New York Pro Bono Rule

New York Bar Pro Bono Admission Requirement

The state of New York has a pro bono requirement for all New York Bar applicants. All applicants for admission by examination to the New York Bar must perform 50 hours of law-related pro bono service prior to filing their application. Pro bono hours that count toward fulfillment of RWU Law’s graduation requirement may not necessarily qualify for compliance with the New York rule. We urge you to carefully review the bar admissions requirements and contact the NY Bar directly with specific questions.

RWU Law students are responsible for reviewing and complying with bar admissions requirements, including the New York Pro Bono requirement.

RWU Law cannot officially verify or confirm that a particular activity will qualify. Below you will find guidance and advice regarding the law but applicants should contact the NY Bar directly with specific questions.

Please review the Official information for the NY State Unified Court System

Rule Overview

In the excerpts, under Section 520 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals, pro bono is broadly defined, though the work must be law-related in nature and supervised by an attorney or judge. Examples of qualifying activities include:

  • Law-school sponsored clinics that provide legal services to those who cannot afford representation;
  • Externships or internships (even if funded or performed for academic credit) for a nonprofit provider of legal services, judge or court system, legal aid office, legal services organization serving low-income clients, Public Defender, U.S. Attorney, District Attorney, or State Attorney General;
  • Private sector pro bono work;
  • Law school sponsored project or programs that serve the poor or disadvantaged (provided the work is law-related and supervised in accordance with the pro bono requirement);
  • Law-related work in connection with a faculty or instructor's pro bono work.

Documentation

  • Applicants will need to file an Affidavit of Compliance for each pro bono activity used to satisfy the 50-hour requirement. The fillable Affidavit of Compliance form can be found on the New York State Unified Court System website, under the Bar Admissions Requirement.  
  • Each Affidavit must be certified and signed by the appropriate supervising attorney or faculty member. Affidavits should be completed immediately after the qualifying pro bono work is done, as tracking down supervisors or required information months or years after the pro bono work has been completed will be very difficult. 
  • Students are solely responsible for retaining their completed affidavit(s) for submission with their application for admission to the New York Bar.  
Close Course Type Descriptions

Course Types

We have classified RWU Law classes under the following headers. One of the following course types will be attached to each course which will allow students to narrow down their search while looking for classes.

Core Course

Students in the first and second year are required to take classes covering the following aspects of the law—contracts, torts, property, criminal law, civil procedure, and constitutional law, evidence, and professional responsibility.  Along with these aspects, the core curriculum will develop legal reasoning skills.

Elective

After finishing the core curriculum the remaining coursework toward the degree is completed through upper level elective courses.  Students can choose courses that peak their interests or courses that go along with the track they are following.

Seminar

Seminars are classes where teachers and small groups of students focus on a specific topic and the students complete a substantial research paper.

Clinics/Externships

Inhouse Clinics and Clinical Externships legal education is law school training in which students participate in client representation under the supervision of a practicing attorney or law professor.  RWU Law's Clinical Programs offer unique and effective learning opportunities and the opportunity for practical experience while still in law school.