Vanderbilt Law students have completed more than 12,620 hours of pro bono and community service thus far through the law school’s Pro Bono Pledge Program, according to Renee Erickson, Class of 2010, who directed the program during its first year.
Students who sign the Pro Bono Pledge promise to perform a designated number of pro bono hours before they graduate. The program was initiated after 2008-09 Vanderbilt Bar Association President Charlie Gearing and Legal Aid Society President Georgia Sims formed a brainstorming group that included representatives from a number of student organizations to discuss ways to promote opportunities for public interest work.
At the program’s first awards ceremony in May, Erickson congratulated 34 students, including 23 3Ls and 11 2Ls, who completed Pro Bono Pledges during the 2009-10 academic year. Three students were honored for serving the most hours in their classes: Katherine Brown, Class of 2010; Elizabeth Dellner, Class of 2011; and Jack Arnold, Class of 2012.
“The Pro Bono Pledge Program was one of the proposals that came out of that session, and we chose to implement it immediately because we wanted to recognize Vanderbilt students for the public service they perform,” Erickson said. “Our student body has always been very active in the community through both legal and other community service. We felt that the Pledge was an excellent way to continue and encourage the longstanding tradition of public service here at Vanderbilt.”
After the program’s official inception in fall 2009, 121 students signed the pledge, which requires a total commitment of 75 hours of unpaid pro bono and community service from entering 1Ls during their three years at Vanderbilt. At least 10 hours of their pro bono legal service each year must be performed in Nashville. Transfer students may also pledge to perform 50 hours of service during the time they spend studying law at Vanderbilt.
“The introduction of the Pro Bono Pledge this year was a momentous occasion for Vanderbilt Law School,” Erickson said. “With the introduction of the Pro Bono Pledge, Vanderbilt has reaffirmed its place as a premier legal institution alongside other top law schools. The students who completed their pledges this year contributed significantly to the law school, Nashville and other communities where they served and I was very proud to recognize their devotion and enthusiasm at the end of this academic year.”
To reach their pledge totals, 2Ls and 3Ls who began participating in the program in fall 2009 were allowed to report hours of service they had recorded and completed during their first and second years of law school.
The Pro Bono Pledge Program will be directed by Jenna Farleigh, Class of 2011, during 2010-11.
Students honored for completing the pro bono pledge are listed below:
Class of 2010
- Ashley Bassel
- Colby Block
- Katherine Brown
- Beth Cruz
- Tarik Downie
- Renée Erickson
- Cassie Ford
- Nicole Franklin
- Shannon Fyfe
- Andrew Gould
- Candace Nicole Green
- Tyler Hagenbuch
- Carlee Hobbs
- Nina Kumar
- Christina England Livengood
- Patrick Lynch
- Robert McRight
- Jonathan Misk
- Patricia Moye
- Austin Payne
- Drue Preissman
- Jason Sexton
- Karen Spain
Class of 2011
- Johanna Barde
- Heather Barnes
- Marissa Cwik
- Allison Davis
- Elizabeth Dellner
- Eva Dossier
- Elizabeth Johnston
- Anne Gooch
- Keith Hollingshead-Cook
- Alexandra Marchuk
- Mary Kathleen McNamara