Particularly attractive to students who may not be quite ready to commit to an intensive, semester-long clinic experience, the Pro Bono Program offers students a chance to do some meaningful work, develop marketable skills, and maybe begin a lifelong habit of volunteering.
The 17 clinics at Michigan Law offer students practical experience while also providing clients with legal help they might not otherwise receive. At the same time, the strength of the program—and its willingness to change with the times—gives Michigan a competitive edge over its peer schools.
The University of Michigan Law School is the only law school in the United States that annually surveys samples of its graduates about their work, through a project that dates back to 1967. The questionnaires administered in 2022, 2023, and 2024 were expanded to include questions about the impacts of the pandemic.
John S. Yun, ’83, a trial lawyer who spent more than two decades with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, says that his education provided him with opportunities not often available to working-class individuals and recently established a scholarship for socioeconomically disadvantaged students at Michigan Law.
Christopher D. McCleary, ’91, was never pushed by his father, Thomas R. Roberts, ’66, toward any one career path. Instead, he was encouraged to discover and pursue what naturally interested him. The freedom to choose, it turned out, enabled McCleary to realize a genuine interest in the law and follow in his father’s footsteps as a Michigan Law alumnus.
As an homage to the opportunities she has had throughout her education and during her career—a career she says Michigan Law made possible—Catherine “Cathy” Fleming, ’76, has long been a committed and loyal donor to her alma mater.
No matter where Ron L., ’66, and Jane T. Olson have traveled, a deep investment in people, ideas, and institutions has defined their lives. Their commitment to strengthening democracy is a natural extension of this, and they recently made a $5,000,000 gift to the Law School to establish the Ron and Jane Olson Fund for Democracy, Human Rights, and Civic Dialogue.
A new American Indian Law Workshop led by Matthew Fletcher, ’97, the Harry Burns Hutchins Collegiate Professor of Law, provides students with the opportunity to engage with a wide range of scholars and examine more granular, niche issues relating to American Indian law.
Ruben Piñuelas, ’26, knows firsthand how the legal system can wrongfully convict someone of a crime they didn’t commit—and how that same system can sometimes be used to right the wrong.
Jennifer Scheller Neumann, ’03, spent two decades with the Environment and Natural Resources Division at the US Department of Justice before entering private practice in 2024.
