WuDi Wu, ’16, named December’s Pro Bono Volunteer of the Month
Editor's note: The Pro Bono Board, a student group committed to expanding pro bono knowledge and opportunities to students, names a Pro Bono Volunteer of the Month. The December honoree is WuDi Wu, ‘16. Becca Smith, a member of the board, wrote this story on his work. For more information on pro bono work, visit the Pro Bono Service Initiative website or contact Shehnaz Mansuri in the Office of Career Services.
WuDi Wu, ’16, interned with Chicago’s Legal Assistance Foundation over the summer, and has continued volunteering ten to twenty hours per week this quarter. He works in the housing unit, where he defends subsidized housing tenants who face charges of eviction. He has been named December’s Pro Bono Volunteer of the Month.
WuDi came to the Law School because of his interest in housing issues, and he has truly enjoyed his experience at LAF because he has been given tremendous responsibility for his cases. He was handed five cases on his first day. Since then he has written motions and briefs — filed with few edits from his supervisors — and has participated in administrative hearings on his own.
WuDi finds his work very meaningful. Those who defend themselves lose their cases much more often than those with representation, or they settle for less favorable terms, he said.
For two years prior to law school, WuDi worked at a management consulting firm, where the fast-paced environment helped prepare him to manage his significant responsibility at LAF. After Law School graduation, WuDi plans on returning to his former management consulting firm while continuing to volunteer with LAF.
WuDi’s commitment to pro bono work doesn’t end there. He is currently participating in the Civil Rights and Police Accountability Project, has volunteered with the Lawndale Clinic working on a juvenile record project, and participated in the Cabrini-Green Legal Aid expungement project this April. When he’s not volunteering, WuDi spends his time cooking, baking, and playing board games.