The Program in Law and Public Service is designed to provide a select group of students the opportunity to receive a tailored curriculum and intensive training that will prepare them for public service careers. Fellows are required to spend at least one summer working for a public service employer (a government agency or nonprofit organization). Each year, approximately 40-45 first-year fellows will be admitted to the program. Several slots will be held open for second-year students, who are typically selected in the summer before the second year. Applications for first-year students starting in Fall 2026 will be received from September 1-28 for Priority Admissions and from October 23 - November 6 for Standard Admissions.
The program is directed by Professor Annie Kim, who formerly led the Law School’s Mortimer Caplin Public Service Center. Kim also worked for years as a litigator and in-house counsel representing Virginia school districts and local governments.
The Curriculum
Program fellows coming in as first-year students are required to take the course Law and Public Service in the spring of their first year. This seminar provides fellows a broad overview of public interest lawyering and career paths, exposure to practitioners, and a chance to build community within their cohort. Fellows use their second year to explore public service advocacy- and skills-based courses, clinics, and doctrinal courses related to their own practice interests. Finally, in their third year, fellows may opt to take a one-semester capstone seminar focusing on contemporary issues in public service offered in the spring. Additional course requirements include a clinic or externship (full-time or part-time) and at least 10 additional credits in courses that will assist fellows in their future public service careers. Courses are tailored to each fellow’s individual career goals and interests. Fellows will also complete a substantial research paper or final paper on a public interest topic of their choice.
Mentoring
Students in the program build mentoring relationships with public service faculty at UVA Law School through programs like the semi-annual LPS Faculty Dinner Series, other small events hosted by faculty, and access to faculty office hours. All fellows are also encouraged to meet with the program director and core LPS faculty teaching the 1L and 3L courses to help them develop their academic and professional plans for public service work. Fellows are also assigned peer mentors within the program.
Community
The fellows participate in many events designed to build the LPS community, nurture individual professional and academic interests in public service, and introduce fellows to public service practitioners. These include “Serving Justice” meals with practitioners, book clubs, career-focused workshops, social gatherings, faculty and peer mentorship events, new and graduating fellows’ banquets, and the annual Shaping Justice public service conference.
The following is a list of courses offered during 2024-26. Numbers in parentheses indicate which academic year(s) the courses were offered, i.e., 2023-24 is coded (24), 2024-25 is coded (25) and 2025-26 is coded (26). (SC) stands for short course and (YR) stands for yearlong.
Advanced Topics in Law and Public Service (24,25,26) Advancing the Commitment to Public Service Through Law Firm Pro Bono (SC) (24,25) Introduction to Negotiation (SC) (25,26) Law and Leadership in the Public Interest (24,25) Law and Organizing Seminar (25) Law and Public Service (24,25,26) Leadership and Team Management (SC) (25) Leadership for Lawyers: Practice, Theory and the Public Interest (26) On Purpose: An Introduction to Leadership, Decision-making and Culture (24,25) Postgraduate Public Interest Fellowships (SC) (24,25,26) Professional Responsibility in Public Interest Law Practice (24,25,26) Veterans Law (26) White-Collar Criminal Practice (SC) (26)
Clinic students at the University of Virginia School of Law worked with state lawmakers to shepherd bills on preventing gun violence, math education, victims’ rights and other policies that were recently signed into law.
LPS was created in 2009 to provide a select group of UVA Law students the curricular foundation, specialized training, and community of faculty and peers that would assist them in pursuing careers in public service. Each year, the program admits approximately 40-45 first-year students in the fall and several second-year students in the summer following the first year. Fellows typically plan to enter public service careers immediately after graduation. For more information on program curricular requirements, contact Professor Annie Kim. In addition, all fellows must work at least one full-time summer internship after the first or second year of law school for a public service employer.
Admission decisions will be based on past achievement, dedication to public service, and promise of future success. Brief interviews will be conducted in October and decisions will be made soon thereafter. We encourage all interested students to apply.
