Pepperdine Caruso Law Hosts Public Interest Week 2025
Pepperdine Caruso Law’s Advocates for Public Interest Law (APIL) Board hosted an incredible Public Interest Week on November 3-6 to bring awareness to public interest opportunities, both in law school and as a career path.
The week began with a Public Interest Student Panel, hosted by APIL board member, Christian Kim, in which recent recipients of the Summer Public Interest Fellowship shared their experiences in a variety of public interest placements. With experiences ranging from immigration to trafficking to disaster recovery, Christian Langston, Sophia Kennan, Caroline Kedeshian, Hirni Shah, Amanda Quintana shared the practical lessons learned and how serving clients and the pursuit of justice deeply impacted their professional and personal development.
On Tuesday, Justice Stories brought attention to the many ways that Pepperdine clinics and externship students are seeking justice on behalf of their clients. Students heard inspiring stories from Pepperdine Caruso Law clinical professors and students. A few highlights included:
- Assisting a family experiencing a mental health crisis and in the midst of divorce
- Advocating for the accommodation of the free exercise rights of a Rastafarian prisoner
- Clearing the extensive criminal records of a woman victimized by human trafficking
- Mediating a case at Los Angeles Superior court, resulting in not only a settlement, but also an apology
The signature event of the week was the return of the APIL Auction! This annual event was canceled last year due to local wildfires, so it was a joy to see the atrium full once again with students enjoying lunch and raising their paddles, led by auctioneer extraordinaire professor Steve Schultz! Students bid on donations from the faculty, ranging from Lakers tickets, to lunches and dinner parties, to a trip to the Magic Castle. The auction was a huge success, raising thousands of dollars for the Summer Public Interest Stipend program, which supports students working in unpaid public interest positions.
The week closed out with Alexis Joyce, assistant dean of Career Development, and professor Brittany Stringfellow Otey, acting director of Clinical Education, leading a discussion on how to make a career in public interest possible. With an engaged student audience, the two shared about pathways toward public interest careers, fellowships, and loan forgiveness options.
Pepperdine Caruso Law congratulates the APIL Board members for a successful week of events: president Brigitte Ahrens, co-vice president of communication Amanda Peterson, co-vice president of communication Emma Joy McArthy, vice president of finance Sophia Kennan, vice president of volunteer coordination Reid Jackson, event coordinator Christian Kim, and 1L representatives Faith Cook, Brooklyn Wilson, and Samuel Collins. Professor Brittany Stringfellow Otey is the APIL faculty advisor.
