Pro Bono Program

Berkeley Law Pro Bono Program logo
Highlight Slide: "Some schools have a pro bono requirement; at Berkeley Law, we have a pro bono culture." -David Oppenheimer, Clinical Professor of Law
Logo of SLPS- the Student-Initiated Legal Services Projects
Members & Leaders of Food Justice Project, 2019-2020
Members & Leaders of Food Justice Project, 2019-2020
BLAST (Berkeley Law Alternative Service Trips) Trip Logo
BLAST Mississippi 2018-2019 Students sitting on top of Mississippi Civil Rights Museum Sign
BLAST Mississippi, 2018-2019
CNECT (Call for Necessary Engagement in Community & Timely Response) Logo
Students at San Francisco to Pathways to Citizenship Workshop.
Students at SF Pathways to Citizenship Workshop, 2019
Dean Erwin Chemerinsky holding sign "I Do Pro Bono Because...it makes a difference in people's lives."
Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky

Berkeley Law’s Pro Bono Program offers students the opportunity to engage in meaningful client service as early as their first semester of law school. Students can apply to participate in our Student-Initiated Legal Services Projects (SLPS), Berkeley Law Alternative Service Trips (BLAST), Call for Necessary Engagement in Community & Timely Response (CNECT) or pursue independent pro bono projects with community organizations. Regardless of the path you choose, you will gain practical skills while bringing life-changing legal services to underserved communities.  The Pro Bono Pledge allows students to be recognized for their contributions both at Berkeley Law’s Commencement and at Public Interest and Pro Bono Graduation.  J.D. students can also earn hours toward summer public interest stipends (commonly referred to as “Edley Grants”).

 


For questions and additional information, please contact the Pro Bono Program, at probono@law.berkeley.edu.

If you are a legal services organization seeking law students to assist with a pro bono project we want to hear from you.  Please visit our “For Public Interest & Pro Bono Providers” page. 


The Berkeley Law Pro Bono Program does not provide any direct legal assistance.  Law students are not permitted to represent individuals in legal matters unless they are working under the supervision of a licensed attorney.  For this reason, we do not refer individuals or organizations seeking assistance to private attorneys.  If you believe you need a lawyer, please contact your local bar association at sfbar.org or acbanet.org or the East Bay Community Law Center. You may also access legal information at LawHelpCA.org
 
The California State Bar also provides resources for Californians who need help finding an attorney as well as ways to avoid fraud from notarios and other people posing as attorneys.
 
Avoiding Fraud by Immigration Consultants