The Association of American Law Schools (AALS) for the fifth year measured law schools’ contribution to the delivery of much-needed legal services through pro bono efforts, legal clinics, and other law-related public service projects by law students. The survey was not conducted in 2020 or 2021 due to complications related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In November 2022, 80 law schools reported that 16,891 law students in the class of 2022 contributed more than 2,702,124 hours in legal services as part of their legal education, an average of about 160 hours per student. Independent Sector, a nonprofit organization coalition, estimates the value of volunteer time to be $29.95 an hour. Using this number, the total value of the students’ time at these schools is estimated to be in excess of $80,928,000. The schools represent approximately 45 percent of the students in American Bar Association accredited law schools in the class of 2022. 

In the same survey, 69 schools reported that 45,295 law students in all class years (first-year through the third-year) during the academic year 2021-22 contributed 3,070,308 hours in legal services, an average of approximately 68 hours per student. Using the Independent Sector value of volunteer time, the value of these services is estimated to be in excess of 91,955,000. 

Many schools indicated that some hours go uncounted or are difficult to track so actual contributions were probably higher. The project also did not include hours contributed by students in law school master degree programs such as an LL.M program. 

Law students contributed hours through a variety of efforts, including externships at legal aid and community organizations, law school clinics, and law student organization led projects. These hands-on or experiential learning opportunities enabled students to apply classroom teachings to legal problems under the supervision of lawyers and professors. Students received practical experience in law and communities received critical legal services. 

Law students contributed hours to hundreds of efforts serving thousands of clients, including the following projects and clinics: 

• University of Baltimore School of Law – Innocence Project Clinic 
• University of California, Berkeley School of Law – Arts and Innovation Representation 
• California Western School of Law – New Media Rights 
• Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology – Environmental and Energy Law Clinic 
• Columbia Law School – Science, Health, and Information Clinic 
• Creighton University School of Law – Abrahams Legal Clinic 
• Emory University School of Law – Barton Appeal for Youth Clinic 
• Harvard Law School – Recording Artists Project 
• University of Iowa College of Law – Estate Planning 
• University of Louisville, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law – Elder Law Clinic  
• Loyola Law School, Los Angeles – Education Advocacy Clinic 
• University of Miami School of Law – Startup Clinic 
• University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law – Entrepreneurial Legal Services and Intellectual Property Clinic 
• University of Kansas School of Law – Guardianship Clinic 
• Mississippi College School of Law – Adoption Legal Clinic 
• Northeastern University School of Law – Cradle-to-Prison Pipeline Project  
• Notre Dame Law School – Religious Liberty Clinic 
• University of Pittsburgh School of Law – Ukrainian Legal Assistance Project 
• Seattle University School of Law – Housing Justice Clinic 
• Stetson University College of Law – Veterans Advocacy Clinic 
• St. John’s University School of Law – Domestic Violence Litigation Clinic 
• University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law – Creative Advocacy Lab 
• Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law – Interdisciplinary Initiative on Poverty and Inequality 
• University of Virginia School of Law – Migrant Farmworker Project 
• Western New England University School of Law – Expungement & Record Sealing Event 

The following schools contributed information for the survey: 

• University of Akron School of Law 
• American University, Washington College of Law 
• University of Arkansas School of Law 
• University of Baltimore School of Law 
• Baylor University School of Law 
• Boston College Law School 
• Brigham Young University, J. Reuben Clark Law School 
• University of California, Berkeley School of Law 
• University of California College of the Law, San Francisco  
• University of California, Davis, School of Law 
• University of California, Irvine School of Law 
• California Western School of Law 
• Capital University Law School 
• Case Western Reserve University School of Law 
• The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law 
• Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law 
• The University of Chicago, The Law School 
• Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology 
• University of Colorado Law School 
• University of Connecticut School of Law 
• Columbia Law School 
• Creighton University School of Law 
• DePaul University College of Law 
• University of Detroit Mercy School of Law 
• Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law  
• Emory University School of Law 
• Georgetown University Law Center 
• The George Washington University Law School 
• University of Georgia School of Law 
• Georgia State University College of Law 
• Harvard Law School 
• University of Hawaii, William S. Richardson School of Law  
• University of Idaho College of Law 
• Indiana University, Maurer School of Law 
• Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law 
• University of Iowa College of Law 
• University of Kansas School of Law 
• University of Louisville, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law 
• Loyola University Chicago School of Law 
• Loyola Law School, Los Angeles 
• University of Maine School of Law 
• Marquette University Law School 
• The University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law 
• University of Miami School of Law 
• The University of Michigan Law School 
• University of Minnesota Law School 
• Mississippi College School of Law 
• University of Mississippi School of Law 
• University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law 
• Mitchell Hamline School of Law 
• University of Montana Alexander Blewett III School of Law 
• University of Nebraska College of Law 
• North Carolina Central University School of Law 
• University of North Carolina School of Law 
• University of North Dakota School of Law 
• Northeastern University School of Law  
• Northern Illinois University College of Law 
• Notre Dame Law School 
• Ohio Northern University, Pettit College of Law 
• Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law 
• University of Oregon School of Law 
• University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law 
• The Pennsylvania State University – Penn State Law 
• University of Pittsburgh School of Law 
• The University of Richmond School of Law 
• Roger Williams University School of Law 
• Rutgers Law School 
• University of San Diego School of Law 
• University of San Francisco School of Law 
• Seattle University School of Law 
• Seton Hall University School of Law 
• University of South Carolina School of Law 
• South Texas College of Law Houston 
• Southwestern Law School 
• Stetson University College of Law 
• St. John’s University School of Law 
• St. Mary’s University School of Law 
• University of St. Thomas School of Law 
• St. Thomas University School of Law 
• Temple University, James E. Beasley School of Law 
• The University of Texas School of Law 
• Texas Tech University School of Law 
• Tulane University Law School 
• University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law 
• Vanderbilt University Law School 
• Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law 
• University of Virginia School of Law 
• University of Washington School of Law 
• Western New England University School of Law 
• William & Mary Law School 

*Class of 2022 numbers include all three years of law school in a J.D. program.