Video: Law student prepares for career in public service
(Portland, Ore.)—After devoting a decade of her life to volunteering at homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and libraries, Lewis & Clark law student Ginger Beck realized that practicing public interest law was the best possible expression of her commitment to community service.
Toward that goal, Beck spent her summer researching legal cases for the Oregon Law Center (OLC), an organization that provides free civil legal services to low-income individuals and families.
Beck’s summer internship with the OLC was made possible by a $4,500 stipend from the law school’s Public Interest Law Project, known as PILP. Through the summer program, students gain valuable experience while providing public interest organizations with much-needed legal assistance. In addition to supporting summer projects, PILP funds are also allocated to the Loan Repayment Assistance Program, which helps public interest lawyers repay law school loans after graduation.
This summer, 18 Lewis & Clark law students were awarded stipends to work with organizations such as Mercy Corps, EarthJustice, Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center, and Trustees for Alaska.
In this video, Beck talks about her work with OLC, a visit to Dignity Village, and her commitment to public interest work.
Lewis & Clark Law School graduates enter public interest careers at a rate that is more than three times the national average. Combining graduates who enter government work, and public interest graduates, more than one third of Lewis & Clark Law School’s graduates entered public service careers.
