Detroit (March 10, 2010) - Wayne State University Law School is pleased to announce its new Student Voluntary Pro Bono Program to encourage students to use their professional training to benefit underserved populations and the community at large. Wayne Law Director of Career Services Diane Fears has been named director of the new program.
The program encourages students to complete the Warrior Pro Bono Pledge, a pledge agreement wherein the student agrees to perform a minimum of 50 hours of supervised, qualifying pro bono work while enrolled as a Wayne Law student. The program will allow students to assist underserved populations as well as reap professional development benefits such as exposure to a variety of practice settings and client bases, hands-on legal experience, and a host of networking and leadership development opportunities.
Students who fulfill the Warrior Pro Bono Pledge will receive a Certificate of Pro Bono Service and acknowledgement during the annual Honors Convocation ceremony.
"Wayne Law is committed to educating graduates who excel in the law and provide service to community, the bench and the bar," said Wayne Law Dean Robert M. Ackerman. "As we continue to see an increased number of students interested in public interest work, we have made it a priority to increase the number of opportunities available to them. This new program, along with Wayne Law clinics, internships and Public Interest Law Fellowships (including our recently announced International Public Interest Law Fellowships), will provide another route through which they can make a difference through the law."
He added, "Diane has provided great vision and leadership in making this program a reality. I am confident our students and community will benefit from this program and her expertise."
Wayne Law students who have completed the first term of the first-year day program or four terms of the part-time evening program, have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher, and are not on academic probation are eligible to complete the Warrior Pro Bono Pledge and enroll in the Student Voluntary Pro Bono Program.
The Pro Bono Coordinator will suggest pre-approved projects and/or placements involving qualifying work based on a program questionnaire. Students also may propose a project or placement involving qualifying work.
For more information regarding the Student Voluntary Pro Bono program, please call the Career Services Office at (313) 577-8039 or send an email to lawprobono@wayne.edu.
About Wayne Law
Wayne State University Law School has educated and served the Detroit metropolitan area since its inception as Detroit City Law School in 1927. Located at 471 West Palmer Street in Detroit's re-energized historic cultural center, the Law School remains committed to student success and features modern lecture and court facilities, multi-media classrooms, a 250-seat auditorium, and the Arthur Neef Law Library, which houses one of the nation's 30 largest legal collections. Taught by an internationally recognized and expert faculty, Wayne Law students experience a high-quality legal education via a growing array of hands-on curricular offerings, client clinics, and access to well over 100 internships with local and non-profit entities each year. Its 11,000 living alumni, who work in every state of the nation and more than a dozen foreign countries, are experts in their disciplines and include leading members of the local, national and international legal communities. For more information, visit law.wayne.edu.