Law school life
Fellowship and Public Interest : The Hidden Gems of A Law Student ' s Summer
Honey L . Shaw 2L , Georgia State University College of Law hshaw10 @ student . gsu . edu
William P . Robertson 2L , Georgia State University College of Law wrobertson1 @ student . gsu . edu
Many law students aspire to gain a summer associate position at a big law firm , but the competitiveness often leaves students without crucial practical experience . Additionally , the need to fund their summers without adding to their overall debt , means students must seek paid opportunities even in non-legal fields . However , many students fail to consider the many fellowship opportunities or when they seek unpaid public interest opportunities , do not seek funding through public interest scholarships programs ( PIIP ).
Lyn Knapp , Senior Director for the Center for Professional Development and Career Strategies at Georgia State University ’ s College of Law , urges students to use their summers to gain experience but recognizes the funding needed by many students . Many opportunities are listed for students on the center ’ s portal such as the Peggy Browning Fund Fellowships , the Access to Justice Tech Fellowships , and the Equal Justice America Legal Services Fellowships . Also mentioned by Ms . Knapp , were the many non-paid public inter-
20 March 2018