At a demanding time for law students, caught in between traditional demands of the profession and growing pressures to modernize, prospective attorneys at Indiana University managed to find time to assist those in need. Low-income locals could approach volunteers and have their tax forms filled in or verified, instead of relying on paid services or resigning from collecting their returns. In total, the students put in well over a hundred hours in the service of others during the last tax season.

The program which is run on a regular basis helps to reconcile the needs of law students, who are looking to amass legal experiences before they start searching for jobs upon graduation, and residents without necessary competences and financial means to pay for it. Both sides speak enthusiastically of the idea and admit that the total amount of returns due after the campaign is substantial. Students were trained and certified by the Internal Revenue Service to do their job in accordance with regulations.

The concept is based on the ancient principles of pro bono work and is often said to be a welcome change from the confines of lecture halls and encroaching hi-tech demands on young lawyers, like setting up a law firm website or mastering how to get promoted by means of a free PR site. Another importance of the event is in how sheltered law students get exposed to real-world problems of people they might be working with in the future. The vast majority of visitors were disadvantaged citizens – the aged, immigrants with a weak command of English or the disabled.

The university and student organizations admit the program will be continued in the future for those who are eligible for assistance.