Pro Bono Service Initiative

at The University of Chicago Law School

Author: hfine

National Lawyers Guild and the Pushing Envelopes Writing Campaign

Katie Koza and Austin Feuer with Professor Emily Buss

Katie Koza, ’23, and Austin Feuer, ’22, with Professor Emily Buss after NLG won the Student Organization Pro Bono Award at the 2022 Pro Bono Recognition Ceremony

By Emma Stapleton, ’24

Today we write to spotlight a letter writing campaign put on by the UChicago Law Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild in service of Pushing Envelopes (formerly known as Black & Pink Chicago). National Lawyers Guild (NLG) is an LSO that strives to inform and advocate for considerations of social and economic justice in the study of law, hopes to involve young lawyers in their professional and social duty to their community, and pushes for laws that protect the economic and social welfare of the people. Pushing Envelopes is an abolitionist network of LGBTQIA2S+ individuals experiencing incarceration and allies. Pushing Envelopes is dedicated to abolishing the criminal punishment system and liberating LGBTQIA2S+ people and people living with HIV/AIDS who are affected by the system through advocacy, support, and organizing.

The letter writing campaign allows students to use their legal research skills in order to help LGBTQIA2S+ individuals experiencing incarceration find answers to legal questions. Pushing Envelopes receives the initial letters from individuals with their legal queries and law students respond to these letters under the supervision of NLG student coordinators and prisoners’ rights attorneys at Loevy & Loevy.

To get a sense of the great work student pro bono volunteers are doing within the letter writing campaign, I spoke with the Katie Koza (3L) and Allie O’Connor (2L), who are two of the three co-coordinators of the campaign in this year alongside Gabrielle Seiwert (2L). Katie also served as a co-coordinator for the previous year. Here’s what they have to say about the project:

How or why did you choose to get involved with the letter writing campaign?

Katie Koza, 3L: I got involved with the project during the winter break of my 1L year. I knew precious little about legal research and writing at the time, but I refused to let that stop me. Doing this pro bono work was a great way to use the knowledge I was starting to gain in the service of others.

Allie O’Connor, 2L: I began volunteering for the letter writing campaign during my 1L year, in part because that first year made me feel disconnected from the communities I had hoped to serve when I entered law school. Beyond that, I appreciated the opportunity to communicate directly with incarcerated people and learn firsthand about their experiences and challenges. I also felt that NLG and Pushing Envelopes’ intersectional and abolitionist approach aligned with my values.

What does a typical “assignment” or correspondence process look like? How does the project function?

Katie: Typically, LGBTQ+ incarcerated people will send letters to our contact person at Pushing Envelopes Chicago, Rob Sobczak, or to our contact person at Pushing Envelopes Milwaukee. If the letters are from incarcerated people who are seeking legal information, the Pushing Envelopes contact people will forward the letters to us. Then, we co-coordinators meet and read the letters, trying to determine which aspects of the letters we will be able to have students respond to. That’s a particularly interesting step in the process, since we need to think through how the queries in the letters will map onto specific angles for legal research. Next, we solicit law student volunteers using our listserv and assign students to letters. Sometimes students work in teams, and we often try to pair more experienced writers with less experienced writers. The students usually have two weeks to write the responses, which they then send back to us. After we review the student responses, we send them to civil rights attorneys at the law firm, Loevy & Loevy, who have graciously volunteered to help us. The attorneys weigh in with any suggested changes, which the students implement. Then we send the response letters back to our contact points at Pushing Envelopes and get ready for the next batch!

What has been the most impactful part of your work with the letter writing campaign, and what have you learned from the project?

Katie: When I see my fellow students eagerly step up to write letters or become co-coordinators, I feel more hopeful about the future of the legal profession and about civil rights. Sometimes it can be daunting to confront entrenched systems of mass incarceration and homophobia, but when I have zealous advocates by my side, it energizes me.

