FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Students in the University of Arkansas School of Law are participating in a nationwide celebration of pro bono through participating in two local events during Pro Bono Week, Oct. 22-28.

On Thursday, Oct. 26, the HOPE Resource Event will be held at Central United Methodist Church. Law students will assist local attorneys with legal aid to veterans throughout Northwest Arkansas who are without heath insurance or struggle to afford vising providers for routine or specialty health care.  

On Friday, Oct. 27, law students will present lessons from "18 and Life to Go: A Legal Handbook for Young Arkansans," at the ALLPS School of Innovation. The handbook was written and edited by Arkansas lawyers to confront the questions, conflicts, issues and circumstances that greet high school students on their journey to adulthood.

Pro Bono Week events are being held throughout Arkansas and online this week. For a list of featured events, go to the Arkansas Access to Justice Commission's Celebrate Pro Bono page. 

The American Bar Association Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service chose to launch this important initiative in 2009 because of the increasing need for pro bono services during harsh economic times and the unprecedented response of attorneys to meet this demand. Although national in breadth, the Celebration provides an opportunity for local legal associations across the country to take the next step in their efforts to provide high quality legal services to those living on the social margins.