How to Apply
There are two windows for applying to be an LPS fellow as a 1L in Fall 2026. Both cycles are open to any interested ILs from any background. The first, PRIORITY ADMISSIONS, will open on September 1 and close on Friday, September 18 at midnight. Interviews will be conducted the week of September 21, with decisions announced by September 28. Priority Admissions will have the first opportunity to be selected for the roughly 45 fellowship seats in the program. STANDARD applicants will be admitted for remaining seats.
The second, STANDARD ADMISSIONS, will open on October 23 and close on Friday. November 6 at midnight. Interviews will be conducted the week of November 9, with decisions announced by November 16.
Key dates are below:
Applications Open
Applications Close
Interviews Conducted
Notifications Sent
Enrollment in Law & Public Service (Spring 2027)
PRIORITY: Sept. 1
PRIORITY: Sept. 18
PRIORITY: Sept. 21-25
PRIORITY: Sept. 28
PRIORITY: Automatic enrollment as of Sept. 29
STANDARD: Oct. 23
STANDARD: Nov. 6
STANDARD: Nov. 9-13
STANDARD: Nov. 16
STANDARD: Automatic enrollment when applicant accepts LPS offer by no later than Jan. 7
Submit the following materials in pdf format to Professor Annie Kim at @email according the above deadlines:
A resume (does not need to be in UVA Law school format);
An unofficial copy of your undergraduate transcript (for 1Ls) or your law school transcript (for 2Ls),which will be reviewed for coursework rather than grades;
Answers to the following questions (maximum of 400 words for each):
Tell us why you’re passionate about working as a public service attorney after law school. If you already know what kind of public service work you’d like to pursue, describe it. If you don’t know yet, explain your general interests and how you plan to determine your path.
A number of factors can make it difficult to commit to a public service career, including financial constraints, familial expectations, and cultural norms among law students. What do you think are the most significant factors for you or other UVA Law students? How can we address them?
A decade after the birth of the Program in Law and Public Service at the University of Virginia School of Law, three alums who were there in the beginning share their career stories.
Meet some of the fellows in the Program in Law and Public Service.
Class of 2026
Preston Bowden
Hometown: Tooele, Utah Before UVA Law: Majored in history and political and social thought at UVA Public Service Interests: Civil rights impact litigation, union lawyering, public defense
Lara Chuppe
Hometown: South Bend, Indiana Before UVA Law: While in college, volunteered for Pax Populi Academy and taught English to young women in Afghanistan Public Service Interests: Immigration law, human rights
Anna Figueroa
Hometown: Atlanta Before UVA Law: Legal assistant at the Southern Environmental Law Center, anti-trafficking paralegal working with farmworkers at Georgia Legal Services Program Public Service Interests: Immigration, child advocacy
Liz Gaccione
Hometown: Groton, Connecticut Before UVA Law: Taught middle school on O‘ahu island, designed culturally responsive climate curriculum Public Service Interests: Environmental justice, climate refugees
Mary Guardino
Hometown: Point Lookout, New York Before UVA Law: Taught high school English and science for four years in Oakland, California, and East Harlem, New York Public Service Interests: Juvenile justice and child advocacy (with a focus on restorative justice)
Alex Hanna
Hometown: Smithfield, Virginia Before UVA Law: Double majored in political and social thought and English at the University of Virginia Public Service interests: Public defense and civil rights
Ella Missan
Hometown: Menlo Park, California Before UVA Law: Paralegal for the Legal Aid Society Criminal Defense Practice in the Bronx Public Service Interests: Child advocacy, juvenile defense, education law and policy
James Pierpoint
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina Before UVA Law: Teach For America, legal aid, Deloitte Public Service Interests: Civil rights, education, poverty law
Indira Rajkumar
