A Culture of Service
UCLA School of Law is recognized as one of the nation's preeminent law schools, where a diverse law student population comes together in an innovative and supportive environment. The School of Law is situated in a city that is a living laboratory for every conceivable social challenge, and the School encourages students to take advantage of both the UCLA campus and the city -- to become involved in activities both on campus and in the community -- in order to enhance their academic experience. The School of Law has a long-standing commitment to public service, and it has sought to cultivate an environment that encourages students to serve society in a myriad of ways. The School encourages all students to gain exposure to the public and not-for-profit sectors, and it provides a variety of opportunities to gain such exposure through a pro bono program, clinical courses, an externship program, extensive public interest advising and informational programming, and numerous student organizations. The School of Law strives to strengthen the relationship between the School community and the greater Los Angeles community and to nurture in all of its students a public service ethic that students will carry with them throughout their professional lives.
Mission
The Office of Public Interest Programs strives to enhance the School of Law’s long-standing commitment to public service by offering a wide array of services to School of Law students and alumni. The Office’s principal goal is to encourage students and alumni to embrace a career that incorporates an ongoing commitment to public service.
The Office has four principal areas of responsibility:
- Providing career counseling and advice to students and alumni interested in pursuing pro bono opportunities and/or post-graduate public interest employment
- Encouraging and facilitating pro bono work by students
- Developing and implementing an array of programs and events
- Serving as the School of Law's main information center for public interest and community service activities
The Office also maintains a public interest resource library, where students and alumni can find both information about specific public interest and public sector organizations and agencies and directories, books, periodicals, and Office-developed publications on a variety of topics related to public service and public interest practice.