PUBLIC
INTEREST LAW FELLOWSHIPS
General Information
What is the P.I.L.A. Fellowship?
The P.I.L.A. fellowship is a financial grant awarded to
a law student to work in an unpaid public interest law position during
the summer. The amount and number of fellowships awarded depend upon the
funds raised by the Annual P.I.L.A. Auction. In 2008, we awarded scholarships to eleven
students.
What Qualifies as a Public Interest Law Job?
The field is quite broad and covers almost any type of
work that helps the public/community at large. Preferential consideration
will be given to jobs that provide legal help to typically underserved
segments of the population such as the poor, the elderly, etc. In the
past, recipients have worked with the Georgia Innocence Project, the Georgia
Center for Law in Public Interest, the ACLU, Atlanta Legal Aid, Public
Defenders, Environmental Law Groups, Homeless Law Clinics, etc. Students
may want to refer to Equal Justice Works (password is equal2004) and Public Serive Law Net (free registration) for current information on public service opportunities throughout the
country.
Who May Apply for a P.I.L.A. Fellowship?
Any student currently enrolled at the Georgia State University College
of Law may apply, whether or not s/he is a member of P.I.L.A. Although
some consideration will be given to the applicant's involvement in P.I.L.A.
and public interest activities, membership in P.I.L.A. is not a requirement.
The following are some of the criteria used for the selection of the fellows:
o Demonstration of interest in public law: Why is the applicant interested
in Public Interest Law? Has the applicant worked in Public Interest Law
before? Does s/he intend to work in Public Interest Law after graduating?
o Need of the applicant
o Benefits to the applicant: How will the position contribute to the legal
training and/or professional goals of the applicant?
o Time involved: Will it be a full-time or part-time job?
-Full-time: minimum of 300 total hours worked for the summer (average of
30 hrs/week for 10 weeks)
-Part-time: minimum of 150 total hours worked for the summer (average of
15 hrs/week for 10 weeks)
o Involvement with P.I.L.A. and other public interest organizations and
activities
o Organization for which the applicant wants to work: What does the organization
do? What are its goals? What segment of the population does the organization
help? Will it provide the applicant with valuable legal training/experience?
P.I.L.A. Fellowship Selection Process:
1. Find an organization that you want to work for and that is willing to hire you.
The Career Services Office of GSU’s College of Law is hosting the annual Public Sector Career Fair. This has traditionally been a means by which students have secured a summer position. Alternatively, you may obtain a list of public service employers from the Career Services Office and contact them directly.
2. Request that the person who will supervise you write a sponsor letter.
Sponsor Letter Requirements:
~Letter must be written on the letterhead of the hiring organization
~Letter must confirm that the organization has offered you an unpaid legal job for the summer.
~Letter must explain the type of work you will be performing.
~Letter must indicate the number of hours you will be expected to work over the summer.
3. Complete the application and submit per the instructions.
4. Submit your (1) Application, (2) Acceptance Agreement, (3) Sponsor letter & (4) Resume.
~Place these four documents in the P.I.L.A. Fellowships folder.
5. Fellowship recipients will be announced at the Honors Breakfast.
~A member of the Fellowship Committee will contact the recipients prior to the Honors Breakfast to notify you to attend.
Who Makes the Decision?
A Fellowship Committee comprised of four student members of P.I.L.A. and three faculty members makes the fellowship decisions. The award decisions are final. Alternates will be chosen in the event that a chosen recipient becomes ineligible for the funds. Fellowship awards are announced at the annual Honors Breakfast.
Organizational Fellowships
Organizational fellowships are P.I.L.A. fellowships primarily
funded (part-time or full-time) by other law student organizations. Organizational
fellowships may be granted to students working in an unpaid, summer public
interest position dedicated to the organization's purpose, and may include
the decision of at least one member of the organization that contributed
the funding. Students that apply but are not selected for an organizational
fellowship may still apply and be considered for a general P.I.L.A. fellowship
if all other requirements are met.
PILA fellowships and the GSU Pro Bono Recognition Program
Any summer employment funded by a P.I.L.A. fellowship (part-time
or full-time) will be applicable towards the GSU Pro Bono Recognition
Program.
2007 Fellowship Recipients:
Sarah Basiliere
Nichole Devires
Madison Burnett
Cathryn Ferrigno
Caroline Freeman
Natasha Nankali
Lisa Liang
2008 Fellowship Recipients:
Billy Corriher (ACLU of North Carolina)
John Bailey (HeLP Clinic)
Alisia Goree (MALDEF)
Sara Kauffman (Population Council in Egypt)
Becky Dembkowski (Gwinnett Solicitor)
Sheena Bosket (Metro Conflict Defender)
Emily Liss (Dept of Health and Human Services)
Beth Kunkel (Covenant House, New York)
Heather Chambers (AVLF One Child One Lawyer)
Nathan Fitzpatrick (Dekalb Public Defender)
Jocelyn Whitfield (Georgia Innocence Project)
Please see the PILA TWEN Discussion Page for the 2008 Fellowship Recipients brief descriptions of their summer experiences.
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