Summer Work-Study & Summer Stipend Programs
Boston College Law School offers a variety of funding programs
for law students who wish to work in the public interest and/or
the public sector during the summer. They include:
• Summer College Work-Study
• Publication Trust Fund Stipends
• Holocaust/Human Rights Program Stipends
• Public Interest Law Foundation and
Bingham Fellows Summer Stipends
These programs provide over 200 students with
funding for public service work each summer. The eligibility,
timing and application procedures vary for each of these programs.
However, all of these programs are intended to promote and provide
the funding for working for government agencies, public interest
and non-profit organizations. Each program is described in more
detail below.
Summer Federal Work-Study Program
Amount of Award: $9.25 per hour, maximum award $3,500
for summer. Award period: May 19-August 24.
Eligibility: 1L or 2L student. Based on financial need.
Application Deadline: January 25, 2002
Notification of Award: Mid-February
Application Procedure: Submit the BCLS Financial Aid Application
and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the
deadline.
Obligations of Award: Work for an eligible non-profit agency.
Agency must contract with Boston College and agree to pay 25%
of the wages earned and FICA (a total of 32.65%).
Administered by: Financial Aid Office
Contact Information: Please call x24243
The Summer Federal Work-Study Program offers federal
work-study grants to approximately 180 Boston College Law School
students for summer work for eligible government agencies, public
interest organizations and nonprofit organizations throughout
the country. This funding is in addition to work-study grants
available during the academic year. Awards are made through the
Financial Aid Office. The federal government pays approximately
60% of the salary of work-study recipients, the remaining 40%
is paid for by a contribution from an employer.
Work-study awards are based on financial
need and are administered by the Financial Aid Office. Students
may apply by completing the Free Application for Students Aid
(FAFSA) and the BCLS Financial Aid Application by the required
deadline. The deadline for applying is January 25, 2002. Awards
are usually made by mid-February. It is not necessary to have
a job at the time of application. The applications are distributed
to student mailboxes during the winter break.
The Work-Study Program is available
to fund summer positions working for government agencies, public
interest organizations and nonprofit 401(c)(3) organizations.
Other employers, including some public interest firms, may also
be eligible. There are also many work-study opportunities at the
Law School, including Research Assistants for professors, and
internships at the BCLS Legal Assistance Bureau. A list of agencies
that have contracted with Boston College in the past is available
in the Financial Aid Office and in the Career Services Office.
Other qualified agencies may also participate in this program
by completing a contract agreement with the Financial Aid Office.
A list of on-campus positions at the Law School is published each
spring in The Counselor. The pay rate for work study positions
is approximately $9.25 per hour. The maximum award is $3,500 for
the summer.
Public Interest Law Foundation Summer Stipend Program
Amount of Award: $200-$3,500
Eligibility: 1L/2L, applied for summer work-study grant
to work for government, public interest or nonprofit organizations.
Application Deadline: November 15, 2001 (2L)/
March 13, 2002 (1L, 2L).
Notification of Award: December/April
Application Procedure: Complete an application for summer
work-study grant and submit to Admissions Office by January 25,
2002. Complete a Summer Funding Common Application Cover Sheet
and Application and submit with a resume to the Career
Services Office by deadline above.
Obligations of Award: Fill out an evaluation
form at the end of the year and participate in panel discussion.
Administered by: Public Interest Law Foundation
Contact Person: Jachyn Davis (davisjv@bc.edu),
Public Interest Law Foundation, Summer Stipend Committee, or the
Associate Director for Public Interest Programs, Career Services,
x24345
The Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF) is a student organization committed to increasing awareness of public interest legal opportunities and supporting students who are interested in this work. The Summer Stipend Program provides students with financial assistance to pursue public interest work during the summer. All law students who are interested in public interest legal work are eligible to apply for a PILF grant. PILF construes the definition of public interest legal work as broadly as possible in order to give applicants the opportunity to demonstrate how their employers and their particular position will benefit the public interest. PILF has funded positions with government agencies, non-profit organizations, state and federal prosecutors, public defender offices and private law firms with a public interest practice.