Through this project, I have also become more acutely aware of the ways that prison environments often become especially toxic for people who are transgender. Factors like sexual harassment and the denial of gender-affirming medical care compound in ways that are unhealthy and unjust. As members of the legal community, we have an obligation not to turn a blind eye to this injustice, but rather, to use our legal skills in opposition to it.

Allie: One specific thing I’ve learned more about is the work of jailhouse lawyers and the efforts people make to teach themselves about the law and advocate for their rights. A good number of the people who write us letters are familiar with the laws applicable to their issues or have ideas about a legal strategy they want to pursue. While we as law students can’t provide them legal advice within this project, we do our best to bolster their knowledge with further research. The work of jailhouse lawyers is just one example that illustrates how important and valuable it is to center the voices and lived experiences of incarcerated people when we talk about prisoners’ rights and the prison industrial complex.

The Pro Bono Service Initiative supports students with an interest in performing pro bono work during their time at the Law School.  The Initiative encourages all students to pledge 50 hours of service before graduating to aid vulnerable groups and communities, to hone tangible and intangible skills to round out their law school learning, and to experience hands-on legal work that will truly affect others.  For more information about how to make the pledge and all things pro bono, visit the Pro Bono Service Initiative website here.

For more information about joining the Pushing Envelopes letter writing campaign, please contact Katie Koza (kmkoza@uchicago.edu), Allie O’Connor (akoconnor@uchicago.edu) or Gabrielle Seiwart (gabrielle4@uchicago.edu). They will be recruiting new letter writers this fall. Special thanks to Katie Koza and Allie O’Connor for taking the time to share more about the campaign.

UChicago Careers in Law Mentorship Program

By Rebecca Chong, ’23

When we think about “pro bono,” we typically think about working for public clients—whether that be in conjunction with a legal aid organization or even though a law firm. One activity that law students might not recognize as pro bono work is participating in mentorship programs involving students interested in pursuing a legal education or career. The Law School recognizes up to five hours of such mentorship to fulfill the pro bono pledge.

Participating as a student mentor is one of the most popular pro bono activities at the Law School. This year, 72 law students are participating in the UChicago Careers in Law (CIL) Mentorship Program. Hosted by the College’s Careers in Law office, the mentorship program pairs law students with undergraduate students interested in going to law school after graduation. Each quarter, the Office hosts a mentorship event where mentors and mentees can socialize and share experiences. Past mentorship events include: trivia night and resume/cover letter workshops. Mentors and mentees must also meet casually at least once a quarter, often over coffee or a meal. Being a mentor is not a huge time commitment, making it the perfect pro bono opportunity for 1Ls and upperclassmen alike.

We interviewed a few of our mentors to learn more about their experiences with the CIL Mentorship Program. Mary Salvi is a 2L student at the Law School and it is her first year as a mentor. Ryan Guo is a 2L student (and alumnus of the College) and a second-year mentor.

Why did you choose to be a mentor?

Mary:   I chose to be a mentor to encourage others on their path to becoming a lawyer, especially given the stress and “unknowns” the prospect of attending law school brings. Law school is not for everyone and for this reason, it sometimes gets a bad rep. However, the educational opportunity is unparalleled in graduate studies. To “think like a lawyer” is a lifelong intellectual exercise that is quite intense. But being able give advice to others so they may accomplish something great or navigate a sticky situation is a rewarding vocation. There is also a lot you can do with a law degree—you are not limited to doing litigation or transactional law.

Ryan:   Primarily, I wanted to pay all the help I’ve received forward. I have had a lot of fantastic mentors throughout college and during my career, and I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without each and every single one of them.

What does a typical meeting with your mentee look like?

Mary:   My mentee and I meet for coffee, and it’s laid back and fun. It’s a chance for us to get to know each other. I try to give some insight on his career goals where he has a question or is seeking recommendations for how to go about something. But my main goal is to listen and be a sounding board who has his interests in mind.

