The Association of American Law Schools
The Association of American Law Schools (AALS) released the results of an annual survey to measure the contribution law schools make to legal services through clinics, other experiential courses, and the pro bono activities of law students.
In December, 108 law schools reported that 22,336 law students in the class of 2025 contributed more than 5.1 million hours in legal services as part of their legal education, an average of about 230 hours per student.
Independent Sector, a nonprofit organization coalition, estimates the value of volunteer time to be $34.79 an hour. Using this number, the total value of the students’ time at these schools is estimated to be in excess of $178 million. The schools represent approximately 60 percent of the students in American Bar Association accredited law schools in the class of 2025.
Many schools reported that some hours were uncounted or difficult to track, suggesting that actual contributions were likely higher. In addition, the project did not include hours contributed by students enrolled in law school master’s degree programs, such as LLM programs. If the average hours reported per student were applied to the total enrollment in the class of 2025 for all AALS member law schools, the estimated contribution of student volunteer hours to legal services would be worth more than $283 million.
Law students contributed hours through a wide range of activities, including externships with legal aid and community organizations, law school clinics, and student organization projects. These experiential learning opportunities allow students to apply classroom concepts to real-world legal issues under the supervision of lawyers and professors, providing students with practical legal experience while delivering essential services to communities.
“Legal education prepares students for a wide range of meaningful and effective careers,” said Kellye Y. Testy, AALS Chief Executive Officer. “At the same time, these efforts play a vital role in expanding access to justice in many underserved communities, including rural areas, where legal needs too often go unmet, strengthening both the profession and the communities law schools serve.”
Law students contributed hours to hundreds of efforts serving thousands of clients, including the following examples of projects and clinics:
• The University of Alabama School of Law - Appellate Advocacy Clinic
• American University Washington College of Law - Decarceration and Re-Entry Clinic
• Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law - Center for Public Health Law and Policy
• University of Colorado Law School - Samuelson-Glushko Technology Law & Policy Clinic
• Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law - Andy and Gwen Stern Community Lawyering Clinic
• Georgia State University College of Law - Olmstead Disability Rights Clinic
• Harvard Law School - Hurricane Relief Trip to North Carolina
• University of Idaho College of Law - Tribal Law Clinic
• Lewis & Clark Law School - Low Income Taxpayer Clinic
• University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law - Samuel L. Greenebaum Public Service Program
• Marquette University Law School - Marquette Law and Entrepreneurship Clinic
• University of Missouri School of Law - Veterans Clinic
• Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana - Land Use & Natural Resources Clinic
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law - Tenants’ Rights Legal Residency
• North Carolina Central University School of Law - Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Law Institute
• University of North Dakota School of Law - Family Law Clinic
• University of Puerto Rico School of Law - Centro Integral de Apoyo a Víctimas
• Santa Clara University School of Law - The Center for Global Law and Policy
• Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of Law - Judge Elmo B. Hunter Legal Center for Victims of Crimes Against Women
• Stetson University College of Law - Child Advocacy Clinic
• Tulane University Law School - The Environmental Law Clinic
• University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law - Center for Law and Biomedical Sciences
• Vanderbilt University Law School - The Stanton Foundation First Amendment Clinic
A full report on the survey is available on the AALS website at www.aals.org/newsroom/2025-aals-law-student-pro-bono-hours-report.
The Association of American Law Schools (AALS) released the results of an annual survey to measure the contribution law schools make to legal services through clinics, other experiential courses, and the pro bono activities of law students.
In December, 108 law schools reported that 22,336 law students in the class of 2025 contributed more than 5.1 million hours in legal services as part of their legal education, an average of about 230 hours per student.
Independent Sector, a nonprofit organization coalition, estimates the value of volunteer time to be $34.79 an hour. Using this number, the total value of the students’ time at these schools is estimated to be in excess of $178 million. The schools represent approximately 60 percent of the students in American Bar Association accredited law schools in the class of 2025.
Many schools reported that some hours were uncounted or difficult to track, suggesting that actual contributions were likely higher. In addition, the project did not include hours contributed by students enrolled in law school master’s degree programs, such as LLM programs. If the average hours reported per student were applied to the total enrollment in the class of 2025 for all AALS member law schools, the estimated contribution of student volunteer hours to legal services would be worth more than $283 million.
Law students contributed hours through a wide range of activities, including externships with legal aid and community organizations, law school clinics, and student organization projects. These experiential learning opportunities allow students to apply classroom concepts to real-world legal issues under the supervision of lawyers and professors, providing students with practical legal experience while delivering essential services to communities.
“Legal education prepares students for a wide range of meaningful and effective careers,” said Kellye Y. Testy, AALS Chief Executive Officer. “At the same time, these efforts play a vital role in expanding access to justice in many underserved communities, including rural areas, where legal needs too often go unmet, strengthening both the profession and the communities law schools serve.”
Law students contributed hours to hundreds of efforts serving thousands of clients, including the following examples of projects and clinics:
• The University of Alabama School of Law - Appellate Advocacy Clinic
• American University Washington College of Law - Decarceration and Re-Entry Clinic
• Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law - Center for Public Health Law and Policy
• University of Colorado Law School - Samuelson-Glushko Technology Law & Policy Clinic
• Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law - Andy and Gwen Stern Community Lawyering Clinic
• Georgia State University College of Law - Olmstead Disability Rights Clinic
• Harvard Law School - Hurricane Relief Trip to North Carolina
• University of Idaho College of Law - Tribal Law Clinic
• Lewis & Clark Law School - Low Income Taxpayer Clinic
• University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law - Samuel L. Greenebaum Public Service Program
• Marquette University Law School - Marquette Law and Entrepreneurship Clinic
• University of Missouri School of Law - Veterans Clinic
• Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana - Land Use & Natural Resources Clinic
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law - Tenants’ Rights Legal Residency
• North Carolina Central University School of Law - Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Law Institute
• University of North Dakota School of Law - Family Law Clinic
• University of Puerto Rico School of Law - Centro Integral de Apoyo a Víctimas
• Santa Clara University School of Law - The Center for Global Law and Policy
• Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of Law - Judge Elmo B. Hunter Legal Center for Victims of Crimes Against Women
• Stetson University College of Law - Child Advocacy Clinic
• Tulane University Law School - The Environmental Law Clinic
• University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law - Center for Law and Biomedical Sciences
• Vanderbilt University Law School - The Stanton Foundation First Amendment Clinic
A full report on the survey is available on the AALS website at www.aals.org/newsroom/2025-aals-law-student-pro-bono-hours-report.