There are two times during the academic year when students
can apply for PILF stipends—one in the Fall and one in the
Spring. The Fall application is intended for second-year students
who have an early commitment for a public sector position and
need to know at an early date whether funding is available. The
deadline for the Fall application is November 15; students will
be notified by early December.
The second opportunity to apply for a PILF stipend
is in the Spring. For this application, applicants do not need
to have a firm offer for a summer position but must have scheduled
an interview. When applying for a PILF stipend, students may submit
applications for more than one summer positions. The deadline
for the Spring application is March 13, 2002. Applicants will
be notified in April.
Funding for PILF summer stipends comes from a
variety of sources: PILF fundraising, The Law School, and outside
funding sources. Some of these sources have geographical or practice
area restrictions. For example, PILF generally receives some funding
from the Massachusetts Bar Foundation. These funds are
limited to students accepting law positions within Massachusetts.
Please check the application supplement for current information
on funding sources and restrictions.
Applications will be evaluated by a committee
appointed by the Public Interest Law Foundation based on two criteria:
1) the applicant’s demonstrated commitment to public interest
work and 2) the extent to which the applicant’s work will
benefit the public interest.
Bingham Dana Fellowship for Public Service:
Through the PILF Summer Stipend Program, several students will
be named Bingham Dana Fellows. Their summer stipends will be paid
from a fund established at the Law School by Bingham Dana LLP
in honor of John Curtin, to support public interest careers. Preference
will be given to students working in civil rights, human rights,
juvenile rights & enforcement. As part of this program, Fellows
will be invited to participate in a special mentor program with
Bingham Dana attorneys.
To apply first year students must apply
for summer work-study funding by January 25, 2002 and submit a
Summer Funding Common Application Cover Sheet and Application
to Career Services Office by March 13, 2002. A PILF grant may
be used in conjunction with a work-study award.
The Publication Trust Summer Placement Program
Amount of Award: $9.25 per hour, 35 hours per week.
Maximum award $3,500.
Eligibility: 1L/2L preference given to
work study eligible students. Applicant must have received an
offer from a public interest/public sector employer for volunteer
employment.
Application Deadline: April 12, 2002
Notification of Award: Late April
Application Procedure: Obtain a work-study
grant. Secure a written job offer for a legal position with a
public sector/public interest employer for a full-time (minimum
35 hours per week) summer position. Complete the Summer Funding
Common Application Cover Sheet and questions #1 and #2 of the
Common Application and submit to the Career Services Office by
the deadline.
Obligations of Award: Commit to working
for one of Boston College Law School’s Law Reviews for 35
hours during the summer. The first 15 hours must be worked between
May 20 and 24 at the Law School and will include attending mandatory
Law Review training sessions. During this week, participants will
receive assignments for the remaining 20 hours of required Law
Review work. Assignments will vary depending on the needs of the
Law Reviews. The remaining 20 hours may be completed anytime during
the summer, but must be completed by August 23. Some assignments
may be completed off-site, others may require returning to the
Law School.
Administered by: Career Services Office
and Law Review Office
Contact Person: Jean French x24345 and
Rosalind Kaplan x24352
The Publication Trust Summer Program offers 14 first-
and second-year law students an opportunity to work in a public
interest/public sector legal position and to perform assignments
for Boston College Law School’s Law Reviews. These positions
are funded through the “publication trust”, an endowment
maintained by Boston College Law School for the benefit of the
Law Reviews and through the work-study program.
To be eligible to participate in this program,
students must have completed their first year of law school, been
approved for a summer work-study award and received an offer from
a public interest/public sector employer for volunteer legal employment.
For the purposes of this program public interest/public sector
employers are defined broadly to include public interest organizations,
government agencies and the courts. The position must be full-time
(a minimum of 35 hours per week). The maximum award is $3500.
