Pro Bono: Improving Service and Accessibility to Legal Services

The Colleges of Law is setting a new standard for pro bono work to better prepare students to serve their communities.

The Colleges of Law has long recognized a lack of accessibility within the legal industry. There are costly barriers to law school and to accessing essential legal services. In response, the college has focused on developing lawyers who not only care about their education but fully accept the responsibility of their degree. Through the pro bono requirement, students learn to take initiative, practice their legal knowledge in the field, and realize that social responsibility should be the priority of their career.

Pro Bono Requirements in Legal Education: Serving the Needs of the Community

Pro bono comes from the Latin phrase “pro bono publico,” which means for the public good. Doing good for the betterment of all is core to The Colleges of Law’s mission.            

The Colleges of Law adheres to the American Bar Association’s (ABA) standard of requiring 50 hours of nonprofit legal services within their law school. Students must work under a supervising attorney or judge, but neither party may receive compensation for their time.

Students intern at a variety of organizations, from nonprofits to free legal aid clinics; the Santa Barbara Teen Legal Clinic and Ventura County Legal Aid are popular options.

The internship is an experiential learning opportunity, much like a medical residency. However, finding an internship appropriate for pro bono experience requires students to be proactive in their search. For alumna Lauren Nicholson, J.D., a family law attorney at Nicholson Law, the internship experience set her up for success.

Nicholson currently volunteers in her spare time at the Conejo Free Clinic, assisting the navigation of family law services. “It was good training for being an attorney because you constantly juggle things,” Nicholson explains. “You learn to to prioritize. If you want to be somebody who does do pro bono work, you have to consciously make an effort at it.”

The Colleges of Law partners with local organizations to help students fulfill their requirements and close service gaps within the community. For example, the colleges have partnered with the local organization, Conflict Resolution Institute (CRI) in Ventura County, supplying volunteers for their mediation program.

Students complete 30 hours of instruction to become certified mediators, an undeniably crucial skill within the legal profession. After becoming certified, students volunteer their mediation services at the Ventura County small claims court.

Nathan Peterson, the Executive Director of CRI, is beyond grateful for the partnership with The Colleges of Law. “We want to provide as much support to the courts as possible, and sometimes it can be hard to fill volunteer spots,” Peterson says. “This pipeline from The Colleges of Law is great because it provides support and services to the community.”

The mediation program allows the court to resolve conflict among parties and provides key field experience for the students. They learn mediation skills such as active listening, integrative bargaining, and thoughtful questioning—skills essential to their careers in law.

Peterson said it’s also common for student interns from The Colleges of Law to exceed what’s expected—many remain at CRI to help out even after their internship has ended.

The pro bono requirement helps students understand the gravitas of their role within the profession. They fill an important community need while meeting a standard of excellence set by The Colleges of Law.

Pro Bono Work Within the Legal Industry

Even though pro bono work is expected for lawyers, it may not be a priority within the field. The ABA states that every lawyer sworn in accepts a responsibility to “promote justice and to make justice equally accessible to all people.” Although the ABA recommends 50 hours of pro bono work per lawyer yearly, it does not require it.

According to a report by the Pro Bono Institute, pro bono hours represented 3.32% of total client billable hours in 2021, which is a 20% drop from 2020. However, students at The Colleges of Law are working to improve those stats.

Joseph Jones, an adjunct professor and graduate of The Colleges of Law, has a deep admiration for his students who, he says, share a common goal for pursuing a law degree.

“Each of them—and this is true of every student I’ve had in the nine years I’ve been on the faculty—each of them takes their education very seriously. Many are first-generation [students] or first in their family to graduate high school, and they wish to bring their law [experience] back into their community and represent marginalized populations.”

In addition to teaching at The Colleges of Law, Jones volunteers at a free legal aid clinic, providing legal advice to families.

How The Colleges of Law Closes the Accessibility Gap

The Colleges of Law has long recognized the barriers to a legal education. The school was founded on the priority that a legal education should be within reach of anyone. So, they offer flexible class schedules, online internships, and professors who accommodate their students’ busy and committed lives.

For Lauren Nicholson, her education from The Colleges of Law delivered on all its promises. “The Colleges of Law gave me an affordable J.D. and provided me with lots of local connections.” She even remains in contact with her supervising attorney from her first internship and landed her first job through a local connection. Most impressively, “The school prepared me to pass the bar on my first attempt.”

The Colleges of Law provides an education that is accessible to both its students and its communities. Students not only become equipped with practical legal skills and knowledge but understand how their education influences the world around them.

“Our students find themselves enthusiastic after the internship process, regardless of where they serve,” says Kryztofr Kaine, the Sr. Manager of Institutional Advancement and Community Relations at The Colleges of Law, “They come out the other side excited about helping those in need of legal services.”

The legacy of The Colleges of Law pro bono requirement has made a palpable impact on the students, professors, and the legal field itself. It goes above and beyond a simple education requirement and reaches into the hearts of its participants for life.  Professor Jones put it best when he said, “I could talk about The Colleges of Law forever.”

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