Public Interest and Social Justice Law Board

Training Lawyers Who Lead

Social Justice Summer Grants

Income Supplement Grants for SCU Alums

Public Interest and Social Justice Scholarships

Additional Financial Support

Student Testimonials

Santa Clara Law created the Public Interest and Social Justice Endowment in 1989 in response to a growing need to support alumni and students committed to the practice of public interest and social justice law. In 2009, the fundraising efforts of the Center for Social Justice and Public Service and the Endowment Board merged to create the Public Interest and Social Justice Law Board (Law Board).

The Law Board has funded 20 to 30 students per summer at the rate of $3,000 to $3,500, depending on available endowment income. The Board's goal is to raise the student stipend to $5,000 per summer and to support all students who seek nonprofit or government placements.

In 2006-07, the Jesuit Community at Santa Clara supported the Law Board with a two-year $25,000 grant, matched by Santa Clara Law faculty, that significantly helped achieve the goal of supporting all student need during that period. The community renewed this support in 2008-09, honoring Fr. Paul Goda by creating the Father Paul Goda Summer Grant.

The Law Board provides financial support to students for summer work through the following programs: Public Interest and Social Justice Law Board Summer Grants, Justice John Paul Stevens Public Interest Fellowships, and LGBT Legal Issues Summer Grants. Financial support to incoming students with a demonstrated commitment to public interest and social justice work is available through Public Interest and Social Justice Scholarships. Income Supplement Grants ensure a minimum income to selected graduates accepting public interest and social justice jobs at low salaries.

The Public Interest Auction, aka the Benefit for Justice, is a social highlight of the school year raising funds for student summer work and public interest and social justice programs of the Law Board.

The Future

The Law Board’s long-term goal is to have sufficient funds available to pay at least reasonable living expenses during the summer for all students who secure low-paying or volunteer positions with public interest and social justice agencies. Another goal is to fund scholarships at a level that would reduce student loan debt to amounts that are manageable for graduates pursuing public interest and social justice work.

The receipt of major gifts that help the Endowment grow will pay dividends for years to come. Support for the Benefit for Justice can position this event as a major source of annual funding. It is well known that similar events at other law schools raise as much as $40,000 annually, and Santa Clara University School of Law has the potential to do just as well.

There continues to be a high level of interest by students and graduates in pursuing careers in public interest and social justice law. Twenty-seven students from the Class of 2009 graduated with Public Interest and Social Justice Law Certificates.

Your support makes a difference

To make donations to the Public Interest and Social Justice Law Board, please visit law.scu.edu/alumni/giving-to-the-university.cfm. If you choose, you may designate your donation for Public Interest and Social Justice Law Board Summer Grants, Stevens Fellowships, LGBT Summer Grants, or Public Interest and Scoal Justice Programs. Also, donations offer naming opportunities for endowed gifts. You also may send donations to the address below:

File 72688
SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY
P.O. Box 7055
San Francisco, CA 94120-9371

Board of Directors includes:

Richard Berg

Sharon Lybeck Hartmann

Colleen Hudgens

Harold R. Jones
Arthur F. Liebscher, S.J.
Patricia Massey
Deborah Moss-West (Co-Chair)

Dean Donald Polden

Shauvi Rogers
Stephanie M. Wildman (Co-Chair)

Bruce Yen

Ex officio
Lawrence Donatoni
Ivy Flores
Vicki Huebner
Jacqueline Wender

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