Cultivate a culture of service

In 2024, more than 20% of Richmond Law graduates earned the Carrico Center Pro Bono Certificate, awarded to those who complete 120+ hours of service during their three years of law school. Collectively, the Class of 2024 recipients performed more than 5,000 hours of service.

Here’s an excerpt of Tara Casey’s interview with Virginia Lawyer magazine on the matter:

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We have a big-tent mentality at the Carrico Center for Pro Bono and Public Service at the University of Richmond School of Law. We have students who come into the tent who have already made service a priority in their lives — they will pitch in wherever the need is, in whatever capacity it is needed. We also have students who come into the tent who are curious about a particular area of law and wish to learn more: Is family law the path for me? How does civil litigation compare to criminal litigation? Lastly, we have students who come into the tent who are interested in building their professional network, working alongside attorneys in the area and benefiting from their mentorship. And that is the great thing about having a big-tent mentality — there’s plenty of room for everyone.

My goal as the director of the Carrico Center is to ensure that every student, whatever the reason they have for coming into the tent, gains something as they give something. That something may be a better understanding of how a legal issue has contributed to a broader societal issue. That something may be greater confidence in oral advocacy or legal writing. That something may be insight into connecting the dots between a subject area that interests them and how it is applied in practice. That something may be meeting attorneys both new to practice and at the end of their careers and gleaning from them the wisdom that all the stages can offer.

Through this experience, we hope not only that students develop a habit of service that will continue into their postgraduate lives, but that they will develop the invaluable skills that will make them thoughtful and skilled members of the profession.