USF Pro Bono Program

Pro Bono Program

At the University of San Francisco School of Law, we take seriously our responsibility to train students to become ethical lawyers who will help to make the world a better place. We are committed to social justice and providing access to justice for those who remain marginalized in our country and around the world.'

The hours that qualify for USF’s Pro Bono Program must meet two requirements:

Students must be:

1. providing direct legal services to persons of limited means[1];
2. helping groups or organizations seeking to secure or protect civil rights, civil liberties, or public rights;
3. helping charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental, and educational organizations not able to afford legal representation;
4. participating in activities providing information about justice, the law or the legal system to those who might not otherwise have such information; or
5. engaging in activities to enhance the capacity of the law and legal institutions to do justice.[2]

The work must be completed under the supervision of a licensed attorney or, under exceptional circumstances, a program director. Certain activities do not qualify as Pro Bono for purposes of USF’s Pro Bono Program regardless of whether they meet the above requirements, such as work performed for academic credit, a salary, or a grant. Additionally, work performed for law journals, writing competitions, symposia or conferences, judicial internships, fundraising, or electioneering activities do not qualify as Pro Bono.

Students who are uncertain about whether a particular activity qualifies as pro bono should inquire with the Office of Student Affairs at probono@usfca.edu before participating in the activity.