Right now – in the midst of this global pandemic – I’ve never been more proud to be a member of the LPS community. That’s because my fellow fellows have stepped up and used their legal education to fight for better outcomes for people affected by COVID-19. They’ve inspired me to think creatively about how… Continue reading Looking for the Helpers – How LPS Fellows have Stepped Up During the COVID-19 Crisis
While PILA's Alternative Spring Break program was cut short for many due to COVID-19, our fellows still managed to have valuable experiences volunteering their time with participating organizations. Two of our fellows share their experiences. Caroline Elwig: One of the first things I did after arriving at the ACLU Capital Punishment Project in Durham, NC… Continue reading LPS Fellows at Alternative Spring Break
I have never had an internship outside of the government. At the same time, I submit that interning with the government is a highly diverse and rewarding experience. During my 1L summer, I interned within the Department of Defense (“DOD”) where I helped to investigate war crimes. During my 2L summer, I split my time… Continue reading Advice for Federal Government Legal Interns
Hi readers! When Jolena Zabel ‘21 suggested that I write a quick blog-post about my summer, I didn’t hesitate: There’s no faster way to win my affection than asking me to talk about myself and, more importantly, about my commitment to public service. This summer, I returned to my beloved Washington, D.C. where I had… Continue reading Summer in Our Nation’s Steamy Capital: Labor Law Edition
With summer internships coming to a close (and that extra two weeks of summer that skipping OGI gives us *wink wink*), we're finally finding some time to read books that we've chosen for ourselves! In case you'd like to follow along with us, check out the list of favorite books that our fellows compiled. The… Continue reading What We’re Reading
Grace Powell and Mariette Peltier are second-year students at the University of Virginia School of Law. Prior to law school, Grace worked as a Community Intake Advocate at the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem for three years—an experience which inspired her to attend law school to become a public defender. During college, Mariette interned for… Continue reading Courtroom Adversaries, Classroom Friends
The IRAP-tor with one of the winning school chapters “Sarah, you have to let it go.” My supervisor slowly took the file I was holding out of my hand as I gave her a sheepish smile. It was the last day of my 1L summer internship at the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) and… Continue reading From Former UN Ambassadors to Dinosaurs: Why IRAP’s Student-led Model Gets it Right
This fall I flew to Austin, Texas to attend the GRITS Conference hosted by the University of Texas School of Law. GRITS stands for Getting Radical in the South, which is both a brilliant acronym and an important mantra that, I feel, is equally relevant and necessary here in Virginia. The conference featured practitioners across… Continue reading Getting Radical in the South
Interested in public defense? Intern in Alaska. Not interested in public defense? Visit Alaska. Applying for jobs for my 2L summer, I wanted to get the most experience I could in the courtroom. I had no idea where I would want to end up post-graduation (and still don’t), so I knew it would be best… Continue reading An Adventurous Summer in Alaska: In and Out of the Courtroom
Admittedly, my public interest career aspirations are niche. So niche, that when I tell people I aim to eventually work in the Jewish communal advocacy sector they often have no idea what I am referring to. Thus, before I share the genesis of my career goals, I must elaborate on the sector itself. While the… Continue reading A Common Quest for Justice: The Value of the LPS Community for a Student with Niche Public-Interest Goals
