Students Working in Public Service Summer Jobs to Receive $357,900 in Grants

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

Related Links: Where PILA Grantees Worked

• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011
• 2010