Nov. 20, 2007--From interning in the San Francisco Public Defender's Office to volunteering with a worker's rights legal aid center in Zacatecas, Mexico, USF School of Law students participating in summer internships funded by the USF Public Interest Law Foundation see firsthand how lawyers can affect social change.

As part of the program, students work full time in unpaid, volunteer positions at a variety of local, national, and international public interest and government agencies, and organizations. The students are supported by PILF grants, which are funded by the group's annual Gala Auction and Award Ceremony and matching funds from the Deans' Office, as well as a Donate-A-Day Program.

This year's event, held Nov. 9 in the Kendrick Hall rotunda, raised nearly $43,000 through auction items, registration, a raffle, and sponsorships. Hundreds of items were donated to the auction, including a Hawaiian vacation, dinners in many of San Francisco's top restaurants, spa treatments, tutoring sessions, and more. Approximately 200 people, including students, faculty, and alumni, attended the event.

The PILF grant program started small in 2003, with two students receiving $1,500 grants to support summer public interest law internships. After establishing the auction and other annual fundraising events, the group in 2007 awarded 25 grants of $4,000 to USF law students. 

"This event demonstrates that our school not only has students interested in public interest work, but we also have an entire law school community committed to making that dream a reality," said Charla Welch, 4L, PILF network outreach chair. "Without PILF grants, USF students might not pursue public interest work at agencies, during summer internships, and in the future as practicing attorneys."

Also at the event, PILF honored Elizabeth Cabraser of Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein LLP with its Public Interest Excellence Award. Cabraser has worked on more than 250 class-action suits on behalf of tens of thousands of plaintiffs.

"Above all, she was chosen for her notable pro bono involvement,"  PILF co-chairs Erika Dahlstrom and Phyra McCandless said. "For example, she earned the first San Francisco Bar Association's Champion of Justice Award for her contributions to the Volunteer Legal Services Program (VLSP), the only comprehensive legal services program in San Francisco providing indigent individuals with representation on virtually all civil matters."