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N.C. Central Law Students Provide Services

By Candice Mitchell
Black College Wire

Many of N. C. Central University's law students have decided that sitting in a classroom isn't enough.

There's a world out there that already needs their expertise and training.

And that's where Law School's pro bono program steps in. It provides a way for students to get out of the classroom and into the community. Pro bono is defined as work done without compensation for the public good.

Kenice Mobley/Campus Echo Left to right: Pro bono clinic students Cherie Long, Nolana Quince, Kevin Hicks and Larry Brown

"This is a way for students to get their feet wet," said Page Potter, director of the pro bono services, who said that each semester about 15-20 students are involved in a course-credit pro bono clinic.

According to the program's orientation brochure, NCCU's pro bono clinic coordinates pro bono and public service activities at the law school.

The American Bar Association lists 169 law schools, including NCCU, that have pro bono and public service programs for their communities.

Potter said she tries to place students into the community areas that match their interests. Students can even design their own pro bono project.

Housed in NCCU's Legal Clinic, the clinic works closely with the student Public Interest Law Organization (PILO), with other student groups, and with the Office of Career Services to promote law student involvement in pro bono service and to provide pro bono opportunities, public interest programming, and public interest career development services to students.

As part of the clinic law students can either volunteer or gain credit hours working with more than 20 public interest organizations.

Even though mostly second- and third-year law students participate in the pro bono clinic, first-year students have the option of doing other pro bono work at the law school, working on activities such as the Innocence Project.

In this project, students volunteer with the N.C. Center on Actual Innocence, where they look into cases of prisoners who say they are innocent.

Another pro bono service offered to first-year law students is Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA).

This free income tax preparation service is held at the law school every Saturday starting in February.

Cherie Long, second- year law student, said the pro bono clinic is a major benefit to law students.

"I would recommend all of the students to participate … you get practical experience," said Long.

Last semester, Long volunteered with the Child Advocacy Commission of Durham, working on child custody and child support cases.

She said the program gave her valuable training and helped her make connections with lawyers.

Another participant in the clinic, third-year law student Larry Brown, said one of the biggest rewards was seeing how much children benefited.

"The pro bono program is a great program to give back to Durham and the school system," said Brown.

Through mock trials with middle and high school students and some elementary schools, Brown shows students how the law works.

The public school system also has benefited from NCCU's law school through its street law program, said Brown. Second- and third- year students go into middle and high schools, teaching students about the court system and the Constitution.

Brown implemented The Future Lawyers and Leaders of America program with Kevin Hicks last semester at two Durham middle schools, in coordination with Durham's after- school program.

The program focuses on increasing the study, reading and writing skills of the students involved.

"It helps us to help others," said Brown.

Brown hopes the Future Lawyers program might be a vehicle to help to enhance the street law program in the future.

Candice Mitchell writes for the Campus Echo, North Carolina Central University's student newspaper.

Posted Jan. 24, 2008