How to volunteer:
Emails are routinely sent to the students detailing upcoming PBI events. To volunteer for an event, email olemissprobono@gmail.com. In your email, include the event(s) you are interested in, your phone number, and whether you are a 1L, 2L, or 3L.
Pro Bono Credit Hour
Students can receive one hour of pro bono Z credit by completing both of the following, all within the semester during which the student is enrolled for the pro bono credit:
- Performing a minimum of forty (40) hours of volunteer work for an approved pro bono or public interest organization or on an approved pro bono project. A student may combine work on multiple events and/or projects in order to obtain the credit.
- Watching the pro bono seminar video and reading the seminar assignment (obtained from PBI). The seminar and reading assignment will count as five (5) hours towards the pro bono credit hour.
Students enrolled for the pro bono credit hour are responsible for keeping up with the details of their pro bono work and must submit a Certification Statement, as discussed below, at the end of the semester.
Organization/Project Approval. If the enrolled student opts to earn hours outside of PBI events, then the student must make sure the pro bono organization and/or project is approved. The Partners tab has a list of approved organizations. For any other organization or project, students must submit a written request to Cori Benefiel, Clinical Programs Manager (cbenefie@olemiss.edu) for advance approval. The request should describe the organization or project and the work the student will be doing for the organization or project.
Enrollment. Contact the Registrar (lawregistrar@olemiss.edu) and get enrolled for the pro bono hour before or within the first two weeks of the semester in which you are seeking the credit.
After you have obtained pre-approval from Cori Benefiel, email the Registrar (lawregistrar@olemiss.edu), and copy Cori Benfiel in the email, to request enrollment for the pro bono hour. You will receive a reply, advising the Registrar that your enrollment is approved. Enrollment must be completed before or within the first two weeks of the semester in which you are seeking the credit.
Certification Statement. By the end of the semester, the student should submit a written statement certifying that the student provided a minimum of forty hours of volunteer service. The statement should include:
- The dates worked
- The number of hours worked on each date
- The organization, event, or project worked on, including a brief description of the work performed
- The name and contact information for the student’s immediate supervisor(s) at each event
The statement must also include an oath that the student watched the pro bono seminar video and read the seminar assignment. The certification should be emailed to PBI Director Kris Simpson (klsimpso@olemiss.edu).