Pledge FAQs

You can take the Georgetown Law Pro Bono Pledge here. Students who meet any of the Pledge recognition levels will receive an honor cord to be worn at graduation and a certificate signed by the Dean. Pledge recognition may also be taken into account when considering individual students for other awards. There are no negative consequences for not reaching the Pledge threshold.

To complete the Georgetown Pro Bono Pledge, you have to complete a certain number of pro bono (law-related) hours. The tables below break down the required hours by category and class year.

To Complete the Pledge: Student Status/Total

J.D. – 50
J.D. Transfer – 35
LL.M. – 20

To Receive Special Pro Bono Pledge recognition: Student Status/Total

J.D. – 100
J.D. Transfer – 50
LL.M. – 35

To Receive Exceptional Pro Bono Pledge recognition: Student Status/Total

J.D. – 200
J.D. Transfer – 125
LL.M. – 50

Pro Bono hours are reported in Paladin. Log in via app.joinpaladin.com using your Georgetown email address (single sign-on access). Review this short video and refer to Paladin’s Help Section for further details on using the platform.

Pro bono work must be:

1. Law-related
2. Not for credit or compensation, noting that 40 hours of otherwise qualifying summer work can be counted if the student receives Georgetown Law’s Public Service Summer Funding or a similar public service stipend of less than $10,000. As explained below, work that is required for a class, journal or clinic does not qualify.
3. Supervised by a licensed attorney or law faculty member, except in the following circumstances: (a) work is done for a member of Congress or a Congressional committee; (b) work is done for an organization engaged in legislative/policy work – provided the work is still law-related; (c) work is translation done for any law-related pro bono cases (including those from Georgetown Law clinics); (d) work is assistance with a low-income tax clinic under the supervision of a CPA; or (e) work is otherwise approved by the Pro Bono Director.
4. For a non-profit organization, government agency, or other public interest employer (including public sector employment that qualifies for receipt of Georgetown Law’s Public Service Summer Funding). In addition, time spent on a pro bono matter (meaning services provided without charge (or for a heavily reduced fee) to people who cannot afford to pay) at a private law firm is eligible for Pledge recognition, so long as the student is not being paid by the firm (so this excludes pro bono done as a summer associate).
5. Done while the student is enrolled in classes at Georgetown Law or a related program (e.g. joint degree, visiting law school). Work done during the summer, when the student is returning to Georgetown the following Fall or Spring semester, may count: See the “Do hours from a summer position count…” question below.

Students doing summer internships that meet the above criteria (see the “What work qualifies as pro bono…” FAQ above) may count 40 hours of their time at the summer internship per summer toward the Georgetown Law Pro Bono Pledge.

For students earning externship credit over the summer, up to 40 hours performed beyond the terms of the externship may be counted. (Note: During the academic year, all surplus externship hours may be counted.)

Students receiving funds for summer work from a private sector employer cannot count that time toward their Pledge tally; this includes pro bono assignments while a paid summer associate at a law firm or a 1L receiving summer funding from the firm to which they’ve committed for 2L summer. The Georgetown Law Pro Bono Pledge is intended to recognize work for which a personal financial benefit is not anticipated.

Summer Externship/Internship

Forty hours per summer of unfunded or Georgetown summer public service-funded work that meets the above criteria (see the “What work qualifies as pro bono…”) at your full-time/primary internship placement can be logged toward your Pro Bono Pledge. On campus work performed by a paid RA falls outside of the Pro Bono Pledge. Students receiving funds for summer work from a private sector employer (e.g., a 1L receiving summer funding from the firm to which they’ve committed for 2L summer) cannot count that time toward their Pledge tally. The Georgetown Law Pro Bono Pledge is intended to recognize work for which a personal financial benefit (beyond public service level funding) is not anticipated.   

Other Summer Pro Bono with Private Sector Support

While no doubt very meaningful work, time spent on a law firm pro bono matter as a summer associate is deemed compensated and therefore not eligible for Pledge recognition. The same principle applies for work done over 1L summer for which the law firm you are joining over 2L summer provides funds (see above). 

Pro bono service outside of one’s primary summer placement: Otherwise qualifying pro bono work done over the summer that is separate and distinct from one’s main summer position may be counted in its entirety. So for instance, if a student receiving Georgetown Law Public Service Summer Funding for their summer position also volunteers on 3 Saturdays at an unrelated legal services intake clinic, that student can submit 40 hours for their weekday placement plus the additional hours spent at the Saturday clinics on their own time.

A key aspect of the Georgetown Law Pro Bono Pledge is that the work performed be voluntary. Accordingly, public service that is required for a class or journal, done for credit,* or for which you receive funding from a private sector source may not count toward the Pledge. 

*Hours worked beyond the number required for academic credit, however, may count as described below:

Academic Year Externship

Any academic year externship hours performed beyond the terms of the hours required for credit may be counted.

Clinic

Hours spent on clinic work while enrolled in the clinic generally do not count toward the Georgetown Law Pro Bono Pledge. But if work on a clinic matter continues beyond the final exam period, the overage hours may be counted if approved by the clinical professor and conveyed to the Pro Bono Director.

Practicum Courses

Work done beyond the required hours for the pass/fail external field placement component of a Fieldwork Practicum may be counted toward the Georgetown Law Pro Bono Pledge. For example, if you are in a practicum course with an external pass/fail field placement that requires 110 hours of work during the semester and you do 150 hours of work, the 40 hours of extra work may be counted toward the Pledge. Work done for a Project-Based Practicum where all credits are graded is not eligible.

Class

Hours spent on coursework (unless covered above) are not Georgetown Law Pro Bono Pledge eligible.

Journal

Work done for a journal, including for a required community service project, is a requirement of journal membership and is not Georgetown Law Pro Bono Pledge eligible.

For an exhaustive description of pledge accreditation, see the “What work qualifies as…” question.

Judicial Internship

You can count time spent on a judicial internship, as such work entails support of government services. The other Pledge parameters apply (40-hour cap on summer work, only surplus hours if work performed as an extern for academic credit).

Research for a professor

Paid, on-campus work as a Research Assistant does not count as pro bono. However, if the research is done to support the professor’s work on a matter taken on a pro bono basis, for instance drafting an amicus brief for an external nonprofit at no charge, then it can likely be counted. Please email jt1133 for approval. If the work done is scholarly research in support of a journal article or other material to be published for general public consumption (for instance, that an RA might be paid to do), then it cannot be counted.

Absolutely! While first-year students are still developing their legal skills, there are a variety of law-related tasks for which first-years are well-suited. The project listings in Paladin will specify if a given project is restricted to upper class students. You are also welcome to contact the Pro Bono Director for guidance.

As proof of completion, NY bar applicants will need to file an Affidavit of Compliance for each pro bono activity used to satisfy the 50-hour requirement. Each Affidavit Each Affidavit must be notarized and then signed by a supervising attorney or faculty member. OPICS strongly recommends that Affidavits be completed immediately after the qualifying pro bono work is done, as tracking down supervisors or required information months or years after the pro bono work has been completed may be difficult. Visit the New York Bar Pro Bono Requirement page for additional information.