The students of the Class of 2025 completed more than 50,000 hours of pro bono and public service work during their time at Albany Law School.

For context, that’s 5 and a half years, or at least 3,000,000 minutes of service. 

This remarkable number encompasses all the time students provided legal assistance to small businesses, veterans, immigrants, tenants facing landlord issues, people facing severe health issues, community members filing taxes, non-profit organizations, schools, and many more.

The Edward P. Swyer Justice Center at Albany Law School administers the pro bono program and operates the law school’s five in-house clinics, which provide free legal services to eligible Capital Region residents and offer students an opportunity to gain hands-on legal practice experience. The Justice Center, which has long been a leader in experiential education, celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. 

“Pro bono work is very special for me. It is something that is fundamental to the legal profession because access to justice should be available for every person regardless of their financial circumstances. Helping the most vulnerable people is an honor and a privilege for me,” said Avanpal Mann ’26, a student in The Justice Center. “For me, pro bono work is essential in the legal profession for people to trust in the justice system. This allows people to witness that accountability, transparency and the rule of law are being upheld in the United States. It helps them understand that the justice system does not only serve the rich and privileged. Building a positive reputation for the legal system gives me great joy and I feel very happy helping those who are in desperate need for justice but do not have the means to pay through the process of getting there.”

“Pro bono work is one of the strongest pillars of the legal profession. Our students, under the expert guidance of our clinic faculty and staff and field placement supervisors, learn the importance of pro bono work early on while providing essential legal services to our community,” said Professor Sarah Rogerson, Director of The Edward P. Swyer Justice Center at Albany Law School. “Clinic clients come to us in some of their most difficult moments. Our students learn crucial client relation skills while also providing the legal services our community needs with compassion and care.”

“Year after year, this number showcases Albany Law School’s commitment to educating public service-minded legal professionals. Our entire community is so proud of this work,” said Professor Victoria Esposito, Faculty Advisor to the Pro Bono Society within The Edward P. Swyer Justice Center at Albany Law School.

As Albany Law School celebrates its 175th anniversary in 2026, we take pride in our long and continuing legacy of dedication to public service and the many ways our students help us carry on this commitment.