Overview
The Boyd Service Award, which is administered by the Iowa Student Bar Association (ISBA), recognizes students who provide volunteer services to charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental, and educational organizations in furtherance of those organization’s missions. The award is given to qualifying students at the completion of their studies during graduation, and is the only way for students to wear cords at graduation.
Levels of Distinction
The award has three levels of distinction: “Honors” for students completing 100 hours of service (including 50 or more hours of community service for students who began law school in fall 2007 or later); “High Honors” for students completing 150 hours of service (including 75 or more hours of community service); and “Highest Honors” for students completing 200 hours of service (including 100 or more hours of community service).
“Community” Service Hours
“Community” service hours are those which directly benefit recognized community organizations or nonprofits, such as the Crisis Center, Shelter House, Miracles in Motion, or the Red Cross. This type of hours does not include compensated activities or attendance at regular group meetings, but does include participation in law school-sponsored service events and most political activities.
“Institutional” Service Hours
Service hours may also be classified as “institutional” hours. These types of hours directly benefit the law school, the University in general, or a registered student organization. Institutional hours include participation in activities beyond attend regular meetings, such as event planning or tabling in the law school lobby.
Restrictions on Calculating Hours
Generally, a student may only count hours accrued while enrolled as a full time student toward the Award, with summer or winter break hours only qualifying if the student is simultaneously taking a full class load.
Recording Hours Online
All Boyd Service Award hours must be recorded online by the seventh day of the month following the month during which the hours were worked. For example, hours contributed during the month of March must be recorded by April 7. Click here to record hours for the Award online. You may log in using your hawkid and password, and then must specify the date of the service, the name of the organization served, and a description of the service. All questions about the Boyd Service Award should be directed to law-boydservice@iowa.uiowa.edu.
For additional information and all the rules related to the Boyd Service Award, please visit http://www.law.uiowa.edu/students/boydservice.php.
