Fueling Your Pro Bono Journey: Funding Options for Law Students
Published October 21, 2025
Attorneys are encouraged to volunteer their services through pro bono work. To foster this practice early on, law students who wish to sit for the New York State Bar must complete 50 hours of pro bono service. Given the nature of this work, New York State, along with many law schools, including the University at Buffalo School of Law, has developed programs to support students in securing funding for unpaid summer internships.
What is pro bono work?
The term pro bono is short for the Latin phrase pro bono publico, meaning “for the public good.” In the legal field, attorneys provide pro bono work by offering free legal services to those who cannot afford them. Pro bono work benefits both communities and attorneys as this work helps those in need, while strengthening local support systems and enhancing professional reputations.
In New York State, law students must complete 50 hours of pro bono work to be eligible to sit for the bar exam. Many students take summer internships in the public interest or government sectors to fulfill this requirement. Students working in public interest will provide legal work on behalf of individuals, organizations, or causes that would otherwise lack effective representation in the legal system. Students taking positions with district attorneys or public defender’s offices are part of the government sector. Law students not only enhance their skills and gain valuable experience through these opportunities, but they also provide access to justice for those who cannot afford legal representation.
Often, public interest agencies are unable to offer payment for student internships. Recognizing that this can pose a financial burden, both New York State and the University at Buffalo School of Law have established programs to provide eligible students with fellowships to cover their living expenses while participating in these internships. These programs help ensure that more law students can take advantage of public interest internships without being financially burdened.
How to Fund Your Pro Bono Work
There are two major ways to fund your pro bono work: by receiving a fellowship through UB Law's Summer Public Interest Funding & Fellowship Program or Catalyst.
UB Law Summer Public Interest Funding & Fellowship Program
There are over 45 fellowships available to UB Law students. Students are eligible for a fellowship if they intern over the summer at a nonprofit organization, government agency, or any law-related position aimed at advancing the public interest. The stipends range from $1,500 to $5,000, depending on need. Students can apply for a fellowship in the spring.
Funding may come from several sources, but all UB Law funding is processed through a common application process.
Buffalo Public Interest Law Program
One of the many benefits of attending UB School of Law is the Buffalo Public Interest Law Program (BPILP), a student-run organization dedicated to assisting students as they work pro bono. BPILP raises funds to support students who engage in public interest work during the summer while in law school.
BPILP funds these fellowships through donor support and their annual auction. The auction takes place each spring at a local venue and features food, drinks, and three types of auctions: live, online, and raffle. The event attracts students, faculty, alumni, and local attorneys, and is one everyone looks forward to.
Students have been relieved of financial stress while completing their pro bono work due to this program. Thanks to a BPILP Fellowship, Marygrace Piskorowski ’25 was able to intern at the Department of Homeland Security, OPLA. “Working with government agency attorneys was a wonderful learning experience and every attorney provided the interns with a unique perspective on their cases [. . .] I am a non-traditional student with a family [so] in order to work out of the home, I needed to be able to pay for childcare. The Fellowship made this possible.”
Alumni-Funded Fellowships
Over the years, various private donors have also sponsored named fellowships. These vary in size and criteria. All are designed to enable students to take voluntary positions in non-profit organizations for the summer.
I was fortunate to receive the Freudenheim Fellowship while interning with the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office in Summer 2024. This fellowship allowed me to focus on my work without worrying about the financial burden of an unpaid summer internship. My time at the DA’s office was incredibly rewarding and led me to my future career upon graduation. It’s an opportunity I wouldn't have had without BPILP's support and dedication.
Zain Mirza ’26 interned with CAMBA Legal Services in Brooklyn, NY, over the summer. “The [UB Law Alumni Association] Fellowship allowed me to focus on helping vulnerable clients, because financial backing provides stability.” Focusing on his internship allowed him to create a change in his client’s lives. “Housing law is a unique field, where we work so closely with our clients, and we get to see how our help can impact their day-to-day circumstances.”
A fellowship funded by John P. Comerford ’95 and Hope P. Comerford allowed Hannah Campbell ’25 to explore an area of law she was passionate about at the Federal Public Defender’s Office. “One highlight of my summer was witnessing the direct impact of legal advocacy on the lives of clients. Seeing how attorneys navigated complex cases with compassion highlighted the profound disparities within the criminal justice system. This experience deepened my understanding of the critical role of public defenders in safeguarding individuals' rights and advocating for justice, reinforcing my passion for pursuing a career in this field.”
Statewide: Catalyst Fellowships
The Catalyst Public Service Fellowship Program was established to encourage and support law students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to gain practical legal experience in the public sector. This is a statewide program, and each law school is allocated a specific number of spots to select students from each year. In 2024, four students from UB School of Law were chosen, and a total of 60 students received funding across the 15 law schools in New York State. The fellowship provides a stipend of $5,000 to each fellow.
Isabella Bakshi ’25 was a recipient of a Catalyst fellowship, which allowed her to intern at the Erie County District Attorney’s Office. “The financial assistance [through Catalyst] has had a profound impact on me. I was able to achieve a sense of fulfillment through my work. Homicide is a unique field because you are unable to speak with the victim/complainant. Instead, the families and witnesses are the ones with whom you communicate most. Knowing that my efforts could potentially bring closure to victims' families and ensure accountability resonated deeply with me and reinforced my passion for law and justice.”
Pro bono work not only benefits the clients who receive these services but also has a profound impact on the attorneys and students dedicated to improving the community for the public good. Programs like BPILP and Catalyst open the door for students to explore different areas of law, dive into exciting new challenges, and make a real difference in the community, all without financial pressure. Whether a student is passionate about a certain area of law or wants to try something new, these experiences provide them a chance to grow their skills and start building a path that’s all their own.
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