Pro Bono Initiatives Program 

The PBI Program’s signature initiative is the Abortion Defense Network, which connects abortion providers and supporters with the resources they need to navigate the post-Roe legal landscape.  ADN provides legal advice, representation, and help paying legal expenses related to abortion care. Managed by the Lawyering Project, ADN is a collaborative effort by allied non-profit organizations, private law firms, and other stakeholders committed to safeguarding abortion access and upholding reproductive rights. The PBI Program ensures that all lawyers participating in ADN have been thoroughly vetted and trained and receive regular updates about developments in relevant areas of the law.    

In addition to providing direct legal services, ADN also publishes state-specific guides to help medical providers understand their rights and obligations when providing abortion and other reproductive healthcare.  And it curates further informational resources about the legal landscape impacting abortion providers, supporters, and seekers.   

If you have questions about your legal rights to provide or support abortion care, or if you have been threatened with arrest, prosecution, or other legal action related to abortion, please visit ADN’s online intake page to request assistance.  An attorney navigator will respond within 24 hours.  If you need legal advice or representation in connection with abortion care that you are seeking or recently obtained, ADN’s intake page will connect you with the Repro Legal Helpline operated by If/When/How. 

Pro bono partnerships are critical to the Lawyering Project’s ability to achieve its goals, multiplying our impact and enabling us to expand the reach of our work. Lawyers in private practice can support the Lawyering Project’s work in a variety of ways, from serving as local counsel, to partnering on litigation, to undertaking discrete research projects.  The PBI Program manages the valuable pro bono services donated to the Lawyering Project by law firms and individual lawyers across the United States. If you are interested in working with the Lawyering Project on a pro bono basis, please fill out an intake form and someone will be in touch to discuss opportunities.

The PBI Program manages the Lawyering Project’s relationships with law school clinics, student groups, and volunteers. Law students working under a professor’s supervision support the Lawyering Project with research projects throughout the academic year. The Lawyering Project’s work with law students allows us to expand the reach of our research capacity and provides the next generation of attorneys with valuable experience and insight into the Lawyering Project’s work. 

The PBI Program runs the Layering Project’s legal internship program, which provides opportunities for law students to immerse themselves in the Lawyering Project’s work.  We offer both full-time and part-time internships during the academic year, as well as full-time internships during the summer.  We accommodate law students seeking to gain academic credit for their internships, fulfill pro bono service requirements, or utilize funding provided by their law schools.  When none of those circumstances apply, we compensate interns for their time. 

The Lawyering Project typically posts internship positions six to eight months in advance and fills them on a rolling basis.  Please check here to see if any positions are currently open.