January 28, 2025
Texas commission recognizes students’ dedication to providing pro bono legal aid
The St. Mary’s University School of Law was honored to be the recipient of the Texas Access to Justice Commission’s 2024 Law School Commitment to Service Award. This award honors a law school that has carried forward one of the finest traditions of the legal profession by actively educating its students about access to justice issues. This is the third time St. Mary’s has earned this accolade.
In 2023, St. Mary’s Law students recorded more than 7,000 service hours providing substantive legal pro bono services to low-income community members. The Pro Bono Program has roots in the work of both the School of Law Ministry — with its longstanding commitment to community service and engagement, the Marianist commitment to justice and peace — and the work of the Center for Legal and Social Justice.
Stephanie Harlien (J.D. ’18), Director of the Pro Bono Program, said the law school is dedicated “to fostering public service, advocating for the underserved and engaging students with communities facing poverty, signaling the School of Law’s commitment to the Marianist mission.”
“Being a Marianist institution of higher education, our approach is to educate for service, justice and peace, aiming to build a supportive community equipped to address global challenges, particularly those related to poverty and ignorance,” she said.
Established by the Texas Access to Justice Commission, the Law School Commitment to Service Award is open to all accredited law schools in Texas. The award recipient is honored at the New Lawyer Induction Ceremony each November.