Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF)

The Public Interest Law Foundation (“PILF”) is a student-run organization whose goal is to enable students at the University of San Francisco School of Law to work in unpaid summer internships in the public interest/public sector and to provide support to help them pursue careers in the public interest/public sector upon graduation.

Check out PILF's Website

Comprised of a community of USF Law students, alumni, faculty and friends devoted to public interest advocacy, PILF promotes its goals by fundraising and sponsoring public interest and community service events on campus to educate students about the rewarding career possibilities in public interest law. PILF’s annual fundraising efforts directly support summer grants for law students with a demonstrated commitment to public interest who work in unpaid, full-time summer positions at local, national, and international public interest/public sector agencies, organizations, and firms.

The funding for these summer grants is raised through programs like PILF’s Donate-a-Day Summer Pledge Program and PILF’s Annual Gala Auction & Awards Ceremony, as well as year-round contributions by members of the USF Law and greater legal community.

PILF's Mission

Foster a community of law students interested in public interest work.
Educate students about job opportunities in the public interest sector and serve as a resource for job leads.
Raise money to support unpaid summer work in the public interest.
Encourage law students to volunteer in the community and help provide meaningful and appropriate opportunities for them to do so.
Educate students about ways that private/firm attorneys can make meaningful contributions to the public interest.
Instill a sense of community ownership, pride and responsibility that will motivate students and lawyers to make positive changes.

PILF’s Fundraising Events

Annual Gala Auction & Award Ceremony

PILF’s primary fundraising event, the PILF Gala Auction & Award Ceremony, is one of the signature events at USF School of Law. An evening of celebration and fundraising, the Auction brings together students, alumni, faculty, staff, and members of the legal community and enables USF Law students to commit to summer positions at organizations focused on addressing gaps in our justice system. Last year’s Auction raised over $45,000 and along with matching funds contributed by the School of Law and money raised through the Donate-a-Day Summer Pledge Program, PILF was able to fund twenty-five students working in unpaid, full-time public interest positions in summer 2011.

The PILF Gala Auction features vacation packages, spa retreats, cruise tickets, sporting memorabilia, fine jewelry and services (and more) donated by local and national businesses, the USF Law community, and local law firms. With a silent auction, live auction, hors d'oeuvres, cocktails, and entertainment, the Auction is a lively event. The Auction also provides an opportunity for the law school to recognize an individual or organization that has contributed significantly to the struggle for equality, peace and justice with the USF PILF Award for Public Interest Excellence.

Past USF PILF Award for Public Interest Excellence recipients include:

2004: Mayor Gavin Newsom
2005: Maria Blanco, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area
2006: Kate Kendell, National Center for Lesbian Rights
2007: Elizabeth Cabraser, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
2008: Shannon Minter, National Center for Lesbian Rights & Therese Stewart, San Francisco Chief Deputy City Attorney
2009: Hon. Carlos R. Moreno, Supreme Court of California
2010: Eva Paterson, President, Equal Justice Society

The 2011 USF PILF Gala Auction & Award Ceremony is being held at Kendrick Hall at the School of Law on Friday, November 4th. To donate items for the auction: please send an email to chairs@usfpilf.org

“Donate-a-Day” Summer Pledge Program

More detailed information about PILF can be found on their website: www.usfpilf.org/