Law students deliver $178M in pro bono services, AALS reports

Law students in the Class of 2025 contributed more than 5.1 million hours of pro bono legal services, according to the Association of American Law Schools’ annual survey.

A total of 108 law schools reported that 22,336 graduating students completed an average of 230 hours each, supporting legal aid organizations, community groups and law school clinics.

The volunteer work, valued at more than $178 million using Independent Sector’s estimate of $34.79 per hour, provided hands-on training for students while expanding access to legal services in underserved communities.

Law students contributed hours through a wide range of activities, including externships with legal aid and community organizations, law school clinics and student organization projects.

These experiential learning opportunities allow students to apply classroom concepts to real-world legal issues under the supervision of lawyers and professors, providing students with practical legal experience while delivering essential services to communities.

Kellye Testy, chief executive office of AALS, said legal education prepares students for a wide range of meaningful and effective careers.

“At the same time, these efforts play a vital role in expanding access to justice in many underserved communities, including rural areas, where legal needs too often go unmet, strengthening both the profession and the communities law schools serve,” Testy said.

Independent Sector, a nonprofit organization coalition, estimates the value of volunteer time to be $34.79 an hour. Using this number, the total value of the students’ time at these schools is estimated to be more than $178 million.

Many schools reported that some hours were uncounted or difficult to track, suggesting that actual contributions were likely higher. The project did not include hours contributed by students enrolled in law school master’s degree programs, such as LL.M. programs.

If the average hours reported per student were applied to the total enrollment in the class of 2025 for all AALS member law schools, the estimated contribution of student volunteer hours to legal services would be worth more than $283 million.

Law students contributed hours to hundreds of efforts serving thousands of clients, including the following examples of projects and clinics:

The University of Alabama School of Law – Appellate Advocacy Clinic

American University Washington College of Law – Decarceration and Re-Entry Clinic

Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University – Center for Public Health Law and Policy

University of Colorado Law School – Samuelson-Glushko Technology Law & Policy Clinic

Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law – Andy and Gwen Stern Community Lawyering Clinic

Georgia State University College of Law – Olmstead Disability Rights Clinic

Harvard Law School – Hurricane Relief Trip to North Carolina

University of Idaho College of Law – Tribal Law Clinic

Lewis & Clark Law School – Low Income Taxpayer Clinic

University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law – Samuel L. Greenebaum Public Service Program

Marquette University Law School – Marquette Law and Entrepreneurship Clinic

University of Missouri School of Law – Veterans Clinic

Alexander Blewett III School of Law at University of Montana – Land Use & Natural Resources Clinic

University of Nevada, Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law – Tenants’ Rights Legal Residency

North Carolina Central University School of Law – Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Law Institute

University of North Dakota School of Law – Family Law Clinic

Santa Clara University School of Law – The Center for Global Law and Policy

Southern Methodist University (SMU) Dedman School of Law – Judge Elmo B. Hunter Legal Center for Victims of Crimes Against Women

Stetson University College of Law – Child Advocacy Clinic

Tulane University Law School – The Environmental Law Clinic

University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law – Center for Law and Biomedical Sciences

Vanderbilt University Law School – The Stanton Foundation First Amendment Clinic

The schools represent approximately 60% of the students in ABA-accredited law schools in the Class of 2025.