Pro Bono Programme

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Understanding Pro Bono Requirements

(What students need to know before they start)

MPBH refers to the 20-hour pro bono graduation requirement that all NUS Law students must fulfil through SILE approved pro bono opportunities.

MPBH is awarded subject to the following criteria:

  1. Passing (by achieving full marks) of mandatory E-Quiz in CANVAS under LC2009/LCJ5009 “Pro Bono Service” Course.

  2. Participating in SILE-approved pro bono work from 15 May onwards at the end of your first year of law school (as rising Year 2s). Hours will only count from SILE application date upon approval.

  3. Timely recording of your pro bono hours in TalentConnect.

Pro bono work that does not meet above criteria will be classified as voluntary pro bono hours.

Voluntary pro bono hours encompass:

  1. any hours completed beyond the mandatory 20-hour requirement;
  2. hours undertaken on pro bono work that may not be SILE approved, but has been approved by the Centre;
  3. hours clocked during the first year of law school before 15 May; or
  4. hours completed after the first year but before passing the LC2009/LCJ5009 quiz.

Only pro bono work that meets all mandatory conditions will count towards the graduation requirement. All other contributions will be categorised as voluntary hours.

The different kinds of pro bono work can be viewed here: Guidelines on what can count as pro bono hours (ver 24112021)(updated)

Students can begin clocking mandatory pro bono hours from 15 May of their first year of law school (i.e. as rising Year two students), and only after successfully passing the mandatory e- quiz under “Pro Bono Service” Course LC2009/LCJ5009 with a passing score of 100%. Once these conditions are satisfied, any pro bono hours completed through an SILE-approved pro bono opportunity may count towards the 20-hour mandatory pro bono requirement. Any pro bono work undertaken prior to meeting any of the abovementioned conditions, including during the earlier part of your first year, will be classified as voluntary pro bono hours (VPBH) and will not count towards the mandatory pro bono requirement for graduation. All completed pro bono work (MPBH C VPBH) should be recorded in TalentConnect to provide a comprehensive overview of all hours clocked throughout law school.

Yes. NUS Law encourages students to go above and beyond the 20-hour mandatory pro bono requirement throughout the course of their degree, including but not limited to pro bono projects that do not carry SILE approval. While these additional hours may not count towards the mandatory requirement for graduation, they will be recognised as voluntary pro bono hours and reflect on students’ commendable commitment to public service.

You do have until the end of your candidature to fulfil this graduation requirement. However, in our experience, students who delay their search for pro bono opportunities until their final year of study often face significant difficulties in completing their hours on time. Some have come uncomfortably close to missing their graduation timelines, and there have been cases where students had to extend their candidature into the next Semester/Academic Year due to unmet graduation requirements. This is why students are encouraged to actively plan ahead and complete the 20 MPBH by the end of Year 2. Doing so will help ensure that your graduation, and any post-graduation plans, will be able to proceed smoothly without adverse setbacks.

Students should record their hours soon after the conclusion of a pro bono activity to avoid the risk of misplacing endorsed timesheets. As concluded opportunities are eventually archived in TalentConnect, students should record their pro bono hours and upload their endorsed timesheets within one month from the “Activity End Date” in TalentConnect.

Key deadlines for submission of pro bono hours clocked in TalentConnect:

  • Semester 1 MPBH Deadline: By 15 November every Academic
  • Semester 2 MPBH Deadline: By 15 April every Academic
  • Submission of VPBH: Anytime within the Academic

Pro bono hours submitted by the deadlines will be assessed for MPBH and contribute to the grading under the LC2009/LCJ5009 “Pro Bono Service” course for the corresponding semester. A guide on navigating TalentConnect Is available here: https://law.nus.edu.sg/cpbcle/for- students/resources/ For additional information, please visit LC2009/LCJ5009 “Pro Bono Service” on Canvas for Essential Information and Guides.

Should you have questions, please write to probonohours@nus.edu.sg (email submissions of endorsed timesheets will not be entertained; all submissions of endorsed timesheets have to be uploaded through TalentConnect).

Yes, you may be awarded MPBH if the following criteria are met before the pro bono hours were clocked:

  • the project has been approved by SILE,
  • you have passed the e-quiz (25/25), and
  • you have passed your mandatory start date of 15 May as a rising Year 2

Details are available in the “Essential Information” document in CANVAS found under the Files > Important Document folder. Please read it for more details. You can also check out our guides found on the Centre’s Resource webpage: Resources – NUS Law Centre for Pro Bono C Clinical Education (CPBCLE). Do be sure to record your mandatory hours by applying to the opportunity with the “[M]” prefix in TalentConnect.

No, you only have to pass the e-quiz once (passing score of 100%), the earliest known passing date will be referred against when assessing completed pro bono hours for MPBH. Students are encouraged to save a screenshot of their passing of the e-quiz for their own reference.