Students’ clinical and pro bono work topped $1 billion in value over the past decade
AALS released the results of its annual survey of law schools’ contribution to legal services, finding that the Class of 2026 provided more than $157 million in legal work through clinics, other experiential courses, and pro bono activities. The results were released at the National Rural Access to Justice Convening, organized by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) in collaboration with AALS and hosted by the University of Nebraska College of Law.
This fall, 110 law schools reported that 22,249 law students in the class of 2026 contributed more than 4.3 million hours in legal services as part of their legal education, an average of about 197 hours per student. Independent Sector, a nonprofit organization coalition, estimates the value of volunteer time to be $36.14 an hour. Using this number, the value of the students’ time at these schools is estimated to be $157 million. The schools represent approximately 58 percent of the students in American Bar Association accredited law schools in the class of 2026.
The survey, celebrating a decade since its founding, has reported more than $1 billion in legal services contributions from law students.
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 2026 for all AALS member law schools, the estimated contribution of student volunteer hours to legal services would be worth more than $250 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.
For example, at the University of Nebraska College of Law Rural Estate Planning Clinic, law students travel across the state to provide free estate‑planning services to senior citizens in communities that often lack access to legal help. Over a five‑week period, students prepare and execute essential documents, including wills, powers of attorney, living wills, and transfer‑on‑death deeds, culminating in on‑site visits to senior centers statewide.
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.
“Access to justice is a first principle for legal education and the legal profession,” said Danielle M. Conway, AALS President and Distinguished Professor of Law at Penn State Dickinson Law. “Whether in rural communities, suburban areas, or urban centers, legal deserts persist and exclude people from accessing the rule of law. The pro bono and clinical legal work done by today’s law students help to bridge access to justice gaps and reinforce the profession’s obligation to serve every community.”
Seventy percent of the law schools participating in the survey reported offering remote pro bono opportunities, expanding students’ ability to serve clients in legal deserts regardless of distance. In addition, more than half of the schools reported having clinics, externships, fellowships, or pro bono opportunities specifically related to rural access to justice, including the following examples:
- The University of Alabama School of Law – Finch Fellowship Initiative
- University of Arkansas School of Law – Community and Rural Enterprise Development (CRED) Clinic
- Baylor University Law School – Estate Planning Clinic
- University at Buffalo School of Law, The State University of New York – The Rural Justice Initiative
- University of Detroit Mercy School of Law – The Traveling Expungement Clinics
- Georgia State University College of Law- Alternative Spring Break – Advance Rural Access to Justice
- University of Idaho College of Law – Tribal Law Clinic
- Indiana University Maurer School of Law – Rural Justice Initiative
- Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law – Rural Justice Initiative
- University of Kansas School of Law – Tribal Judicial Support Clinic
- University of Minnesota Law School – Rural Immigrant Access Clinic
- University of Missouri School of Law – Child and Family Justice Clinic
- University of Nebraska College of Law – Rural Estate Planning Clinic
- University of New Mexico School of Law – Rural Justice Initiative Externship Program
- University of North Carolina School of Law – Institute for Innovation
- Oklahoma City University School of Law – American Indian Wills Clinic & Rural Services Expo
- Santa Clara University School of Law – Environmental Justice Law & Advocacy
- University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law – The Palmetto LEADER
- Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law – Property Preservation Project and Foreclosure Defense
- Texas Tech University School of Law – Caprock Regional Public Defender Office & Clinic
- University of Toledo College of Law – Public Service Externship
- West Virginia University College of Law – Land Use and Sustainable Development Clinic
A full report on the survey is available on the AALS website.