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School of Law Funds Public Interest Work for 51 Students

Pepperdine University School of Law has given more than $122,000 to 51 students for national and international public interest work this summer. Thirty-three students will work stateside in locations ranging from downtown Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., and 18 students will travel abroad to work in Uganda, Rwanda, Thailand, and Belize.

Of the 18 students traveling internationally, nine students will serve in Uganda, four will work in Rwanda, two will be in Thailand, and two will be in Belize. The other students will work with organizations such as the Children's Law Center, in Los Angeles, California; Los Angeles County Child Services; the California Women's Law Center; and World Vision International.

The public interest stipends come from several sources at the school, including the student group Advocates for Public Interest Law; the Dean's Excellence Fund; the Herbert and Elinor Nootbaar Institute on Law, Religion, and Ethics; and the University's Lilly Endowment. In addition to the funds raised from these groups, alumnus Michael Bidart has given $50,000 to further public interest work.

The School of Law deans support the students' initiatives, which run the gamut from legal community service to international human rights. "We are very proud of our 50 students who are engaging in public interest work across the world this summer," says Vice Dean Tim Perrin. "At Pepperdine we take very seriously our obligation to serve those in need whether locally, nationally, or internationally."