The preparation of lawyers who recognize the significance of their public service obligations is an important objective of the William S. Richardson School of Law.

The Pro Bono Program at the William S. Richardson School of Law was one of the first law school pro bono programs in the country and is believed to be the first student-initiated mandatory program in the nation. In April 1991, student organization Advocates for Public Interest Law presented a formal proposal to the faculty. Recognizing both the long tradition in the legal profession to serve the underprivileged and to ensure legal access for all and a national movement in its infancy introducing mandatory pro bono service, the student leaders wanted the Law School to foster in all law students a lifetime professional commitment to public legal service by creating a pro bono graduation requirement.

In 1992, the William S. Richardson School of Law adopted a Law Student Public Service graduation requirement. The class of 1995 was the first graduating class obliged to fulfill the requirement. The Law Student Public Service (better known as “Pro Bono”) Program introduces the concept of pro bono service to William S. Richardson School of Law students and is an integral part of the academic program at the Law School. It provides law students with substantial opportunities to participate in pro bono legal services, including law-related public service activities, while enriching their legal education.

Students locate and provide law-related pro bono legal services under the supervision of an attorney, law school faculty or dean, or other supervisor, as approved by the Pro Bono Program Administrator. Pro bono services include law-related public service activities for nonprofits, government agencies, and the courts. Law students are encouraged to provide a portion of their pro bono service to persons of limited means or to organizations that serve such persons. The pro bono work is meant to be law-related in nature, not clerical or administrative. Students are required to maintain copies of all submissions.

Students will need to use their “Hawaii.edu” email account to access the required forms stored on this Google Drive.