The Law School Impact Fund for Public Service

"Law is both a career and a calling, and the calling is to serve justice."
 —Sheri Lynn Johnson, James and Mark Flanagan Professor of Law, Cornell Law School

Your support of the Law School Impact Fund for Public Service helps Cornell Law students and graduates enter many areas of public service. Your gift could prepare a future policymaker to make change, inspire a leader for social justice, and equip Cornellians to pursue justice wherever they work. 

Your gift will provide resources for:

• Loan forgiveness programs like the Public Interest Low-Income Protection Plan (PILIPP loan forgiveness)
• Grants for students such as the Summer Public Interest Fellowships (PIF)
• Graduate fellowships
• Individualized career counseling
• Important networking opportunities for students
• Relationship fostering between students and alumni
• High-quality programming like the Annual Public Interest Law Career Symposium

Prior support of the Law School Impact Fund for Public Service has made the following achievements possible. With your continued support, we can do even more!

• In recent years, 60+ Cornell Law alumni who work in public service have benefited from a total of $300K+ in loan repayments (PILIPP). 
• During the 2020-2021 academic year, the Law School awarded $270,233 PIF grants to 150 students.
• 85% of Cornell Law students are funded by the Public Interest Fellowship (PIF) grants for 1L summer work with public interest, government, or judicial employers. 
• The internship opportunities available to Cornell Law students include judicial chambers, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, public policy organizations and public-interest law firms around the world.  
• 73% of the class of 2020 took at least one clinical course.

“The PILIPP program positively encouraged my engaging in public interest work by decreasing my concerns about repaying my loans. I appreciate that the PILIPP program is available to graduates engaging in public interest work because there is a great need for lawyers educated at schools like Cornell to engage in public service.”—Brian Jones, JD Class of 2016 

“Having intelligent, skilled attorneys in civil legal aid and other public interest areas is vital to the lives of low-income and vulnerable populations and to an equitable justice system that we all rely on. By supporting public interest careers, you are providing an opportunity for people like me, with lived experience, to work for my community and financially support myself.”—Member, JD Class of 2012 

"I went to law school intending to work in public service after and Cornell only solidified that goal. With the help of PIF, I was able to accept two summer positions which proved tremendously helpful for my path. When I graduated, I relied greatly upon the PILIPP program to make living in New York City and working at a public office possible. Those in Cornell's public interest community take various paths after leaving Ithaca, but the dedication to improving the communities they live in, or in some cases, the country, is unmatched."—Mike McCarthy, JD Class of 2015 

 This crowdfunding campaign is brought to you by the Cornell Law Young Professionals Network.