Public Interest Law Scholarships: A Comprehensive Guide

For aspiring legal professionals driven by a desire to serve marginalized communities and effect positive change, public interest law offers a fulfilling career path. However, the financial burden of law school can be a significant obstacle. Fortunately, numerous scholarships and loan repayment assistance programs (LRAPs) exist to support students pursuing public interest law. This article provides a comprehensive overview of public interest law scholarships, fellowships, and loan forgiveness programs, highlighting opportunities at various law schools and beyond.

Defining Public Interest Law

Public interest law encompasses a wide range of legal work aimed at benefiting society, particularly marginalized groups. This can involve direct representation of individuals, advocacy for policy changes, or impact litigation. Public interest lawyers address critical issues such as civil rights, discrimination, gender equality, disability rights, mental health advocacy, and human rights.

Scholarships and Programs at Top Law Schools

Many leading law schools recognize the importance of supporting students dedicated to public interest law. They offer specialized scholarships, fellowships, and programs designed to alleviate the financial burden and provide unique opportunities for aspiring public interest lawyers.

Boston University School of Law

The Boston University School of Law Public Interest Scholarship program offers scholarships ranging from $40,000 to full tuition for all three years to students who have demonstrated their desire to pursue a career in public interest law. The definition of public interest law is broad and includes both domestic and international work; direct service, impact litigation, and policy work; and government and non-profit work. Applicants who wish to be considered for the Public Interest Scholarship must submit an additional essay with their applications for admission. Applications must be submitted by January 5. Scholarship offers may be made on a rolling basis. The selection committee aims to award the scholarship to applicants who will become leaders in the BU Law Public Interest community and who will follow through on a plan to pursue public interest career paths. This commitment can be demonstrated through prior public service work experience (not necessarily legal in nature), engagement in public service during your undergraduate education, and post-graduate service and volunteer work. Applicants should use the scholarship essay as an opportunity to provide additional evidence of their commitment to public service.

Berkeley Law

The Berkeley Law Public Interest Scholars Program is a three-year scholarship covering full tuition and fees for J.D. students dedicated to public interest work. Recipients will join the Public Interest Scholars community. Throughout the year, Scholars will attend networking and social events with like-minded students, staff, faculty, alumni, and local attorneys. They’ll also build close connections within and among the Public Interest Scholars cohorts, expanding upon their community of support for their public interest job search. The Public Interest Scholarship covers full tuition and fees for both residents and non-residents in the 1L year. In 2L and 3L, the scholarship covers resident tuition and fees. Candidates for the Public Interest Scholars Program must have a demonstrated interest and commitment to public interest legal work during and after law school. To apply, you must submit a one to two page essay addressing the following prompt: Knowing the challenges that can come with pursuing a public interest legal career, what drives you toward your goals, and how do you plan to make a meaningful impact with your legal degree? Your essay must be included with your initial application materials. Successful applicants demonstrate a commitment to public interest work, a strong likelihood of entering public service after graduation, and an orientation toward leadership and initiative.

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Berkeley Law boasts a vibrant community of students passionate about public interest law, exemplified by individuals like Adam, Alanna Cronk, Elaine Ding, Maggie, Sunnie Liu, Quinn Samouilidis, Avani Yadav, Nasma Wali-Ali, and Amulya Yerrapotu, each bringing unique experiences and perspectives to their pursuit of social justice.

Columbia Law School

Columbia Law School awards five full-tuition Greene Public Service Scholarships and Public Interest Fellowships to incoming 1L students committed to public interest or public service careers and who bring strong academic credentials. Scholars receive a three-year full tuition scholarship. Recipients receive automatic acceptance into the Max Berger ’71 Public Interest/Public Service Fellows Program during their 1L year and benefit from the exceptional programming, mentorship, advising and community that the program provides to its members. Recipients work closely with the Dean of the Office of Public Interest/Public Service Law & Careers throughout their time at Columbia. They also receive other benefits available to Columbia Law students pursuing public interest opportunities, such as acceptance into summer funding programs (the Human Rights Internship Program or Columbia Summer Funding Program). Recipients must work in public interest, government or human rights law for their first summer and at least half of their second summer while enrolled at the Law School. Recipients are expected to work in the public interest or public service field for at least the first five years following graduation, and must sign a letter of intent to do so. Additionally, recipients must take at least four classes in public interest law (including a clinic or externship). Interested applicants must complete and submit the JD Application for admission; indicate their intent to apply for the Greene Scholarship/PIF in response to the Columbia Law School JD application prompt; and applicants must also attach a 700-word supplemental statement that addresses the following question: What are your public interest and/or public service experience and motivations, your career goals and aspirations in the public interest/public service field, and what are the ways in which a law degree from Columbia Law would advance those goals?

