EPIC grants, summer stipends fund public interest work

This summer Emory University School of Law funded more than 150 students to work with nonprofits, judges, and federal, state, and local government offices across the country. This is a key aspect of our student flourishing mission. The goal is to inspire students to lead as lawyers in the public sector, gain hands on practical legal experience, and learn from experienced practitioners and judges.

Forty-two students received Emory Public Interest Committee (EPIC) grants, which provide $5,000 to $7,000 to students showing demonstrated commitment to public interest and a likelihood of becoming public service leaders in the future. Three of these students were selected as Emory Law's inaugural Center for Civil Rights and Social Justice Fellows: Emily Cannon 28L will assist with capital defense cases at the Georgia Resource Center; Reghan Daniels 28L will pursue holistic criminal defense at the Georgia Justice Project; and Elinor Sims 28L will work with the Southern Center for Human Rights. An additional six of students will serve as Justice John Paul Stevens Fellows, joining a national cohort of law students dedicated to public interest careers.

Erik Raaum 28L, who serves as the Paul J. Murphy 86L Fellow at Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation's Safe and Stable Homes Project, emphasized the significance of these grants: “As I continue my journey toward becoming an attorney, I am driven by the desire to create lasting, meaningful change. I came to law school because I wanted to make a greater impact than I ever could without a JD, and doing so this summer with AVLF will be the perfect start to my legal career.” 

This year, distinguished alumna Ruth Rocker McMullin 00L established an endowed EPIC grant for a student working with Atlanta Legal Aid's Veterans' Services Project in honor of her late father, Wilbert L. Rocker, Sr. This year's Rocker Fellow is Rosario Rivera 28L.

The Career Services stipend granted $3,250 to 110 students who are exploring public service during their summer. These students are working in the public sector across the country, from California to New Hampshire. In total, the stipend has been awarded to students working in 17 different states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

The purpose of the summer stipend is to defray living costs so that our students can explore various areas of the public sector. As explained by Janessa Wheeler 28L, who is interning with the Los Angeles County Counsel’s Litigation Monitoring Division, “This incredible opportunity will allow me to gain firsthand insight into the flow of government litigation and constituent accountability. Thanks to this stipend, I was able to secure summer accommodations without having to fully uproot my life in Atlanta, making this experience financially feasible in a way it otherwise would not have been. This support has meaningfully relieved some of the burden associated with building a professional network across the country, and I am grateful for the investment in my future."

Center for Public Service and Center for Professional Development and Career Strategy staff said they are thrilled to offer these funding options for our students to explore significant areas of law practice over the summer. Every student who applied received an award from the school or its funding partners, and Emory Law anticipates continuing this tradition.