Hometown: Bethesda, Maryland Before UVA Law: Paralegal at public defender doing death sentence appeals Public Service Interests: Public defense, impact litigation, appeals, criminal legal system reform
Ashley Ramsay
Hometown: South Salem, New York Before UVA Law: Served as an AmeriCorps VISTA, worked as a paralegal at a civil legal services organization in New York and worked as a barista Public Service Interests: Public defense/juvenile defense
Hayley Richbart
Hometown: Buffalo, New York Before UVA Law: Worked as a music therapist for students with special needs in grades K-12, volunteered with AmeriCorps NCCC and worked as a case manager for individuals seeking humanitarian legal relief Public Service Interests: Immigration, public defense, poverty law
Cayleigh Soderholm
Hometown: Honolulu Before UVA Law: Paralegal at a public interest firm representing workers and labor unions Public Service Interests: National security and constitutional rights, international human rights law, foreign relations law
Marissa Varnado
Hometown: Ellicott City, Maryland Before UVA Law: Teach For America, homelessness nonprofit work Public Service Interests: Housing and labor/employment law
Ariel Vasser
Hometown: New Rochelle, New York Before UVA Law: Worked on political campaigns and in public health, focused on COVID-19 vaccine equity and health care policy reform Public Service Interests: Health care, reproductive justice and civil rights
Kyndall Walker
Hometown: Richmond, Virginia Public Service Interests: Wrongful convictions, public defense, post-conviction
Class of 2025
Fabrizio Herrera Alfaro
Hometown: Oceanside, California Before UVA Law: Staff assistant with the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce Public Service Interests: Prosecution, working for a federal agency, congressional counsel
Dana Almberg
Hometown: Virginia Beach, Virginia Before UVA Law: AmeriCorps teacher in Bridgeport, Connecticut Public Service Interests: Youth public defense, improving prison conditions
Ben Baldwin
Hometown: Cleveland Before UVA Law: Paralegal at a government office Public Service Interests: National security law, international law
Kathryn Barbella
Hometown: Linwood, New Jersey Before UVA Law: Majored in economics, government and politics at the University of Maryland Public Service Interests: Public international law, particularly international human rights and humanitarian law
Cheryl Bond
Hometown: Los Alamitos, California Before UVA Law: Paralegal at the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division Public Service Interests: Federal antitrust enforcement, post-conviction innocence work, public defense, legal aid (housing/tenant law)
Ryan Carp
Hometown: New Lenox, Illinois Before UVA Law: Marketing at a consulting firm Public Service Interests: Civil rights, human rights, environmental justice, legislative policy
Seth Coven
Hometown: Boston Before UVA Law: Associate at an executive advisory firm in Washington, D.C. Public Service Interests: Child advocacy, public defense, innocence
Simeon Daferede
Hometown: Winter Haven, Florida Before UVA Law: Project associate at Chapin Hall Center for Children Public Service Interests: Public defense and civil rights
Mason Davenport
Hometown: Richmond, Virginia Before UVA Law: Worked in politics and nonprofit space Public Service Interests: Public policy, progressive prosecution
Nathaniel Glass
Hometown: San Diego Before UVA Law: Four years in political/environmental communications consulting Public Service Interests: Public defense, energy policy
Trey Gray
Hometown: New Orleans and Jackson, Mississippi Before UVA Law: Dishwasher, part-time investigator Public Service Interests: Post-conviction work, data privacy
Catie Haddad
Hometown: San Luis Obispo, California Public Service Interests: Public defense, international human rights
Duncan Hardiman
Hometown: Brigantine, New Jersy Before UVA Law: AmeriCorps VISTA in Philadelphia Public Service Interests: Public defense, criminal legal reform, government
Luci Harris
Hometown: Arlington, Virginia Public Service Interests: Immigration, international human rights
Anna Harvey
