Serving the Greater Good

Emory Law is deeply committed to preparing students for legal careers in public interest and to encouraging pro bono service as a part of every attorney’s practice. Our students benefit from a range of curricular and co-/extra-curricular experiences that bring together respected professors, leading practitioners, and exceptional “learn-by-doing” experiential opportunities.

Center for Public Service

The Center for Public Service serves as a hub connecting all students with meaningful opportunities to engage in public interest work and to explore the ways public service will fit into their professional identities. Center programs and services include our Pro Bono programs; lunchtime and evening programs bringing practicing attorneys, alumni and judges to Emory to engage with students on public interest topics; a Public Interest Alumni Directory; and programs to provide funding for summer public interest opportunities.

Click here to learn more about the Center for Public Service.

Studying Public Interest

Beyond foundational coursework, students may select from an extensive array of courses and in-depth seminars, such as the following:

Environmental Law
Immigration
International Human Rights
Juvenile Law
Pro Bono in Practice
Vulnerability & Justice

Access to Justice Practicum
Administrative Law
Asylum Law
Catalyzing Social Impacts
Child Welfare Law
Constitutional Litigation
Education Law

Pro Bono Service

Pro bono service is an essential part of every lawyer’s professional career. We encourage students to do pro bono work on behalf of indigent and underrepresented groups. Emory Law participates in Paladin, a nationwide database connecting law student with pro bono opportunities. Students connect with additional opportunities through our annual Pro Bono Fair, volunteer clinics, and on-campus, off-campus, and virtual trainings by legal services providers. Students may receive a pro bono certificate and/or medal in recognition of outstanding pro bono service.

Click here to learn more about Emory Law’s Pro Bono Program.

Emory Public Interest Committee

Founded in 1988, the student-led Emory Public Interest Committee (EPIC) promotes public interest law and presents a variety of public interest programs and volunteer opportunities. EPIC sponsors one of the Atlanta legal community’s signature public interest fundraising events: The EPIC Inspiration Awards, where practitioners are recognized for their commitment to public service. All funds go to support students who work in otherwise unpaid summer public sector internships through summer grants. EPIC also sponsors the annual EPIC Conference, which brings together leading practitioners and scholars to present on a topic of current interest in public service law.

Learn more about EPIC »

Clinical Experiences and Externships

Emory’s clinical and externship programs provide law students with practical opportunities to apply skills and concepts learned in the classroom to gain public service experience. Students can enroll in faculty-supervised clinical experiences for course credit, enroll in a wide range of externships with local legal services organizations, or volunteer with a student-led volunteer clinic.

Student-led Clinics:

Faculty-led Clinics

Externships

Emory Law offers externships with more than 90 organizations; a large number of those are with public interest and government employers. To view a partial list and learn more, click here.

Career Center Services & Job Fairs

Through the Center for Professional Development and Career Strategy, we offer one-on-one advising with a recognized expert in public service careers. Emory Law is part of the Georgia Law School Consortium, which presents the Public Sector Career Fair each spring. We also participate in the Equal Justice Works Career Fair and Conference, a national conference held annually in the fall.

Center for Civil Rights and Social Justice Fellowships

Beginning in 2026, Emory Law’s Center for Civil Rights and Social Justice offered summer fellowships to outstanding students pursuing summer positions with civil rights organizations. The 2026 Center for Civil Rights and Social Justice Fellows were Emily Cannon 28L, The Georgia Resource Center, and Reghan Daniels 27L, the Georgia Justice Project.

Student Public Interest Grants

Since 1989, EPIC has provided summer grants for students pursuing unpaid internships with legal services organizations, government agencies, and the judiciary. In 2026, 42 students with demonstrated interest in public service careers were awarded grants of $5,000 to $7,000 to subsidize internships throughout Georgia and the United States.

In addition to the EPIC Grants, since 2024, the Center for Professional Development and Career Strategy has provided stipends to students who accept summer volunteer jobs at legal public sector and public interest organizations. These stipends, designed to encourage students to pursue high-quality summer legal experiences that they might not otherwise be able to afford, greatly increased the number of Emory Law students receiving summer funding for public interest and public sector work. In 2026, over 150 students received summer funding through either EPIC Grants or Career Services Summer Stipends.

Learn more about EPIC Grants »

Learn more about Center for Career Strategy summer stipends »

Justice John Paul Stevens Summer Fellowships

In 2026, six Emory Law students pursuing summer public interest work were awarded Justice John Paul Stevens Foundation Public Interest Fellowships, which are nationally competitive – applications are accepted only from select law schools chosen by the Foundation.

The six Stevens Fellows, and their host organizations, are: Elle Anderson 28L, Law Office of the DeKalb County Public Defender; Srishti Bungle 28L, Atlanta Legal Aid Society; Paige Henderson 27L, The Rhode Island Public Defender; Kathleen Kiernan 28L, Office of U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff; Morgan Meyer 27L, Orleans Public Defenders Office; Betelem Wolde 28L, Atlanta Legal Aid Society.