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.
View the SPO Skills Matrix and SPO Opportunities for Practice 22-23 to learn more about the specific skills and time commitment in each SPO.
Watch the 2022 SPO Panel to hear from SPO student leaders about the organizations’ work and experiences:
Explore the SPOs
Sign Up for SPOs
| SPO | How to Apply | Application Deadline | Events |
| Harvard Defenders | Fill out an application at bit.ly/DefendersFall2022 | September 15, 11:59 pm | Open House: September 7th 12:30pm-2:30pm 1607 Mass Ave, 2nd floor Training: September 25th, 12pm-4:30pm |
| Harvard Law Entrepreneurship Project (HLEP) | Complete new member interest form to indicate which training you plan on attending. | HLEP Fall Project Cycle Kickoff Social Sunday, September 18, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM, Felipe’s. RSVP here. New Members Mandatory Training Monday, September 19 from 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm OR Tuesday, September 20 from 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm Pound Hall 102 | |
| Harvard Mediation Program | Application form: https://clinics.law.harvard.edu/hmp/files/2022/07/HMP-Application-Fall-2022.docx | September 19 | ADR Night: September 13 Training: October 1-2 and October 15-16, 2022 (Saturday and Sunday), 9:00am – 5:00pm each day |
| Harvard Prison Legal Assistance Project (PLAP) | Commitment form due on 9/14: bit.ly/PLAPform. PLAP will also accept sign ups at the Student Activities Fair. | September 16 | Welcome Back Picnic on September 10, 1:00 pm, Holmes Field |
| HLS Advocates for Human Rights (Advocates) | Applications for project membership: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd4t2GCRvKMPh_u2W6Z4dTgGuUQTgah7OOqQ3WMF4tdoABo6Q/viewform?usp=sf_link | September 18, 11:59 pm | Open House: Wednesday, September 14 12:30 pm- 1:30 pm, Pound Hall 101 |
| HLS Immigration Project (HIP) | Application released by email after Student Activities Fair. Interviews are unlikely but may be necessary for IRAP, which will have capacity for fewer students than CES and Policy. Application: https://forms.gle/swUYwFT79y1ehiir9 | September 20 | Welcome Picnic for new and returning members co-hosted with La Alianza on Saturday, September 17th at noon in Cambridge Common (park, not restaurant). Food from local immigrant-owned restaurants will be provided! Training: Depends on project – likely in early October. |
| HLS Mississippi Delta Project (MDP) | Applications will be released by email after the Student Activities Fair and can be found on our website. Applications are due September 21st. Students will be notified about their team assignment on September 22. | September 21 | MDP All Team Kickoff Meeting: September 26 |
| HLS Negotiators | No application required. Simply sign up to attend our three-hour basic training via the Negotiators email hlsnegotiators@gmail.com Negotiators will also be accepting sign ups at the Students Activities Fair | N/A | ADR Night: September 13th Fall Basic Training: September 23 |
| Project No One Leaves (PNOL) | Add your email to the listserv at https://bit.ly/PNOLsignup You will then receive an email the week before each scheduled canvass. Once you receive the email for the canvass you plan to attend, sign up using the link provided. | N/A | First canvass to take place on Saturday 9/17 at 10 am |
| Recording Artists Project (RAP) | Fill out RAP Membership Interest Survey: https://forms.gle/ztnhQ98YkWeJsQ536 Sign up for the RAP mailing list: https://bit.ly/MailingListRAP | September 17 | Meet/Greet & Info Session: TBD week of Sept. 12 Training: September 17 Fall Training is mandatory for all students, even if they only plan on joining in the spring. |
| Tenant Advocacy Project (TAP) | Application consists of a cover sheet, an interest statement, and a resume. Please email your application to tenantadvocacyapp@gmail.com. To get an application, fill out TAP’s application interest form here: https://forms.gle/1DREJVCR6HicWzMMA | Friday, September 23 at 5:00 pm | Lunch TAP Open House: Thursday, September 15 12:15pm – 1:30pm WCC 1010 Virtual TAP Open House: Friday, September 21 3:00pm – 4:30 pm Zoom Link Here Mandatory Introductory Training for New Members: Saturday, October 1 5:00pm – 7:30pm Additional trainings throughout the year, and no previous experience is required. |
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.