Hometown: Evanston, Illinois Before UVA Law: Researcher at education-focused consulting firm Public Service Interests: Youth advocacy, special education, addressing school-to-prison pipeline, prison abolition
Nick Hoffman
Hometown: Dallas Public Service Interests: Public defense
Noa Jett
Hometown: Gainesville, Florida, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Before UVA Law: Paralegal at a public health nonprofit Public Service Interests: Civil rights, impact litigation, prisoners’ rights, juvenile justice
Rohini Kurup
Hometown: Greenwich, Connecticut Before UVA Law: Editor at Lawfare, a national security legal publication Public Service Interests: Government, national security
Jocelyn Lee
Hometown: Beverly, Massachusetts Public Service Interests: Public defense, racial justice, civil rights
Azalea Lopez
Hometown: Berwyn, Illinois Before UVA Law: Nonprofits, paralegal at Department of Justice, paralegal at nonprofit, program associate at social B Corp Public Service Interests: Public defense
Henry Maguire
Hometown: New York Before UVA Law: Worked as an EMT Public Service Interests: Prosecution
Gabriel Mahoney
Hometown: Falmouth, Maine Before UVA Law: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Public Service Interests: Civil rights, education, government work
Alyssa Marshall
Hometown: Annandale, Virginia Before UVA Law: Social worker at Office of the Public Defender Public Service Interests: Public defense
Kylie Mignat
Hometown: Woodside, New York Before UVA Law: Senior paralegal at Kids in Need of Defense in Manhattan Public Service Interests: Immigration, child advocacy
Katie Poore
Hometown: Tuscaloosa, Alabama Before UVA Law: Taught English in France, worked in book publishing and then worked for a small law firm in hometown Public Service Interests: Child advocacy, particularly youth defense; education law; gun violence prevention
Shelby Singleton
Hometown: Atlanta Before UVA Law: Interned on Capitol Hill and other political spaces in college Public Service Interests: Civil rights, racial justice, international human rights
Nicholas C. Sheets
Hometown: Henrico, Virginia Public Service Interests: Child advocacy, victims’ rights, prosecution
Matt Steelberg
Hometown: McLean, Virginia Before UVA Law: Municipal adviser Public Service Interests: Antitrust, economic justice
Mitchell Szlabowicz
Hometown: Fort Myers, Florida Before UVA Law: Child advocacy and case management internships in Gainesville, Florida Public Service Interests: Environmental litigation, computer crime prosecution, innocence, federal sentencing reform
Delaney Tubbs
Hometown: Dallas, Texas Before UVA Law: Legal support Public Service Interests: Holistic defense and prison abolition
John Henry Vansant
Hometown: Thetford, Vermont Before UVA Law: Legislative aide in Colorado General Assembly, campaign manager in Colorado Public Service Interests: Workers' rights, labor law and organizing, employment law and policy, economic justice
Grace Wenstrom
Hometown: Galesburg, Illinois Before UVA Law: Interned with legal aid, child advocacy center and Department of Justice Immigrant and Employee Rights Section during undergraduate school Public Service Interests: Civil rights, human rights
Jess Williams
Hometown: Bushkill, Pennsylvania Before UVA Law: U.S. Air Force Public Service Interests: International humanitarian law, international human rights law
Shelby Wolfe
Hometown: Virginia Beach, Virginia, and South Lake Tahoe, California Before UVA Law: Paramedic Public Service Interests: Public defense and capital defense
Matthew Wulf
Hometown: Kenosha, Wisconsin Before UVA Law: Paralegal at U.S. Attorney's Office (Eastern District of New York), field organizer in Iowa Public Service Interests: Prosecution, government
Class of 2024
Salwa Ahmad
Hometown: Woodbridge, Virginia Before UVA Law: Worked at global and public health nonprofits in the Washington, D.C. area, most recently at Population Services International Public Service Interests: International human rights, global and public health, humanitarian crises, refugee law
Grace Allaman
Hometown: Washington, Illinois Public Service Interests: Immigration, human rights, voting rights, national security, foreign relations
