Student Opportunities

Student Handbook

Projects

Our students complete pro bono projects in a variety of ways. If you have a special area of interest or discover an unmet legal need that a pro bono project could address, we encourage you to reach out to a member of the Pro Bono Board who can help connect you with ongoing projects and community partners..

Attorney-Sponsored Projects

Throughout the academic year, attorneys post pro bono projects for students including research, interviewing and legal writing. These projects encompass a wide variety of practice areas and can be completed both remotely and in-person. Students sign up on the bulletin board near the student lockers on a first-come first-served basis.

Winter Break and Spring Break

Much like attorney-sponsored projects during the academic year, the program gathers projects from attorneys and organizations during winter and spring break. Winter break projects are a popular way to get involved in pro bono work, especially for first-year students ready for practical experience after a semester in the classroom.

Trips

During academic year breaks, the Pro Bono Program sponsors trips to areas beyond the Triangle to host clinics with legal services agencies. Students have worked on wills, divorces, expungement, advanced directives, health insurance enrollment and more.

Communities Served by Past Special Trips
Featured Projects

In addition to soliciting projects from attorneys and organizations, the Pro Bono Program manages several projects like the Cancer Pro Bono Legal Project, Lawyer on the Line and Wills for Heroes. Additionally, the program organizes special clinics and events, allowing students to complete a project during orientation or work on a short project during lunch.

Student Organizations

Many student groups create and manage their own projects, clinics and trips based on chosen focus areas of the groups. These range from ongoing – like the Innocence Project – to seasonal or one-day – like the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance project and Lambda Law Students Association’s transgender name change clinic. Student organizations work with the Pro Bono Board’s Student Group Projects Coordinator to ensure that pro bono projects provide proper attorney supervision and comply with State Bar Regulations.

Student Board

Our 13-member student board is responsible for finding and organizing pro bono opportunities in a variety of different substantive areas and throughout the state. The board is led by a student director and works closely with the director of pro bono initiatives.

Meet the Board

  • Student Director: Alex Goodin
  • 3L Class Coordinator: Taylor Culver
  • 2L Class Coordinator: Ellie McIntyre
  • 1L Class Coordinator: TBD
  • Alumni Outreach Coordinator: Jessica Sullivan di Lustro
  • Attorney Projects Coordinator: Dylan Jones
  • Cancer Project Coordinator: Aprie’la Warren
  • Community Services Coordinator: Chantrisse Howard
  • Public Relations Coordinator: Allison Cronin
  • Special Trips Coordinators: Xavier Dyer & Mandy Mericle
  • Student Group Projects Coordinator: Mady Clahane
  • Winter and Spring Breaks Project Coordinator: Juliana Bird

Board Positions

Each spring, we advertise and solicit applications for open positions on the Pro Bono Program Board within the UNC School of Law student body. Board terms are based on the academic year. Prior to open board selection in the spring, the board’s Student Director is selected from the pool of students who have previously served on the board. Current board members may also apply to remain on the board through an internal selection process. Remaining board positions are advertised by email and at an interest meeting. Board members are selected based on a written application and interview process.

Director
Attorney Projects Coordinator
Class Coordinators (One position for each class year)
Student Group Projects Coordinator
Public Relations Coordinator
Winter & Spring Break Projects Coordinator
Special Trips Coordinators (Two positions)
Alumni Outreach Coordinator
Special Projects Coordinators (Two positions)