New York State is the first and only state that allows and encourages law students to swap classroom work for full-time public service at a time when underserved clients out-number the number of pro bono hours local attorneys have available to offer.
Steven Maffucci is finishing his third year at the SUNY Buffalo School of Law by working 12 full-time weeks at Volunteer Legal Services Project of Monroe County, Inc. With a 3-credit class on campus one afternoon a week, he will complete his third year while most classmates are still in the classroom and anticipating taking the bar exam.
He’s one of eight UB Law students selected for the Pro Bono Scholars Program which was just introduced in 2014 by then-Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, and allows 3L students to take the February bar exam.
A Rochester native, Maffucci has both civilian work experience and four years of military service under his belt, so he especially feels ready to “get to work.”
Working under the supervision of VLSP Staff Attorney Mary Beth Conway, Maffucci has shadowed other attorneys during two Family Law Custody Clinics held at the VLSP offices, and had similar experiences in the Irondequoit Tenant Town Court Program on two occasions.
“I’ve also been able to help out by calling several clients facing a denial of unemployment benefits to learn details after the initial intake. I’ve also participated in client interviews involving child protective services issues, name change, identity theft, and mortgage foreclosure.”
He has also helped staff attorneys with research projects ranging from immigration and naturalization issues to unemployment to family law.
And that’s just been in his first four weeks!
