Public Interest J.D
Looking to be an effective advocate for legislative and policy reforms?
The Public Interest J.D. (PIJD) benefits students who are interested in criminal law, environmental law, human rights law, racial justice, immigration law, anti-discrimination law, and other legal careers related to public interest and social justice. You will be empowered to be an effective advocate who can harness your law degree to work for legislative and policy reforms and to serve marginalized and underrepresented clients and causes.
Students must apply for the PIJD program in their application to Santa Clara Law.
Programs Elements
The Public Interest J.D. begins with a special orientation session the summer before classes start, introducing students to careers in public interest lawyering.
Students will chart their own career paths, creating customized plans to guide them through their law school experience and beyond, with help from assigned faculty advisors and attorney mentors.
All PIJD students complete three semesters of experiential learning, including at least one internship or externship of three or more units.
Throughout the program, students will create and maintain individualized career portfolios to showcase their skills and experiences for potential employers.
Milestones
Unlike a traditional certificate program, successful completion will be based on milestones, not classes. Students need to demonstrate that they have completed certain benchmark experiences, such as:
- Interview an individual client under the supervision of an attorney, and prepare a summary and legal analysis
- Attend a judicial proceeding that is directly related to a client’s case
- Draft a document that can be used to expose a significant problem
- Participate in an advocacy campaign
- Evaluate, discuss, and propose resolution of an actual or simulated ethical issue
- Participate in a cross-disciplinary team
- Attend a meeting of a legislative or policy-making body
I deeply value the practical experience I was able to gain in various public interest roles while a student at Santa Clara Law, but what I treasure most is the connections I made with like-minded students who found their home at Santa Clara
The PIJD Program is enhanced by its collaboration with Santa Clara Law’s Center for Social Justice and Public Service. The Center, dedicated to promoting social justice through law, offers events and learning opportunities that enrich our students’ academic experience. These include speakers on current social justice issues, the Spring Break Border Service Project, the Second Chances and Empathy Hackathon, and summer grants for students working in government offices and nonprofit organizations.
Review program elements, forms, deadlines, graduation requirements and milestones
Santa Clara Law has an impressive network of alumni working in the government and nonprofit sectors at the local, state, national, and international levels. Here is a small sample of where SCU alumni are employed.
Contact Us
Questions? Let’s Connect: publicinterestjd@scu.edu
Fiona McKenna
Co-Director, Public Interest JD Program
fmckenna@scu.edu
David Sloss
Co-Director, Public Interest JD program
DLSloss@scu.edu