David Anders
Hometown: Darnestown, Maryland Before UVA Law: Management consultant for federal agencies Public Service Interests: National security, federal prosecution
Ben Buell
Hometown: Richmond, Virginia Before UVA Law: AmeriCorps college counselor in rural Virginia Public Service Interests: Federal prosecution, national security, criminal appeals, crimes against children
Hayley Brower
Hometown: Reno, Nevada, and McLean, Virginia Before UVA Law: Legislative aide, U.S. Senate, Sen. Mark R. Warner Public Service Interests: Government investigations, criminal justice, legislation
Evan Carcerano
Hometown: El Paso, Texas Before UVA Law: Field director for a local political campaign, government affairs fellow with undergraduate alma mater Public Service Interests: Housing, state and local government, economic justice, consumer protection, civil rights
Veronica Cihlar
Hometown: Burlingame, California Before UVA Law: Financial legal and compliance Public Service Interests: Civil rights, education and employment law, reproductive rights
Julia Jean Citron
Hometown: Baltimore Before UVA Law: Worked on political campaigns at the presidential, congressional and local levels Public Service Interests: Voting rights, racial justice, civil rights
Lauryn Coleman
Hometown: Philadelphia Before UVA Law: Paralegal at district attorney’s office looking at potential innocence cases Public Service Interests: Public defense, innocence, death penalty, federal drug sentence reduction
Daniel Elliott
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Before UVA Law: Legal assistant with the U.S. attorney’s office in Memphis, Tennessee Public Service Interests: Government work, prosecution, criminal justice reform
Ellen Florek
Hometown: Cleveland Before UVA Law: Teacher for students with disabilities in Tulsa, Oklahoma Public Service Interests: Child advocacy, public defense, education
Isabelle Foley
Hometown: Arlington, Virginia Before UVA Law: AmeriCorps Fellow in Washington, D.C.; program manager at a pro bono international law firm Public Service Interests: Public defense, juvenile justice, transformative/restorative justice
Rose Genaris
Hometown: Leawood, Kansas Public Service Interests: Wrongful convictions, civil rights, public defense
Kiera Goddu
Hometown: Richmond, Virginia Public Service Interests: Health justice, Indigenous justice, civil rights
Julia Goddard
Hometown: Lafayette, California Before UVA Law: Youth offender parole hearings and other post-conviction work at home county's public defender office Public Service Interests: Conditions of confinement litigation, parole and resentencing, public defense
Zach Griffith
Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska Before UVA Law: Financial analyst atAmpliFi Capital, Peace Corps volunteer in Namibia and corporate accounting/,finance and sales at Union Pacific Railroad Public Service Interests: International law/,human rights
Monica Wang Hanratty
Hometown: Houston and Herndon, Virginia Before UVA Law: Paralegal at an immigration law firm, researcher at a government watchdog organization Public Service Interests: Economic justice, employment and labor, civil rights
Abigail Hauer
Hometown: Baltimore Public Service Interests: Gender-based violence, women’s and victims’ rights, progressive prosecution
Nina Herth
Hometown: St. Augustine, Florida Before UVA Law: Fundraising and communications at the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs Public Service Interests: Civil rights, public defense, criminal legal system reform
Io Jones
Hometown: New York Before UVA Law: Paralegal Public Service Interests: Reproductive justice; civil rights; youth justice
Molly Keck
Hometown: Annandale, Virginia Before UVA Law: Legal Assistant in Detained Children’s Program at CAIR Coalition Public Service Interests: Labor, immigrants’ rights, youth advocacy, transitional justice
Malcolm Law
Hometown: Eden, North Carolina Public Service Interests: Public defense
Lauren Leonard
Hometown: Puyallup, Washington Before UVA Law: Victim advocate at the King County Prosecutor’s office Public Service Interests: Military, women’s rights, reproductive justice.