Ryan:   Generally, we sit down with a goal in mind, whether that’s to work through her resume, talk about summer internships, or chat about law school generally. She always has great questions prepared, and I try and answer them to the best of my ability while adding in details.

What is your most memorable moment as a mentor? What have you learned as a mentor?

Mary:   My most memorable moment as a mentor was the first time I met with my mentee as well as another student seeking mentorship. Though from different backgrounds, we found a common interest in a career in law and discussed what each of us hoped to contribute to the field. It was an eye-opening experience to witness the different paths being a lawyer can take you. While much of the goals discussed may fit in a 15-year plan, rather than a 5-year plan, I enjoyed encouraging them to stop at nothing to achieve their goals. I am eager to follow their careers and help where I can. As a mentor I have learned the value of encouraging others, finding ways to be helpful, and sometimes just listening to build trust. Placing another’s interest at heart is just a small way I can “give back,” as I have benefited immensely from those willing to support me in my career.

Ryan:   I think my most memorable moment is being able to meet my mentee in person after a year of speaking to her online. It was nice to be able to just grab coffee and chat, especially after such a long period of social distancing. I’ve learned a lot about myself and how much I enjoy working with people. It is gratifying to be able to see a mentee’s development, and I’m excited to be in a place in my life where I can offer others sound advice.

The Pro Bono Service Initiative supports students with an interest in performing pro bono work during their time at the Law School.  The Initiative encourages all students to pledge 50 hours of service before graduating to aid vulnerable groups and communities, to hone tangible and intangible skills to round out their law school learning, and to experience hands-on legal work that will truly affect others.  For more information about how to make the pledge and all things pro bono, visit the Pro Bono Service Initiative website here. As a reminder, the Law School recognizes only up to five hours of mentorship to fulfill the pro bono pledge.

For more information about joining the CIL Mentorship program, please contact Rebecca Chong (rebeccachong@uchicago.edu). We will be recruiting new mentors next Fall! Special thanks to Mary Salvi and Ryan Guo for their time during the interviews.

Pro Bono Student Panel Recap

Pro Bono panelistsBy So Jung Kim, ’23

In celebration of Pro Bono Week at the law school, three students—Rob Clark (’22, previously spotlighted), Jacqueline Horwitz (’22), and Jennifer Yang (’23)—who are actively engaged in impactful pro bono work spoke as part of a panel about their experiences getting involved with various nonprofits and legal initiatives.

To illustrate the breadth of the panelists’ early pro bono involvement, they have conducted intake at Legal Aid Chicago’s Woodlawn Clinic (pre-pandemic), just steps from the law school building; served as a live chat helper for Illinois Legal Aid Online; conducted research for the Louisiana Capital Assistance Center through Spring Break of Service; and answered legal-inquiry letters from incarcerated LGBTQ people through Black and Pink. These projects helped them to develop skills in research, writing, communicating with clients and legal counsel, as well as learn more about substantive legal systems in Illinois and across the country.

Jacqueline HorwitzPro bono work is serious work that impacts real people’s lives, as demonstrated by a few anecdotes. This summer, Jacqueline answered a call for assistance to support intake on bases for Afghan refugees who fled the regime change after the American military withdrawal. She was deployed alongside litigators, who were also new to immigration law, to the East Coast to receive new arrivals and let them know about their rights and the resettlement process. Because of the urgency of the situation, sometimes they served as social workers providing backpacks and pregnancy tests or mobilizing other resources for families.

Rob ClarkDuring his internship with the Center for Disability and Elder Law, Rob worked directly with clients to assist with estate planning, property tax exemptions, and many other legal issues. He often worked with clients facing complex problems and was responsible for spotting and helping to resolve underlying legal issues that the clients might not have been aware were contributing to their problems.

Jennifer started volunteering with the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project in Seattle before law school as a translator. Her role was to ensure the accuracy of documents, testimony, and conversations—across languages—between the lawyer and the client seeking asylum. She reflected on how much of a difference it made to let the client know she believed their story, understood the cultural context, and wanted to get their story straight to be their best advocate and eventually obtain a positive outcome for the client.

