Pro Bono Department Annual Report AY 2022-23

AY 2022-23

PRO BONO DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT

The heart of pro bono service is to reduce the justice gap and provide meaningful legal access to those who lack it.

Social Justice in Action

UC Law SF launched the Center for Social Justice in Fall 2022 We believe that all lawyers can and should participate in the cause of social justice and that law schools play an important role in helping students discover how to integrate this value into their professional identities. The Center provides strategic leadership on social justice activities at the law school and promotes a strong public interest campus culture.

In order to fulfill its goal of helping all students find meaningful ways to incorporate justice work into their professional identity and future practice, the Center for Social Justice consolidates, coordinates and communicates about opportunities for students to be engaged in work with and for the community, and to connect with faculty, staff, and other students engaging in social justice programming. Key features of the Center include: a Social Justice Speaker Series, a peer mentor program, and direction on where to seek academic & career counseling for public interest summer and postgraduate employment and funding.

The Center for Social Justice also houses UC Law SF's Pro Bono Program, where students can--as early as their first day of orientation--engage in meaningful work in the community and gain legal skills and experience.

As detailed in this Report, our students are motivated to make a positive impact in the community throught their legal work In a variety of ways every day, they are taking action to help ensure legal protections are a reality for our local community members--whether advocating for fair wages are paid, helping prevent an eviction, or ensuring constitutional treatment of those in prison and jail.

PRO BONO WORK AT UC LAW SF

UC Law SF’s Pro Bono Program offers students opportunities to meaningfully engage with clients and bring essential legal services to underserved communities. Students who choose to participate gain practical skills, and make sincere connections with non-profits and lawyers.

UC Law SF’s unique location in central San Francisco allows students to work with our neighbors on a range of issues, including fighting evictions, seeking asylum, challenging death sentences, and setting up socially-focused businesses.

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS since Fall 2021

241

PRO BONO HOURS

8,477

performed by class of 2023, 2024 & 2025 in Academic Year 2022-23

HOURS FROM STUDENT LED PROJECTS since Fall 2021

6,101

STUDENTS WHO PROVIDED PRO BONO SERVICES WHILE AT UC LAW SF in the class of 2023

179

MORE THAN hours from Fall 2018-Spring 2023

29,136

INCREASING INVOLVEMENT

Students who record more than 45 hours of pro bono service are inducted into UC Law SF's PRO BONO SOCIETY

Students who record more than 150 hours of service also are awarded OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN PRO BONO

PRO BONO SOCIETY

Class of 2023: 77 grads

Class of 2022: 50 grads

Class of 2021: 27 grads

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN PRO BONO

Class of 2023: 19 grads

Class of 2022: 16 grads

Class of 2021: 6 grads

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: PROFESSOR HADAR AVIRAM

Professor Hadar Aviram models the value of service. Prof. Aviram completes hundreds of hours of pro bono each year, on top of her publishing and teaching responsibilities.

She specializes in criminal justice, civil rights, law and politics, and social movements. She is one of the leading voices advocating against mass incarceration and for other carceral reforms. She has recently defended animal rescuers in court and successfully sued San Quentin to protect and release incarcerated people during COVID-19.

"DOING PRO-BONO WORK IN LAW SCHOOL HAS REAFFIRMED WHY I'M HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE -- TO INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY OF LEGAL AID AND PROVIDE SERVICES TO THOSE WHO ARE MOST IN NEED OF THEM."

Sofia Maristela, Class of 2024

"MY EXPERIENCES WITH THE CENTER FOR GENDER AND REFUGEE STUDIES, HASTINGSTO-HAITI PARTNERSHIP, CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RECORDS ACT CLINIC, AND THE NATIONAL LAWYERS GUILD HAVE ALLOWED ME TO SERVE IMPACTED COMMUNITIES WHILE HONING THE SKILLS NECESSARY FOR EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY. IT IS INCUMBENT UPON US AS BUDDING LAWYERS TO RELENTLESSLY FIGHT WITH AND FOR THE MOST MARGINALIZED AMONG US IF WE ARE TO MAKE ANYTHING OTHER THAN A MOCKERY OF NOTIONS LIKE JUSTICE."

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"PRO BONO WORK IS ESSENTIAL TO PROVIDE LEGAL SERVICES TO CRIMINALLY UNDERSERVED, MARGINALIZED, POPULATIONS. WITHOUT PRO BONO WORK, THE LEGAL PROFESSION RISKS THE FURTHER PERPETUATION OF WEALTH, RACE, GENDER, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, AND DISABILITY INEQUALITY."

