UC Berkeley Law Pro Bono Program

Congratulations to Emily Madray ’28 for winning our SLPS Application Prize Drawing! Emily is joining Berkeley Law from New York City and is excited to work with the Survivor Advocacy Project (SAP) Project this year. Emily, shared, “A specific project that I am really excited to work on is the Survivor Advocacy Project within the Pro Bono and SLPS World… and I am really excited to work with people who feel like their voices have been silenced and help them to ensure that their voices are heard and help them in their journey.” The Survivor Advocacy Project (SAP) builds generations of lawyers dedicated to preventing and combatting sexual harassment and violence. SAP provides the communities within UC Berkeley, the Bay Area, and beyond with legal support aimed at empowering and supporting survivors of sexual violence. SAP instills skills of prevention, advocacy, training, empathy, cultural competency, and healing. Congrats Emily and we wish you the best in your law school journey! We cannot wait to support your participation in SAP! #BerkeleyLaw #LawStudent #ProBono #Lawyering #PublicInterest #UCBerkeley

This Fall we are excited to formally launch the Berkeley Name, Image, and Likeness Initiative (BNILI) - founded by two dedicated 2L student leaders, Alex Cheng and Emily Miles! BNILI will expand the type of work our students do in the community in partnership with the Berkeley Center of Law & Technology. BNILI provides legal education, contract literacy resources, and limited-scope support, helping athletes understand their rights and protect their interests. It also offers University of California, Berkeley - School of Law students hands-on experience at the intersection of sports law, IP, contracts, and compliance. BNILI will work directly with Cal student-athletes, with a particular focus on those participating in non-revenue-generating sports, who often lack access to independent legal resources when navigating NIL opportunities. As independent advisors, we aim to provide athletes with education and limited-scope guidance without formal affiliation with UC Berkeley Athletics. Our supervising attorney, Wayne Stacy, Executive Director of the UC Berkeley Center for Law & Technology (BCLT), will oversee all student work and provide training. Alex shares, “As a former collegiate football player, I experienced firsthand the challenges that student-athletes face when navigating recruiting, scholarships, and personal brand opportunities without adequate resources or guidance… Now, as a Berkeley Law student, I want to use the knowledge I’ve gained to help fill that gap.” Emily stated, “My decision to pursue law school was shaped by my passion for technology and advocacy. With a background in tech, I developed a strong interest in how intellectual property law protects creators and entrepreneurs…. I hope to apply this perspective to help student-athletes navigate the emerging NIL landscape.” Please check out their full spotlight on our webpage to read more- link in bio! Thank you, Alex and Emily, for your commitment to pro bono! #BerkeleyLaw #LawStudent #ProBono #BNILI #StudentAthlete #Name #image #Likeness #CalAthletes #CalAthletics #IntellectualProperty #ContractLaw #ComplianceLaw #SportsLaw #LawSchool #UCBerkeley #StudentProject 

The Pro Bono Program would like to remind students that the SLPS Applications is due on Monday, September 8th before midnight! 🗓🚨 All who are interested must apply before the deadline. For more information regarding SLPS, check out the linktree in our bio which will direct you to the applications. A couple quick tips: - It does not help to apply early. Leaders will not receive students’ applications for review until the morning of the 9th. - You can rank up to 5 SLPS. Don’t rank the same project more than once! It doesn’t help and actually makes application review more difficult for the leaders. - Our application questions are available on the Pro Bono Website. Make sure to write out your answers in a separate google doc and then when you are ready - copy and paste them into the application! - Don’t stress! There are so many incredible ways to get engaged in pro bono work, make an impact, do what you love and care about, and develop lawyering skills. Apply to the projects that interest you! We are so excited for all new and returning applicants,  💙💛🐻Pro Bono Program Team 💙💛🐻 #BerkeleyLaw #ProBono #BerkeleyProBono #SLPS#BLASTtrips #ProBonoStudents #BerkeleyJD#BerkeleyLLM #LawStudent #LawSchool#ProBonoCulture #PublicInterestLaw #SocialJustice #LegalAid #AccessToJustice #LawStudentsOfInstagram #BerkeleyLawLife #LawSchoolCommunity #FutureLawyers #LegalEducation #LawSchoolJourney #ProBonoWork #LawSchoolLife #ServeTheCommunity #LawSchoolInspiration #ProBonoOpportunities

