Record $703,370 in PILA Grants Awarded to 166 Students Working in Public Interest This Summer
Students Collectively Volunteered More Than 11,000 Hours To Qualify
The University of Virginia School of Law will fund a record number of students working in public service roles this summer. With jobs ranging from civil rights compliance to securities regulations to local economic development, 166 students will receive a historic $703,370 in grants.
“So many students whom I speak with are able to intern at their dream job during their 1L or 2L summers — myself included — because of this program,” said Rachel Raycraft ’20, president of the student-run Public Interest Law Association, which works with the Law School’s Mortimer Caplin Public Service Center to disburse the funds.
The grants will benefit 131 first-year students, who will each receive $3,750 in funding, and 35 second-year students, who receive $6,500. The Mortimer Caplin Public Service Fellowships and the Linda Fairstein Public Service Fellowships are the primary sources of funding.
“Thanks to PILA’s fundraising efforts and the Law School Foundation’s generosity, students can pursue their passions wherever they may lead,” said Annie Kim ’99, assistant dean for public service and director of the Mortimer Caplin Public Service Center.
Student recipients are required to apply and qualify for the funding by volunteering their time for pro bono work — 40 hours for first-year students and 80 hours for second-year students. Grantees must also have secured a public service position and agree to donate hours back to PILA, which founded the grant program.
PILA holds a series of fundraising events each year, including an auction and book sale, to help raise money for grants.
This year, students volunteered about 11,050 hours, an average of 67 per student grantee.
Over the summer, students will work in 55 U.S. cities, and one student will work internationally, in San José, Costa Rica. Here’s a look at what four of the fellows have planned. (See list of jobs and locations)
Ron Beach ’21
Hometown: Chicago
College/education: University of Michigan
Summer job: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Division of Enforcement, Chicago
What he’ll be doing: The Enforcement Division investigates and litigates to oversee securities markets. As I work to maintain fair dealing and protect the market against fraud, I will be completing legal research on securities laws, drafting legal memoranda to facilitate capital formation and assisting with the preparation of materials for testimony.
Goals: My primary goal is to gain invaluable insights into how the SEC chooses to pursue cases. During this internship, I hope to develop a working understanding of what constitutes important evidence and impactful legal arguments in civil enforcement actions involving a party charged with securities violations.
Jessica Feinberg ’21
Hometown: Palo Alto, California
College/education: Smith College, bachelor’s in sociology
Summer job: U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Washington, D.C.
What she’ll be doing: The Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans With Disabilities Act. As a legal intern, I’ll help investigate allegations of discrimination in violation of Titles I, II and III of the ADA, including compiling data and conducting legal research. I’ll also be responsible for reviewing documents, drafting letters and preparing legal memoranda and briefs, as well as helping with enforcement and regulatory work.
Goals: I’m hoping that I’ll sharpen my research and writing skills this summer, and get exposure to different stages of the trial process so I can make more informed decisions about how I personally want to practice law. I ultimately want to do civil rights litigation, so I couldn’t be more excited to start supporting that work, especially in an area as critical as disability rights.
Grace Powell ’20
Hometown: Arlington, Virginia
College/education: Wesleyan University
Summer job: The Bronx Defenders, New York City
What she’ll be doing: At The Bronx Defenders this summer, I will be shadowing two attorneys from the criminal defense practice as they handle cases ranging from turnstile jumps to serious felonies. I will also get the chance to participate in The Bronx Defender’s trial training program, where interns get the chance to do a full mock trial throughout the course of the summer and get feedback from experienced trial attorneys. Because The Bronx Defenders has a holistic model of public defense, I will also get the chance to work alongside civil attorneys, social workers and immigration attorneys dealing with the collateral consequences of contact with the criminal justice system.
Goals: My goals for the summer are to learn more about Bronx criminal court and the trial process there and learn from attorneys and clients about the community that The Bronx Defenders serves as I pursue my goal of becoming a public defender.
