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Southwestern’s Public Interest Law Committee’s mission is to help create a community where Southwestern students are educated and incentivized to participate in issues concerning and advancing the public interest. Each fundraising cycle, the student-run Public Interest Law Committee (PILC) focuses efforts on raising as much funds as possible to provide financial support for students who wish to spend their summer contributing to the work of public interest and government agencies advocating for meaningful impact for the diverse, low-income communities across California who need legal advocacy the most.

The PILC Summer Grant aims to alleviate the financial burden of student loans while providing Southwestern students the opportunity to gain practical legal training and education in public service.

All donations benefit Southwestern’s Public Interest Law Fund, which provides funding to selected student recipients to serve in unpaid, full-time clerkships with public interest / civil legal aid and government agencies for up to a 10-week summer term.

Public Interest Law Committee Summer Grant Program Application 

As part of the application, students must demonstrate that the summer clerkship is consistent with the mission of Southwestern’s Public Interest Law Grant and merits funding as a public interest law position.  Students who seek a summer clerkship with a local, state, or federal government agency are eligible to apply.

Recipients are selected annually through an application and faculty committee review process. The Faculty Public Interest Law Committee takes into account: whether an applicant contributed to fundraising activities for the Summer Public Interest Law Grant; the applicant’s pro bono or public interest experience; the applicant’s demonstrated commitment to public service; whether the applicant has interviewed for a qualifying summer clerkship; and whether the applicant has received a summer employment offer.

PILC Summer Grant applications must be electronically submitted at the link below:

Note: Handwritten or hard-copy applications are not accepted. Upon successfully submitting your application, you will receive an auto-generated email to confirm receipt of your application. If you do not receive confirmation, please contact the Financial Aid Office.

The deadline to apply for the PILC Summer Grant Program is typically scheduled in early March. After the close of the application deadline, the Faculty Public Interest Law Committee reviews all student applications received and will notify students of application status by end of March.   

For individualized assistance and advice on how to participate in legal recruitment programs and preparing application materials to apply for full-time summer clerk programs with eligible organizations, please contact Southwestern’s Career Services to request an appointment with your assigned Career Services advisor.

Southwestern Summer Fellowship Opportunities

Other funding programs are also available to further service in the public interest, meeting the law school’s dual goals of enhancing the educational experience of our students and assisting our communities and public entities in need.