Supervising Students

Thank you for your interest in having an HLS student work with you on either a clinical or pro bono basis. In either situation, students cannot receive payment for their work. Clinical students receive academic credit for the work they do in conjunction with attorneys or legal organizations, and work is conducted within one of the HLS academic semesters. Students working on a pro bono basis must work on a project that assists low-income clients. To receive academic or pro bono credit, students must make sure the requirements below are met.

We want to ensure that both the student and your organization derive the maximum benefit from the Clinical and Pro Bono Programs at Harvard Law School. For that reason, we require that attorneys who supervise students meet regularly with them, discuss expectations and goals, give regular feedback, and submit written evaluations of the student's performance.

Supervising Clinical Students

If a student is working for you for clinical credit, please make sure you have reviewed and met the requirements in the Supervisor Handbook (PDF).

For any questions or concerns about the clinical and pro bono programs or our students, please contact us.

Supervising Pro Bono Students

If you are looking for a student to work in your office representing pro bono clients, the first step is for you to contact the Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs, which will match your project with an appropriate student. There are a few steps you will be required to take before a student can begin working for you on a pro bono basis. Please remember: throughout the student's tenure with your law firm or organization, he or she should receive adequate training, supervision, and feedback from you.

1. Before the student begins working with you, both the student and the attorney in your firm or organization who will be supervising the student (the "supervising attorney") must complete a "Project Terms and Conditions form" (PDF) and submit it to the Pro Bono Service Program. Any hours worked before the project has been approved will not be counted toward the student's 40-hour requirement. It is the student's responsibility to provide this form to the supervising attorney and verify it has been received by the Pro Bono office.

2. This form is a good framework for you to use in discussing with the student such issues as the substance of the project, training, deadlines and schedules, and how you will communicate about the work the student will be doing (email? in-person?)

3. If you have any questions about the process, or questions about or difficulties in working with a student, please contact us.

4. At the completion of the project, the supervising attorney in your organization will conduct an exit interview with the student.

5. The supervising attorney also must complete and submit a "Supervisor Evaluation of Student" (Word or PDF) and sign the Time Log verifying the student's hours. It is the student's responsibility to provide this form to the supervising attorney and verify it has been received by the Clinical and Pro Bono office.

We appreciate your time and energy spent providing students with these unique opportunities to apply their legal skills and to serve the public interest!