Public Interest Support and Outcomes

The University of Chicago Law School supports students on a public interest path with counseling, informational and networking events, guaranteed summer funding, a faculty public interest mentor program, our Public Interest Alumni Network, and more—but our support does not stop at graduation. Our alumni take advantage of fellowship opportunities and loan repayment assistance as they build public interest careers at organizations across the world.

Postgraduate Public Interest Law Fellowships

The University of Chicago Law School Postgraduate Public Interest Law Fellowships are awarded to a limited number of competitively chosen graduating JD students who develop public interest fellowship projects with public sector host organizations. Thanks to the generosity of alumni funders, each Fellow is awarded $60,000 to work full-time for one year following graduation at an eligible public service host organization on public interest legal issues such as welfare rights, affordable housing, domestic violence, immigration, workers rights, special education, environmental protection and juvenile justice.

Over sixty graduates have completed public interest law fellowships at agencies across the nation and abroad and 96% of those fellows have remained in public service. View the list of past and current Fellows and their host agencies.

Loan Repayment Assistance

The University of Chicago Law School Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) is intended to alleviate the debt burden of our graduates who work in public interest. The most inclusive program of its kind, our LRAP includes a straightforward application and a generous $80,000 salary cap. In addition, all graduates who serve as judicial clerks are eligible for the program. The LRAP works in concert with current federal debt relief programs to offer the opportunity for any graduate staying in public interest for ten years to attend law school for free.

Pro Bono Service Initiative

The Pro Bono Service Initiative encourages our law students to complete at least 50 hours of pro bono service before they graduate. Participants in the voluntary Pro Bono Service Initiative contribute to their legal education by gaining exposure to important legal issues, invaluable experiences, and a hands on opportunity to influence how law affects real people. Students who fulfill their pledge and log their hours will receive a Dean's Certificate of Recognition, receive special recognition at graduation and receive a special notation on their transcript indicating that they completed the Pro Bono Service Initiative. The graduating student completing and recording the most hours will also receive a special Award of Excellence.

Employers

Students with a passion for public interest have many choices after graduation. Some become professors. Others become clerks. Still others go directly to work at a public service organization. Here are some of the public interest organizations who employ our alumni:

