History of the Pro Bono Society of Albany Law School
Fall 2005:
Students who were involved in the law school’s clinical projects began to
wonder how to set up volunteer opportunities that didn’t require signing
up for a full-credit class. At this point, the only volunteer opportunities
available outside of a full-credit class were not law-related – Habitat for
Humanity, etc. We were looking for a way to get more students involved
in pro bono work, provide more law-related volunteer opportunities, and
raise the profile of the school as a community leader.
Dec. 2005:
Pro Bono Society of Albany Law School was chartered by the Student Bar
Association. SBA allows organizations to apply for funding.
Jan. 2006:
Pro Bono Day at the school. We invited leaders from several area pro
bono organizations and legal nonprofits, including the Albany County Bar
Association, New York State Bar Association, the Legal Aid Society of
Northeastern New York, the Legal Project of the Women’s Bar
Association, Empire Justice Center, and the Student Hurricane Network.
Each speaker talked about his/her organization, as well as how students
could help and what legal needs were not being met in the community.
Students asked questions. Based on feedback received at this event, as
well as our first organizational meeting later that semester, we determined
which legal areas students were most interested in.
Spring 2006: We had meetings with the local pro bono organizations to plan projects
that students could participate in. We also created commitment forms for
each project so that students could sign up and demonstrate a formal
commitment to volunteering. While these forms aren’t enforceable, they
create a sense of duty in the participating students and show them that the
organization must not be let down.
Fall 2006:
Official launch of the first three Pro Bono Society projects: Family Court
Helpdesk, Landlord/Tenant Research Project, and “Free PASS (Private
Attorney Student Support)”. Orientations/trainings for each project. PBS
was also able to secure office space in the Law School – very important to
assure the continuity of the organization, as well as to provide space for
the administrative work necessary to run the projects.
At the end of the semester we held our first Volunteer Appreciation Day—
a reception for student volunteers, intended to thank them for their
commitment to pro bono work. The reception also helped spread word to
those students who were not aware of our efforts.
Spring 2007: PBS plans and launches the first ever student-run LRAP (Loan Repayment
Assistance Program) Auction, raising $17,000. The fundraiser is an
appropriate project for PBS as it raises money to provide student loan
repayment assistance for students who want to pursue public interest work
as a career. The auction was catered with wine and hors d’oeuvres and
included many raffle items, silent auction items, as well as a live auction
hosted by guest auctioneer and local radio personality Susan Arbetter,
formerly of WAMC’s The Roundtable. Pro Bono Society leaders are later
asked to sit on the committee that runs LRAP and grants awards to
applicants.
PBS also gets involved in the Pro Se Uncontested Divorce Clinics run by
The Legal Project in Mechanicville.
Summer 2007: Pro Bono Society leaders are asked to participate in a national conference
for law school public interest organizations. We enter discussions with the
school administration regarding the continuity of the Pro Bono Society
within the school, including our desire to have it become institutionalized
in some way. The co-founders of the Pro Bono Society are recognized by
the New York State Bar Association as Law Students of the Year and the
local newspaper runs an article about the Society and it’s
accomplishments.