This Fall we are excited to formally launch The Freedom of Information Advocates (FOIA) - co-founded by Angela C. ’26, Alexa Chavara ’27, Kari Zimmerman ’27, and Spencer Feinstein ’26; with support from Claudia Liss-Schultz ’25!  FOIA will expand the type of work our students do in the community in partnership with the First Amendment Project and the Investigative Reporting Program (of the UC Berkeley School of Journalism). Freedom of Information Advocates (“FOIA”) aims to pave a path for Berkeley Law students to gain practical skills and knowledge related to our free speech and access rights as investigative citizens. FOIA’s members will get the opportunity to work on real issues faced by real people, engaging with journalists, advocates, and academics at uniquely localized levels. Angela shares, “As a 1L, I was surprised to find there were so few options for students to explore topics of expression, speech, and media. Luckily, a recently founded group called Mass Media at Berkeley Law shared my sentiments, and it was through this new community that I connected with Claudia Liss-Schultz (J.D. Class of 2025). We had both sought opportunities outside of the law school to independently build a path towards First Amendment law, but wished we could have done so right on our own campus. Along the way, we were lucky to also find Spencer, Alexa, and Kari -- who similarly felt we could place a greater emphasis on First Amendment opportunities at Berkeley Law. Researchers, journalists, and citizens use public records requests to get a clearer understanding of the actions government entities are taking. Transparency facilitates trust. Public records work has been key to pushing forward change across many aspects of our society, and lawyers – now more than ever – have a central role to play in this work." Please check out their full spotlight on our Spotlight webpage to read more- link in bio! Thank you, Angela, Claudia, Alexa, Kari, and Spencer, for your commitment to pro bono! 💙 💛 University of California, Berkeley - School of Law #LawStudent #ProBono #FOIA #FirstAmendment #LawSchool #UCBerkeley #StudentProject

We are sad, yet thrilled, to be wishing our teammate, Lesly A., the very best as she transitions into her newest role as a law student at University of California, Los Angeles - School of Law. Congratulations, Lesly! Lesly, who has served as our Program Assistant, stated. “Working with the Pro Bono team has been truly an amazing journey! It is a bittersweet moment to leave such passionate and caring wonderful coworkers and students. I am excited for new endeavors! I look forward to reconnecting with Oaxacan community members and doing labor advocacy work. Thank you to everyone who even in the slightest supported me during this role and on to my next career journey. Berkeley Law will always hold a special place.” Deborah Schlosberg, Director of the UC Berkeley Law Pro Bono Program Program, shared, “Lesly has been an incredibly important member of the Pro Bono team at Berkeley Law. Her desire to support our students and the community we serve was evident from day one. She is a smart, creative, and kind colleague who will be deeply missed! My favorite memory with Lesly has to be the smile on her face when our Pro Bonotes acapella group dedicated a song to her and Natch for their endless support. You know you are good at your job when you are serenaded by our students. Thank you, Lesly, for all your contributions to the Pro Bono Program and the greater public interest community at Berkeley Law!” Ignacio “Natch” Valverde, Administrator of the Pro Bono program added, “Lesly, you got this! UCLA Law is lucky to have you! Thanks for inspiring me to continue my advocacy skills. I will miss seeing you jump on to different causes and finding ways to support others in any way you could. I will miss working with you during our busiest times with reimbursements and cash advances but will also miss catching up on our favorite hobbies!” Congratulations again, Lesly. We wish you the very best in your future endeavors! #UCBerkeley #BerkeleyLaw #BerkeleyLawProBono #ProBonoTeam #GoBears #UCLA #LawStudent #Classof2028

We wish the best of luck to our students taking the bar exam this week! As you get ready, we send lots of pro bono love your way. #YouGotThis! #BarExam #BerkeleyLaw #UCBerkeley #LawStudentGraduate #JDStudent

