Public Interest Center

During spring break week in March, students commit 20 to 40 hours of pro bono work to local and out-of-state public interest organizations, gaining hands-on experience in various activities such as:  

• Legal research and writing 
• Accompanying attorneys to court proceedings and conferences, whether virtual or in-person
• Participating in client intake meetings
• Reviewing and compiling executive orders or legislative updates
• Assisting with legal articles and publications

With partnerships spanning over 15 organizations, our students tackle a diverse array of issues, including civil rights litigation, protecting the legal rights of elder citizens and undocumented residents, advocating for LGBTQ+ youth, and defending tenants against eviction.

Our annual Public Interest Auction brings hundreds of students, faculty, alumni, and friends together to bid on a wonderful range of goods, services, and experiences. Auction proceeds support the Center's programs and initiatives, including our:
 

• Summer Public Interest Fellowship Program

• Spring Break Service Program
• Center Fellows Program
• Pro bono programming

With this vital support, St. John's Law students build practical knowledge and skills hands on while giving back to their communities. 

The Summer Public Interest Fellowship Program seeks to encourage and facilitate participation by St. John’s Law students in the delivery of legal aid services and legal advocacy. 

Fellowships are awarded to eligible students for full-time summer positions in non-profit organizations and governmental agencies. These positions focus on providing legal assistance and advocacy to traditionally underrepresented clients, groups, or interests. 

The number of fellowships available each year, and the award amounts, are based on available funds. Fellowships are funded by proceeds from our online, silent, and live auctions, endowment funds, alumni donations, as well as law school Center-specific and foundation-supported fellowships. 

Every year, the Center awards fellowships to four exceptional students who support key programs and initiatives throughout the academic year. Fellows engage in specific projects, including the Spring Break Service Program and the annual Public Interest Auction. This fellowship offers invaluable opportunities for professional growth, connecting fellows with experts and peers dedicated to public interest law, and providing access to specialized resources and opportunities.

Coordinated by St. John's Law and the New York State Unified Court System, the statewide Pro Bono Scholars Program allows eligible students in their last year of law school to take the February New York Bar Exam in exchange for completing 12 weeks of full-time, supervised, pro bono work from March through May of their final semester and completing an academic component. The character-and-fitness process is fast-tracked for Pro Bono Scholars seeking admission to the New York State Bar.

The first of its kind in the country, the program is designed to reinforce the legal profession’s commitment to, and St. John's Vincentian mission of fostering, a culture of service while generating countless hours of pro bono work each year on behalf of New York's most underserved communities.

The CLARO Program is a pro se advice initiative sponsored by the New York City Bar Association and the Queens County Bar Association. Through this program, law students collaborate with volunteer attorneys to support individuals facing consumer debt lawsuits by advising them on self-representation strategies. Operating as a walk-in clinic every Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. at Queens Civil Court, CLARO provides students with practical experience in consumer debt law. Prior to volunteering, St. John's Law students complete training on the relevant substantive and procedural law. As CLARO volunteers, students welcome clients, conduct intake interviews, accompany attorneys during litigant consultations, and assist with follow-up tasks, including drafting and filing court documents. 

In collaboration with Sanctuary for Families, St. John’s Law students participate in the CAP program, a pro bono initiative dedicated to advocating for domestic violence survivors seeking protective orders in family court. Students assist clients by drafting petitions, representing them at initial and subsequent court appearances before Family Court judges, educating them on the Family Court process, and providing safety planning resources. CAP prepares students through a comprehensive four-hour training session and a detailed training manual. Following training, students are assigned cases and work under the direct supervision of family law attorneys. 

The Public Interest Center and its affiliates offer students a range of opportunities to gain practical knowledge and skills while advocating for underrepresented individuals and communities.

Clinics

Students gain experience doing real legal work for New Yorkers in need through our 10 in-house and partner clinics:

• Bankruptcy Advocacy Clinic

• Bread and Life Immigration Clinic

• Child Advocacy Clinic

• Consumer Justice for the Elderly: Litigation Clinic

• Criminal Defense Clinic

• Domestic Violence Litigation Clinic

• Economic Justice Clinic

• Prosecution Clinic

• Refugee and Immigrant Rights Litigation Clinic

• Securities Arbitration Clinic

Public Interest & Public Service Externships

Eligible students can apply to St. John's law-approved public interest and public service externship placements or seek approval from the Career Development Office for an outside placement. Over 100 public interest and public service employers are currently approved under the St. John's Law Externship Program, including:
 

• District Attorney's Offices

• Environmental Protection Agency

• Federal Trade Commission

• National Labor Relations Board

• New York City Law Department

• New York State Attorney General's Office

• U.S. Attorney's Offices

• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

• U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

The Public Interest Center affiliates with the Public Interest Law Students Association (PILSA). Part of the Law School's Student Bar Association (SBA), PILSA is made up of law students dedicated to supporting and enhancing the Law School's public interest endeavors. In the past, PILSA has worked with various public interest organizations, the Center, the Law School Administration and the Career Development Office to coordinate on-campus activities, including panel presentations, fundraising and social events. Additionally, PILSA encourages students' involvement in off-campus public interest organizations where they can assist, under practice order or attorney supervision, in helping real world clients. 

The resources below are basic examples of public interest opportunities. For more information and a list of pro bono opportunities, please refer to the Public Interest Center Canvas course. 

Job Opportunities 

• Public Service Jobs Directory (PSJD): A unique online clearinghouse for law students and lawyers to access public interest job listings and career-building resources. PSJD also has Practice Area Guides to explore career options.
• Idealist.org: A job search board where some public interest organizations, such as legal aid providers, post jobs for attorneys. 
• Students should also check Symplicity and the Career Development Office newsletter for additional information. 

