Columbia Law School (CLS), a law school at Columbia University—a private Ivy League institution in the United States—reiterated its leadership in global legal education by bringing a team of students under the name Columbia European Law Association (CELA) to Thailand for the launch of the “2026 Spring Break Pro Bono Caravan Program.”
This initiative focused on international professional exchange in the field of pro bono legal service and included collaborations with leading Thai law firm Kudun & Partners, the Faculty of Law at Thammasat University, and KH Academy.
The event was held at KH Academy Ratchathewi Campus and was packed with key information and knowledge surrounding public interest legal work (Pro Bono) from various perspectives. The highlight was an exchange of viewpoints with CLS student representatives who traveled directly from New York to share in-depth insights into the U.S. Pro Bono system, which is a compulsory requirement before graduation—students are required to complete at least 40 hours of volunteer work.
This reflects how responsibility to society is instilled in aspiring professional lawyers from the first day. CLS students explained that during spring break, most members of CELA choose to travel abroad to learn about legal systems in jurisdictions different from the United States. This year, they selected Thailand to gain new experiences and learn about the civil law system.
“Today, we had a chance to engage in a highly productive discussion with students from Thammasat University. We shared about the U.S. legal system and education, and in turn learned about the experiences of pro bono legal work in Thailand. We were impressed by the ideas and ways to expand pro bono opportunities here, as viewed by local students. We sincerely hope that students from both institutions will continue to communicate and foster strong friendships. We believe that education is the best opportunity, and students are the future of the profession. Therefore, building strong institutional cooperation and jointly developing the legal profession moving forward is very gratifying and significant for us,” the CLS student representatives said.
Besides sharing experiences from the CLS side, the event also featured the Pro Bono Committee from Thailand’s leading law firm Kudun & Partners, headed by Emi Rowse, Partner and Head of Japan Practice. She shared her practical experience and the firm’s commitment to pro bono work, viewing it as a professional responsibility and mission to use legal skills and knowledge to benefit and give back to society.
“Participating in Columbia University’s Pro Bono Caravan Program was timely for us at Kudun & Partners, as we have just established our Pro Bono Committee. We believe that pro bono work is vitally important to society. As a law firm and team of lawyers, we want to give back by helping organizations or NGOs that need legal assistance but may not have sufficient budget. We also have various plans, particularly regarding raising social awareness and providing education on pro bono legal work, which we may continue together cooperatively in the future,” said the Partner and Head of Japan Practice at Kudun & Partners.
Representing Thai legal academia, the Faculty of Law at Thammasat University was led by Assistant Professor Dr. Aimpaga Techa-apikun, Associate Dean for Academic Services and Enterprise Engagement, with Assistant Professor Dr. Pimkamol Kongphok, Assistant Dean for Student Development; Assistant Professor Dr. Juthamas Thirawat, Deputy Director of the Legal Training and Consultancy Center (LeTEC); Ms. Primwisa Thongchaon and Ms. Penpitcha Kaewyasri, both Lawyers, Thammasat Law Center, Faculty of Law, Thammasat University, all sharing case studies and firsthand experiences on instilling the spirit of public interest lawyering through the university.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aimpaga emphasized the overall and crucial importance of such collaborations, stating that the faculty has been running pro bono and volunteer lawyer activities continuously for a long time to instill the spirit of service in line with the university’s values. She added that working with Columbia Law School—a world-class educational institution—is a significant step in expanding partnerships and raising legal knowledge to be in line with global developments.
“Thammasat University teaches students to love the people. So, our Faculty of Law has run pro bono or volunteer lawyer activities for a long time, with ongoing support from many sectors. Being invited by the private sector, like Kudun & Partners and KH Academy, to join this program is a valuable learning exchange, opening up new opportunities to develop, improve, and link with new networks. This will benefit the advancement of Thailand’s pro bono legal work, making it more professional and comprehensive in the future,” said Assistant Professor Dr. Aimpaga.
Meanwhile, Ms. Nutcha Ruangmarerng and Mr. Sittidech Udomdirekwarrakul, student representatives from the Faculty of Law, Thammasat University, expressed that the exchange allowed them to observe the differences in the pro bono legal system between the U.S. and Thailand, especially regarding student requirements before pursuing professional legal careers and the scope of international work. They see the sharing of experiences with students from a world-class university as a promising starting point for developing Thailand’s pro bono legal sector in the future.
“The participation of students from Columbia Law School made us realize that there is still a significant difference between pro bono work in Thailand and the U.S., particularly in the requirements imposed before graduation or before becoming professional lawyers. In the U.S., a clear number of hours for social volunteer work is set. Another key difference is that, as the CLS students presented, pro bono work abroad often involves dealing with legal issues from multiple countries, such as Japanese cases or cases in Thailand that require studying Thai law. In contrast, Thailand’s pro bono work is still confined to Thai law, helping only local people. We hope that in the future, Thai pro bono will reach the international level in connecting with foreign laws too,” the Thammasat law student representatives said.
The CLS Pro Bono Caravan concluded with a knowledge session by Joanita Britto Menon, Senior Legal Programme Manager for Asia TrustLaw at the Thomson Reuters Foundation, who shared global statistics and new trends on why lawyers worldwide are increasingly prioritizing pro bono work. As such, this event provided a crucial opportunity for youth and lawyers from both hemispheres to exchange knowledge and inspire each other to use their legal skills for the benefit of society.
