Public Interest Law Scholarship

The Public Interest Law Scholarship (PILS) Program offers full tuition scholarships*, renewable each year, to selected students. It is the most generous and prestigious scholarship offered by the law school and recipients are among our strongest students.

Not only do PILS recipients have academic profiles that boast strong scores and grades, they also have very strong backgrounds in fields that pertain to social justice and public service. Many have worked for years in areas such as human rights, immigration, social work, child advocacy, prison reform, politics and welfare reform. All prospective students interested in this scholarship must submit a special application.

The scholarship is funded by major donations from law school graduates and friends. Launched in 1999 by generous donors who believed that the mission of the law school naturally led to the need for such a scholarship, the first class of scholars graduated in 2003. These graduates have now started to build what will become a strong network, giving back to the program and assisting new students as they begin their pursuit of public interest law careers. Once scholars have graduated from the School of Law, it is expected that a significant portion of their careers be dedicated to public interest law.

We also offer a variety of other scholarships, such as the Social Justice Scholarship and the Peace Corps and Teach For America Scholarships, for those students who have demonstrated a deep commitment to social justice and a solid academic background.

*For classes entering prior to 2009, the scholarship covers 75 percent of tuition.