To be eligible for an Edley Grant, law students must complete 25 hours of pro bono work or qualifying volunteer work (see below).
To find pro bono opportunities, contact the Pro Bono Program.
Pro bono hours must be completed and logged by the Fellowship application deadline, which is usually in early April.
NOTE: Students who completed and logged the required 25 hours of pro bono work for the fellowship during the previous academic year need not complete an additional 25 hours of pro bono work in order to apply for funding for a second summer of public interest work.
If you are a legal services organization or government agency employer seeking law students to assist with a pro bono project, please contact the Pro Bono Program.
How Can I Meet the 25-Hour Requirement for Edley Grants?
You must complete and track at least 25 total hours of either:
- Work that meets the Berkeley Law Definition of Pro Bono. Note: Students may claim only up to 5 hours of SLPS/BLAST training/orientation time towards the pro bono requirement. Commute time may not be counted, nor may hours worked at internships or field placements if they were compensated (either with units, pay, or other funding). Log your pro bono hours here.
- Volunteer work directly assisting the summer public interest fellowship fund-raising efforts of any Berkeley Law student organization (as certified by the organization). Examples of hours that can be used in combination with pro bono hours to satisfy the 25 hour requirement include hours spent organizing for or working at the BLF auction, ELQ’s Race Judicata, and BHWA’s Barrister’s Ball. They do not include hours spent planning or working at symposia or any other non-fundraising hours. While volunteer work directly assisting summer public interest fellowship fundraising efforts may count toward Edley Grant eligibility, it does not count toward the Pro Bono Pledge or associated graduation honors because it is not pro bono work and does not meet the Pro Bono Definition. For qualifying volunteer hours, keep track of those on your own and enter them directly into the Edley Grant application form.
Being certified as having fulfilled all of the eligibility requirements of the Berkeley Law Foundation (BLF) for the BLF Summer Fellowship also counts as having met the 25-hour requirement for Edley Grant eligibility.
Please note that the Career Development Office does not provide legal assistance and does not refer individuals and organizations seeking assistance to private attorneys. Law students are not permitted to represent individuals in legal matters unless they are working under the supervision of a licensed attorney. Faculty members make individual decisions about pro bono projects, please contact them directly. Please do not telephone, e-mail or write to the Career Development Office with legal questions or requests for referrals as we are unable to respond to these inquiries. If you believe you need a lawyer, please contact your local bar association at sfbar.org or http://www.acbanet.org/ or contact East Bay Community Law Center.