In addition to the full-time public interest/public
sector position, students must commit to working for the Law Reviews
for 35 hours. The first 15 hours will consist of mandatory orientation
and training sessions by the Law Reviews. These sessions will
be held at the Law School during the week of May 20-24. During
this week students will also receive their assignments for an
additional 20 hours of work for the Law Reviews. This work will
vary, but may include researching topics for future Law Review
articles, proofreading pending articles, cite checking, etc. These
assignments may be completed anytime during the summer, as long
as they are completed by August 23. Some assignments may be completed
off-site, others may require students to return to the Law School.
To apply, students must submit:
• A Summer Funding Common Application Cover Sheet and Application
(questions #1 and #2),
• A resume
• A copy of work-study award letter and
• A letter from employer offering summer employment.
Participants will be selected by lottery and notified by late April.
Owen M. Kupferschmid Holocaust/Human Rights Summer Funding Project
Amount of Award: Varies. Intended to cover out-of-pocket
travel and living expenses. May be combined with work-study or
PILF awards.
Eligibility: 1L and 2L students. Preference
for internship focusing on international human rights issues and
working in foreign countries. Must have received an offer from
employer.
Application Deadline: April 12, 2002
Notification of Award: Mid-April
Application Procedure: Submit a Summer
Funding Common Application and an employer commitment letter,
along with a resume to Career Services by deadline. H/HRP funding
is designated for work done abroad with an international scope.
Obligations of Award: Work a minimum of
10 weeks. Notify the school of your arrival and progress in summer
placement. Submit a written report during the Fall, speak at a
student panel regarding your summer experience. Collect information
about your organization and other local groups to share with the
law school.
Administered by: Holocaust Human Rights Project
(H/HRP)
Contact Person: Kate Devlin, Coordinator,
H/HRP Summer Funding Program or the Associate Director for Public
Interest Programs, Career Services, x24345
The Owen M. Kupferschmid Holocaust/Human Rights
Summer Funding Project was established to fund students in
internships that focus on international and human rights issues.
Preference is given to internships in foreign countries. H/HRP
is particularly interested in the development of law creating
legal accountability for individuals responsible for state-sponsored
or state-supported crimes or abuses, including mass murder and
persecution, and human rights violations which states are unwilling
or unable to prevent. However, anyone with an offer of a position
in the human rights/international public interest field is encouraged
to apply. The Project will fund first- or second-year students
for a minimum of ten weeks. The funding amount will vary according
to the needs of the students, but is intended to cover the out-of-pocket
travel and living expenses. It may be combined with work study
or PILF funding, and applicants are required to seek that additional
funding. Students are encouraged to contact international organizations
in January and to consult with the coordinator of the H/HRP Summer
Funding Program for a list of possible sponsoring organizations.
To apply for the Holocaust/Human Rights
Internship students must first secure a position with a human
rights organization. They should then submit 1) Summer Funding
Common Application Form, 2) a copy of the position-offer letter
from the agency and 3) information on the agency. The deadline
for applying is April 12, 2002. Applications will be reviewed
by a selection committee appointed by the Dean. Selections will
be made and students notified in late April.
The Holocaust/Human Rights Interns will be required
to submit an evaluation and reflection of their summer placements
to be used by future intern applicants. They will also be asked
to speak on at least one panel or other forum about their experiences.
Scholarships and Loan
Assistance
The
Law School awards more than $3 million in tuition remission and
more than $300,000 in work study annually. In addition, thanks
to the generosity of alumni and friends of the Law School, the
Law School offers the following scholarships and loan repayment
assistance to current students. Many of these programs are intended
to assist those students and graduates pursuing a career in the
public interest.
First and Second-Year Students
James A. and Lois Champy Fellowship Program.
Thanks to the generous contribution of Lois and James Champy (BCLS
‘68) the Champy Fellowship Program provides financial support
to an outstanding second-year student who has demonstrated the
intention and ability to work in the public interest and who is
in need of financial assistance. Any second-year student pursuing
a public interest career is eligible. Preference will be given
to students providing direct legal services to the disadvantaged
and/or working in civil or human rights. The Champy Fellow receives
a $11,000 scholarship in two disbursements during the third year
of law school, which is to be used to pay educational expenses.
