The Feb. 28 UB Students for Public Interest (UBSPI) auction was a great success. With additional support from the law school, Maryland Legal Services Corporation and the Maryland Hispanic Bar Association, 14 students were able to enjoy paid summer public-interest fellowships this year. These fellowships provide critical work experience for law students at nonprofit and government agencies.
UBSPI is a student group that informs students about the breadth of opportunities in public interest law and works to connect students to opportunities in this area of the law.
The grants supported students working at St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center, Senior Legal Services, The Esperanza Center, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, FreeState Justice, Baltimore City Office of the Public Defender, Disability Rights Maryland, and other organizations.
“I came to law school knowing I would do public interest work,” says Shannon K. Thomas, a member of the Class of 2021 who completed her summer fellowship at FreeState Justice. ”I come from a difficult background and was always someone who was underestimated because of that.
“I knew that I had to do something to improve real people’s daily lives, or nothing I did would matter inside my heart.”
Thank you to everyone who supported the auction and UBSPI, including our generous in-kind sponsors, volunteers, attendees and everyone who bid on auction items. We couldn’t have done it without you!
