leading legal aid organizations in the San Joaquin Valley, reporting labor violations against farmworkers in the fields to state regulators and offering multilingual disaster-related information to community members.
“Then, in the evenings, a vibrant and delightful cultural exchange lit up our house,” he says. “Our LL.M. students from China shared stories about their legal careers. We learned to cook anda bhurji and a classic paneer makhani with our LL.M. student from India. In return, our international students were introduced to the great American wonder of ‘whipped-cream-from-a-can on strawberries.’
“I return from the trip with a deeper understanding of the law, the fight for farmworkers’ rights, and California history. I also return with nine new amazing friends. I can’t wait to go on another BLAST next year.”
Snigdha Sood LL.M. ’25, who was with Wilson in the Central Valley, describes the week as “almost like a poetic interlude in my life — a moment where every shared smile, every collaborative effort, and every heartfelt conversation became a treasured memory in my LL.M. experience.”
“It was truly a soulful experience filled with laughter, deep conversations, and genuine connections that will last a lifetime. From engaging in research work on post-criminal conviction to tabling together a resource fair for disaster management outreach in Mendota, every moment was meaningful and reinforced the power of community-driven advocacy,” she adds. “In doing so, I discovered the transformative power of community and compassion.”
As more students gravitate toward pro bono work in law school, UC Berkeley Law’s program has continued to evolve and expand to give them more opportunities. For many, BLAST is where the power of the school’s vaunted “pro bono culture” makes its greatest impact.
“BLAST Kentucky allowed me to reconnect with the reasons I attended law school in the first place,” says 2L Medora Jones, who worked with AppalReD Legal Aid. “This trip, I loved working with the dedicated attorneys at AppalReD to assist with FEMA appeals after the devastating floods in Appalachia.
“I grew up in Kentucky, and I am grateful to the Pro Bono Program for providing funding for law students to help underserved communities and learn about the importance of rural legal aid.”