About Our Program

Lawyers have a professional and ethical responsibility to use their legal skills to advance the public interest and increase access to justice. This duty begins in law school. Moreover, because Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law has a unique mission of service, all Catholic Law students are strongly encouraged to participate in the Pro Bono Program.

The mission of Catholic Law’s Pro Bono Program is to help students develop the public service ethos they will need as a future lawyer by facilitating pro bono opportunities and celebrating the pro bono contributions of the Catholic Law community.

Students who serve 50, 100, and 150-plus hours of pro bono will receive Pro Bono Honors recognition upon graduation. Two graduates (day and evening division) each year will also receive the Michael F. Curtin Pro Bono Award for honoring the highest ideals of the Columbus School of Law by voluntary pro bono service to others.

In general, to qualify as pro bono as part of Catholic Law’s Pro Bono Program, the student’s work must be:

  • Public interest/Public service;
  • Law-related;
  • Supervised by an attorney; and
  • Not for compensation or academic credit.

Students should prioritize providing pro bono legal services to people who otherwise would not be able to access or afford legal assistance and to organizations working to improve access to justice.

Please review the Catholic Law Pro Bono Program Guidelines for further details on what work qualifies for the Pro Bono Program, how to report your pro bono hours, and more. Direct questions to Rachel Lawrence, Associate Director for Pro Bono & Public Interest Career Development, lawrencera@cua.edu.