OLSPIF supports access to justice and our future public service leaders. OLSPIF-funded stipends for living expenses allow law students to work in unpaid summer public interest positions at legal nonprofits that serve underrepresented people and causes.
Events:
Save the date! OLSPIF will hold its 2025 Dinner and Auction on Friday, February 7, 2025 in the University of Oregon EMU Ballroom. Registration and event site will launch on January 2, 2025.
2024 OLSPIF Recipients
Jasmine Aguilar
I spent my summer interning for the Victim Rights Law Center located in Portland, Oregon. Thanks to the OLSPIF stipend, I was able to expand my knowledge in other areas of public interest law, including education law and privacy law. I was also able to develop experience in dealing with trauma-filled work and felt very supported by the VLRC team.
Jeffrey Armand
When I decided to attend law school, one of my top goals was to work in a public defender office. I was able to fulfill that goal at the end of my 1L year when I started an internship as research and writing intern with Multnomah Defenders, Inc. in Portland, Oregon, the second-largest public defender firm in the state. I am very grateful for the OLSPIF stipend that helped make living and working in Portland over the summer financially feasible.
Melody Britton
This summer, I had the pleasure of clerking for Oregon Law Center’s State Support Unit. I had the opportunity to work in a broad variety of areas, mostly focusing on domestic violence protective orders. I utilized my court certification to represent an individual in a contested restraining order hearing from start to finish, hone my legal research skills, and speak with many incredible attorneys about their work. These experiences helped me narrow down what I want to do after I graduate. I will forever be grateful to OLC and OLSPIF for this experience.
Leticia Cachu
During my internship with East Bay Community Law Center's immigration clinic, I provided legal support and advocacy for low-income clients by preparing applications for various immigration benefits. I also consulted with undocumented clients to explore their legal status options, conducted interviews, performed intake assessments, drafted client declarations, carried out investigations of fact, and interviewed witnesses. My contributions significantly advanced immigration legal services and made a meaningful impact on the immigrant community in the East Bay area of California. This experience greatly enhanced my professional development and reinforced my commitment to pursuing a career in public interest law.
Emily Cole
Alicia Davis
This summer, I interned with the environment section of the California Attorney General's Office. The opportunity to work on a climate nuisance case was particularly gratifying and reinforced my passion for environmental work. Meeting Attorney General Rob Bonta was also a highlight. His emphasis on the importance of public interest work and his commitment to effecting change inspired me. I gained valuable insights into the practical aspects of legal work while attending oral arguments at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and participating in intern events. Thank you, OLSPIF, for making this opportunity possible!
Alexia Hahn
This summer, I worked for the Office of the Colorado State Public Defender in Fort Collins. The office serves indigent people accused of crimes across the state and ensures everyone receives proper representation in urban and rural areas. I handled over 20 cases of my own that I worked from the beginning. After appointment to these cases, I handled discovery review, advised the client, negotiated with the District Attorney, and presented arguments to the judge. I also prepared trials and various hearings. I cannot wait to be a public defender after I graduate!
Aliyah Jones
This summer, I worked as a court-certified law clerk at the Public Defenders Services of Lane County, handling misdemeanor criminal cases and representing low-income individuals in court. My role included researching case law, writing motions, submitting funding requests for clients' cases, and assisting with arraignments. The OLSPIF-funded position was instrumental in enhancing my legal research and writing skills and allowed me to gain valuable court experience while alleviating financial burdens. Every day presented a new learning opportunity, and I am thankful to continue my work with PDSLC during the school year.
James Meschia
This summer, I had the rewarding experience of working for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. My role involved suggesting changes to game management policies, property law, criminal procedure, local government law, and CLE development. This internship deepened my understanding of state agencies and conservation law. I am deeply grateful for OLSPIF’s generous support, which made this opportunity possible and affirmed my desire to pursue a career in conservation.
Thomas Oliver
This summer I worked as a Research and Writing intern at Portland's Metropolitan Public Defender. I worked for many different attorneys, on cases ranging from misdemeanors to major felonies, helping them draft motions and research complicated legal issues. I also had ample opportunities to observe many different court proceedings, including pre-trial motions in limine, preventive detention hearings, cross-examinations, and closing arguments.
Monica Parra
This summer, I worked at the Metropolitan Public Defenders in Portland where I assisted attorneys in drafting memoranda and motions for misdemeanor, minor, and major felony cases. I also attended several hearings where I gained invaluable insights on court proceedings. MPD’s mission to provide exceptional representation to low-income citizens in the criminal justice system aligns with my values and my professional goals. OLSPIF’s support allowed me to fully engage in gaining practical experience by alleviating the financial constraints of summer internships in the public interest field.
Sarita Pauly
I interned at the Public Defender Services of Lane County this summer. I analyzed statutory and case law, conducted legislative history research, drafted various types of motions and memos, and assisted in pre-trial court proceedings by interviewing new clients. It was an extremely valuable experience that I wouldn’t trade for the world, and OLSPIF is what made it happen! The OLSPIF stipend gave me the financial freedom to work at the public defender’s office without worrying about how I would pay for housing and living expenses over the summer.
Daniel Scullion
This summer, I clerked with Access the Law in Eugene, Oregon. Access the Law champions working and low-income families and individuals by offering essential legal services. This experience allowed me to dive into the world of law, exploring landlord/tenant law, family law, immigration law and veterans’ law. My days were filled with researching fascinating case law, crafting insightful memorandums, and participating in client-attorney meetings. Thanks to the OLSPIF stipend, I gained an incredibly enriching experience in public interest law that has left a lasting impact on me.
Jonathan Shaw
This summer, thanks to the OLSPIF stipend, I accepted an internship at the Oregon Innocence Project (OIP). I work alongside four other interns. As a team, we assessed inquiries written by incarcerated persons for actual innocence claims. Analysis of these claims required us to review the inquiries and the agreed upon facts from trial to post-conviction proceedings for objective evidence that inquirers did not commit the crimes for which they were convicted. It’s amazing work, and I am thankful to OLSPIF.
Miranda Vermeer
I am incredibly grateful for the OLSPIF stipend, which made it possible for me to spend my summer as a law clerk for the Public Defenders Services of Lane County. As a court-certified law student, I was able to represent clients myself, which was incredibly rewarding. I was also able to conduct research, write motions, and assist with arraignments. The attorneys and staff at PDSLC have been incredible, and the opportunity to work with them may not have been attainable for me without the OLSPIF stipend.
Past Recipients
2021