Project Supervisor Requirements

Project supervisors must be attorneys, law faculty members, or other licensed professionals with the ability to sufficiently train student volunteers.  Before working with students, supervisors must review the Pro Bono Program Project Guidelines and sign a commitment to adhere to the same.  Supervisors are expected to abide by the guidelines and inform the Pro Bono Program Director if issues arise.

Project Supervisor Responsibilities

Attorney supervisors must provide the training and supervision necessary for student volunteers to effectively complete their projects.  Upon project completion, supervisors may also be required to submit an evaluation of the student's work and of the Pro Bono Program's assistance.  

Student Training

Training must be conducted by an attorney with sufficient expertise in the subject area.  Pro bono project proposals must explain any training offered to student volunteers.  The information on student training should explain:

• What knowledge and skills are necessary to complete the project;
• Who will train the student volunteers;
• What materials will be used for training sessions; and
• Where and for how long the training sessions will occur.

Individual supervisors should ensure that students have received appropriate training before beginning their pro bono projects.  Supervisors are responsible for providing any supplemental training required and should remain accessible to provide guidance throughout the duration of the project.

Student Supervision

Supervisors must institute clear expectations for students' pro bono work and should communicate these expectations to the student before beginning the project.  Expectations should clarify:

• A time frame for completing the project;
• Relevant deadlines for different phases of the project;
• A preferred method of communication between student and supervisor; and
• A schedule for students to provide project updates.

Exit Evaluations

Exit evaluations vary according to the type of project.  Supervisors of projects that are a single event are not required to evaluate individual students.  Supervisors of longer projects may be required to complete an exit interview with each student participant.  These supervisors may also be required to submit a written evaluation to the Pro Bono Director.  This evaluation allows the supervisor to comment on student performance and to evaluate the assistance provided by the Pro Bono Program.  Supervisors are requested to complete the written evaluation and exit interview within two weeks of project completion.

Create a Pro Bono Project

This information is for Individual Attorneys and Host Sites who would like to submit a pro bono project proposal to the UW Law School Pro Bono Program in order to find volunteer law students.

Definitions

• Individual Attorney: An attorney who does not belong to an organization or firm that wants law student volunteers and you are requesting volunteers to only work with you.
• Host Site: An organization or firm wants law student volunteers to work for the organization or as a whole but with a specific project supervisor.

Guidelines for Qualifying Projects

1. Law-related: Students must perform pro bono work that is related to the law.
2. Uncompensated: Students may not receive any compensation, including stipends, or academic credit. Attorneys and Host sites cannot receive compensation; unless they are Public Defender or not-for-profit legal service organizations or cases.
3. Supervision/Training: Students must be supervised and trained by an attorney.
4. Eligible Clients: The pro bono work must serve:
   1. People of limited financial means, or
   2. Charitable or not-for-profit organization in matter which are designed primarily to address the needs of persons of limited financial means

Required Information

The following information is required on all applications:

• Contact information for the attorney supervisor and host site, if applicable
• A detailed description of the project, including how and when students are expected to participate
• Student volunteer requirements
• How students will apply

Project Approval Process

Once we receive your completed application, we will review it and respond within two weeks. If this is an urgent project, please let us know when you submit your application and we will try to review it sooner. This project will be made available to students once it has been approved. Please read the instructions carefully.

Questions?

If you are an organization interested in engaging with UW Law students for Pro Bono services, please contact Lindsay Slaker at lslaker@wisc.edu.