Public Interest Law Events

Public Interest Law Day

Each spring, the Public Interest Law Center hosts Public Interest Law Day.The next event is planned for February 2009. Public Interest Law Day brings public interest and government employers to campus to share their experiences and speak to students about their work. The purpose of the event is to educate law students about opportunities in the field of public interest law and to encourage their participation in the community.

Students may also bring their resumes to set up pro bono placements for summer.

Public Interest Law Society Auction

The Public Interest Law Society has held its annual fundraising auction each Spring for the past 15 years. The auction, like those sponsored by other law schools around the country, is held to provide fellowship money to law students who donate their summers to work in the field of public interest law. Law students who work for public interest organizations (such as Legal Aid) may apply for money to offset living expenses while performing this community service. This auction and the fundraising efforts that go with it are the sole means of raising funds to support students who are giving to their community in this way.

Due to budget constraints, many public interest organizations that help the indigent are unable to pay legal interns. Fellowship funds enable law students to aid the indigent who would never be able to afford quality legal services. Students are able to provide assistance in areas such as children in need of protection, battered women's centers, immigration law, homelessness, persons with disabilities, and environmental law.

In February 2008, PILS raised over $10,000, all of which was awarded to students in the form of summer fellowships.