A group of College of Law students chose an alternate spring break
experience this year by donating their time to the Pro Bono Staycation
from Monday, March 24 to Thursday, March 27.
The event gave six participating students four full days of hands-on
pro bono work at their respective volunteer sites, including the Chicago
Legal Clinic, Chicago Volunteer Legal Services and the Center for
Disability & Elder Law. Students worked on a range of projects and
subject areas, including preparing advanced directives for the elderly,
helping to track data relating to mortgage foreclosure clients,
conducting legal research on housing issues, observing in court, and
interviewing and assisting clients in need of help with immigration
issues.
First-year law student Caitlin Duane gained insight through her
experience. “My staycation experience at the Chicago Legal Clinic was a
great opportunity to network and start becoming familiar with public
interest agencies in Chicago," Duane said. "I was able to begin learning
about immigration law, which is incredibly complicated but also
fascinating. The attorneys that I worked with were both DePaul alums who
were excited to share their knowledge and passion for the law."
The Pro Bono Staycation is a joint project of the Center for Public Interest Law (CPIL) and the Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative
(PBCSI). Both CPIL and PBCSI hope to expand this pro bono project to
get more students involved at a wider range of sites. Cheryl Price,
Director of PBCSI explains: “This is the second year that we have
offered the pro bono staycation to students and we hope to do so again
next year. It is a great experiential learning opportunity for students
who want to immerse themselves in a particular area of law while helping
others.”
For more information about DePaul’s Pro Bono Staycation, please contact Cheryl Price at cprice13@depaul.edu.