With a Head Start Pro Bono Scholar Yuxi (Sam) Chen ’26 Begins Her Legal Career

As Sam Chen sees it, being a lawyer isn’t just about providing legal solutions. Immigrating from China with her family and adapting to life in the United States made her aware early on that the law isn’t only a set of rules, but also a source of access, protection, and power. That perspective informed her decision to pursue a law degree at St. John’s and to get a head start on her legal career as a 3L Pro Bono Scholar.

Established by the New York State Unified Court System in 2014, open to all New York law schools, and administered at St. John’s Law through the DiMartino/Smith Public Interest Center, the Pro Bono Scholars Program allows students to devote the last semester of law school to performing pro bono service for underserved individuals and communities. St. John’s Pro Bono Scholars work full time in eligible Law School in-house and partner clinics. Once selected as Pro Bono Scholars, students are then approved to take the February Bar Exam to accelerate their legal careers.

“I was drawn to the Program’s mission of expanding access to justice through hands-on legal work,” Chen says. “As a first-generation immigrant and first-generation law student, I’m especially mindful of how difficult it can be to navigate the legal system without support. The Program also appealed to me because it offers a meaningful opportunity to apply the legal skills I’ve developed over the past two and a half years and fully commit to using my training to serve real clients at a critical stage in my legal development."

For her 12-week Pro Bono Scholar placement, Chen worked in the Consumer Justice for the Elderly: Litigation Clinic, where she had previously spent a semester advocating for clients in consumer debt, fraud, deed theft, and foreclosure matters under the supervision of Professors Gina Calabrese and Ann Goldweber. “I welcomed the opportunity to continue with the Clinic,” Chen shares. “I gained confidence in handling client matters, engaging in negotiations, and thinking strategically about formal and informal advocacy. Just as importantly, I learned how to exercise judgment with care, professionalism, and accountability in real-world settings."

Chen also provided welcomed support to Professors Goldweber and Calabrese. “When Sam rejoined us as a Pro Bono Scholar, she was productive from day one because of the legal knowledge and skills she developed in the Clinic and through her coursework at St. John’s Law,” says Professor Calabrese. “As both a resource for and collaborator with our Clinic students, she contributed substantive insight, conducted efficient research, and drafted impactful documents. Identifying and addressing New Yorkers’ unmet legal needs is one of the Pro Bono Scholars Program’s central goals, and Sam’s work on behalf of our Clinic clients advanced that mission."

Among the clients Chen assisted as a Pro Bono Scholar was an elderly victim of a solar panel company’s predatory practices. “What stood out most to me wasn’t only the financial harm, but the emotional impact,” Chen explains. “Our client felt a deep sense of shame and blamed herself for what had happened, even though she had been deliberately targeted and defrauded. Restoring her sense of dignity became as important as addressing the legal issues. This experience underscored for me the importance of protecting vulnerable communities from exploitative practices and preserving the trust that’s essential to meaningful access to justice."

As Chen was serving and supporting Clinic clients, she also achieved the professional milestone of passing the February New York Bar Exam, along with the other members of this year’s St. John’s Law Pro Bono Scholars cohort: Shereeza Ahmad ’26, Isabella Bernato ’26, Bella Garabedian ’26, Lincoln Gee ’26, Chizahra (Zahra) Uzohue ’26, and Janet Char Lin Wong ’26. “The Bar Exam pass rate for our Pro Bono Scholars continues to be 100%, exceeding the statewide Pro Bono Scholars pass rate of 93%,” says DiMartino/Smith Public Interest Center Director Jeanne Ortiz-Ortiz, who helps coordinate the Program. “We couldn’t be prouder of the students and their achievements as Pro Bono Scholars.”

Chen shares that sense of pride as she begins the next chapter of her legal career. “The Pro Bono Scholars Program reinforced for me that success in the legal profession isn’t only about technical competence, but also about upholding a responsibility to ensure individuals aren’t left without direction when they seek help,” she says. “Drawing on my time as a Pro Bono Scholar and my broader experience at St. John’s Law, I look forward to providing that direction for my clients in the years ahead.”