By introducing law students to various volunteer opportunities in the community throughout law school, the Community Outreach Committee strives to teach students at law the various external and internal benefits of giving back to the community. It is crucial to expose law students to these opportunities early in their legal career so they are able to learn from them, as well as pass down their knowledge to the next generation of lawyers. Although each student comes from a unique background, and therefore is able to provide help in their own capacity, it is the Community Outreach Committee’s mission to introduce law students to the wide variety of organizations, opportunities, and possible wealth of benefits available.

Volunteering has many external benefits which help to strengthen the community and improve the lives of those in need. A strong community is one that is continually helping one another, especially those who are facing adversity in their lives. Volunteering can take many shapes forms, including the donation of one’s time and skills or by donating resources to organizations that will help those in need. No one form of volunteering is better than the other, and any level of support is almost always accepted graciously.

Volunteering not only provides benefits to your community, but also internal benefits to those who volunteer. There are endless opportunities for those who volunteer to improve their knowledge in whichever field they find themselves in. These learned values help people grow as individuals and as a member of their community. Volunteering also helps expand one’s social horizons by connecting with other volunteers and those in need. Finally, volunteering provides a sense of purpose, giving you a place of belonging that has been found to come with increased health benefits.

Being the Community Outreach Committee at a law school, we stress the importance of volunteering as a law student. Access to justice is an ongoing issue in the field of law and it is crucial to involve students in giving back early in their careers. It is our hope that those who start volunteering early on will continue to do so throughout their careers, and influence others to also step up and help out. Whether you are directly using your legal skills to help your community or not, it is beneficial to the community and to yourself to provide whatever services or resources that you are capable of giving.

In summary, the Community Outreach Committee hopes that students will at least consider how they are capable of giving back to their communities. There are extremely positive values that can be gained by themselves and by their community. We also hope that even when students at Robson Hall go on and start to pursue their careers, they can continue to volunteer and give back to the community at large.

Sincerely,

Community Outreach Committee