Access Living
ACLU (17 offices)
Advance Illinois
AIDS Legal Council of Chicago
Alabama Public Service Commission
Alameda Co. Public Defender's Office
American Anti-Trust Institute
American Civil Liberties Union (11 offices)
American Constitution Society
American Law Institute
American Red Cross
Animal Legal Defense Fund
Appellate Government Division
Associated Counsel for the Accused
Atlanta Legal Aid Society
Attorney General's Office (29 states)
Bakersfield City Attorney's Office
Bay Area Legal Aid
Better Government Association
Beyond OCD
Brattleboro Conservatory of Justice
Brennan Center
Brinson Foundation
British Columbia Securities Commission
Bronx Defenders
Bronx Legal Services
BronxWorks
Bundesministerium der Justiz
Business & Professional People for the Public Interest
Cabrini Green Legal Aid
Community Action Legal Alliance
California Office of the Attorney General
California Rural Legal Assistance
Center for Children's Advocacy
Center For Class Action Fairness
Center for Disability & Elder Law
Center for Economic & Social Justice
Center for Economic Progress - Midwest Tax Clinic
Center for Food Safety
Center for Family Representation
Center for Health Law, Ethics and Technology
Center for Workplace Democracy
Central District of California
Central Intelligence Agency
Cermak Health Services of Cook County
Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation
Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice
Chicago Cares
Chicago Community Trust
Chicago Finance and Economic Development Department
Chicago Housing Authority
Chicago Independent Police Review Authority
Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Inc.
Chicago Legal Clinic
Chicago Park District
Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Volunteer Legal Services
Chula Vista City Attorney
Children's Law Center
Cincinnati Public Schools
Circle of Service Foundation
City & County of San Francisco
City of Ann Arbor
City of Cambridge
City of Chattanooga
City of Chicago
City of Duluth
City of Indianapolis
City of Irvington, New York
City of New York
Clean Air Council
Committee for Public Counsel Services
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Community Legal Services Philadelphia
Community Legal Services Phoenix
Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto
Connecticut General Assembly
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Cook County
Cook County Assessor's Office
Cook County Department of Homeland Security
Cook County Public Defender's Office
Cook County State's Attorney Office
County of Los Angeles
Court of Appeal for Trade and Industry
Court of Chancery
CREW
Defender Association of Philadelphia
Department of Attorney General
Department of Defense U.S. Navy
Department of State
Department of the Treasury
Disabilities Rights Center, Inc.
District Attorney's Office (32 counties)
District of Maryland
Domestic Violence Legal Clinic
Douglas County Attorney
Douglas County Public Defender's Office
DuPage County Public Defender
EarthJustice (4 offices)
Education Law Center
Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)
Environmental Defense Fund
Environmental Law Institute
Environmental Law & Policy Center
Equal Employment Opportunity Comm.
Equip for Equality
Endangered Habitats League
Erie Neighborhood House
Eureka County District Attorney
Evanston Community Defender – Moran Center
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
Export-Import Bank of the U.S.
FCC Public Safety & Homeland Security
Federal Community Defenders
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Communications Commission
Federal Trade Commission
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Federal Housing Finance Agency
Federal Labor Relations Authority
Federal Public Defender (18 offices)
Federal Reserve System
Federal Trade Commission
Financial Ind. Regulatory Auth., Inc.
Financial Supervisory Authority
Flagg Creek Water Reclamation District
Georgia Court of Appeals
Government of Saskatchewan
Government of Singapore Investment Corp.
Government Relations and International Law
Greater Boston Legal Services
The Hague
Harlem Defender
Health & Disability Advocates
Heritage Foundation
Humanity United
Human Rights Law Network
Human Rights Now
Illinois Education Labor Relations Board
Illinois Environ. Protection Agency
Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission
Illinois General Assembly
Illinois Housing Development Authority
Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission
Illinois Secretary of State
Illinois State Charter School Commission
Illinois Workers' Compensation Comm.
Indian Law Resource Center
Indiana Legal Services, Inc.
Industrial Commission, N.C.
Institute for Justice (3 chapters)
Institute for Policy Studies
Institute for Public Representation
Instituto Mexicano para la Competitividad
Internal Revenue Service
International Criminal Courts
International Institute of the Bay Area
International Justice Mission
Irish Immigration Center
Italian Antitrust Authority
Jefferson Pilot Financial Insurance Co
Justice Integrity Project
Kane County Board
Kansas Legal Services, Inc.
Kent County Prosecutor's Office
Knox County
Lambda Legal (3 offices)
Law Library of Congress
Lawndale Christian Legal Center
Lawyers’ Collective
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights
Lawyers' Committee for Better Housing
Legal Aid Bureau of Metropolitan Family Services
Legal Aid of Central Michigan
Legal Aid of Northwest Texas
Legal Aid Society of Memphis
Legal Aid Society of San Diego
Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia
Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago
Legal Council for Health Justice
Legal Momentum
Legal Services Corporation of Iowa
Legislations and Intergovernmental Affairs
