Over the past five years, UMass Law ranks second in Massachusetts and New England for the percentage of public service lawyers
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Public service commitment
Over the past five years, UMass Law has graduated the second highest percentage of public service lawyers among all law schools in Massachusetts and New England. Between 2016-2021, 26% of UMass Law graduates secured positions in government or with public interest organizations.
“It is inspiring to witness the deep and genuine commitment UMass Law students feel toward working in public service, expanding access to justice, and improving the lives of the people within their communities,” Dean Eric Mitnick said.
Public service achievements
Recognizing UMass Law’s commitment to public service, the statewide Massachusetts Bar Association awarded the law school its prestigious MBA Public Service Award, pointing to the law school’s efforts at promoting access to justice for individuals of modest means and making a strong legal education affordable to a diverse student population.
UMass Law students have also received the Massachusetts Bar Association's Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. Scholarship for the advancement of public interest work, the Library of Congress Burton Award for Distinguished Legal Writing, the Rappaport Fellowship in Law & Public Policy, the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association Public Service Scholarship, and the Michael Dukakis Public Service Fellowship.
UMass Law students have contributed over 150,000 hours of pro bono legal services to their communities since the law school’s founding in 2010.
UMass Law also operates Justice Bridge, an innovative law practice incubator with offices in New Bedford and Boston that matches recent law graduates with seasoned mentors to provide legal services to individuals who could not otherwise afford to hire a lawyer. Since 2014, Justice Bridge has enabled thousands of modest means clients to enter housing, family, and immigration courts with legal representation.