41 Wayne Law students pledge to donate pro bono legal services

Wayne Law students and Justice Marilyn Kelly stop for a photo following a special lunch gathering where Kelly discussed the lack of access to justice and ways in which Wayne Law students and the legal community can close the gap. Pictured from back left, Alanah Haskin, Brianna Robins, Cassandra Lee, Allyson Putt, Monique Eubanks, Priscilla Ghita and Diane Fears. From front left, Shirley Rivas, Rachel Lerman, Justice Marilyn Kelly, Ki Lee O’Brien and Ali Fardoun.

Photo courtesy of Wayne Law

Forty-one Wayne State University Law School students took the Warrior Pro Bono Pledge last week to donate 50 or more hours of free legal services through the Law School’s Student Voluntary Pro Bono Program.

The mission of the program is to encourage law students to embrace the professional responsibility and social commitment to use their legal training to benefit under-served populations and the community at large. In recognition of the American Bar Association’s week-long National Celebration of Pro Bono, Wayne Law hosted events and a coordinated conventional and social media campaign to encourage students to take the pledge and give back.

The week included a special lunch conversation with retired Michigan Supreme Court Justice Marilyn Kelly ‘71, regarding access to justice in Michigan, and an event for students in which Law School faculty members Assistant Professor (Clinical) Sabrina Balgamwalla, Assistant Professor Sanjukta Paul and Distinguished Professor Robert A. Sedler discussed their personal pro bono work.

Since the program’s inception, 100 students have achieved the goal of 50 hours or more of free legal services, earning the Warrior Pro Bono Award. The record for most hours contributed by a single student is 459. In total, thanks to the program, more than 9,500 hours of pro bono legal services have been provided to 33 institutions and organizations throughout southeast Michigan.

“The student response to the Law School’s pro bono celebration was phenomenal,” said Diane Fears, director of the Student Voluntary Pro Bono Program. “I’m so excited to welcome this new group of pro bono warriors to join us in making a difference.”

 

––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
http://legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available