Bear P.A.W.S. Program Guidelines
The pro bono and community service program for Baylor Law Students
Objectives of the program
Structural:
- Make students aware of opportunities to serve and to connect students to those opportunities
- Track hours performed for internal use and for reporting purposes
- Recognize students for their service
Ideological:
- Expose students to the needs of the Waco community and beyond
- Impart to students the responsibility they have as attorneys to serve
- Help students learn to find time to serve while managing a heavy workload
- Provide students with educational experiences to enhance the classroom learning experience
- Develop the desire in students to make pro bono work a priority once they begin practicing
Who can participate?- All students regardless of future career goals
- 1Ls, 2Ls, and 3Ls can all participate, but students cannot participate in law-related work until the completion of their first quarter
What work is included?- Public interest (government, prosecutors, public defenders, direct services, law reform, public interest law firms, judicial internships) and community service
- 75% of hours must be in law-related service*
*Examples: assisting a professor with a pro bono project, working with the State Bar Pipeline Project, unpaid internship with the Legal Assistance Project, volunteering at Lone Star Legal Aid
- Up to 25% of hours can be any type of community service*
*Examples: building with Habitat for Humanity, serving at Meals on Wheels, taking pets to nursing homes through Fuzzy Friends
- Work cannot be for academic credit, disciplinary purposes, or for pay (with the exception of a living stipend)
* For a list of organizations or to get approval for a project, see the Asst. Dean of Professional Development & Student Relations.
How does the program work?- Complete the Intent to Participate form (See the Asst. Dean of Prof. Development & Student Relations)
- If not a "recognized organization," get approval prior to completing work in order to have it qualify for the program
- Record hours regularly (preferably weekly, but at a minimum quarterly)
- At least 75% of the hours must be performed while taking at least 5 quarter hours of credit
- Hours must be completed at least one month prior to graduation
Complete Brochure