Pro bono experiences are also a professional development opportunity that prepares students for summer internships and jobs in law firms or the public sector. In addition, they let students explore their own interests, realize which areas they may find less exciting early on, and focus on skillsets of best fit (e.g., transactional law, litigation, policy and/or appellate advocacy, direct services, impact litigation). It can also signal to employers that students are capable of juggling competing deadlines.

As co-president of the Public Interest Law Society, one of Jennifer’s priorities thisJennifer Yang year is to build in group opportunities for PILS members to participate in pro bono together and foster more connection across class years. Nevertheless, 1Ls should not be afraid to volunteer for work because they may feel too new to the law. Sometimes lessons from first-year doctrinal classes may appear in real life and deliver results for the clients. Host organizations are the experts and prepared to train pro bono volunteers (e.g., manuals, slide decks, shadowing an attorney, templates from past work) and give them work that they can handle. Mostly, they want students’ willingness to learn and problem-solving skills. Indeed, many legal aid organizations have dual missions to serve their clients’ immediate needs and also to integrate pro bono work into the legal profession. Regardless of the onboarding process, panelists recommended asking questions and seeking feedback early and often on assignments, but after doing some due diligence first.

Panelists encouraged 1Ls to start pursuing pro bono work and to thoughtfully balance it with their time-intensive coursework. Since 1Ls cannot join law school clinics in the first year, pro bono is the best way to start applying legal research and writing lessons from the Bigelow program. There are one-off opportunities that last a single shift or short-term remote research projects that are more flexible for students with tight schedules and on long learning curves. As in any professional environment, panelists advised that students overcommunicate their commitments and notify supervisors of any changes in bandwidth that may delay their ability to complete assignments on time. Pro bono and public interest coordinator Hannah Fine (you can reach her at hfine@uchicago.edu) is a great resource for a reality check on time commitments and can advise students on how best to succeed in integrating pro bono work into a law school schedule.

Researching Jury Pool Composition with Spring Break of Service

By Alexandra Maloney, ’23

The past year and a half has presented a host of obstacles for the world and for the Law School community, and among them was the ability to complete pro bono work while being confined at home.  However, through the resilience and creativity of student organizations like Spring Break of Service, opportunities to connect students to public interest organizations for pro bono work remotely flourished last year.  I sat down with Kendall Bryant ‘22, president of Spring Break of Service, to discuss her experience doing pro bono service remotely.

Spring Break of Service (SBOS) is a student-run organization that connects law students to week-long pro bono opportunities during the Law School’s spring break.  Last year, SBOS partnered with Louisiana Capital Assistance Center (LCAC), a nonprofit organization that provides legal services to indigent individuals charged with capital crimes.  Normally, students would travel on-site during spring break to do in-person field work, but this year, participants worked on projects from home.

Kendall highlighted her prior background in public service as a crisis counselor for the National Suicide Hotline as being an impetus for attending law school and joining SBOS.  “When I talked to callers, external circumstances and pressures would often be the reasons why people were in dire mental states.  I often gave them legal referrals but quickly became aware of how overburdened free or low-cost legal service providers are.  Now that I have this legal education and I have an ability to help people in these roles, I knew I had an obligation to ease the burden that exists.”

Students with SBOS worked 40-hour weeks during spring break and had daily check-ins with supervisors from LCAC.  During the week, Kendall worked on a data processing and research project for a report aimed at analyzing discrepancies between district censuses and jury pools.  LCAC and Kendall’s research found that the Eastern District of Louisiana had the highest differences in terms of racial composition between the district’s population and the people that ultimately made it onto juries.  LCAC’s research is being compiled into a report to submit in ongoing litigation to flag the issue for courts and argue that defendants’ rights to a jury of their peers are in jeopardy when their juries are racially imbalanced.  Kendall’s work mainly focused on combing through district court documents to find data and patterns in jury compositions throughout the country.