Bryanna Lindberg
Hometown: Galax, Virginia Before UVA Law: Staff at an anti-human trafficking organization based in Perth, Australia Public Service Interests: Public defense, human rights, immigration
Sabrina Mato
Hometown: Guines, Cuba, and Naples, Florida Before UVA Law: Worked as a paralegal specialist at the Department of Justice in the Immigrant and Employee Rights Section Public Service Interests: Immigration, civil rights, workers’ rights.
Swati Mehrotra
Hometown: Albany, New York Before UVA Law: Teach for America in Philadelphia Public Service Interests: civil rights, public defense, policing reform
Lauren McNerney
Hometown: Sykesville, Maryland Public Service Interests: Civil rights, government advocacy, legal aid, public defense.
Austin Mueller
Hometown: Long Valley, New Jersey Before UVA Law: Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of North Carolina; assistant English teacher in Mallorca, Spain; fundraising professional at the Center for Responsible Lending in Durham, North Carolina Public Service Interests: Economic and consumer justice, housing, financial regulation, poverty law
Sheena Patel
Hometown: Westminster, Maryland Before UVA Law: Nonprofit and federal sector internships during undergraduate career Public Service Interests: Environmental law
Meg Pritchard
Hometown: Charlottesville Before UVA Law: Fellow at environmental nonprofits in Alaska, youth backpacking trip planner in Western Mass. Public Service Interests: Environmental justice, climate change, water law
Elizabeth Putfark
Hometown: Pawleys Island, South Carolina Before UVA Law: Adjunct professor of English at community colleges, freelance journalist Public Service Interests: Energy and environmental law
Riley Ries
Hometown: Vinton, Iowa Before UVA Law: Legislative correspondent for U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, logistics officer in the U.S. Army Reserve Public Service Interests: Tax law, white-collar prosecution, civil litigation, military justice
Chris Seiler
Hometown: Midlothian, Virginia Before UVA Law: Air Force intelligence officer Public Service Interests: Environmental law, consumer protection, voting rights
Lauralei Singsank
Hometown: Maui, Hawaii Before UVA Law: AmeriCorps volunteer in Portland, Oregon Public Service Interests: Government, economic and consumer justice
Mia Smutny
Hometown: Minneapolis Before UVA Law: Paralegal at a law firm in Washington, D.C. Public Service Interests: Education civil rights and policy, economic justice
Keith Stone
Hometown: Los Angeles Public Service Interests: Prosecution, criminal justice reform
Sabrina Surgil
Hometown: Pittsburgh Before UVA Law: French interpreter for asylum seekers in Lesvos, Greece Public Service Interests: Immigrant rights, removal defense, LGBTQ/trans rights, disability justice, abolition, movement lawyering
Stephanie Turrentine
Hometown: Huntsville, Alabama Before UVA Law: Peace Corps volunteer in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, AmeriCorps volunteer in Honolulu Public Service Interests: Civil rights, housing, economic justice
Grace Zipperer
Hometown: Richmond, Virginia Public Service Interests: Refugee/immigration law, international human rights law, abolition
Third-year student Grace Zipperer is the University of Virginia School of Law’s first recipient of the Immigrant Justice Corps’ Justice Fellowship, through which she will advocate for asylum-seeking children.
LPS is a curricular program and community of students, faculty, and alumni committed to ensuring public service is accessible and honored at UVA Law. Through the curricular program, students learn about a range of public service careers, explore some of the major questions surrounding public service work, and meet practitioners who have carved their own paths in public service. To build a vibrant public service community, LPS also hosts events that bring together classes and alumni, connects students to faculty dedicated to supporting public service, and supports students as they begin their careers.
2024-25 Student Board
Co-Presidents: Delaney Tubbs and Nathaniel Glass
Communications Chair: Cayleigh Soderholm
Outreach Chairs: Alfie Arun and Carter Farnsworth
Membership Chairs: Philip Hedden and Ella Missan
Alumni and Networking Chair: Mel Borja
Shaping Justice Chairs: Olena Melnyk and Ariel Vasser
Kara Hafermalz, a 2023 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law from Dawsonville, Georgia, who volunteered 468 hours over the past three years, received the school’s annual Pro Bono Award at graduation.
