Association of American Law Schools Law Student #ProBono Hours Survey
In fall of 2018, 84 law schools reported that 16,502 law students in the class of 2018* contributed 3,481,066.11 hours in legal services as part of their legal education. Independent Sector, a nonprofit organization coalition, estimates the value of volunteer time to be $24.69 an hour. Using this number, the total value of the students’ time at these schools is estimated to be in excess of $85.9 million. The schools represent approximately 48 percent of students in American Bar Association accredited law schools in the class of 2018.
In the same survey, 83 schools reported that 51,627 law students in all class years (1L-3L) during the academic year 2018-19 contributed 4,266,319.83 hours in legal services. Using the Independent Sector value of volunteer time, the value of these services is estimated to be in excess of $105.3 million.
Law students contributed hours through a variety of efforts, including externships at legal aid and community organizations, law school clinics, and law student organization led projects. These hands-on or experiential learning opportunities enabled students to apply classroom teachings to legal problems under the supervision of lawyers and professors. Students received practical experience in law and communities received critical legal services.
Special shoutouts to the #TexasLawSchools who were included in these results:
Baylor Law School
St. Mary's University School of Law
SMU Dedman School of Law
Texas A&M University School of Law
Texas Tech University School of Law
University of Texas School of Law