Frederick Community College’s Mid-Atlantic Center for Emergency Management & Public
Safety (MACEM&PS) hosted its fall Pro Bono Day on November 7th from 4:00-8:00 PM at the Annapolis Hall Atrium. The event was a collaborative effort
between MACEM&PS staff, FCC Legal Studies students, and a range of local attorneys,
coming together to offer a diverse range of legal services including family law, estate
planning, business law, collections, real estate matters, and more…all at no cost!
The goal of FCC’s Pro Bono Day initiative is to provide accessible legal guidance
to low- and moderate-income individuals free of charge. The event also serves as an
important educational opportunity for students in MACEM&PS’ Legal Studies program. Under professional supervision, students participated in client intake, document
preparation, legal research, and event coordination, gaining practical experience
while developing professional skills. The event proved to be highly impactful, with
dozens of pro bono clients receiving assistance from 11 attorney volunteers and 15
student volunteers from courses throughout our Legal Studies program.
The feedback from those clients was overwhelmingly positive, with an impressive 100%
of participants willing to recommend the event to others in need of legal help. (If
you’re reading this and in need of legal services in our region, be on the lookout
for our next event!)
The Pro Bono Day also created professional opportunities for the student volunteers
involved. Two Legal Studies students secured spring 2025 internships, and two employers
showed interest in recruiting candidates from the program, highlighting the event’s
potential for connecting education with professional development.
Pro Bono Day exemplifies the power of experiential learning, providing our students
with a unique opportunity to apply their academic knowledge in a real-world setting
while also helping to serve our community. By working directly with clients and legal
professionals, students gained invaluable practical skills, developed professional
networks, and experienced the profound impact of legal service.
Pro Bono Day has always been a feature of FCC’s annual calendar, but moving forward
with it under MACEM&PS leadership, we’re committed to making it a more consistent,
frequent event, with a goal of at least one event each semester. The next Pro Bono
Day is projected for March or April of 2025 – if you or someone you know is in need
of some legal help, keep us in mind and keep your eyes and ears open for more updates
as those dates get closer!