One year after the launch of the pro bono pledge, BYU law students keep their commitment to 50 hours of service before they graduate.
Pro bono service is legal counsel provided by lawyers to clients that likely wouldn’t have the means to get the legal help they need. Pro bono service opportunities have always been available to BYU law students, but the 50 hour pledge launched last year, ahead of the sesquicentennial.
Denise Beatty, director of student life at the J. Reuben Clark Law School, was involved in the development of the pledge, and continually finds opportunities for students.
“We make sure that everybody, regardless of their ability to pay, has access to justice,” Beatty said.
She mentioned that the students have given more than 6000 hours of pro bono service in the last four years.
“I signed up because I enjoy doing service for other people,” Gracie Messier, a second-year law student, said.
Beatty said they’ve provided opportunities in many fields of law including immigration, housing, tax, family law and more.
Brooklyn Jensen is another second-year law student that signed the pledge.
“One of my biggest draws to law school was being able to help people that needed it and couldn’t afford it. That’s been really cool,” Jensen said.
She’s enjoyed her pro bono service in family law. She said she has been passionate about helping women and children be in safe environments.
“It’s been really helpful to learn, even though it’s sad to see,” Jensen said. “I can still see that I’ve made an impact.”
Amberlee Dredge, a second-year law student, has also provided pro bono service for the pledge in family law.
“It’s hard, but I also find that it’s rewarding,” Dredge said.
With the busy schedules of law students, some find it difficult to make time for service. Izzy Hassell signed the pledge last year and is currently in her second year of law school.
“Stepping outside of ourselves and our stress and taking time to look to others … has ended up being a stress relief for me,” Hassell said.
Beatty said that producing attorneys who serve is one of the goals of the law school.
“The most important thing that we will ever do is act as disciples of the Savior,” Beatty said.
One year after the start of the pledge, Beatty said the biggest challenge has been meeting the service demand.
“We actually have more students who desire to serve than we have opportunities,” Beatty said.
Students agreed that finding opportunities, especially those that work with their schedules, can be difficult. Gracie Messier found an externship that has helped her get her hours.
“Doing pro bono hours is absolutely in pursuit of the values of Jesus Christ,” Messier said.
Beatty said that pro bono service changes lives for the clients and the students.
“When you can help students ... find their purpose and find meaning in their legal work outside of a paycheck, I think that’s really beautiful,” Beatty said.