The University of Texas School of Law’s Pro Bono Program, in conjunction with the American Bar Association’s National Pro Bono Celebration, has planned several events for students and the community Oct. 20 to 26, that emphasize the role of UT Law in delivering pro bono services.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Clinic
UT Law’s Immigration Clinic and Pro Bono Program are co-hosting a clinic on Sunday, Oct. 20, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Richardson Family Learning Center in the Sierra Vista Apartments, 4320 South Congress Ave., to assist pro se youth to petition for relief under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. At the clinic, students and volunteer attorneys will help local high school students complete forms and compile documents to file with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Other opportunities:
- Tuesday, Oct. 22: Domestic Violence Clinic Training for student volunteers from 6 to 7 p.m. in CCJ 1.324
- Thursday, Oct. 24: Austin VA Outpatient Clinic from 12:45 to 4:30 p.m. at 7901 Metropolis Dr.
For more information contact Andrew Hill at ahill@law.utexas.edu.
Celebrate Pro Bono Luncheon
On Tuesday, Oct. 22, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the law school’s Sheffield Room, Trish McAllister, executive director of the Texas Access to Justice Commission, and several Austin attorneys, will discuss access to justice in Texas and the role of pro bono service in narrowing the justice gap. The Austin Bar Association and the Hispanic Bar Association of Austin are co-sponsoring the lunch and presentation with the UT Law Pro Bono Program. Law school community members who would like to attend the lunch are asked to RSVP to probono@law.utexas.edu.
January Pro Bono Trip Application Announcement
Law students can apply for the 2014 Pro Bono in January trip beginning Wednesday, Oct. 23. Pro Bono in January is an annual winter break trip that gives law students the opportunity to engage in meaningful pro bono work in low-income communities. This year, the Pro Bono Program will take 30 students and several faculty members to the Texas Rio Grande Valley during the second week of January. Students will work in Valley cities with attorneys from Texas RioGrande Legal Aid and the South Texas Civil Rights Project to staff wills clinics, partner with the Texas Civil Rights Project to hold DACA clinics and help the South Texas Civil Rights Project assemble immigration petitions for women filing for legal residency under the Violence Against Women Act. This will be Pro Bono in January’s fifth year in the Valley.
The 2014 Pro Bono in January application will be available on the Pro Bono Program website or at the Pro Bono Program table in the Susman Godfrey Atrium on Wednesday, Oct. 23, and Thursday, Oct. 24, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. First-year students are encouraged to apply. Applications are due by noon on Nov. 1. Trip participants will be announced Nov. 8.
The Pro Bono Program will also host several events throughout the week to encourage students to report their pro bono hours and sign up for projects. Check the UT Law online calendar for details.
About the UT Law Pro Bono Program
The Pro Bono Program’s vision is that students at The University of Texas School of Law will engage in pro bono work to increase access to justice and develop a lifetime commitment to providing legal services to those in need. Launched in 2009, the Pro Bono Program is a project of the Law School’s William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law.
Related articles:
Students Make a Difference Through Pro Bono
Pro Bono Program Names 2013-14 Scholars