Harvard Law School has 11 Student Practice Organizations (SPOs) providing opportunities for students to gain practical legal experience under the supervision of a licensed attorney.
While students do not receive academic credit for participating in SPOs, their volunteer hours can count towards the HLS 50-hour pro bono graduation requirement starting first day of classes, 1L year.
Student Practice Organizations are run by a student board, where 2L and 3L students assume leadership positions. Everyone, including LL.M. students, is welcomed and encouraged to participate in SPO practice. While membership is open to all HLS students, applications may be required due to attorney supervision capacity.
Sign Up for SPOs
The 2025 application process, time commitment, and fall event schedules for each SPO are detailed here in the SPO Opportunities for Practice 25-26.
Join us at the SPO Panel on Sunday, September 7, 2025 at 10:30-11:30 am in the Ames Courtroom! Representatives from each SPO will be available to discuss their SPO’s work and how to join. The panel will take place directly before the Student Activities Fair, and all students are welcome to attend – particularly incoming 1Ls, LLMs, and transfer students.
If you are considering which SPO to join you may review fellow student evaluations of their experience.
Watch the 2025 SPO Panel to hear from SPO student leaders about the organizations’ work and experiences:
Explore the SPOs
Running an SPO
If you’re a student running a Student Practice Organizations, you can find information on policies, budget, technology, and more in this section.