Public Service Requirement

“Every lawyer, regardless of professional prominence or professional workload, has a responsibility to provide legal services to those unable to pay, and personal involvement in the problems of the disadvantaged can be one of the most rewarding experiences in the life of a lawyer.”

- Model Rule 6.1 of Professional Conduct,
American Bar Association, Comment #1

The School of Law is committed to the principle that every lawyer has a responsibility to serve the community. The public service requirement helps to instill in law students the value and habit of using a legal education to serve the community and to provide access to justice to those unable to pay.

The purpose of the graduation requirement is to:

• Incorporate public service into the law school experience and to encourage and nurture the habit of providing pro bono legal services
• Engage students in the delivery of important legal services to understand populations and the community
• Develop student’s legal skills and knowledge through hands-on experience working with public interest lawyers.

The Feinstein Institute for Legal Service offers students a wide range of opportunities to fulfill their public service requirement and to make a difference in the community.

As part of the School of Law's commitment to public service, all students are required to perform 50 hours of uncompensated law-related public service in order to graduate.