Pro bono work has long been a hallmark of the legal profession, and describes offering free legal services “for the public good.” For the last several years, Loyola Law School (LLS) students have been completing pro bono hours with PESA to support our mission of providing advocacy, mentorship and education for community youth. Supervised by Seymour Amster, PESA’s Executive Director and Criminal Defense Attorney of over 30 years, LLS students complete a diverse array of legal projects.
Rob Miller, a 3L at LLS, completed all 40 hours of his required pro bono with PESA.
Prior to beginning his studies at LLS, he graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. After graduation, Miller hopes to work in transactional entertainment law.
“PESA allowed me to do good pro bono work with a focus on things I have an interest in, with a flexible schedule that was really easy to fit around my classes,” said Miller. Over the last few months, he developed A Crash Course on Contracts, a presentation that explains the basics of contracts to high schoolers. Miller then created Careers in Entertainment Law, along with LLS 2Ls Nathaniel Flores and Emma-Rose Ebers, a presentation that provides an overview of legal practice areas in the entertainment industry. He also worked on creating and delivering a presentation on constitutional rights to middle and high school students who were touring Loyola Law School’s campus in March.
Completing pro bono hours with PESA is a multi-faceted experience and can include creating and delivering legal presentations, proctoring Teen Court sessions, training juries, judging Mock Trial competitions and more. Speaking to LLS students who are interested in pursuing pro bono with PESA in the future, Miller describes it “as a very versatile experience and a wealth of opportunity to pursue your own interests and help make a difference in the community, especially with the youth.”
Miller also spoke about how working with PESA has impacted his view on pro bono in general: “I think it’s definitely opened my eyes to the possibilities of what pro bono work can do and in what ways attorneys can give back to the community. That it goes beyond the conventional idea of taking on pro bono clients, and can also be interactive community outreach.”
PESA will continue providing an avenue for law students to undertake fulfilling legal projects and build critical interactive skills.
If you’d like to support PESA’s many social and educational initiatives, please contact us.
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