Law School Gives Funds For Public Interest Jobs

The Law School next year will give between $10,000 and $15,000 to help fund summer internships in public interest law for the first time, a Law School administrator said yesterday.

After more than a year of student lobbying for additional subsidies to accept summer jobs in public interest law, the Law School decided two weeks ago to fund about 15 $1000 grants next year, said David N. Smith '58, vice dean of the Law School.

Dean of the Law School James Vorenberg `49 said that while the Law School will fund the program next year, he plans to ask alumni for donations and students to conduct a phonathon to raise funds for the future, Smith said.

"It is important for students to get exposure to public interest law so that they think of it as part of their professional agendas, even if they don't end up making it their career," Smith said.

About 150 students in each class of about 500 are interested in working in public interest law, said Ronald W. Fox, who is in charge of public interest job placement at the Law School.

Alliance for Public Interest Alternatives (APIA),a student group which tries to define opportunities in the non-corporate sector, polled the first-year class last year to gage interest in public law.

The APIA poll that although many students said they would take public interest summer jobs if they could afford to, only 16 first-year students actually chose that option.

Law school students can earn as much as $1200 a week in jobs with large corporate firms in large cities and about $800 a week in smaller cities, saidLisa Spar, a second-year law student who lobbiedfor the grants.

Public interest groups, however, often do nothave sufficient funds to pay a summer intern,although some private law firms that specialize inpublic interest law are able to pay interns amaximum of $250 a week, Spar said.

"Students are willing to give up the bigsalaries, as long as they can pay their rent, andpay off their law school debts," Spar said.

"It's a statement not only to the students andthe Harvard community, but to other law schools aswell. Harvard Law School has a very preeminentposition and it is important for them to showsupport for public interest law," said Julie C.Chiu, a second-year student and member of the LawSchool Council.

Law School students can also receive funds forpublic interest work from a fellowship funded bytheir classmates, the Human Rights Program fundedby the school and Work Study, if they candemonstrate financial need. The three programscombined, however, last year aided 71 out of 177who applied.

The new grants are different however, becausethe school is taking the initiative. "Once theschool says they care about public interest lawand they're willing to give money to it, it willmake a big difference to the students," said JoelH. Feldman, a second-year student and APIA member.

Other students, however, were lessenthusiastic. "I was frustrated. I guess Iunrealistically expected more," Spar said