Katie Cox, Class of 2024

"[THE LEGAL AID AND REFERRAL CLINIC] PROVID[ED] ME WITH INVALUABLE EXPERIENCE WITH REAL FACE-TO-FACE CLIENT CONTACT. IT ALSO EXPOSED ME TO NEW PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ISSUES."

Bob Chan, Class of 2024

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ALTERNATIVE SPRING BREAK 2023

This year, students had the opportunity to engage in Alternative Spring Break Trips, partnering with: the Fresno Public Defender's Office, LawNY, Las Americas, Legal Services of Northern California, and the LGBT Asylum project.

" IT GOES WITHOUT EXPLANATION THAT A PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE HAS THE POWER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE'S LIVES. TO BE A PART OF THAT FOR A WEEK WAS A GREAT HONOR. ON THIS TRIP I WAS ABLE TO CONNECT WITH CLIENTS BY CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS AND WRITING DECLARATIONS AND MOTIONS. I HOPE THE THOUGHT AND CARE I PUT INTO THAT WORK WILL HELP THEIR CASES BE DISMISSED AND RECORDS CLEARED . "

EllenSlatkin, Classof2025

Volunteeredatthe FresnoPublic Defender'sOffice

ALTERNATIVE SPRING BREAK 2023

" I DID NOT HAVE LEGAL EXPERIENCE PRIOR TO LAW SCHOOL SO THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME IN A LEGAL OFFICE AND USING MY LEGAL EDUCATION IN A PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY. I I LEARNED ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE FACED WHEN PROVIDING LEGAL REPRESENTATION TO RURAL COMMUNITIES AND I WAS ABLE TO COMPARE THEM TO THE CHALLENGES FACED IN URBAN AREAS. I SAW HOW DIFFERENT JUDGES EXERCISE THEIR DISCRETION IN MANAGING THEIR COURTROOMS AND HOW THAT IMPACTS PROCEEDINGS."

VivyanaPrado, Classof2025

VolunteeredatLegalAid ofWesternNewYork

PRO BONO STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

In2022,UCLawSFcreatedProBonoStudent Organizations. PBSOsallowstudentstocreateandlead probonoprojects,withsupportfromtheinstitution.

InAY2022-2023thefollowingPBSOswereestablished:

LARC - Legal Advice and Referral Clinic, in partnership with Justice & Diversity Center

VITA - Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, in partnership with UC Law SF's LITC

California Public Records Clinic, in partnership with NLG, Bay Area Chapter

Abolition & Prisoner Outreach, partnered with several civil rights orgs

Homeless Legal Services - partnered with Orrick & Housing Advocacy Project

Civil Legal Aid Pro Bono Student Org, in partnership with Legal Aid of Western NY

Hastings to Haiti, in partnership with Center for Gender & Refugee Studies

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Every year, UC Law SF works with numerous local partners to meet identify and serve clients in the Tenderloin, and across California. We had over 150 community partners in AY 2022-23 including:

Access to Asylum Project

ACLU

Afghan Scholars Project

Al Otro Lado

Asian Americans Advancing

Justice

Bay Area Legal Aid

Bet Tzedek

California Appellate Project

CA Lawyers for the Arts

California Rural Legal Assistance

Catholic Charities

Dolores Street Community Services

Dorothy Day House Education Law Center

Equal Rights Advocates

Eviction Defense Collaborative For the People

Free Legal Answers - LAA

GI Rights Hotline

Giffords Law Center to Prevent

Gun Violence

Haitian Bridge Alliance

If/When/How

Immigration Institute of the Bay Area

Kids in Need of Defense

Larkin Street Youth Services

Legal Assistance for Seniors

LiveChat (LAAC)

Oasis Legal Services

Prisoner Legal Services

TGI Justice Project

UnCommon Law

INTERESTED?

We need alum and community partners to make our program successful! We welcome collaborating in a number of ways.

Volunteer to be a Community Partner 01

If you work in the community and have a project our students could assist on, please reach out to: probono@ucastingsedu

Donate 02

Consider funding a Pro Bono Student Organization or an Alternative Spring Break Project! Every dollar provided will be put directly to student work in the community.

Become a Supervisor 03

If you are an attorney and are interested in supervising students engaged in pro bono work, please reach out to: probono@uchastingsedu

Mentor a Student 04

UC Law SF is always looking for more public interest mentors Please reach out to our Alumni Mentor Program Director if you are interested Contact Koreen Kelleher (kelleherkoreen@uchastingsedu) for more information