Pro Bono

The provision of pro bono legal services is an integral component of a legal education and the practice of law.  Hastings encourages and fosters pro bono participation by all members of our community in an effort to improve access to justice for all. Pro bono work allows students to give back to the community while acquiring important legal skills, including problem-solving, interviewing, counseling, research and analysis, and negotiation.  Given Hastings’ favorable location in downtown San Francisco, students are exposed to a variety of pro brono opportunities, practice settings and attorney networks.

Hastings students, faculty and staff are engaged in a wide variety of pro bono activities locally, nationally and internationally.

• General Assistance Advocacy Project (GAAP): a student created organization, now an independent nonprofit.  Students assist homeless clients navigate the public benefits systems including general assistance, social security, unemployment, etc.
  

• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA):  students provide tax filing assistance to Tenderloin residents one evening a week during tax season.

• ACCESS Program:  located at the San Francisco Superior Court, students work with this self-help center to assist unrepresented litigants in general civil legal matters including small claims, name changes, civil harassment restraining orders, and guardianships. 
  

• Hastings to Haiti:  to help strengthen the rule of law in Haiti, students engage with Haitian law students as well as bringing supplies and materials on human rights issues.

• Hastings Hurricane Relief:  an alternative spring break opportunity.  Students travel to the Gulf Coast as part of the national law student movement, to provide legal related services.
  

• Peer Court:  a program of the San Francisco Superior Court, students work with youth in preparing for a quasi-legal proceeding designed to address first-time juvenile offenders.

• Homeless Legal Services Program:  law students, supervised by a large local law firm, partner with medical students from UCSF to provide services to residents of a local homeless shelter one evening per week.