Berkeley Law’s Student-Initiated Legal Services Projects allow students to develop lawyering and leadership skills while serving the community.
What are SLPS?
- Community-based student pro bono projects
- Involved in direct client service, legal research, educational outreach, and community organizing
- Founded by Berkeley Law students
- Led by second- and third-year J.D. students
- Open to all Berkeley Law students
- Voluntary
Why participate?
- Help close the justice gap
- Pursue your passion or try something new
- Interact with clients and get hands-on experience as early as the very first semester of law school
- Receive training, supervision and mentoring
- Gain practical skills
- Earn pro bono hours for state bar requirements, summer public interest stipends for J.D. students (Edley Grants), and recognition at Berkeley Law’s Public Interest and Pro Bono Graduation
Please be sure to assess whether any particular opportunity meets the criteria for the New York Bar or any other applicable pro bono requirement, and seek advance approval where required.
If you are a legal services organization seeking law students to assist with a pro bono project, please click here.
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