12 Apr 2021
Mauricio Murga Rios, ’21, has been named the recipient of the 2021 Student Award for Outstanding Impact through Public Service. The breadth of Murga Rios’ efforts toward pro bono and his sustained dedication toward pro bono and public service work stood out to the Pro Bono Committee.
During his time at the College of Law, Murga Rios has completed more than 100 hours of pro bono service, approximately half of which he completed as a first-year law student. His participation in College’s community service activities has ranged from participating in the Lincoln Paint-a-Thon to teaching students during the Community Legal Education Project’s Constitution Day activities to preparing taxes as part of Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.
Murga Rios spent his first law school summer helping immigrants fleeing from violence in their home country remain in the United States. Last summer, as a Nebraska Public Interest Law Fund recipient, he worked for the L.A. County Public Defender Immigration Unit where he equipped criminal defense attorneys with the resources necessary to preserve their immigrant clients’ status and/or eligibility for future immigration relief. Now in his final semester at Nebraska Law, Murga Rios represents low-income immigrants as part of the College’s Immigration Clinic. His efforts and the resulting impact in the area of pro bono while at the College of Law have been nothing short of exceptional.
Each year the Pro Bono Committee presents a student with an award for his or her outstanding impact through pro bono service. The impact may be measured by reviewing a single act or project, or multiple acts or projects performed by the student during their enrollment at the College of Law. Criteria to be considered may include, but is not limited to: total pro bono hours, record of pro bono worked performed, and the overall impact the pro bono work has had on a community or underserved population.