“The differences were often really stark,” Kendall said of her discoveries.  “It was incredibly eye-opening and often discouraging to see, but also a reaffirmation of how important it is for people that can advocate to do so,” she said, referencing literature and studies that demonstrate that balanced juries are more likely to check their own biases and evaluate cases more holistically.   On the other hand, juries that mostly consist of groups not in a defendant’s community are more likely to be disposed, whether consciously or unconsciously, against a defendant without considering other factors that might color their perceptions.

Kendall and SBOS are now working on finalizing its roster of partner organizations for this year, which as of now includes the ACLU of Tennessee, the LCAC, and General Legal Services of Eastern Missouri on issues ranging from domestic violence to civil liberties.  The board is hopeful that projects can take place in person this year if COVID-19 rates permit, although final decisions regarding traveling will be announced closer to March.  Even in the case of another remote SBOS, however, Kendall underscored how valuable the experience was to her even working from home: “meeting with a team every day made me feel truly integrated on a project that will hopefully alleviate inequalities for people that need it the most.”

Many 1Ls demonstrate interest in engaging in pro bono opportunities but find a dearth of positions available for first-year students or feel (understandably) spread thin between adjusting to law school and joining student organizations, a sentiment Kendall emphasized was familiar to her.  She assured, however, that “even as 1L you can make a difference and do work relevant to the legal field.  I felt overwhelmed a lot of the time during my first year, but SBOS was a great way to ease into pro bono work for 2L and 3L,” explaining the convenience of not having to juggle classes during the week to fully sink into her work.  Kendall also recommended checking the Law School pro bono page for current opportunities for students at all levels, including LLMs.

The Pro Bono Service Initiative supports students with an interest in performing pro bono work during their time at the Law School.  The Initiative encourages all students to pledge 50 hours of service before graduating to aid vulnerable groups and communities, hone tangible and intangible skills to round out their law school learning, and experience hands-on legal work that will truly affect people.  For more information about how to make the pledge and all things pro bono, visit the Pro Bono Service Initiative website here.

Hands-on Experience at the Center for Disability and Elder Law: A Conversation with Rob Clark

By Caitlan M. Sussman, ’22

Rob Clark ’22 spent nearly 500 hours volunteering for the Center for Disability and Elder Law (CDEL) during the pandemic. I recently had the opportunity to sit downRob Clark with Rob to learn more about his pro bono experience with CDEL.

CDEL, founded in 1984, has two primary missions. It offers free legal services to low-income seniors and people living with disabilities in the greater Chicagoland area, and encourages pro bono participation in the community.

Rob began the internship during the last six weeks of summer 2020. He found the work so rewarding that he extended it through the Autumn and Winter Quarters of the 2020-2021 academic year.

Rob’s desire to gain “hands-on experience solving complex problems” first drew him to law school. Having done his undergraduate work in math and economics at SUNY Binghamton and his master’s degree in economics at the University of Pennsylvania, Rob founded and ran a private tutoring business in Philadelphia before deciding on the University of Chicago Law School. “I felt that law would give me a way to have a more immediate impact on the world,” he explained.

Coming into law school, Rob thought he might be interested in public interest work in the long term. Running the tutoring business, however, convinced him that he “wanted to also use the entrepreneurial skills [he] had developed while tutoring.” He decided on BigLaw as a way to combine entrepreneurial skills with legal practice.

The experience with CDEL was an “incredibly diverse internship.” During his six-month internship, Rob spoke with hundreds of clients and developed many ongoing client relationships. In some cases he was their main contact at CDEL and had his own private phone line where they could reach him directly. He was in charge of relaying legal advice from the organization’s attorneys to its clients.

