Public Service

Instilling public service values is at the core of our mission. All students will be taught about and have direct exposure to the gaps in our justice system. We have provided generous scholarships for each incoming class, and are establishing a generous loan-forgiveness program, to help support those who want to pursue a career of service in the public interest.

Students will be strongly encouraged to participate in UCI Law's Pro Bono Program, providing legal services to underserved communities while supervised by an attorney or member of the law school faculty. Students do not receive academic credit or financial gain for their work, but log valuable experiential-learning time while addressing gaps in our justice system and assisting those with the greatest need in our community.

Students also enjoy a variety of clinical experiences in which they can get the opportunity to work with real clients in real-life settings. This provides many with the opportunity to develop ties with local public interest organizations and the skills to work in such organizations once they graduate.

Working closely with Carrie Hempel, the UCI Law Associate Dean for Clinical Education/Service Learning, the Public Law Center developed a program that provides a real-life interview experience for the UCI first-year law students. The PLC also provided pro bono work opportunities for a couple dozen Inaugural Class students. Read more about the collaboration between UCI Law and the Public Law Center.

Also, among the employers that have supported our school or interviewed on campus are cutting-edge public interest law groups located throughout Southern California, including Asian Pacific American Legal Center, California Rural Legal Assistance, California Women's Law Center, Legal aid Society of Orange County, LAMBDA Legal Defense and Education Fund, Public Law Center, and Western Center on Law and Poverty.

UCI Law also encourages students to provide legal services to the underserved through our Externship Program, which gives academic credit for hands-on legal experience. Among the externship opportunities offered is a new full-semester program called UCDC, a collaboration among the UC law schools that helps place second- and third-year students in Washington D.C. externships, including on Capitol Hill, in the Department of Justice and the White House, and with many other agencies and non-profit organizations.

Official Pro Bono Policy

The University of California, Irvine School of Law is deeply committed to the performance of public service work. We expect that our students and faculty will be regularly engaged in public service work throughout their careers.

Public service work, of course, can take many forms and reflect many values, including activities such as helping those who cannot afford legal services and working for public interest and government organizations. We encourage our students and faculty to set yearly public service goals similar to those expected of practicing attorneys.

(Adopted by the faculty Sept. 23, 2009)

“The UC Irvine School of Law’s

public interest emphasis and Erwin Chemerinsky’s commitment to experiential learning will help ensure that the next generation of lawyers in our community has a deep understanding of and a strong commitment to a critically important idea – that in order for our justice system to remain one of the cornerstones of our democratic society it must be accessible to all, regardless of economic status. Through helping to solve real world, everyday problems faced by those in Orange County’s low-income community, UC Irvine School of Law students will be able to put into practice what they’re learning. We’re very excited about this outstanding ’win-win’ opportunity for UCI and its students, the Public Law Center and the communities we serve.”

Ken Babcock
Executive Director and General Counsel, Public Law Center