CALLING ALL BERKELEY LAW ALUMNI!! The The Justice and Diversity Center of The Bar Association of San Francisco is seeking attorneys to provide pro bono assistance at its morning drop-in legal clinics, held three times a month in San Francisco. Attorneys meet one-on-one with low-income clients to offer legal advice and referrals. JDC is especially looking for attorneys with expertise in the following areas: - Landlord/tenant law - Immigration law - Family law - Public benefits, disability and SSI - Personal injury - Probate - Criminal law These clinics offer a valuable opportunity to provide immediate pro bono support without an ongoing commitment. To get involved, please complete an application (link below) or contact JDC at probono@sfbar.org. https://lnkd.in/gNsQPXt8

This year, we feel grateful to honor Pride Month with such a resilient and empowering LGBTQ+ community. Our thoughts are with the community and we wish for a month filled with inspiration, moments of reflection, self care, and more LGBTQ+ pro bono advocacy! Check out this post to learn more about how our law students are advocating and supporting members of the LGBTQ+ community this upcoming year: - The Name and Gender Change Workshop (NGCW)  - The Queer Justice Project (QJP) - The Reproductive Justice Project (RJP) Two rising pro bono student leaders shared: Avyssa Aboutorabi ’27: “I decided to co-lead QJP because at the core of it we are all human and all our rights must be recognized and protected by the law…” Eileen Jamieson "EJ" ’27: “As a 1L, the NGCW deepened my sense of the law as not merely a profession, but as an instrument to affirm queer dignity, agency, and belonging. As a co-leader, I hope to facilitate this connection within our community.” We are so proud of our students and grateful to our supervising attorneys at Lambda Legal, the East Bay Community Law Center, and Transgender Law Center for providing our students with the opportunity to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.  #UCBerkeleyLaw #LawSchool #PRIDE #PrideMonth #LGBTQ #LGBTQRights #TransRights #NonbinaryRights #ReproductiveRights #QueerJustice #NameandGenderChange

It’s that time of year — we are delighted to announce the Class of 2025’s Pro Bono Facts! 💛🎓🧸🎊💙 The Pro Bono Program celebrates YOU on the momentous occasion of your graduation from University of California, Berkeley - School of Law and we thank you for your dedication to access to justice and the impactful pro bono work you engaged in as law students. There is no doubt that your efforts have made a difference in the lives of your clients and communities! We cannot wait to see all that you accomplish in your future endeavors as attorneys! We wish you the best of luck with all to come! Stay in touch and take time to celebrate this enormous accomplishment! You leave behind the legacy of our pro bono culture and the tradition of pro bono student leadership. We at the Pro Bono Program look forward to working with those students to whom you have passed the baton! 🐻 💙 💛 #BerkeleyLaw2025 #CelebrateProBono #BerkeleyProBono #BerkeleyLaw #LawStudents #ProBono

This year’s faculty recipient of the Kathi Pugh Award is "Andie" Alexandra Wyatt, Supervising Attorney of the Clean Energy Leaders in Law (CELL). The selection committee commends Andie for her extraordinary mentorship and support of our students. A group of University of California, Berkeley - School of Law students collaborated to submit a glowing nomination. They wrote, “Through Andie’s unwavering dedication, she has not only contributed to GRID Alternatives ’s success but has also helped cultivate the next generation of public interest attorneys in the clean energy field. She is a true asset to both GRID and the Berkeley Law community. Andie is such an incredible supervising attorney and role model for those in CELL. She is the only attorney on GRID’s full-time team, and thus plays an essential role in GRID’s functioning. Especially under current federal threats to DEI and clean energy, Andie has worked tirelessly to fight for an equitable clean energy transition. Yet, somehow, she always manages to find time to support CELL’s pro bono work. She creates tailored projects for the group before every semester, takes meetings with students to explain the scope of assignments, and provides helpful feedback. Andie’s commitment to CELL over the past four years has been essential to making it the strong pro bono organization it is today.” Congratulations, Andie! We thank you for your outstanding mentorship and guidance. #BerkeleyLaw #ProBono #BerkeleyProBono #KathiPughAward #PublicInterest