Law schools expand clinical experience
In the fall of 2012, New York became the first state to require lawyers to perform 50 hours of pro bono work as a condition for getting a license. The new rule, which takes effect in 2015, aims to help fill the legal needs of New York’s poor, and will apply to those sitting for the 2015 New York State bar exam.
The pro bono mandate can be completed with, for example, internships at public service organizations. Students can also fulfill the mandate by participating in a variety of clinics provided by their respective law schools.
“The 50-hour pro bono requirement is easily met by Brooklyn Law School’s extensive clinics and course offerings,” Eric Riley, director of communications at BLS, told the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
When notice of the mandate came down, BLS Dean Nick Allard expressed the school’s intent to “support and advance both the spirit and the letter of the new rule.” BLS is now in the process of adding new clinics to its already extensive roster to provide students with a myriad of opportunities to gain their pro bono experience.