Mary Amico barely slept the night before her first pro bono trip. The 3L kept thinking about the clients she’d meet the next morning, strangers who would trust her with some of life’s hardest conversations. 

“I hoped I was worthy of our clients’ trust, capable of work I had never done,” Amico said. 

By the time her first client sat down at the December 16 clinic in Fayetteville, the nerves melted away. “I loved every second,” she said. 

Amico was one of eight UNC School of Law students who traveled to the Sandhills region over winter break to provide critical legal services in Cumberland and Robeson counties. In partnership with Legal Aid of North Carolina, the students co-hosted wills and advanced directives clinics in Fayetteville and Pembroke on December 16 and 17, serving 22 clients and executing over 75 documents. 

The work was both technically demanding and emotionally heavy. Students guided clients through wills, powers of attorney, living wills, and advanced directives (documents that required conversations about death, incapacity, and what happens if loved ones pass away first). 

Meghan Moran ’19, director of pro bono initiatives at Carolina Law, watched students handle back-to-back clients across both days. “I was really impressed with how compassionate and empathetic they were with clients, discussing what can be sometimes a sensitive topic,” she said. 

“Clients were willing to trust us—total strangers—enough to have these conversations,” Amico said. “Their resiliency through hours of intense and taxing work was beyond admirable.” 

One client told Amico and her partner how relieved she felt getting all the important documents handled in a single afternoon. “She kept telling us it was such a weight off her shoulders,” Amico said. “Her relief felt contagious.” 

Alison Constance ’09, director of pro bono programs at Legal Aid and Carolina Law’s former pro bono director, supervised the students. At Legal Aid, the demand for services far outweighs available resources, particularly for wills and advance directives in Cumberland and Robeson counties. “We were delighted that the UNC School of Law Pro Bono Program could help us meet the needs of our clients,” Constance said. The work not only ensured clients’ wishes would be honored by their loved ones but also prevented future heir property issues. “Bringing an infusion of pro bono support to areas beyond the Triangle is essential to helping Legal Aid serve North Carolinians statewide, and we appreciate the students’ willingness to spend part of their winter break with us.” 

Many clients served were seniors, veterans, and members of the Lumbee tribe. The trip also included an alumni event featuring retired Superior Court Judge Mark Sternlicht ’78 and Legal Aid attorney Alex Rutgers ’20, who discussed the importance of pro bono service. 

For the student who couldn’t sleep the night before, the trip clarified her path forward. 

“I wish there was another wills clinic tomorrow,” Amico said. “I hope I’ll be able to do pro bono wills work when I am a real-life lawyer.”