The City Bar Justice Center’s Spring 2026 Pro Bono Scholars Share Their Experiences Before Stepping into Their Next Chapter

The City Bar Justice Center has wrapped up its Spring 2026 Pro Bono Scholars Program. This year, six law school students assisted several of our legal projects. Before saying their goodbyes, they took time to reflect on their experiences and share the lessons that they will take with them as they begin their careers after graduation.

Carter Kuhl
Brooklyn Law School
Federal Pro Se Legal Assistance Project (SDNY)

What did you learn during your experience as a pro bono scholar?
“This experience gave me a lot of insight into the federal court system, and how it feels to actually run a case. I also learned a tremendous amount just from observing my attorney supervisors and seeing how they dealt with the issues that arose. This experience also allowed me to work closely with clients, allowing me to hone my client-facing skills. At the same time, I did plenty of drafting work, which allowed me to improve my legal writing and research skills.”

What lessons will you take with you into your future career?
“I think this experience has reinforced for me the importance of always giving clients the benefit of the doubt and treating them with compassion. Often, they are coming to us for help because their problem is large enough in scope that they need another set of eyes on it, and I believe it is critically important to be a good listener so that you can be a good advocate.”

What are your words of advice for current law students?
“Try new things, even if they are challenging at first.”

Christopher McFarland
Fordham University School of Law
Homeowner and Consumer Debt Advocacy Project

What did you learn during your experience as a pro bono scholar?
“The number one thing that I learned, or rather developed, were my communication skills. Much of my role as a pro bono scholar involved communicating directly with clients in order to gather facts related to whatever it was that we were preparing for them. I had to ask follow up questions on the fly relating to the specific answers clients would give to questions I prepared. I struggled greatly with this at first, but became a pro at it as the program went on.”

What lessons will you take with you into your future career?
“The main lesson that I will take from the program is that you do not always know what is going on in a client’s life. They may not be replying because something terrible has happened to themselves or a family member. It is always important to be patient and compassionate with clients.”

What are your words of advice for current law students?
“Say yes to everything, even if you have no idea what an assignment is. You will no doubt learn from the experience and become a better legal professional because of it – even if your first draft of whatever the assignment is has 100 comments!”

Dominique Moody
New York Law School
Federal Pro Se Legal Assistance Project (SDNY)

What did you learn during your experience as a pro bono scholar?
“I learned a tremendous amount about employment discrimination law. I got to learn about what’s necessary to bring a case under the many claims of employment discrimination law, and how to protect myself in the future.”

What lessons will you take with you into your future career?
“I have definitely gained a new level of patience that I will certainly need to have in my career. Having difficult conversations requires patience and I am glad that I got to develop that skill here.”

What are your words of advice for current law students?
“Law school is very unforgiving, so try your best in every class and be proud of your results.”

Enoch Adelani
Columbia Law School
Planning and Estates Law Project

What did you learn during your experience as a pro bono scholar?
“I learned to synthesize technical legal language into formats that are more accessible for a wide, varied audience.”

What lessons will you take with you into your future career?
“Be adaptable and meet your client where they’re at!”

What are your words of advice for current law students?
“Be intentional and tactful, not just in the big picture items such as what opportunities you pursue, but in everything that you do.”

Xuyou Zhang
Fordham University School of Law
Homeowner and Consumer Debt Advocacy Project

What did you learn during your experience as a pro bono scholar?
“I learned trauma-informed lawyering skills and gained a clearer understanding of the challenges that pro bono legal service providers are facing in closing the access to justice gap.”

What lessons will you take with you into your future career?
“Effective lawyering requires not only substantive legal knowledge, but also empathy, patience, and an understanding of the practical limitations clients may face.”

What are your words of advice for current law students?
“Doing pro bono work is a valuable opportunity to build practical legal skills while making a meaningful impact on clients and communities. It also provides exposure to forms of lawyering and client interaction that are difficult to fully replicate in a classroom setting.”

Our final pro bono scholar, Malika Ilboudo from the University of Connecticut School of Law, was camera shy. Malika worked with the Elder Law Project. Director Degna Levister said:

“Malika Ilboudo distinguished herself through her professionalism, thoughtfulness, and willingness to contribute meaningfully to a wide range of projects. She approached each assignment with care and dedication, and the work she performed on behalf of our older adult clients was both impactful and deeply appreciated. It was truly a pleasure to work with her.”

Thank you to each and every one of our Pro Bono Scholars!