Nooreen Reza ’21
Hometown: Wise, Virginia
College/education: Yale University
Summer job: Urban Justice Center Community Development Project, New York City
What she’ll be doing: I will be working with the Equitable Neighborhoods practice at UJC. The mission of EN is to empower grassroots organizers and community voices to play a leading role in the economic development of their neighborhoods. I will be assisting attorneys and activists with current advocacy efforts around large-scale private residential development projects, re-zonings and public housing infills, to ensure that development does not equal displacement of low-income residents but instead brings community-focused reinvestment and allows them to thrive.
Goals: Before law school, I worked as a housing paralegal for low-income tenants facing eviction, which meant by the time I met my clients for the first time, the system had already failed them profoundly. At the Urban Justice Center, I look forward to learning how a legal aid organization can both serve individuals in crisis, and also create capacity to help socially marginalized communities intervene in the legal and political process from the start, to make sure their interests are not disregarded in neighborhood-altering development decisions.
Federal Government |
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Congressional Research Service |
Washington, D.C. |
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Federal Communications Commission |
Washington, D.C. |
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Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (2) |
Washington, D.C. |
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Federal Public Defender, District of Colorado |
Denver, Colo. |
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Federal Public Defender, Western District of Virginia (2) |
Charlottesville |
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National Labor Relations Board |
Portland, Ore. |
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National Science Foundation |
Alexandria, Va. |
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Overseas Private Investment Corporation |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland |
Greenbelt, Md. |
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U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland (2) |
Baltimore |
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U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Montana |
Great Falls, Mont. |
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U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Rhode Island |
Providence, R.I. |
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U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of New York |
New York |
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U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of New York, Criminal Division |
New York |
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U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Virginia, Civil Division |
Alexandria, Va. |
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U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of California |
Oakland, Calif. |
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U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Texas |
Dallas |
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U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California |
San Diego |
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U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York |
White Plains, N.Y. |
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U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Military Commissions |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Departmental Appeals Board |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security |
Arlington, Va. |
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Department of Justice |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, Telecommunications and Broadband Section |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division, Appellate Staff (2) |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section (2) |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Educational Opportunities Section (3) |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Employment Litigation Section |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Office of the Assistant Attorney General |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Special Litigation Section |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Appellate Section (2) |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Office of Enforcement Operations |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Office of International Affairs |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Public Integrity Section |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Department of Justice, National Security Division, Counterterrorism Section |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Department of Justice, Public Integrity Section |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Department of Labor |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Department of State, Office of the Legal Adviser |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Department of the Treasury |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2 (2) |
New York |
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U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Office of General Counsel, Appellate Litigation Services |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (2) |
Arlington, Va. |
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U.S. Navy |
Mayport, Fla. |
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U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission |
Chicago |
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U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission |
Atlanta |
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U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (3) |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Division of Enforcement |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Senate |
Washington, D.C. |
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U.S. Small Business Administration |
Washington, D.C. |
International |
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Inter-American Commission on Human Rights |
Washington, D.C. |
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Inter-American Court of Human Rights |
San José, Costa Rica |
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United Nations Department of Safety and Security |
New York |
Nonprofit |
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American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts |
Boston |
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American Oversight |
Washington, D.C. |
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Ashoka |
Arlington, Va. |
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Ayuda |
Washington, D.C. |
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Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A |
New York |
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Central Virginia Legal Aid Society |
Charlottesville |
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CFA Institute (2) |
Charlottesville |
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Community Justice, Inc. |
Madison, Wis. |
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Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto |
East Palo Alto, Calif. |
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disAbility Law Center of Virginia |
Charlottesville |
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Disability Rights Advocates |
Berkeley, Calif. |
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Electronic Privacy Information Center |
Washington, D.C. |
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Environmental Defense Fund |
Boulder, Colo. |
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Equal Justice Center |
Austin, Texas |
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Government Accountability Project |
Washington, D.C. |
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International Finance Corporation, Doing Business Program |
Washington, D.C. |
