Our Crowdfunding Groups
The Public Interest Law Fund (PILF) at UCI Law provides financial support to students who choose to work at non-profit legal organizations and agencies that assist those with the greatest need in our community. This year, UCI Law celebrates ten years of commitment to public service. We hope you can contribute to this mission by giving to PILF’s Friends and Family Campaign today!
The Goal: Enable students to work at non-profit, public interest organizations and agencies, helping real clients with real problems.
The Reason: Public interest organizations rely on volunteers. PILF stipends allow UCI Law students to take on unpaid internships that they otherwise may not have been able to accept. These stipends not only provide students with valuable and rewarding work experience, but also allow our students to contribute their valuable skills to assist low-income and vulnerable communities.
The Results:
Since 2010:
UCI Law students have worked in areas such as children's rights, environmental law, housing and homelessness advocacy, elder rights, immigration law, and more!
To date, PILF has been able to provide a stipend to every student who has applied. But as our school continues to grow, your generosity is even more vital. We cannot do it without your help! Your gift will enable our students to provide critically necessary legal services to our most vulnerable communities.
Thank you from all of us at UCI Law!
Testimonials from PILF Recipients:
“Without PILF, I would not have been able to live in San Francisco or take this job, which genuinely changed my life path. The most rewarding part of my experience was seeing how appreciative clients can be. One client thanked me several times for spending my summer helping him and working on his case. Sometimes capital clients can be combative or unresponsive to your help, so hearing this one client express how grateful he was made me feel so privileged to be working with him.”
–Olivia Meme ‘20, California Appellate Project of San Francisco
“Housing issues always interested me, but I didn't know how expansive the problem really is until my employment this summer. I worked at the Shriver Eviction Self-Help Center in the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, right in the middle of downtown Los Angeles. All the training materials and the constant interaction with vulnerable litigants really opened my eyes to all the factors contributing to homelessness and the housing crisis. I now know that I want to find my place in the battle for affordable housing.”
–Alexis Mondares ‘20, Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County
“PILF enabled me to empower a community by organizing a communication platform between the community and city permitting officials. The most rewarding part of the experience was writing an emergency memo that helped secure an injunction against the importation of seafood that was being sourced without regard to the precipitous population decline of an endangered species that it caused.”
–Justin Berchiolli '19, Natural Resources Defense Council
By giving $30, you could help a student with a week's worth of groceries.
By giving $125, you could help a student cover gas, electric, phone, and internet payments for a month.
By giving $275, you could help a student cover gas for a month of commuting between Irvine and Santa Ana.
By giving $550, you could help a student relocate outside of Orange County for the summer.
By giving $1,100, you could help a student cover one month's rent in Southern California.
