Directory
Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
Law School Pro Bono Programs
Contact Information
Sande L. Buhai
Executive Director and Clinical Professor
E-mail
P: (213) 736-1156
Category Type
Public Service Graduation Requirement Program
Description of Programs
The Public Interest Law Department oversees the pro bono program, which was instituted by the faculty in October 1992, along with other programs. Students are provided with an "Approved Pro Bono Organization List" and are responsible for contacting those agencies in regards to securing a placement and completing the 40-hour pro bono graduation requirement. This list is not exclusive; students wishing to satisfy the pro bono requirement with other verifiable public interest organizations can do so with the approval of the Director. The Assistant to the Director is the Public Interest Law Program Coordinator responsible for tracking and clearing students who have satisfied the mandatory requirement before graduation. Students are asked to evaluate their experiences at their pro bono placement and offer any suggestions or comments about the evaluation portion of the Student Log/Supervisory Report form, which they must submit to document/verify the completion of their forty hours. Students must complete a minimum of forty unpaid hours of legal services in an approved public interest agency or complete at least two units in approved public interest externship programs, which provide services to traditionally underrepresented groups.
Location of Programs
The Pro Bono Program is located in the Public Interest Law Department
Staffing/Management/Oversight
The Director is a full-time clinical professor and is assisted by a full-time Department Administrator (Public Interest Law Coordinator).
Funding
There is no budget funding beyond staff salaries for the program.
Faculty and Administrative Pro Bono
Pro Bono by faculty is encouraged, recognized and counts towards tenure and salary as service to the school and community.
Awards/Recognition
Students are presented with a certificate of appreciation/completion documenting the total pro bono/public service hours performed.
The Dean of the Law School distributes service awards at graduation to students who have demonstrated strong commitments to community service programs.
Awards given at annual luncheon or reception
Alternative Winter or Spring Break Projects
Law School Public Interest Programs
Contact Information
Sande L. Buhai
Executive Director and Clinical Professor
E-mail
P: (213) 736-1156
Certificate/Curriculum Programs
There is a public interest curriculum
Public Interest Centers
The Public Interest Law Department
Cancer Legal Resource Center
Center for Conflict Resolution
Center for Juvenile Law and Policy
Center for Restorative Justice
Disability Rights Legal Center
PI Career Support Center
Students receive extensive counseling in regards to applying for public interest post-graduate fellowships and Equal Justice Works grants. Students also have full access to materials in the Public Interest Law Department such as PIES (Public Interest Employment Service) listings that are received monthly. The Career Services office also provides numerous workshops on interviewing techniques as well as resume preparation.
Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAP)
Since July 1989, Loyola Law School has provided financial assistance to graduating students who accept lower-paying public interest employment, but who need help in repaying education loans. The Public Interest Loan Assistance Program (PILAP) is available to students who are employed by a qualified public interest program at an annual salary of less than $54,000. The maximum award an applicant can receive is $12,000 annually.
Fellowships
Loyola Post-Graduate Fellowships in Public Interest Law -- www.lls.edu (click on Public Interest Law Department/Post-Graduate Fellowship Opportunities).
Public Service Corps Program, which began Winter 2002, was designed to give recent Loyola Law School graduates the opportunity to gain legal experience while awaiting Bar results.
Summer Public Interest Employment Program (SPIEP)
Loyola Law School's federal work-study program supports 70 students (60 in public interest, 10 in government positions) working at local non-profits and government agencies. Currently, the maximum amount a student can earn on a summer work-study contract is $3,500.
PILF - Public Interest Law Foundation Grant The student run Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF) offers supplemental funding for SPIEP applicants ranging from $1,000-$2,000. Fellows will be expected to work at least 300 hours at their approved public interest organization.
9/7/2023