Each fall, the Citizen Lawyer Program coordinates the First Year Service Challenge, which encourages first-year Iowa Law students to unite with their peers to help the local community. Each of our first-year class sections is encouraged to organize a volunteer service project they will perform as a group early in the fall semester. The section with the highest rate of participation is recognized during our annual Pro Bono Celebration in October. The First Year Service Challenge has and continues to successfully connect students with local organizations and their fellow class members. Last year, the first year class performed nearly 200 hours of service during the challenge!

The Class of 2020 are currently planning and engaging in service projects with the following organizations: Johnson County Historical Society; Iowa Children’s Museum; Iowa City Public Works; Army Corps of Engineers at Coralville Lake; Shelter House; Habitat for Humanity ReStore; Mobile Pantry of the Crisis Center of Johnson County; and Coralville Lake and the Arc of Southeast Iowa.