During the internship, Rob drafted adult guardianship pleadings, assisting in matters in which adults were unable to handle their own personal or financial affairs, often due to living with a disability. He also helped with estate planning matters such as simple wills, transfer on death instruments to handle property, and power of attorney documents. In addition, he worked on matters relating to other issues that elderly individuals or persons living with disabilities might encounter, such as collections, banking, or private landlord-tenant issues.

“The clients are always so thankful and appreciative of the effort we put in,” Rob said. “It really means a lot to them.”

The internship helped Rob continue to develop fundamental legal skills, the basic “nuts and bolts of lawyering.” It allowed him to try his hand at the various stages involved in litigation. He drafted complaints, responses to motions to dismiss, and discovery responses. He also had the opportunity to work on transactional pro bono matters.

Rob particularly enjoyed working on property tax matters, helping seniors and people living with disabilities in Cook County obtain the property tax exemptions and recover the property taxes they deserve. Through CDEL, Rob was able to “help[ ] one client recover several thousands of dollars in overpaid taxes.”

Rob highly encourages students to get involved in public interest and pro bono work while in law school and throughout their career. As he explained, it is a unique opportunity to gain familiarity with client work and learn what it is like to be a lawyer prior to starting a legal career. The experience, he said, “developed my ability really to be a legal educator, which is part of our role as a lawyer – we need to explain to clients what is going on.” Speaking about his experience with both litigation and transactional drafting work at CDEL, Rob said: “That type of drafting experience I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else.” It allowed him during his 2L summer to “go to my firm and draft entire motions and responses and get really good feedback because I wasn’t drafting something for the very first time.”

Pro bono work is also an important way to give back to the community, both in law school and in a professional capacity. No matter the practice area, Rob emphasized the importance of incorporating pro bono experience into legal practice. He considers it “an ethical obligation and my way to give back for all the opportunities that have been afforded me to get where I am now.”

In addition to his internship with CDEL, Rob has engaged in other pro bono work through the Law School’s Pro Bono Service Initiative. He has worked with “Know Your IX,” a Title IX advocacy group, to gather data on “reverse Title IX” cases. Prior to the 2020 general election, Rob volunteered with the nonprofit organization, the Advancement Project, “creating resources to aid responses to voter intimidation on the ground.” Rob has also worked with Legal Aid Chicago at the Woodlawn Clinic a few blocks away from the Law School, which allows students to volunteer on a monthly basis to conduct client intake for the organization.

After graduation, Rob will be returning to Cozen O’Connor, the firm where he spent both his 1L and 2L summers, in their Philadelphia office. Rob will start in Cozen’s litigation practice and hopes to pursue appellate litigation while maintaining a pro bono practice. He would especially like to continue working on matters similar to those at CDEL, such as assisting clients with adult guardianship matters.

CDEL is currently seeking interns for the academic year. Rob emphasized that the organization is extremely accommodating of the law student schedule, especially around exam time. CDEL still allows for fully remote internships if the student chooses. For students entering their 3L year, Rob also explained that CDEL provides opportunities to obtain a Rule 711 license to directly represent clients in court. More information about the CDEL internship can be found on Simplicity. Students looking to get involved in other impactful pro bono work may visit the Law School’s Pro Bono Service Initiative page.

Students may draw on a variety of funding sources to allow them to participate in public interest work. In addition to the $5,000 summer stipend the Law School provides, students may receive funding from the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI). PILI, one of the external public interest funding sources available, supports internships for law students at public interest organizations in Illinois during both the summer and the academic year. Students seeking summer funding for public interest work and/or external funding may visit the Law School’s Public Service and Public Interest page.

Hear From Big Law Associates and Pro Bono Counsel About Their Pro Bono Efforts

Panelists

Interested in both working for a firm and public interest law, or already planning on working for a firm and concerned with balancing pro bono work with billable hours? Click on the link here to view a panel discussion with associates from Sidley and Katten and pro bono counsel from Kirkland discussing how you can take advantage of pro bono opportunities in big law.

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén