UNC School of Law’s Pro Bono Program Announces 2024 Publico Awards

The board of the UNC School of Law Pro Bono Program awarded the 2024 recipients of the Pro Bono Publico Awards on Wednesday, April 10. Graduating students with more than 75 pro bono hours were recognized, as was the Class of 2024, for reaching 97 percent participation in pro bono projects and completing 10,723 hours of pro bono services over the past three years.

“Being engaged in pro bono work is completely voluntary for our students, but every year our students dedicate their time and skills to our program and our community by getting involved in a pro bono project,” said Director for Pro Bono Initiatives Meghan Moran. “Even just one hour of pro bono work can make a difference, but we have graduating students this year who completed over 200, 400, and 600 hours over their time in law school. Our award winners this year do pro bono work for a variety of service providers and deal with a  wide range of legal issues, such as housing, expunctions, name changes, estate planning, and immigration. As a whole, our school’s pro bono work creates a lasting impact on the people of our state, and we are grateful for our students and our partners who make that possible.”

This year’s award recipients included:

Sylvia K. Novinsky Award – Emily Zoffer & Alex Goodin

3L Student of the Year – Morgan Schriner

2L Student of the Year – Brynn Story

1L Student of the Year – Will Etringer

Group Pro Bono Project of the Year – Anti-Death Penalty Project

Faculty Member of the Year – Kaci Bishop ’04, Associate Dean of Experiential Education, Clinical Professor of Law, and Director of the Immigration Clinic

Alumnus of the Year – Jessica Luong ’08

Partner/Organization of the Year – Safe Alliance

A special recognition was also given to Elise Jamison ’22, a former student who passed away this year.

Learn more about the awards criteria.