The program quickly became the foundation of a public interest community that 30 years later boasts a standalone public interest career office (OPICS), guaranteed public service summer funding, the top-ranked clinical program, and one of the most generous law school loan repayment assistance programs. PILS also spurred the creation of the Public Interest Fellows program, which provides enhanced curricular, community, and career support to students desiring a concentrated public interest experience at the Law Center.

PILS itself has grown and adapted since its auspicious beginning. In 1996, the program began offering partial tuition scholarships in order to help minimize the debt burden of PILS members, and in 2017 expanded to offer up to full tuition scholarships. In 2018, the program received a $10 million naming gift from Bruce (L’80) and Ann Blume and is now known as the Blume Public Interest Scholars Program.

Though the program has changed a bit over the years, and the larger Law Center public interest community has grown substantially, one thing has remained constant — the commitment of the scholars themselves. Today, the vast majority of PILS/Blume Scholars continue to serve in the public interest.

Memorial Scholarships Supporting Blume Scholars

The Blume Public Interest Scholars Program has two dedicated memorial scholarships that support current Blume Scholars. The Financial Aid Office determines the annual recipients of these scholarships based on annually submitted FAFSA materials.

Cedric Asiavugwa Memorial Public Leadership Endowed Scholarship Fund

The Cedric Asiavugwa Memorial Public Leadership Endowed Scholarship Fund was established by alumnus Winston Zee (L’81, L’84). He founded this scholarship in memory of Cedric Asiavugwa (L’19), a Georgetown Law student who tragically passed away on March 10 2019, as he was traveling home to Kenya for spring break. He was one of 157 passengers on Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302, which crashed near Addis Ababa. He lived a remarkable life, and was taken from us far too soon.

Jan A. Stransky Memorial Scholarship Fund

The Jan A. Stransky Memorial Scholarship Fund was established by the family and friends of Jan A. Stransky, a beloved member of the Georgetown Law Class of 1989, who was a victim of inner city handgun violence during his first year of law school on May 1, 1987. Reflecting Jan’s spirit of commitment to public and community service, this scholarship is to be awarded to students participating in the Blume Public Interest Scholars Program.

If you are interested in making a donation in support of either of these scholarship funds, please click here and enter your chosen designation into the “Other” designation space.