Posted May 1, 2015
The University of Virginia School of Law and the student-run Public Interest Law Association are funding 84 students who will work in public service this summer through grants totaling $357,900. For the second year in a row, every student who applied and qualified for the funding is receiving a grant.
The PILA grants — $3,500 for first-year students and $6,000 for second-years — offer qualifying students an opportunity to explore a wide range of public service careers, including with the government, nonprofits, legal aid organizations, and prosecutors' and public defenders' offices. The funding is "crucial" for students seeking experience in the public sector, said PILA President Reedy Swanson '16.
"They provide support for students who have no other way to get by over the summer," Swanson said. "There are very few paid public service legal internships available, especially for first-year students. First-year internships are important for students to give them the experience they need to make them attractive candidates for positions down the line."
He added that the grants also encourage students to recognize the importance of giving back.
"Many people will have their first experience in a public interest position through a PILA grant," Swanson said. "For a lot of people, that can be a life-altering experience. Even if they go into private employment down the line, they will be more active pro bono partners or doing community service projects because they saw how rewarding the work they got to do on their PILA grant was."
PILA partners with the Law School Foundation to help fund grantees. Student members of PILA conduct fundraising events throughout the year to raise money for the grants, and recipients are required to donate 20 hours back to the organization to help raise funds for next year's grantees. The two largest fundraising events are the annual PILA auction and the book sale, the latter of which was held twice this year.
In order to be considered for a grant, students must have also completed pro bono hours and have secured a qualifying public service position. The 58 first-year and 26 second-year law students who received grants this year volunteered an average of 65 pro bono hours during law school.
Last year, the Law School put approximately $3.3 million toward public service–related programs such as PILA, the Program in Law and Public Service, externships, postgraduate fellowships and the Virginia Loan Forgiveness Program, to assist students who want to pursue careers in the public service or nonprofit sectors.
Here's a snapshot of what a few of this year's PILA fellows are doing. (Full list)
Elizabeth Douglas '17
Hometown: Harvard, Massachusetts
College/education: Haverford College
Summer job: Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section, Washington, D.C.
What she'll be doing: I will be assisting attorneys with various legal issues related to economic crime enforcement. This will include researching answers to novel legal questions, drafting litigation-related documents and contributing to policy proposals.
Goals: I hope to be able to participate in a variety of legal matters and see the work done in a federal agency. I am excited to interact with federal prosecutors and be able to assist in their work.
Cherice L. Lawson '16
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
College/education: University of Maryland, College Park
Summer job: Council for Children's Rights, Charlotte, North Carolina
What she'll be doing: As a member of the Children's Defense Team, I will be assisting attorneys and social workers who are representing children charged with committing criminal offenses or are committed to a psychiatric treatment facility. I will interview clients, conduct legal research and represent youth in court with my third-year practice certificate.
Goals: I have a strong interest in criminal law and family law. My passion is working with children. I want to provide legal representation to at-risk youth whether they are children in the foster care system or youth involved in the juvenile justice system. This summer, I will have the opportunity to work with attorneys who represent children in a variety of legal matters, including education, abuse and neglect, health and mental health, custody and juvenile justice.
Kate Perino '16
Hometown: Gaithersburg, Maryland
College: Tufts University
Summer job: Safe Horizon Anti-Trafficking Program, Brooklyn, New York
What she'll be doing: As an intern with the Anti-Trafficking Program, I will represent survivors of human trafficking in civil and immigration matters, as well as providing support for clients involved in criminal investigations.
Goals: My goal is to be a human rights lawyer. I hope to practice internationally at some point in my career, whether with a nonprofit or a governmental agency.
Alvin Williams '17
Hometown: I am from Miami, Florida, but I have lived all over following graduation from college, as I was an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.
College/education: University of Florida, Gainesville
Summer job: Orange County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, Orange, Virginia.
What he'll be doing: My main responsibilities this summer will be performing legal research in support of ongoing cases, writing and assisting prosecutors with motions and briefs, observing the court and familiarizing myself with Virginia criminal law.
Goals: My overall goal for attending law school is to become a prosecutor, and this internship will further this goal by giving me experience that is directly relevant.
Justin Wilson '16
Hometown: North Canton, Ohio
College/education: Kent State University
Summer job: Harris County District Attorney's Office, Houston, Texas
What he'll be doing: I will participate in all stages of the prosecution process, including motions, jury selection, research and writing, and victim and witness interviews. The most important part will be my ability to take part in actual trials by using my third-year practice certificate.
Goals: District attorney's offices look for a lot of practical experience, specifically actual trial experience. I hope to be able to develop oral advocacy and other necessary skills for my future career as a prosecutor.
