Public Service Commendation Awards Highlight Student Volunteer Experience
by Diana Case | May 3, 2019
Toledo Law launched the Public Service Commendation Program in 2007 to encourage students to provide needed legal services to underserved members of the community. Students gain practical experience, while making connections with area lawyers, judges, and legislators.
Commendations are awarded to students each semester in which they perform 30 or more documented hours of unpaid, law-related, public service work. Since the commendation program began, Toledo Law students have recorded over 24,500 volunteer hours.
Toledo Law's Office of Professional Development helps students identify volunteer opportunities with public service agencies and other non-profit organizations engaged in pro bono work. The office also coordinates placements with community stakeholders and arranges for supervising attorneys to certify hours for participating students.
Below are this year's Public Service Commendation award recipients, who volunteered during the summer 2018, fall 2018, and spring 2019 semesters. The students volunteered in a variety of locations including legal aid organizations, prosecutors’ offices, and courts.
- James Alt
- Joshua Arter (2 semesters)
- Eli Boldt
- Emilie Easton
- Miles Gerou
- Sabrinne Gibson
- Atef Khalaf
- Dana Koerner
- Rachel MacRae
- Madeline Parker
- Lindsey Self
- Cathleen Stripling
- Eric Watson
- Blake Weiman
"We are proud to recognize our students’ commitment to the legal profession’s ideals of public service and access to justice through the Public Service Commendation program," said Kelly Tomlinson, director of the Office of Professional Development.