The following is a list of courses offered during 2024-26. Numbers in parentheses indicate which academic year(s) the courses were offered, i.e., 2023-24 is coded (24), 2024-25 is coded (25) and 2025-26 is coded (26). (SC) stands for short course and (YR) stands for yearlong.
Advanced Topics in Law and Public Service (24,25,26) Advancing the Commitment to Public Service Through Law Firm Pro Bono (SC) (24,25) Introduction to Negotiation (SC) (25,26) Law and Leadership in the Public Interest (24,25) Law and Organizing Seminar (25) Law and Public Service (24,25,26) Leadership and Team Management (SC) (25) Leadership for Lawyers: Practice, Theory and the Public Interest (26) On Purpose: An Introduction to Leadership, Decision-making and Culture (24,25) Postgraduate Public Interest Fellowships (SC) (24,25,26) Professional Responsibility in Public Interest Law Practice (24,25,26) Veterans Law (26) White-Collar Criminal Practice (SC) (26)
Clinic students at the University of Virginia School of Law worked with state lawmakers to shepherd bills on preventing gun violence, math education, victims’ rights and other policies that were recently signed into law.
The University of Virginia School of Law kicked off a new year of public service on Thursday, which included recognizing alumni Maggie Birkel ’18 and Joe Zogby ’96 with Shaping Justice awards.
University of Virginia School of Law student Emma Verges ’27 worked on a land restitution case and learned about human rights issues in Colombia with help from a Public Service Summer Grant.
First-year students Joe Janssen and Olivia Louthen are this year’s recipients of the Virginia Public Service Scholarship, a full-tuition award given to University of Virginia School of Law students who are pursuing public service careers.
More than 90 new and returning University of Virginia School of Law students participated in the day of service hosted by the Public Interest Law Association on Sunday.
In the 0L to 1L series, Career Development Dean David Lowance ’98 discusses how first-year students at the University of Virginia School of Law can prepare for an evolving career recruiting environment.
Shaping Justice Award recipients Joe Zogby ’96, Democratic staff director for the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Maggie Birkel ’18, deputy director of The Second Look Project, a nonprofit working to reduce lengthy prison sentences, spoke at UVA Law...
Judge Lisa Lorish ’08 joins her classmate, Admissions Dean Natalie Blazer ’08, to discuss her path to the Virginia Court of Appeals following a successful career in private practice and as a federal public defender. Currently a lecturer at UVA Law, Judge Lorish offers advice to law school applicants, students and graduates, and shares what she loves most about serving on the bench.
At UVA Law’s Public Service Kickoff, Paula Fitzgerald ’04, executive director of Ayuda, discusses her work helping immigrants and explains the benefits of public service lawyering. Professor Annie Kim ’99, director of the Program in Law and Public Service, offers introductory remarks.
U.S. Deputy Solicitor General Edwin S. Kneedler ’74, this year's Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Law recipient, praised fellow federal workers and encouraged law students and lawyers to work for the public good. Kneedler has presented oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court more than 150 times during his 46-year career in the Solicitor General’s Office. Dean Leslie Kendrick ’06 introduces Kneedler.
The University of Virginia School of Law’s donor-funded grant program and the student-run PILA+ program are together giving a record $960,000 to 162 students working in public interest roles this summer.
UVA Law alumna Tahesha L. Way ’96 speaks about her career path to the roles of New Jersey lieutenant governor and secretary of state, offers advice to current law students, and stresses the importance of voting in every election.
