At the Shaping Justice conference, attorney Kim Keenan stressed the importance of interacting with diverse community voices in the pursuit of social justice, commenting that public interest attorneys are not merely “static intellect.” In fact, some of the most radical solutions to inequity and disadvantage do not come from lawyers at all. This remark got me… Continue reading Solitary Gardens
As we learn and discuss the different theories of justice, I think back to my times in the classroom as a Middle School Science Teacher. As a school, we were bound to the Code of Conduct established by our school district. Over time, I became frustrated by having scholars excluded from school through suspensions and… Continue reading Restorative Justice in the Classroom
During our recent class on immigration impact work, while Leslye Orloff was talking about the need to appeal to and compromise with people on the other side of the aisle while advocating for the Violence Against Women Act, I thought of my experiences in a class I took on immigration policy during undergrad. For this… Continue reading Change Through Cooperation: Advocacy in a Polarized Society
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
Program in Law and Public Service Blog 