Pro Bono Opportunities

Spring Pro Bono Opportunities

The Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinics are in need of additional volunteer support for these clinics this semester:

  • House of Peace: Tuesdays from 12:45 - 3 p.m. (shuttle provided)
  • United Community Center: Wednesdays from 4:45 - 7 p.m. (shuttle provided and immigration services and Spanish interpreters available)
  • Milwaukee Justice Center:Thursdays from 8:45 - 11 a.m. (walking distance from the law school)

Your presence makes the clinics possible. Without the efficiency you bring to the operation, fewer people get the legal help they need. Local lawyers, from small firms, large firms, in-house roles, and public interest firms, are waiting to work and network with you.   

If you can help, even occasionally, it would make an enormous difference. We are grateful for everything you already do, and we would be so thankful to have you with us this semester.  

If you can help, submit your availabilty here. Or if you are an experienced MVLC volunteer, use the “Open Sign Ups” tab in your pro bono account.

Contact: Katie Mertz

Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinics Seeking Student Advisory Board Members 2026-2027

The Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinics (MVLCs) are seeking student advisory board members (SABs) for 2026-2027. SABs are student leaders with the Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinics helping facilitate all aspects of clinic operations.

Interested applicants should review the positon description and application for additional information. Applications are due March 6, 2026. 

Contact: Katie Mertz

PILS Fellowship Application Deadline March 6

Public Interest Law Society (PILS) summer fellowships support students doing summer public interest legal work. The fellowship application and FAQs are availabile online. A recording of a recent informational panel is also available on the PILS SharePoint site. Students are welcome to reach out to Dean Schultz with questions or for support identifying a public interest host site.

Applications are due March 6 and may be submitted even if a student has not secured a host site by that time. 

Contact: Angela Schultz

PILS Presents: Care for your Community Drive

Join PILS from Feburary 10th through the 17th in "Caring for Your Community" by participating in a donation drive! In light of the unease across our nation and the freezing temperatures outside, PILS wanted to provide a tangible way for students to help their Milwaukee community. 

We will be collecting donations in boxes located in the Student Organization Suite and the Eisenberg Suite for St. Ben’s, House of Peace, and La Causa.

St. Ben’s and House of Peace provide warming services and resources for the unhoused community within Milwaukee. To help them in their efforts to provide warmth to those who face the cold, we are collecting basic hygiene items and warm clothing (coats, hats, gloves, new socks), with a special emphasis on mens' wear and extra large sizes. 

La Causa is a local organization that provides a 72-hour crisis nursery for children who have been temporarily displaced. They are in need of baby supplies, so we are asking that students consider donating baby formula and diapers. 

Contact: Elizabeth TenBarge

MVLC Volunteer CLE: Somatic Skills for Resilience and Trauma Informed Lawyering

Wednesday, February 11, 2026 - 12:00pm • Zoom

Somatic Skills for Resilience and Trauma Informed Lawyering, presented by Rachel Monaco Wilcox. Register to attend here.

  • Rachel represents an evolving vision of the humanities in service to the needs of our time. Lawyer, teacher, artist and philanthropist (Marquette University Law School, magna cum laude, Honors BA English/Theology). She has practiced law and taught in the US for over 20 years, working with trafficked persons, victims of sensitive crimes, individuals with disabilities, and keeps a private practice in mediation and estate planning. She is passionate about mentoring across the spectrum, including art therapy doctoral students, trafficking survivors, young lawyers, emerging founders of nonprofits, and pre-law hopefuls. She started and runs the Wyldfire Foundation and advises nonprofits. Winner of numerous awards, she is known for innovative survivor empowerment work to combine creative writing, somatic skills and art therapy with trauma-informed lawyering. She is the founder of LOTUS (Legal Options for Trafficked and Underserved Survivors) Legal Clinic in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Rachel enjoys world travel, ultrarunning, and breeding Hungarian Vizslas, dividing her time between a small farm north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and a cabin on the South Shore of Lake Superior.

Students can earn one hour of pro bono time by attending the MVLC Volunteer CLE Series. This free CLE series provides volunteers with in-depth information on some of the most commonly seen issues at the Clinics. 

Contact: Katie Mertz

PILS and Possibilities Networking Event

Tuesday, February 17, 2026 - 5:30pm • Tory Hill Cafe

Join us for our "PILS and Possibilities" networking event on Tuesday, February 17, from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. in the Tory Hill Café.

 

This event is in the form of “speed-dating” with public interest attorneys from a wide variety of legal professions, including criminal, immigration, environmental, civil rights, and more!

 

Business professional attire recommended. This networking event is a great way for students to meet with attorneys working in public interest law (and many of them are open to hosting summer interns). 

 

Please RSVP here and contact Elizabeth TenBarge with any questions.

Contact: Elizabeth TenBarge