Carrico Center for Pro Bono & Public Service

07/01/2026

Welcome Dean Rooksby!

Jacob Rooksby brings his record of leadership and innovation to Richmond Law as its new dean beginning July 1.

06/19/2026

It’s been five years since Juneteenth was made a federal holiday in the United States, but the commemoration itself goes back to this date in 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, finally got the news of the Emancipation Proclamation. Thirty-three states (including Virginia) and the District of Columbia have also adopted Juneteenth as a legal holiday, with commemorations ranging from insightful talks to community celebrations. Find an event near you to mark this important date in our nation's history.

City and county offices will be closed on Friday in observence.

06/18/2026

This past week, more than 4,000 high schoolers came to Richmond to compete in the world's largest academic competition. Many University of Richmond students, faculty, staff, and alums volunteered to serve as judges for this competition, truly spreading the . Congratulations to all the competitors for reaching this stage and demonstrating the hope, intellect, and resilience found within the next generation of leaders.

06/17/2026

06/05/2026

Congratulations to Shelbie Hampton (L'26), this year's recipient of the Virginia State Bar's Oliver White Hill Law Student Pro Bono Award. Nelson Mandela once said, “A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.” Shelbie is indeed quite formidable and so deserving of this award.

Pictured: Prof. Rachel Suddarth, Shelbie Hampton

05/20/2026

Spider Law Pride!!

Shelbie Hampton of the University of Richmond School of Law has been awarded the 2026 Oliver White Hill Law Student Pro Bono Award: https://bit.ly/3PEJIiZ

05/19/2026

"On Election Day, a legal advocate from the University of Richmond noticed something wasn’t right at Virginia Commonwealth University’s polling location. A poll worker was sharing incorrect information with voters — many of them students, some voting for the first time.
Moments like this can create confusion, sometimes long-term, while also discouraging participation, and undermining trust.
But this advocate was prepared."

University of Richmond School of Law students supported Virginia Civic Engagement Table's Election Protection in 2025 through the Carrico Center, and we look forward to continuing this partnership this year. Read more about VCET's impactful work throughout Virginia in their recently released annual report.

05/13/2026

Last week, the Carrico Center awarded 28 members of the Class of 2026 the Carrico Center Pro Bono Certificate, which recognizes graduates who completed at least 120 hours of service during their three years of law school. Representing approximately 21% of the graduating class, these amazing humans collectively provided more than 3,700 hours of service!

Special appreciation for Ryan Frei (L'05), McGuireWoods partner and pro bono titan, who delivered keynote remarks at the ceremony, encouraging our grads to keep pro bono as the centering experience they return to throughout their careers.

05/06/2026

Thanks to the generosity of the law school community, we delivered FIVE HUNDRED FORTY-FOUR POUNDS of donated food items to Feed More, as part of Richmond Law's participation in the . This is on top of the funds we raised through online donations.

Huge gratitude to everyone who helped to make the Legal Food Frenzy such a success, including:

• Carrico Center Student Program Managers (Nadia Farashahi (L'26), Shelbie Hampton (L'26), Adam Jordan (L'27), Trey McAdams (L'27)) for providing the organizational and operational power behind the Frenzy.
• Dean Osenga and Prof. Harbach for participating in Canned Immunity for their classes.
• Those who agreed to be pied for a good cause (Dean Olney, Dean Webb, Prof. Suddarth, Prof. Harbach, Prof. Gibson, Prof. Powell, Prof. Craft, Prof. Yanes, and Sara Titcomb).
• Everyone who participated in our Vote With Your Can polls.

We will not learn how we ranked in the Frenzy's law school category until later this month, but, in our mind, University of Richmond School of Law is already full of winners. ❤

04/30/2026

Virginia’s Legal Food Frenzy ends Friday at 11:59 pm, as does University of Richmond School of Law’s food and donation drive in support of Feed More. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to our effort!

Help us finish strong in one of two ways:

"Vote With Your Can" collection bins are in the Law Commons. You tell us: which movie contains the best courtroom scenes?
• My Cousin Vinny (“Your Honor, may I have permission to treat Ms. Vito as a hostile witness?” “You think I'm hostile now, wait 'til you see me tonight.”) – currently the winner!
• Legally Blonde ("And wouldn't somebody who's had, say, thirty perms before in their life be well aware of this rule?")
• A Few Good Men (“I want the truth!” “You can't handle the truth!”)

Online giving: https://give.feedmore.org/urlaw2026
The Richmond Law giving page for the Legal Food Frenzy is live, and any amount is welcome! FeedMore is able to convert $1 into 4 meals, so every little bit counts.

The Legal Food Frenzy is an annual, statewide fundraising competition created through a partnership between the Office of the Virginia Attorney General, the Young Lawyers Division of the Virginia Bar Association, and the Federation of Virginia Food Banks. 2026 celebrates the 20th official year of this impactful tradition of empowering law firms, corporate legal departments, law schools, and governmental legal offices to give back through a spirited competition. Participants raise funds, donate groceries, and volunteer to support hunger relief efforts in their own communities, proving that when Virginia’s legal community comes together, the results are powerful.