PIJD Newsletter
Two Public Interest Graduates Win the Dean's Leadership Award
Congratulations to graduating Public Interest Scholars Colleen Gill and Caitlin Strickland on receiving the Dean’s Leadership Award!
Throughout their time at Santa Clara University School of Law, Colleen and Caitlin have demonstrated exceptional leadership, service, and commitment to public interest law. Their dedication to advocacy and community impact beautifully reflects the mission of the Public Interest J.D. program.
We are proud to celebrate this well-earned recognition and look forward to seeing the difference they will continue to make in the legal profession and beyond.
About the Recipients:
Caitlin Strickland has defined what it means to lead with empathy, integrity, and dedication during her three years at Santa Clara Law. Through her work at Northern California Innocence Project (NCIP), she contributed to the exoneration of Reginald Tanubagijo, an NCIP client who was freed from prison after eleven years of wrongful incarceration. During her 2L year, she helped plan and organize the orientation for incoming 1L students. She also created, at her own initiative, a mentoring program in which the 2L Public Interest J.D. (PIJD) students serve as mentors for the incoming 1Ls. Her initiative helped establish a system in which each successive class of PIJD students “pays it forward” to the next class.
Caitlin shares, "Santa Clara Law's Public Interest J.D. program connected me to so many incredible people and opportunities. My experiences with the Northern California Innocence Project, Externship Program, and Trial Team enabled me to serve clients and promote social justice during law school while building advocacy skills to succeed in public interest litigation. I am so grateful for the Santa Clara Law community!"
Colleen Gill has left an indelible mark on Santa Clara Law. She has served as a vital voice for students with disabilities through her leadership in the Disabled Law Student Association (DLSA). Colleen played an incredibly active role on campus, working with the International Human Rights Clinic and the Center for Social Justice and Public Service, chairing this year’s Benefit for Justice, participating in various LSOs and Law Review, and representing Santa Clara Law as an Admissions Ambassador. She truly embodies Santa Clara Law’s values of ethics, justice, and service.
Colleen shares, "I am honored to be part of the first graduating cohort of Public Interest JD students. The more I invested in the Santa Clara Law School community, the more the community invested back into me, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn from and contribute to the culture of cura personalis that the school has created."