Career Fairs 

• Public Interest Legal Career (PILC) Fair: Hosted by NYU Law, the PILC Fair provides a forum where employers and students can connect during interviews and information tables. 
• Equal Justice Works: A national nonprofit, Equal Justice Works creates opportunities for lawyers to transform their passion for equal justice into a lifelong commitment to public service. Each fall, Equal Justice Works hosts its annual Career Fair, bringing together hundreds of law students and public interest employers for prescheduled interviews and table talk discussions. 

Jeanne Ortiz-Ortiz
Pronouns: She/Her
St. John's University School of Law | 3-41
8000 Utopia Parkway
Queens, NY 11439
Tel: 718-990-6948 | Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn

Gina M. Calabrese
Professor of Clinical Legal Education
Associate Director, Consumer Justice for the Elderly: Litigation Clinic

Ann L. Goldweber
Professor and Director of Clinical Legal Education
Director, Consumer Justice for the Elderly: Litigation Clinic

Justin Gorgchuk '25

Pronouns: He/Him

Justin is a third-year student from Edmonton, Canada. He graduated from the University of Alberta in 2009 with a B.Sc. specializing in Molecular Genetics. Justin worked in the field of environmental science for over a decade before studying law at St. John’s. Throughout his time at St. John’s, Justin has been active in the Public Interest Center as a 1L class representative for the 2022-2023 academic year, committee co-chair for the 2023 Public Interest Auction, and Associate Director of Online Fundraising for the 2024 Public Interest Auction. As a Public Interest Fellow, Justin is looking forward to working with students and alums that are passionate about public interest law.

Sadia Kauser '25

Pronouns: She/Her

Sadia is a third-year student born in Dhaka, Bangladesh and raised in The Bronx. She graduated from CUNY Hunter College in 2021 with a B.A. in English Linguistics and Rhetoric and a minor in Psychology. After graduation, Sadia completed a fellowship with the Office of the New York City Comptroller. She then worked as an investigator for police misconduct allegations at the Civilian Complaint Review Board, which solidified her interest in pursuing a career in public service. During her time at law school, she interned at the New York State Attorney General’s Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative Office, Office of Special Investigation, and the Queens District Attorney’s Office. This past summer, Sadia interned at the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division Criminal Section. As a Public Interest Center Fellow, Sadia hopes to make the center a one-stop resource for students passionate about serving the public.

Bridget Murphy '25

Pronouns: She/Her

Bridget Murphy is a third-year law student from Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She graduated magna cum laude from Colorado State University in 2020 with a B.A. in Political Science. At St. John’s Law, Bridget serves as a senior staff member of the St. John’s Law Review and Moot Court Honor Society. During her second year, she served as a Legal Writing teaching assistant, a Federal Bar Association student scholar, a chair of the Public Interest Center Business Solicitation Committee, and sat on the Law Faculty and Dean Hiring Committees. Bridget spent her first summer interning for Judge James R. Cho of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. This summer, she interned for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legislative Affairs in Washington, D.C.  Bridget looks forward to a fall internship with the Securities Arbitration Clinic and a spring externship with the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. After graduation, she will serve as a law clerk for Judge Sanket J. Bulsara of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Sabrina Meristil '25

Pronouns: She/Her

Sabrina is a third-year student from New York. She graduated with a B.S. in Legal Studies from St. John’s University. This past summer, Sabrina worked at a law office that specializes in real estate law, where she gained valuable experience in drafting and reviewing legal documents. Driven by a commitment to public interest, Sabrina founded a Women in Law Association during her undergraduate studies, to support and empower women pursuing legal careers. Her commitment to public interest is further demonstrated by her scholarly paper, which examined the impact of zoning policies on gentrification in New York City and offered recommendations for preserving a neighborhood’s cultural character amid infrastructure development. Additionally, Sabrina served as the Logistics Committee Co-Chair for the 2023-2024 Public Interest Auction. As a public interest fellow, Sabrina is eager to further her advocacy efforts and contribute to the work that the Public Interest Center does.  

Hannah Stubbs '26

Pronouns: She/Her

Hannah is a second-year student from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. She graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2019 with a B.A. in the Program of Liberal Studies and a minor in the Hesburgh Program of Public Service.  Before attending law school, Hannah gained meaningful experience in public service as a paralegal at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.  She worked in the Appellate Section and the Office of the Assistant Attorney General of the Antitrust Division during her four-year tenure.  In her spare time, she provided pro bono legal assistance to the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless.  At St. John’s Law, Hannah serves as a junior staff member on the American Bankruptcy Law Review and member of the Intellectual Property Law Society Executive Board. During her 1L summer, Hannah interned with Hon. Michael A. Hammer, a District of New Jersey magistrate judge. As a public interest fellow, Hannah is excited to deepen her commitment to serving the public good and engage with students who are interested in public interest law and pro bono work.

Don't hesitate to reach out to us to learn more about the Center and get involved in our efforts. You can email Jeanne Ortiz-Ortiz, the Director, at [email protected] or by calling 718-990-6948. For general inquiries, please email [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you! 

Your support is crucial in driving forward the initiatives at the Public Interest Center. To contribute, please consider: 

1. Making an online donation or 

2. Feel free to contact Brian Woods at the Law School Development and Alumni Relations Office by emailing [email protected] or calling (718) 990-5792 for more ways to support our work.

Every contribution, big or small, makes a significant impact.