Applications are available in the Career Services Office(East
Wing 210). The application deadline is in April.
Alumni Scholarship Tuition Grant. The Alumni Council
of Boston College Law School’s Alumni Association and the
Dean award ten $1,000 grants each year to students in their first
and second year. Students are selected on the basis of financial
need and service to the Law School and/or to the community. All
first- and second-year students are eligible to apply. Applications
are available in the Career Services Office(East Wing 210). The
application deadline is March, 2002.
Third-Year Students
The Drinan Family Fund in Support of Public
Interest Law. Anonymous donors created the Drinan Family Fund
in Support of Public Interest Law to encourage Boston College
Law School students to pursue public interest careers. The fund
awards $10,000 to a graduating student who will pursue a public
sector career. The award is to be applied solely to indebtedness
incurred for legal education and may be renewed for one year if
the recipient remains in public interest employment and fulfills
the other conditions of the award. Any third year student who
is pursuing a public sector career is eligible. Preference will
be given to candidates whose employment is in one of the following
areas: child advocacy, landlord/tenant issues, criminal defense
or criminal prosecution. Consideration will also be given to the
level of indebtedness of the students. Applications are available
in the Career Services Office(East Wing 210). The application
deadline is December 14, 2001.
Edward T. Bigham, III, Scholarship. The Edward T. Bigham,
III, Scholarship was established in memory of Edward T. Bigham,
III, (BC ‘75, BCLS ‘78), who served as a an Assistant
District Attorney for Middlesex County in Massachusetts. The scholarship
is a $4,000 award to an outstanding third-year student who intends
to pursue a career as a district attorney. Applications are available
in the Career Services Office(East Wing 210). The application
deadline is December 14, 2001.
The David
H. and Mary Murphy Posner Law Scholarship; The Roberts S. Pitcoff
Memorial Scholarship; The Keefe Family Scholarship
These three $4,500 scholarships are for current third-year students
who have a demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in the public
sector. The application deadline is December 14, 2001.
William F. Willier Graduation Awards. The
William F. Willier Graduation Stipend is available to new BCLS
graduates who have secured employment in public service careers.
Funding for the program is provided by income from the Boston
College Publication Trust together with giving from alumni and
friends of the law school. These awards are intended to defray
the cost of summer expenses, including bar examination costs.
In the past the awards have ranged from $500 to $2,000.
All third-year students who have secured a law-related
position for a public sector employer by the application date
are eligible to apply. Preference is given to those working for
organizations that provide direct legal services to underrepresented
groups and to those in need of financial assistance. Applications
are available in the Law School Admissions Office(Stuart, M302).
Application deadline is in May.
Graduates
William F. Willier Loan Repayment Assistance
Program. The William F. Willier Loan Repayment Assistance
Program is named after a former Professor at the Law School who
was instrumental in establishing the Boston College Publication
Trust. Income from this Trust together with giving from alumni
and friends of the Law School provide funding to graduates in
law-related public interest careers by assisting in the repayment
of their educational debt. The awards are renewable annually.
To be eligible for a Willier Award, first time applicants must
have graduated from the Law School within the past five years
and be employed on a full-time basis in a public interest job
earning $47,500 or less. To remain in the program there is a salary
cap of $55,000. Preference is given to those who work for organizations
that provide direct legal services to members of traditionally
underrepresented groups. Applications are available in the Law
School Admissions Office(Stuart, M302). The application deadline
is in December following graduation.
National Funding Sources for Public Interest Summer Work
Several national funding sources are currently available to law students doing summer public interest work. The criteria for the awards as well as the amount of funding vary according to the individual funding source. Some funders are issue oriented, such as the Curtin Fellowship which focuses on homelessness. Other funds apply to more general public interest work, such as the National Lawyer’s Guild Summer Legal Internship. Some are limited geographically, such as the Massachusetts Bar Foundation that funds law students to work in Massachusetts. Additional information about many of these funding sources, as well as application materials, are available in the Career Services Office.
