June 16, 2020

Students Volunteer Over 16,000 Hours This Year

In a remarkable demonstration of passion and commitment to the community, Lewis & Clark Law students volunteered a record 16,000 hours this year to over 105 organizations from April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020.

In a remarkable demonstration of passion and commitment to the community, Lewis & Clark Law students volunteered a record 16,000 hours this year to over 105 organizations from April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020. Students volunteered for organizations performing work in the arenas of environmental, immigration, animal rights, criminal justice, elder protections, youth mentorship, food insecurity and poverty issues, homeless services, and many more.

“This year students’ volunteer hours exceeded totals reported in each of the last three years,” stated Carra Sahler, Director of Public Interest Law, noting the annual awards celebrating their service. “These students inspire and bring hope to so many, and I am grateful for their service.” Students who volunteer 30 or more hours over the course of a year (April 1-March 31) are eligible to receive an Honors Award.

The Honors Awards are broken down into two categories: Pro Bono and Community Service awards. Any legal-related volunteer service a student does is considered pro bono and this year students donated over 13,000 hours of legal service. Any non-legal service a student does, from tree-planting to volunteering at a food bank, counts towards the Community Service Honors Award. Students volunteered more than 3,000 hours this year in this category.

In 2020, 75 students received a Pro Bono Honors Award and 40 students received the Community Service Honors Award.