There are a variety of student-sponsored or student-coordinated pro bono projects in which students can participate. And, in the past few years, a growing number of students have worked with local public interest organizations to develop legal clinics or other volunteer initiatives involving attorneys from the organizations and interested students. The Office facilitates the development of new student projects, helps support and coordinate these projects in their early stages, and also serves as an ongoing information clearinghouse for these projects.
El Centro Legal is the School of Law’s student-coordinated network of volunteer legal aid clinics. Through each of El Centro Legal’s eight Clinics, students provide legal services on a volunteer basis to a variety of communities in the greater Los Angeles area. Clinics focus on issues related to bankruptcy, education, homelessness, HIV/AIDS, immigration, juvenile justice, landlord/tenant and workers’ rights. Each Clinic has its own volunteers, leadership, practice area, and client base.