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.
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. Pro bono opportunities are made available through the 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. Some recent opportunities have included the International Refugee Assistance Project, the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyer Foundation Saturday Attorney program, and several volunteer legal clinics, among others.
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.
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
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
- Barton Policy and Legislative Advocacy Clinics
- Barton Juvenile Defender Clinic
- Barton Appeal for Youth Clinic
- International Humanitarian Law Clinic
- Turner Environmental Law Clinic
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.
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 2024, 34 students with demonstrated interest in public service careers were awarded grants of $5,000 ($6,000 for John Paul Stevens Fellows) to subsidize internships throughout Georgia and the United States.
In addition to the EPIC Grants, in summer 2024, the Center for Professional Development and Career Strategy launched a program to provide $3,500 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.
Learn more about EPIC Grants »
Learn more about Center for Career Strategy summer stipends »
Justice John Paul Stevens Summer Fellowships
