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Reporting pro bono and community service hours

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It is very important that students report their pro bono hours. Not only does it allow them to qualify for graduation with Pro Bono Distinction, it is also critically important for the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law to have an accurate account of our law school's pro bono activity. This information is often shared with the president of Arizona State University, the Board of Trustees and the legislature of the State of Arizona. By reporting your hours, you are helping the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law achieve future success. There are many studies of law student involvement with public interest efforts. These efforts can only be accurately reviewed if students accurately report their participation.

If you are unclear whether your work is considered pro bono service, please refer to the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law's definition of pro bono below. Any volunteer hours that do not qualify as pro bono hours may be reported as community service. Community service hours will not count towards pro bono distinction awards at graduation.

Students should report all of their hours of pro bono service on-line at Atlas (12twenty). It is important to record your information in a timely manner because reports are made on an annual basis.

  1. Click on “Experiential Learning” on the left side of the Atlas homepage.
  2. On the top right corner, click on the “+ New Experience button.”
  3. For pro bono legal hours, select “Pro-Bono” under the “Experiential Learning Type” dropdown menu.
  4. For any non-legal volunteer work, select “Community Service (non-legal volunteer work)” under the “Experiential Learning Type” dropdown menu.
  5. Enter information as requested and click “Save.”
  6. On the top right corner of the next page, click on “Submit for Approval.”
  7. Confirm that you would like to submit your experience for initial approval by clicking “Ok.”
  8. Once your experience is approved, you will receive an email notification confirming initial approval. Your module will change from “Pending Initial Approval” to “In Progress.”
  9. Once your experience, is “In Progress” you will have access to the Hour Log.
  10. Click on the “+ Add Hours” button to add your date, hours and a short description of your pro-bono work.
    1. The Hour Log will allow you to enter your total hours as one entry. You are also welcome to add your hours on a daily, weekly or monthly basis for ongoing pro-bono projects.
  11. Once all of your hours have been recorded/completed, click on “Submit for Approval.” That will then be submitted for final approval of your pro-bono hours.

It is important to record your information in a timely manner because reports are made on an annual basis. All pro-bono hours must be entered into Atlas five (5) weeks prior to graduation for pro-bono distinction.

Pro Bono Distinction

Students who graduate with 50 hours or more of pro bono service will graduate with Pro Bono Distinction and will be recognized at graduation.

These are the three levels of recognition:

  • Pro Bono Distinction is given to students who report between 50 and 99 hours of pro bono service;
  • High Pro Bono Distinction is given to students who report between 100 and 149 hours of pro bono service;
  • The highest Pro Bono Distinction is given to students who report 150 or more hours of pro bono service.

Each level comes with its own seal to be placed on the law school diploma. Those students with the highest number of hours are also eligible for graduation service awards. Most pro bono groups choose to recognize a distinguishing student volunteer, as well as there are awards for outstanding faculty/staff advisors, student groups, and student leaders. In addition, the top volunteers of each class are recognized.

What counts as pro bono service?

Law students should keep in mind that pro bono service and community service are not the same thing. We do encourage you to volunteer as you feel appropriate with community service efforts, but only professional, law-related services will count toward your pro bono record. ASU Law defines pro bono service as:

Providing legal services, supervised by an attorney, free of charge and without earning academic credit:

  1. To the indigent or to organizations that have, as a principal purpose, promoting the interests of the indigent;
  2. for the purpose of securing or protecting civil rights, civil liberties, or public rights;
  3. for the purpose of improving the legal profession or the judicial system;
  4. to charitable organizations as defined by Section 501c(3) of the Internal Revenue Code so long as the work is in furtherance of the charitable organization’s purpose; or
  5. to judges, courts, the legislature, public officers, and governmental agencies including federal, state, tribal, and local agencies.

Pro bono service does not include:

  1. Participating in law school activities such as moot court, journal, student organizations, ambassador duties, organizing and attending social events, fundraising and publicity activities, participating in writing competitions, or attending or participating in symposia or conferences;
  2. A fellowship, paid internship, clinic, or externship with a qualified organization, unless the student provides legal services exceeding the requirements of the fellowship, paid internship, clinic, or externship (the amount of service hours counted toward pro bono for a fellowship will be determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the cost of living in the city of the fellowship/paid internship);
  3. Community service (e.g. serving food at a soup kitchen, cleaning kennels at an animal shelter, etc.);
  4. Work for political campaigns; or
  5. Time spent commuting to/from home to the service opportunity within the Phoenix metro area.

Any non-legal volunteer work may be counted and reported as “Community Service.” Community service hours do not count towards pro bono distinction at graduation.

Frequently asked questions about the Pro Bono program

No, unless you plan to become admitted in New York.

Legal service is work that requires legal knowledge or legal skills. This includes, but is not limited to, drafting pleadings, discovery, and motions, preparing for and attending meetings with clients, preparing for and attending court hearings, legal research, drafting legal memoranda, drafting contracts, conducting client intake, etc. Legal service also may include certain legal education activities such as giving lectures on public interest topics to community organizations or creating legal brochures or web information on legal topics for underserved communities. Legal service also includes the application or interpretation of the law or formulation of legal policy and statutes.

Organizations that seek to secure veterans' rights, victims' rights, family rights, prisoners' rights, environmental protection, etc. It also includes legal services provided to civic or community-based organizations such as religious organizations, cultural organizations, and bar associations.

Acting as a judge, juror, or translator for official competitions or events such as the Arizona Foundation for Legal Education and Services' We the People Project Citizen program or the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys' Advisory Counsel's Trial Advocacy Training program.

The College encourages every student to begin pro bono service as soon as they are able, so long as the student is confident that the pro bono service will not interfere with the student’s studies and the student is either enrolled in Professional Responsibility or has already earned a passing grade in Professional Responsibility. Pro bono service completed prior to entering law school will not count.

Yes. For example, if you ride the Family Justice Bus to a rural area for the purpose of providing legal services to the indigent and under privileged, you may count the time you spent commuting.

Yes, as long as it falls within the guidelines for pro bono service and is completed under the supervision of an attorney. Students are encouraged to consult with the Director of Public Interest prior to doing the pro bono service if the student wants to ensure that the activity will court toward pro bono service.

Five weeks prior to the commencement ceremony.

Time spent on student activities that primarily benefit the school or student body does not qualify as pro-bono but may count as community service (non-legal volunteer work). For example, selling tickets, planning and attending administrative meetings, fundraising, organizing social functions, etc. for the law schools’ pre-approved pro bono group or student organizations does not count. However, volunteering legal services in conjunction with a student organization or pro bono group does qualify if it falls within the scope of the definition of pro bono service.

Yes. Pro bono distinction is awarded for at least 17 hours, high distinction for at least 34 hours, and highest distinction for at least 50 hours of pro bono service.

You are highly encouraged to discuss this with the College’s Director of Public Interest, Vanessa Pineda.

No, only hours that fall within the definition of pro bono service and are reported as pro bono in Atlas will count towards pro bono distinction awards at graduation.

Vanessa Pineda, Director of Public Interest.

ASU Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law

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