October 23, 2014
30 founders are students or alumni – most of any Texas law school
The St. Mary’s University School of Law has more founding members of the State Bar of Texas’ Law Student Pro Bono College than any other Texas law school – a fitting announcement for “National Celebrate Pro Bono Week.”
With 30 members in the inaugural class of the Law Student Pro Bono College, nearly half of the 67 founding members are St. Mary’s Law students and recent graduates.
The Law Student Pro Bono College was founded in 2013 to extend the Pro Bono College of the State Bar of Texas to include students enrolled in Texas law schools. The Pro Bono College recognizes the Texas legal community’s contributions in providing legal services to all Texans. Law students must complete a minimum of 50 hours of eligible pro bono services within a 12-month period to be considered for membership.
“We are incredibly proud of the breadth and depth of pro bono services our law students provide in San Antonio, South Texas and beyond,” said Associate Dean Ana Novoa, Director of the Center for Legal and Social Justice, which operates the Pro Bono Program. “That St. Mary’s students and recent graduates have been admitted to the Law Student Pro Bono College in such great numbers reflects our students’ commitment both to the ideals of the legal profession and to the mission of our Catholic and Marianist law school.”
St. Mary’s students and graduates performed many of their hours of service as a part of the School of Law’s Pro Bono Program. Under staff and student leadership, the program improves access to justice in South Texas and beyond. The result has been tangible benefits to the community and meaningful professional experience for the law students, Novoa said.
In 2013-2014, St. Mary’s law students recorded 13,394 public service hours as part of the Pro Bono Program.