Guide to Public Interest Scholarships & Essays
Figuring out how to pay for law school can be difficult. This is especially true for applicants who are first-generation law students or from working-class families. Although some scholarships and aids generally apply to applicants or focus on diverse applicants, many law schools have programs for law students who want to focus on a specific area of law. Public interest law is one such focus area.
Public interest lawyers work to help marginalized groups. Pursuing public interest law might mean representing marginalized clients or advocating for changes in public policy. Public interest lawyers often work with various civil rights issues, such as discrimination based on race or sexual orientation. They also work with gender issues, rights for the disabled, rights for those with mental health issues, and human rights issues.
Below, I take a closer look at some examples of public interest law programs from top law schools. Additionally, the application requirements for each program, including information about essays required, if applicable.
NYU School of Law
NYU is famous for its expansive focus on public interest law. The School of Law offers several public interest programs, including grants and loan repayment assistance programs (LRAP). You can apply for the following scholarships if you want to pursue public interest law at NYU:
Furman Public Policy Scholarship
All applicants who can demonstrate a commitment to public interest law are welcome to apply for this full-ride scholarship, including a funded summer internship after the first year. Applicants must submit an additional essay with their JD application that does not exceed 500 words. It describes their interest in public policy and the areas they wish to pursue during law school. Also, applicants must submit a recommendation letter that speaks to their experience or interest in public policy.
Latinx Rights Scholarship
Applicants passionate about social justice work that impacts Latinx communities need to apply for the full-tuition Latinx Rights Scholarship at NYU School of Law. Applicants must also submit a one-page essay that doesn't go over 500 words about their interest in serving the needs of Latinx communities.
Root-Tilden-Kern Public Interest Scholarship
The Root-Tilden-Kern Scholarship Program is one of the biggest opportunities for law students committed to pursuing a career in public service. The program has been around for 70 years and offers full tuition for three years to 20 incoming students. The program offers several scholarships that focus on public interest service sub-specialty areas. For example, children's rights, women's rights, civil rights, criminal justice, and public service. Applicants must fill out the JD application and indicate their interest in the program. Additionally, they must provide a letter of recommendation that speaks to their interest in public service. Plus, an essay no longer than 750 words. The NYU School of Law requests that applicants discuss their public service commitment, career goals, what influenced them, and other relevant information.
Boston University School of Law
The Boston University School of Law also has a Public Interest Scholarship program that provides three years of full tuition for law students who want to pursue a career in public interest law. Recipients also receive a $5,000 stipend after years one and two, so they can pursue a public interest internship. If you want to apply to BU's program, you must include an additional essay with your JD application. Your two-page maximum essay should describe your public interest career goals and focus.
Stanford Law School's Levin Center for Public Service and Public Interest Law
If you want experience working in a law-related position that furthers the public interest, Stanford offers postgraduate fellowships through the Levin Center. They offer a handful of different programs, some of which focus on any public interest issue and others that focus on specific areas, such as international law, criminal defense, and criminal justice. Eligibility varies for each program, but you only need to fill out one application. Fellows must have a host organization, such as a non-profit or government agency, that provides a commitment letter. Fellows typically receive about $48,000 salary plus benefits, but the amount can slightly vary.
Even if you do not wish to pursue public interest law, you could still receive summer funding during law school at Stanford. Stanford law students who qualify for financial assistance are guaranteed to receive summer funding for working at a government agency or non-profit that furthers the public interest. Students can participate for three summers and receive $7,000 the first year and $8,000 in year two. No additional essay is required for the summer stipend.
Northeastern University School of Law
Northeastern University has a reputation for its focus on public interest law. Their 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. You only need to fill out the JD application to be considered for the scholarship. However, the school recommends that those who want to bolster their application respond to an optional essay question discussing the specific social justice issues they are most passionate about.
More Public Interest Fellowships & Loan Forgiveness
I've covered some popular public interest scholarship programs, but many more exist. Law schools throughout the nation place a heavy emphasis on public service. Some provide a one-time scholarship for a specific amount, while others provide full tuition for one or more years. You can begin your search with the American Bar Association's (ABA) database of Termtime Fellowships and Awards.
The Department of Education also forgives loans for those who pursue careers in public service. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program forgives your federal student loans after making payments for 10 years while putting in full-time hours with an approved employer, typically a government agency or non-profit.
The team at Barrier Breakers® Admissions Advising is here to support you through this law school application cycle! Whether it's through discounted advising for BIPOC, first-generation, and LSAC Fee Waiver applicants, our essay review services and courses, or just downloading our free Essential Guide to Applying to Law School, we're here to help make this process easier.
As always, feel free to reach out to us at hello@barrier-breakers.org with any of your questions! You can also submit a question to be answered on our weekly Break Into Law School® Podcast, streaming wherever your favorite podcast service is.