Northeastern University School of Law

Northeastern University is well known as one of the top public interest law schools in the nation. The Public Interest Law Scholarship (PILS) provides applicants committed to a public interest law career with full tuition for three years. PILS recipients also receive three $5,000 stipends for unpaid public interest co-ops. To be considered for the full-tuition Public Interest Law Scholarship (PILS) applicants must first gain admission to the law school. All applications received by the priority deadline of March 1 will automatically be considered for the PILS award. Students who wish to bolster their candidacy for PILS may respond to the optional essay question asking about a specific social justice issue they are most passionate about.

Northeastern also offers the Wendy Parmet Fellowship, providing a year’s salary and benefits to one law graduate to work with Health Law Advocates (HLA), representing vulnerable people seeking access to health care services. This fellowship blends direct client advocacy with policy work in health law.

NYU School of Law

NYU School of Law is renowned for its extensive commitment to public interest law, offering various scholarships, grants, and loan repayment assistance programs (LRAPs). Notable scholarships include:

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Furman Public Policy Scholarship: A full-ride scholarship for applicants demonstrating a commitment to public interest law, including a funded summer internship. Applicants must submit an additional essay and a letter of recommendation.
Latinx Rights Scholarship: A full-tuition scholarship for applicants passionate about social justice work impacting Latinx communities. Applicants must submit an essay about their interest in serving the needs of Latinx communities.
Root-Tilden-Kern Public Interest Scholarship: A prestigious program offering full tuition for three years to 20 incoming students committed to public service. Applicants must demonstrate their public service commitment, career goals, and influences through an essay and a letter of recommendation.

Stanford Law School

Stanford Law School's Levin Center for Public Service and Public Interest Law offers postgraduate fellowships for law-related positions furthering the public interest. Eligibility varies for each program, but fellows typically receive a salary plus benefits. Stanford also guarantees summer funding for law students who qualify for financial assistance and work at a government agency or non-profit that furthers the public interest.

Yale Law School

Yale Law School offers the Summer Public Interest Fellowship Program (SPIF), providing fellowships of up to $7,500 to Yale students working at government and nonprofit organizations. Yale Law School endowed programs such as the Liman, Heyman, Bernstein, YLS Public Interest Fellowships, and Robina Fellowships financially empower students to pursue their public service goals after graduation. The YLS Public Interest Fellowship program also supports recent YLS graduates for one year of full-time public interest work. The Career Options Assistance Program (COAP) is one of the most generous and flexible loan forgiveness programs available at any law school. For newly admitted students, COAP helps pay off all law school students loans within ten years after graduation, and requires no contribution from graduates earning less than $50,000 (and only a moderate contribution thereafter).

Yale Law School also provides financial assistance for students pursuing public interest opportunities through initiatives like TRI PI (Travel Reimbursement for Interviews in the Public Interest) and funding for career fairs. Additionally, the Deborah L. Rhode Fund for Public Interest & Pro Bono Services reimburses costs associated with public interest mission trips and similar pro bono projects during the academic year.

Additional Scholarship and Fellowship Resources

Beyond specific law school programs, several external organizations offer scholarships and fellowships for aspiring public interest lawyers:

The Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF): The CBF offers various scholarships and fellowships, including the Kimball R. Anderson and Karen Gatsis Anderson Public Interest Law Fellowship, the CBF Walter H. Moses Sr. and Walter H. Moses Jr. Scholarship, and The Chicago Bar Foundation Sun-Times Public Interest Law Fellowship Program.
Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI): The CBF supports PILI's Law Student Internship Program, which provides stipends for law students interning at legal aid and public interest law organizations in the Chicago area.
American Bar Association (ABA): The ABA provides a database of Termtime Fellowships and Awards for law students.

Loan Forgiveness Programs

In addition to scholarships and fellowships, loan forgiveness programs can significantly ease the financial burden for public interest lawyers. The Department of Education offers loan forgiveness for those who pursue careers in public service. Many law schools also have their own LRAPs, such as NYU's generous COAP program, which helps pay off law school loans for graduates earning less than $50,000.

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