Pro Bono ELR Forms

To receive credit for completion of RWU Law's 50-Hour Pro Bono Experiential Learning Requirement, students must report and request approval of hours to the Feinstein Center via Etrieve by the required deadlines.  Students must use Etrieve to report each placement or project that the student intends to use towards their 50-hour requirement.

Etreive login screen

All pro bono experiential learning must be reported online using Etrieve.

Important:  To log in to Etrieve, you must first click on the small “Or sign in with” icon located at the bottom center of the screen, which will create a prompt for you to sign in using your RWU Law 0365 login credentials. 

For the New York Pro bono reporting requirements, please refer to the New York Pro bono rule section.

Below are some examples of pro bono opportunities that qualify under the RWU Law pro bono graduation requirement:

  1. Unpaid public interest internships with:

  • Legal services organizations;
  • Non-profit legal organizations;
  • Public defender offices;
  • Prosecution offices;
  • Government agencies; or
  • Judges or court attorneys.
  1. Pro bono experiences working alongside an attorney doing pro bono or work on a court-appointed criminal case.
  2. Participating in RWU Law's Alternative Spring Break program.
  3. Participating in RWU Law's Pro Bono Collaborative projects such as Street Law, VITA, or Eviction Help Desk; or participating in a pro bono opportunity promoted through the Feinstein Center. 

Examples of activities that do not qualify as pro bono or the graduation requirement:

  • Community service that does not utilize your legal training;
  • Pro Bono service under the supervision of a family member;
  • Political campaign work; or
  • Mock trial coaching (unless the school is in a low-income community)

Law students may not accrue pro bono hours at a placement where they are also doing an externship. Students may return to a placement once their externship semester is over. There are no exceptions to this rule.

This list is not extensive. Please contact the Feinstein Center for more information. 

  1. Before you begin your pro bono hours, every student must request a “pre-approval” through our Etrieve system using the Law Pro Bono 1: Pre Approval Request form. To log into the Etrieve system, please use your RWU 0365 login credentials.
  2. You will receive an email once your request has been approved or denied.  
  3. Once approved, you may begin your pro bono experience. It is your responsibility to keep track of your pro bono time. You may use an Excel spreadsheet or a notebook but make sure you track:
  • the dates you worked;
  • the number of hours and minutes; and
  • a brief description of the activity.

 

  1. Within 10 days of completing any pro bono experience, you must request certification of your hours via Etrieve using the Law Pro Bono 2: Completion Certification form.
  2. When you request certification, you must upload your Reflective Journal and a signed Supervisor Evaluation form into PDF format. Your request will be returned if you do not attach these documents. 

Once you have fulfilled your 50-Hour Pro Bono Experiential Learning Requirement, you may self-report any additional pro bono hours you complete using the  Law Pro Bono 3: Additional Hours that can be found in Etrieve.

You do not need to include the signed Supervisor Evaluation Form or Reflective Essay for the additional hours of reporting. 

All students who complete 100 hours or more of pro bono legal service, will receive recognition in the commencement program.

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.