Levine School of Music
Liberty Justice Center
Library of Congress
Louisiana Capital Assistance Project
Maine Office of Securities
Maricopa County Attorney's Office
Maryland Defender
Massachusetts Attorney General
Media Matters For America
MFY Legal Services
Miami-Dade Public Defender
Ministry of Fisheries
Minnesota House of Representatives
Mississippi Center for Justice
N.D. Ind. Federal Community Defenders
National Assoc. of Attorneys General
National Center for Law & Economics
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Consumer Law Center
National Grid USA
National Housing Law Project
National Labor Relations Board
National Security Agency
National Women’s Law Center
Natural Resources Defense Council (4 offices)
Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem
Neighborhood Legal Services
New York County District Attorney
New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG)
New York State Div. of Human Rights
New York Works Task Force
NJ Appleseed Public Interest Law Center
NM Public Regulation Commission
Norton Museum of Art
NYC Administration for Children’s Service
NYC Law Department
NYC Transit Authority
Oceana
Office of Administrative Hearings
Office of the NY Appellate Defender
Office of Budget and Management
Office of Financial Stability, U.S. Dep’t of the Treasury
Office of Info. & Regulatory Affairs, Office of Mgt. & Budget
Office of Inspector General
Office of the Illinois Executive Inspector General
Office of Management and Budget
Office of Representative Mike Pompeo
Office of the Attorney General
Office of the Comptroller of Currency
Office of the District Attorney
Office of the General Counsel, FBI
Office of the King County Prosecutor
Office of the Legislative Counsel
Office of the Public Defender (41 counties/districts)
Office of the State Appellate Defender
Office of U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell
Office of the Colorado State Public Defender
Ohio Environmental Council
Open Society Foundations
Open Society Institute
Open Society Justice Initiative
Oregon Department of Justice
Oregon Law Center
Organic Trade Association
Orleans Public Defender
PA Assn. of School Administrators
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
Planned Parenthood
Port Authority of NY and NJ
Prairie State Legal Services
Progressive Public Affairs
PSAOB
Public Citizen Litigation Group
Public Defender Service for D.C.
Public Employment Relations Board
Queens County Supreme Court
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
Rockefeller Foundation
Salt Lake City Attorney's Office
Sanctuary for Families
San Francisco Pre-Trial Diversion Program
San Francisco Public Defender
Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
Scio Township Land Preservation Comm.
Seattle Housing Authority
Securities & Exchange Commission
Securities and Futures Commission
Senator Debbie Stabenow
Service Members Legal Defense Network
Shelby County Public Defender
Sierra Club (three offices)
Snohomish County
Social Security Administration
South Asians for Human Rights
Southern Environmental Law Center
St. Louis City Counselor
State Department of Health and Welfare
State of California
State of Colorado
State of Connecticut
State of Hawaii
State of Illinois
State of Iowa
State of Israel Antitrust Authority
State of Maryland
State of Michigan
State of Minnesota
State of Montana
State of Nebraska
State of New York
State of Texas
State of Utah
State of Vermont
State of Wisconsin
State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor (6 districts)
Tennessee Institute for Public Policy
Tennessee Valley Authority
Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
The American Enterprise Institute
The Bronx Defenders
The Center for Law and Education
The City of Chicago
The Committee to End Homelessness
The District of Columbia
The Federalist Society
The Hunger Project
The Joyce Foundation
The Legal Aid Society
The Office of NOAA General Counsel for Fisheries
The Pro Bono Institute
The Violence Against Women Commission
The Voter Participation Center
THE WHITE HOUSE
The World Bank
Third Way
Transparency International
Transportation Security Administration
Twin Falls Country Prosecuting Attorney's Office
Two Rivers Institute
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Attorney's Office (all)
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
U.S. Copyright Office
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Defense
U.S. Department of Education
U.S. Department of Energy
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development
U.S. Department of Justice (all Divisions/Components)
U.S. Department of Labor
U.S. Department of State
U.S. Department of the Army
U.S. Department of the Air Force
U.S. Department of the Coast Guard
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Department of the Treasury
U.S. Department of Transportation
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
U.S. Federal Communications Commission
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
U.S. General Services Administration
U.S. House of Representatives
U.S. International Trade Commission
U.S. Military/JAG (all branches)
U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
U.S. Postal Service
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee
U.S. Senate Committee on Finance
U.S. Social Security Administration
United States Department of State - Office of the Legal Adviser
United States House of Representatives
United States Senate
Uptown United
Vermont Legal Aid
Village of Arlington Heights
Virginia General Assembly
Washington Attorney General
Washington Environmental Council
Western Rivers Conservancy
West Virginia Innocence Project
Wisconsin Department of Justice
Women's Prerogative
YMCA – Legal Department