Attorney and clinical supervisor Amy Walters ’09 from the Legal Aid Justice Center will lead a discussion about volunteering to serve indigent clients. Topics will include client interviewing skills and ethical obligations, as well as common pitfalls for volunteers. Students who plan to participate in the Pro Bono Program are strongly encouraged to attend. Food will be provided to those students who RSVP through the Events tab in Symplicity by Sept. 14.
For the fourth installment of Career Development’s “Real Deal” series, attorneys working for various legal aid and nonprofit organizations will discuss their work, career paths and what it is like to fight for equal justice through individual representation and systemic efforts. Food provided with RSVP through Symplicity by Sept. 21.
Join the American Constitution Society for a Conversation with ACS President Phil Brest. A veteran of countless judicial confirmation battles, Brest served as a special assistant to President Joe Biden and a senior White House counsel, chief nominations counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee under Sen. Dick Durbin and chief counsel to Sen. Diane Feinstein prior to his appointment as ACS president this year. This conversation will draw on Brest’s deep experience in shaping the federal judiciary. Food will be provided.
This event is sponsored by a student organization.
Join the Mortimer Caplin Public Service Center for the fifth installment in Career Development’s “Real Deal” panel series. Alumni working within the state and local government will discuss their work, career paths and what is like to represent local and state government. Food provided with RSVP through Events tab in Symplicity by Sept. 29.
Join the Mortimer Caplin Public Service Center for the final installment in Career Development’s “Real Deal” panel series. Alumni working for federal agencies will discuss their work, career paths and what it is like to represent the federal government. Food provided with RSVP through Events tab in Symplicity by Oct. 6.
Freedom Studio uses technology, storytelling and creative advocacy to support social change through civic engagement and democratic organizing. Nishchhal (Nish) Kharal, the organization’s co-founder, will share lessons from this work and reflect on how shifting international funding priorities are reshaping the landscape for human rights and democracy initiatives around the world. Lunch will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
Join Judge Chad Readler of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and Ed Whelan, a Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, as they discuss how and why the judicial confirmation process has changed and explore Readler’s own experience.
This event is sponsored by a student organization.
Professor Camilo Sánchez will give an overview of career and internship opportunities in the area of international human rights. Food provided with RSVP in Symplicity by Oct. 20.
Learn more about the Program in Law and Public Service, meet current LPS fellows and Professor Annie Kim ’99, LPS director, and enjoy snacks in a social environment. Drop-ins welcome.
Lawyer and author Derecka Purnell will deliver the keynote address at the sixth annual Shaping Justice conference, “Forging a More Just Society.” Purnell will speak at 4:30 p.m.
Aimed at inspiring students and lawyers to promote justice through public service, the conference will also feature an awards ceremony to honor Sejal Jhaveri ’15, Nitin Shah ’09 and Thomas Silverstein ’13 for their roles in serving the public. Delivered meal and free T-shirts for the first 75 registrants.
Third-year law students in the Program in Law and Public Service will present and answer questions on substantive research papers they have authored. Kiera Callahan will present “Chronic Illness and Employment: How Legal Misunderstanding Leads to Societal Barriers.” Tyler Demetriou will discuss “Climate Justice in Coastal Communities’ Adaptation Plans for Sea Level Rise.” Jordan LaPointe will present “What Is Miranda to a POC?” Assistant Dean for Public Service Annie Kim ’99 will serve as moderator. Food will be provided.
PILA, the Program in Law and Public Service and the Public Service Center will host an information session about the public service community at UVA Law. Mary Bauer ’90, executive director for the ACLU of VIrginia, will deliver the keynote. Refreshments provided.
Shaping Justice Award recipients Joe Zogby ’96, Democratic staff director for the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Maggie Birkel ’18, deputy director of The Second Look Project, a nonprofit working to reduce lengthy prison sentences, spoke at UVA Law’s Public Service Kickoff event. Ryan Faulconer ’08, assistant dean for public service and director of the Public Service Center, and Professor Annie Kim ’99, director of the Program in Law and Public Service, also gave remarks.
