The Law Center's Public Interest Law Scholars Program (PILS) is designed for law students who want to dedicate most or all of their careers to public service. The Program provides financial scholarships, enriched educational opportunities, career counseling and summer employment stipends to students committed to practice law in the public interest.

  At the PILS Graduation Brunch, Katherine Barton receives her certificate showing completion of the Program's requirements.

Eight Public Interest Law Scholars are chosen from each entering class. Evening as well as Day Division students are eligible. The Program is non-partisan and welcomes diverse views from participants with a range of political philosophies.

  Lee McGoldrick addressing her fellow Public Interest Law Scholars

Process of Selection

Candidates must apply by February 1 of the calendar year in which they hope to begin their studies at the Law Center. Earlier application is recommended, because only candidates who have been accepted for admission to the Law Center by the time the selection committee meets can considered for selection as Scholars. The selection committee consists of two faculty members and two assistant deans, appointed by the Dean of the Law Center, and two graduating Public Interest Law Scholars, selected by the group of graduating Scholars. Two members of the selection committee read the application of each candidate who has been admitted to the Law Center. Any candidate selected by either member becomes a finalist. The full selection committee reads the entire Law Center application, including the Public Interest Law Scholar application, of all finalists, and selects the Scholars and a realistically short waiting list.

BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM AND OBLIGATIONS OF PILS STUDENTS

PILS offers these benefits and obligations to scholars:

• Each scholar receives a scholarship worth up to one third of annual tuition. In return, the scholar makes a moral commitment to spend much of his or her career in public interest law or to donate to the Law Center an amount at least equal to the scholarship. PILS scholars must maintain a "B" average and participate in Program activities to remain eligible for the scholarship.
• Scholars are each assigned a faculty advisor, whom they meet with several times a year to discuss curriculum choices, career options, and other topics. Faculty advisors include Professors David Cole, John Copacino, Peter Edelman, Deborah Epstein, James Forman, Lawrence Gostin , David Koplow, Richard Lazarus, Carrie Menkel-Meadow, Wallace Mlyniec, Nina Pillard, David Vladeck, and Timothy Westmoreland. Professor Philip Schrag directs the Program.
• Scholars are also assigned public interest mentors--prominent public interest lawyers in the Washington area available for advice, guidance, and informal conversation throughout Scholars' law school tenures. Often, mentors invite Scholars to their workplaces to observe first-hand the world of public interest law.
• First-year Scholars participate in an introductory seminar on public interest law.
• Upper-class scholars must also fulfill the Law Center's writing requirement by writing on a public interest topic.
• Upper-class scholars must take two specific courses. The first is the seminar on Public Interest Advocacy. The second is Professional Responsibility: Ethics in Public Interest Practice, which addresses ethical issues arising in the work of lawyers who work for government and non-profit organizations.
• Each Scholar receives a stipend for one summer of public interest employment. The stipends allow Scholars to work in unpaid internship positions at non-profit or government institutions around the country and the world.
• Each year, the Program hosts several lunches and dinners at which Scholars discuss public interest law topics with faculty members and outside speakers.
• Scholars must engage in uncompensated public service each year. Each PILS class determines the nature and quantity of its public service work.
• Upon graduation, Scholars become members of the Public Interest Law Scholars Association, through which they can maintain contact with their colleagues and support new generations of Scholars.

The Law Center's nationally-acclaimed Clinical Program is the largest in the country. Clinics offers student the chance to gain practical legal experience in the public interest while earning academic credit. And the Loan Repayment Assistance Program helps defray the loan debts of students who take positions with qualifying non-profit or government agencies.