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Jerome N. Frank Legal Service Organization, Yale Law School |
New Haven, Conn. |
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Just Neighbors |
Annandale, Va. |
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Kids in Need of Defense |
Atlanta |
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Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law |
Washington, D.C. |
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Legal Aid Justice Center (2) |
Charlottesville |
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Legal Aid of Nebraska |
Omaha, Neb. |
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Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands |
Nashville, Tenn. |
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Legal Aid Society of New York |
New York |
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Legal Aid Society of New York |
New York |
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Legal Aid Society of New York, Housing Help Program |
New York |
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Mercy for Animals |
Los Angeles |
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Mobilization for Justice |
New York |
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NAACP Legal Defense Fund |
New York |
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National Employment Law Project |
Washington, D.C. |
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New York Peace Institute |
New York |
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Pacific Legal Foundation |
Sacramento, Calif. |
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People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals |
Los Angeles |
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Public Interest Law Center |
Philadelphia |
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Rush University Memorial Hospital |
Chicago |
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Southern Coalition for Social Justice |
Durham, N.C. |
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Southern Poverty Law Center |
Lumpkin, Ga. |
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Urban Justice Center, Equitable Neighborhoods Practice |
New York |
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Urban Leaders Fellowship |
Nashville, Tenn. |
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Virginia Innocence Project |
Charlottesville |
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World Bank Group |
Washington, D.C. |
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Yale Law School Collaboration for Research Integrity and Transparency |
New Haven, Conn. |
Public Defense |
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Alexandria Public Defender’s Office (2) |
Alexandria, Va. |
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Arlington Public Defender’s Office |
Arlington, Va. |
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Bronx Defenders |
New York |
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Brooklyn Defender Services |
New York |
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Charlottesville-Albemarle Public Defender’s Office (3) |
Charlottesville |
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Colorado Office of the Public Defender |
Brighton, Colo. |
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Colorado Office of the Public Defender |
Castle Rock, Colo. |
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Federal Community Defenders, Capital Habeas Unit |
Philadelphia |
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Federal Public Defender, District of Maryland |
Greenbelt, Md. |
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Federal Public Defender, Eastern District of Virginia (3) |
Norfolk, Va. |
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Maricopa County Public Defender’s Office |
Phoenix |
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Maryland Office of the Public Defender |
Towson, Md. |
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Maryland Office of the Public Defender (2) |
Baltimore |
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Mecklenburg County Public Defender’s Office (2) |
Charlotte, N.C. |
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Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem |
New York |
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Petersburg Public Defender’s Office |
Petersburg, Va. |
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Philadelphia Police Department |
Philadelphia |
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Public Defender of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County |
Nashville, Tenn. |
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Richmond Public Defender’s Office |
Richmond, Va. |
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Worcester Public Defender’s Office |
Worcester, Mass. |
State and Local Government |
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Albemarle County Attorney’s Office |
Charlottesville |
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Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office |
Charlottesville |
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California Department of Justice |
San Francisco |
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California Office of the Attorney General |
San Francisco |
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Charlottesville Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office (2) |
Charlottesville |
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City of Chicago Department of Law |
Chicago |
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District of Columbia Office of the Solicitor General |
Washington, D.C. |
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Hennepin County Attorney’s Office |
Minneapolis |
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Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office |
Los Angeles |
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Missouri Secretary of State |
Kansas City, Mo. |
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Nashville Metro Legal |
Nashville, Tenn. |
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Nelson County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office |
Lovingston, Va. |
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Neshoba County District Attorney |
Philadelphia, Miss. |
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New York Attorney General, Investor Protection Division |
New York |
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New York City Law Department |
New York |
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North Carolina State Board of Education |
Raleigh, N.C. |
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Richmond Commonwealth Attorney’s Office |
Richmond, Va. |
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Richmond Police Department, Office of General Counsel |
Richmond, Va. |
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San Diego County District Attorney’s Office |
San Diego |
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San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office |
Stockton, Calif. |
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Sixth Judicial District Prosecutor |
Little Rock, Ark. |
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University of Virginia, University Counsel’s Office |
Charlottesville |
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Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice |
Richmond, Va. |
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Virginia Office of the Attorney General |
Richmond, Va. |
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Virginia Tech International Support Services |
Blacksburg, Va. |
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Washington State Office of the Attorney General |
Olympia, Wash. |
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West Virginia Office of the Solicitor General |
Charleston, W.Va. |
Founded in 1819, the University of Virginia School of Law is the second-oldest continuously operating law school in the nation. Consistently ranked among the top law schools, Virginia is a world-renowned training ground for distinguished lawyers and public servants, instilling in them a commitment to leadership, integrity and community service.
