UNC School of Law recently welcomed double Tar Heel Meghan Moran ’19 as the new director of pro bono and public service initiatives. Moran brings extensive experience providing pro bono legal services to domestic violence survivors and underserved communities across North Carolina.
As a law student, Moran completed over 430 hours of pro bono work directly assisting vulnerable groups. She served as the Pro Bono Coordinator for Law Students Against Sexual and Domestic Violence’s ex parte protective order project, winning a public service award, and as the Community Legal Project Pro Bono Coordinator for Women in Law. For her exceptional student pro bono service, Moran was named Carolina Law’s 2L Pro Bono Publico Award winner. She described how providing legal information to survivors gave her critical insight into family law and the skills required in crises, further shaping her passion for helping underserved communities. Moran explained that hands-on experiences, like assisting survivors straight from a crisis meant handling high-pressure cases, ultimately developing her dedication to this impactful work.
After graduating, Moran represented domestic abuse survivors in domestic violence protective order, divorce, and child custody hearings as a staff attorney with Pisgah Legal Services’ Mountain Violence Prevention Project. She worked closely with the Henderson County Family Justice Center and its partners, including law enforcement and medical providers, to tackle systemic issues facing survivors efficiently. Moran also engaged with attorneys in other departments, such as immigration or tax law, to ensure her clients received holistic legal services.
Now returning to her alma mater as Carolina Law’s new pro bono director, Moran brings her extensive expertise in serving vulnerable groups in rural areas. She is eager to expand pro bono services to underserved communities statewide, particularly in those regions. “I want to utilize UNC’s engaged community to fill gaps in access to justice,” she said. One initiative Moran highlighted is providing printable “pro se packets” – legal forms and instructions tailored to rural groups without reliable technology access. “Students’ research skills perfectly suit creating packets to lift the burden of rural legal aid.”
“Matching students’ goals to service opportunities boosts engagement and develops talent to carry into their careers.”
In her new role, Moran welcomes students to explore their interests through pro bono projects spanning skill sets and practice areas. She recognizes students have limited time amidst classes and other commitments but sees pro bono work as a chance to apply developing legal skills to help real community members. “It’s an opportunity to utilize what you’re learning in the classroom and see it make a tangible difference,” Moran said. “Matching students’ goals to service opportunities boosts engagement and develops talent to carry into their careers,” she highlighted. She also hopes to connect with engaged alums and lawyers interested in collaborating on the program’s vision for empowering and serving vulnerable communities across North Carolina. “I would love to hear any ideas people have or how they would like to get involved,” Moran offered.
With Moran’s passion and vision, the law school’s pro bono program will transform access to justice and positively impact more lives across the state.