Examples of the more popular funding sources include:
ABA Commission on Homelessness and Poverty
John Curtin Legal Internship
Awards of $2,000 to work in organizations serving
homeless clients.
Deadline: March 1, 2002
Contact: (202) 662-1694
Equal Justice America
Stipend of $3,250 for law students who work during the summer
for organizations providing direct civil legal services for the
poor.
Deadline: March 18, 2002.
Contact: Dan Rubin, (804) 744-4200
www.equaljusticeamerica.org
Everett Public Service Internship
Stipend for a group of non-profit public service agencies primarily
in NYC and Washington, DC. Interns apply directly to participating
agencies, about $200/week.
Deadline: Determined by each agency.
Contact: erica@coopamerica.org
www.everettinternships.org
Federal Communications Bar Association’s Foundation
Robert E. Lee Internship
The Foundation awards at least three stipends
to law students employed as unpaid summer interns in communications
positions with government offices.
Deadline: Mid-March
Contact: (202) 293-4000, www.fcba.org
Massachusetts Bar Foundation—The Legal Internship
Program
Four stipends of up to $6,000 are given to law students working
with non-profit organizations in Massachusetts which provide direct
civil legal services to the poor.
Deadline: March 15, 2002
Contact: Elizabeth Lynch, (617) 338-0534
www.massbar.org
J.P. Morgan Summer Internship Program – New York
City
Interns work at selected non-profit agencies in New York City.
Students may only apply for one position.
NSLC Summer Corps
Earn a $1,000 education award if students provide direct legal
services to low-income individuals and communities.
Deadline: Applications reviewed as received until
program is full.
Contact: Jennifer Tschirch (BCLS Alum) at NAPIL,
(202) 466-3686, www.napil.org
National Lawyer’s Guild Summer Project: The Haywood
Burns Memorial Fellowships for Social and Economic Justice
Stipends of $2,000 are awarded to students to work with selected
public interest groups. For example, participating agencies include
ACORN in LA, El Centro para Accion Legal en Derechos Humanos,
Guatemala and the National Whistleblower Center in DC.
Contact: (212) 627-2656, www.nlg.org
New Jersey Summer Legal Internship Program
Students are placed in various legal services programs, public
interest organizations and government agencies in New Jersey.
Approximately 20 job placements are given to first and second
year students. The funding is $390 per week for 1L’s and
$525 per week for 2L’s.
Contact: Patti Koncius, (732) 572-9100, www.lsnj.org
Pride Law Fund Summer Fellowship Program
Awards range from $300 - $2,500 to support work in areas of sexual
orientation discrimination and other issues of concern to the
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Fellowships
can be used to supplement other summer funds as long as total
does not exceed $5,000. Consists of the Achtenberg, Block and
Morgans Women’s Fellowships. Open to law students at any
law school working at a 501(c)(3) organization anywhere in the
country.
Contact: (415) 956-5764, www.balif.org
Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI)
PILI funds summer internships at 22 nonprofit agencies in the
Chicago area. Funding is $4,500.
Deadline: Rolling admissions starting in October.
Contact: (312) 362-6959, www.pili-law.org
Patrick Stewart Human Rights Scholarship
(formerly “IN” grant from Amnesty International)
This grant is designed to give students the opportunity to gain
practical experience in the field of human rights. Students can
design a project on their own or find an internship with other
organizations. Approximately 20 grants are available with a maximum
stipend of $1800 each.
Deadline: Early March
Contact: www.amnestyusa.org
WLALA Foundation
The grant is given to law students for projects that make government
and social institutions and agencies more accessible to those
whose interest are not otherwise recognized.
A strong preference is given to projects that
benefit residents of Southern California. The maximum grant amount
is $5,000.
Contact: (323) 653-3325, www.wlala.org
For additional funding listings, see Harvard Law School’s Public Interest Job Search Guide, 2000-2001 in the Career Services Resource Library.