The Public Interest Law Scholars Program
The Public Interest Law Scholars (PILS) program provides financial, professional and academic support to law students dedicated to practicing law in the public interest. In addition to partial tuition scholarships, the program offers summer stipends through the Office of Public Interest and Community Service (OPICS). Scholars are matched with faculty advisors and attorney mentors who practice in their field of interest. This competitive program selects eight Public Interest Law Scholars from each class of admitted students. Both full-time and part-time admitted students are eligible for selection.
PILS applicants should apply for PILS at the same time that they are applying for admission into the J.D. Program, but may apply no later than March 1st. Because the selection committee makes its final decision in late March, and considers only admitted applicants, the applications of students admitted after the March 1st deadline may not be considered.
In addition to your Early Decision or Regular Decision application for admission (which the Office of Admissions will provide to the PILS Selection Committee) applicants for the PILS program must submit two additional documents:
- An essay (approximately 750 words) detailing your commitment to public interest which includes your future goals and your previous public interest work. If you feel that your Personal Statement from your J.D. Application for Admission adequately describes your commitment to public interest work, you may check the box (on either your Public Interest Law Scholars (PILS) Application, your Early Decision application or your Regular Decision application) to use your Personal Statement as your PILS essay; and
- One additional letter of recommendation that speaks to your commitment to public interest must be submitted directly to the PILS Selection Committee. Your recommender may either email the recommendation to pils@law.georgetown.edu or fax the recommendation to OPICS, attention "PILS Application" at 202-662-9656. If you feel that you have submitted a letter of recommendation as part of your J.D. Application for Admission that adequately speaks to your commitment to public interest, you do not have to submit an additional letter of recommendation.
Please include your first name, last name and LSAC Account number on all pages of your application materials.
Please click here for the PILS website and a full description of the program and requirements.