PILA Grant Employers, Summer 2015
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT | |
Federal Communications Commission, Enforcement Bureau | Washington, D.C. |
Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission | Washington, D.C. |
Federal Trade Commission Office of International Affairs | Washington, D.C. |
Small Business Administration, Office of the General Council | Washington, D.C. |
U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California | Los Angeles, California |
U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California | Los Angeles, California |
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona | Phoenix, Arizona |
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Maine | Portland, Maine |
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Missouri | St. Louis, Missouri |
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of California | San Francisco, California |
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York | New York, New York |
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York | New York, New York |
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York, Criminal Division | New York, New York |
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Missouri | Kansas City, Missouri |
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Virginia | Harrisonburg, Virginia |
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement | Washington, D.C. |
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Chief Counsel | Arlington, Virginia |
U.S. Department of Justice (split summer) | Washington, D.C. |
U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division | Washington, D.C. |
U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Appellate Division | Washington, D.C. |
U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division, Federal Programs Branch | Washington, D.C. |
U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division, Federal Tort Claims Act Litigation Section | Washington, D.C. |
U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section | Washington, D.C. |
U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section | Washington, D.C. |
U.S. Department of Justice, Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section | Washington, D.C. |
U.S. Department of Justice, National Courts Section | Washington, D.C. |
U.S. Department of Justice, Organized Crime and Gang Section | Washington, D.C. |
U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Administrative Law Judges | Washington, D.C. |
U.S. Department of the Interior | Washington, D.C. |
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2 | New York, New York |
U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps | Washington, D.C. |
U.S. Trade Representative, Office of General Counsel | Washington, D.C. |
INTERNATIONAL | |
International Finance Corporation | Sao Paulo, Brazil |
International Finance Corporation | Washington, D.C. |
LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT (INCLUDING PROSECUTION) | |
Albemarle County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office | Charlottesville, Virginia |
Albemarle County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office | Charlottesville, Virginia |
Arlington County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office | Arlington, Virginia |
Brooklyn District Attorney's Office | New York, New York |
California Office of the Attorney General, Natural Resources Law | Los Angeles, California |
Harris County District Attorney's Office | Houston, Texas |
Los Angeles City Attorney's Office | Los Angeles, California |
Maryland Attorney General, Opinions and Advice Division | Baltimore, Maryland |
Nashville District Attorney's Office, Family Violence Division | Nashville, Tennessee |
Orange County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office | Orange, Virginia |
Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office | New Orleans, Louisiana |
Prince George's County Office of the State's Attorney | Upper Marlboro, Maryland |
Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney's Office | Richmond, Virginia |
San Francisco Office of the City Attorney | San Francisco, California |
Texas Attorney General | Austin, Texas |
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS | |
Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence | Washington, D.C. |
Central Virginia Legal Aid Society (split summer) | Charlottesville, Virginia |
Colorado Legal Services, Collaborative ID Project | Denver, Colorado |
Community Legal Services | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
Council for Children's Rights | Charlotte, North Carolina |
Defenders of Wildlife | Washington, D.C. |
EarthJustice | San Francisco, California |
EarthRights International | Washington, D.C. |
Electronic Privacy Information Center | Washington, D.C. |
Institute for Justice | Arlington, Virginia |
Legal Aid Justice Center | Charlottesville, Virginia |
Legal Aid Justice Center | Richmond, Virginia |
Legal Aid Justice Center, Civil Advocacy and JustChildren Programs | Charlottesville, Virginia |
Legal Aid Justice Center, Civil Advocacy Program | Charlottesville, Virginia |
Legal Aid Justice Center, Civil Advocacy Program | Charlottesville, Virginia |
Legal Aid of the District of Columbia | Washington, D.C. |
Legal Aid Society of Roanoke Valley | Roanoke, Virginia |
National LGBTQ Task Force | Washington, D.C. |
Natural Resources Defense Council | Washington, D.C. |
New Haven Legal Assistance Association | New Haven, Connecticut |
New York Civil Liberties Union, Advocacy Department | New York, New York |
New York Legal Assistance Group | New York, New York |
Safe Horizon Anti-Trafficking Program | New York, New York |
Southern Environmental Law Center | Charlottesville, Virginia |
Street Law | Silver Spring, Maryland |
Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts | New York, New York |
Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs | Washington, D.C. |
PUBLIC DEFENDERS | |
Alexandria Public Defender's Office | Alexandria, Virginia |
Charlottesville-Albemarle Public Defender’s Office | Charlottesville, Virginia |
Colorado State Public Defender's Office | Denver, Colorado |
Fredericksburg Public Defender's Office | Fredericksburg, Virginia |
Fredericksburg Public Defender's Office | Fredericksburg, Virginia |
Mecklenburg County Public Defender's Office | Charlotte, North Carolina |
Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia | Washington, D.C. |
Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, Trial Division | Washington, D.C. |
San Francisco Public Defender's Office | San Francisco, California |
Related Links: Where PILA Grantees Worked
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.