Performing pro bono work offers a fantastic way for law students to give back to the community. It can also double as an experiential learning opportunity benefitting students and the organizations they assist.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Jeffrey A. Dodge has seen this firsthand. This fall, he gave students in his “Family Law” class a chance to earn extra credit in a new and creative way: offering pro bono assistance for custody screenings and custody clinics provided by the Dauphin County Bar Association (DCBA).
The extra credit option replaced a simulation-based experiential learning project he used for years, and the switch appears to be a win-win. More than a dozen students participated in the extra-credit project, and the DCBA was thrilled to engage an eager new group of students.
Dodge said simulations are often meaningful tools in legal education but felt that for family law, having students work with real people would deliver greater value.
“When the Dauphin County Bar Association reached out and said they would love for more Penn State Dickinson Law students to participate in their clinic and their client intake pro bono work, I paused and thought, ‘This might be the perfect opportunity to transition this simulation-based experiential learning project into actual client work,’” said Dodge.
“Over the past few years, we have found that the best and most consistent volunteers for this type of custody screening and clinic work were law students,” said DCBA Pro Bono Coordinator Kimberly Lynn Snell-Zarcone. “We wanted to make sure all the students who wanted the experience could have it.”
Training and assistance with volunteer work
People who qualify for free legal services through MidPenn Legal Services can participate in DCBA’s custody clinic. A DCBA volunteer performs an initial screening phone call with the parent or guardian to determine whether to file a Custody Complaint or Petition for Modification of a Custody Order. Then another volunteer assists the client in person with filling out the necessary paperwork. Students can fill either volunteer role after completing a one-hour training.
Volunteers gain useful practice interacting with clients. “Law school graduates who become young associates often do not get opportunities for client interactions,” said Snell-Zarcone. “No matter what field of practice you enter, learning how to do an intake with a client, managing their expectations, and extracting information to make a determination about their legal issue while validating their concerns and fears are important skills. There is a craft to that.”
The work can be challenging. Snell-Zarcone said students navigate language barriers and clients wary of answering required questions about protection from abuse orders or criminal history. She and a paralegal from MidPenn are available for assistance, but they try to let students resolve issues themselves. These are often the best learning moments.
“Students have learned that emotions can run deep in these complicated matters. The student responses I received showed impressive reflection about what it meant to actually work with a real person going through a family law matter. That is not something I could ever effectively emulate with a simulation. It is an experience you only get from doing it,” said Dodge.
Finding inspiration in volunteer work
Dodge asked students to write a reflection after volunteering to receive the extra credit for class. Every single student said they found value in the experience. Some even discovered a new motivation for their legal education.
Penn State Dickinson Law student Morgan Sandler ’26 had been feeling “rung out” from her work with the federal public defender this fall, where her cases involved sex crimes, death row inmates, drugs, and guns. Sandler said she felt increasingly down when she thought about the many broken families and depressed people she interacted with.
But her volunteer experience with DCBA buoyed her faith in people and the system. “I try to participate in volunteer or pro bono work every semester, and this was probably my favorite one I have done,” said Sandler. “My client was great. He felt like a success story. He committed a crime when he was a teenager and served time in prison. Now, he has two children and is becoming a business owner.”
She was touched by his commitment to his children. “He was really interested in being there for his kids. He is a very involved father, and it was a nice chance to see, OK, there are not all bad stories out there,” said Sandler. “There are people who care and are making an effort. This was a wonderfully optimistic part of the semester that I needed.”
Dodge intends to continue offering extra credit for volunteer work next semester and may eventually make it a requirement for future “Family Law” students.
Snell-Zarcone said some students said they may continue volunteering after finishing the class. “We hope to build long-term relationships and have the students come back. Students feel good that they can help. It is not a huge time commitment, and they help society in a great way,” said Snell-Zarcone.
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