New York’s courts are faced with countless pro se litigants dealing with legal dilemmas affecting core aspects of their lives.1 The conspicuous paucity of legal services presents difficult questions about the fundamental fairness and efficacy of our court system, and has ignited a search for innovative and inspiring methods of tackling it. In addition to alleviating an overextended court system, judicial interns acquire an outstanding skill set. And now, it also satisfies New York’s 50-hour pro bono service requirement for candidates seeking bar admission.2
In his May 2012, Law Day address, Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman announced the new 50-hour pro bono requirement initiative, to target the widespread lack of available legal resources.3 In fact, the New York County Lawyers’ Association recently created a task force, partly to “investigate what the legal community is doing…[and] what NYCLA itself can do to assist law students and law graduates meet the requirement in a meaningful way.”4 Judicial internships offer a unique opportunity to provide assistance for those who need it most, gain insight into the judiciary, and satisfy the new requirement.5
