About PILF

The Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF) is an all-volunteer organization run by Seattle University law students. Our purpose is to support students dedicated to social justice through the facilitation of critical dialogue, speaker and panel series, and networking events with alumni working in public interest. PILF also offers summer grants for students working in legal positions for non-profit organizations that could not otherwise afford legal assistance. PILF operates under Seattle University as a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

     The Seattle University Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF) is celebrating its 15th year in conjunction with the Law School’s 35th anniversary. Over the years, PILF has consistently been an integral part of the social justice dialogue at Seattle University School of Law. In its early years, PILF was instrumental in creating the Loan Repayment Assistance Program for students pursuing careers in public interest law. While the School of Law now manages the funding and administration of that program, PILF continues to raise funds for its Summer Grants program through its two main fundraising events – the Fall Pledge Drive and the Spring Auction.
     The PILF Summer Grants program provides stipends to law students working for public interest organizations that could not otherwise afford a summer intern. In recent years, PILF has awarded more than 20 grants per year, supporting students working for organizations such as Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Unemployment Law Project, Solid Ground, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, Northwest Justice Project, Infectious Disease Research Institute, National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, Disability Rights Washington, several local Native American tribes, and many Public Defenders offices, locally and across the country. You can read about the experiences of some of the grant recipients in their summer journals at http://www.law.seattleu.edu/pilfsummer?mode=flash.