Students Serve Community, Take Bar Before Graduation Through New Pro Bono Program

​Through a new program, Albany Law School students in their final year will have the opportunity to take the bar exam before graduation, then devote their last semester of study to providing pro bono legal services through an approved externship program, such as a law school clinic, legal services provider or public defender's office.

Announced by New York State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman in his 2014 State of the Judiciary address, the Pro Bono Scholars Program, the first of its kind across the country, is a partnership between the Judiciary, law schools and practicing attorneys, with the goal of revitalizing legal education to better meet society’s changing needs.