Foundation for Growth

Recent grant will help public interest and small business programs grow

—By Darren Schenck

USC Law students working in public service programs or small business development will have even more opportunities to develop their leadership and clinical skills in the coming year, thanks to a recent grant from the Orfalea Family Foundation.

The grant, the foundation’s second to the law school, will support the Office of Public Service (OPS) and the Small Business Clinic.

The real winners, however, will be the communities served by both OPS and the clinic. Under the aegis of both programs, law students volunteer their time, energy and legal expertise to assist local residents who otherwise would not have access to legal counsel. In return, students gain invaluable real-world experience and the opportunity to take the lead in significant public service programs.

“Preparing this next generation to participate and engage in a civic community will impact not only their lives, but philanthropy in general,” said Lois Mitchell, president of the Orfalea Family Foundation.

“We are really grateful to the Orfalea Family Foundation, because the funding allows us to empower students to connect with the community,” said Associate Dean Lisa Mead, director of OPS. “Such support makes student-led, grass-roots projects possible.”

Programs that OPS supports include the Legal Aid Alternative Break, neighborhood clean-up events, the Street Law and La Raza Law Students Association programs, Habitat for Humanity projects and student leadership development. This spring break, more than 40 students will travel to the Gulf Coast to provide legal and other assistance to hurricane-afflicted residents.

Last year, 3L Lindsay Toczylowski attended the Equal Justice Works conference in Washington, D.C. With the support and encouragement of OPS, she was able to propose a panel about discovering international internship opportunities for the next conference and then ended up leading the well-attended event.

“The Office of Public Service is important to students,” Toczylowski said. “I will be working in international human rights after law school, and without the support of the office, we couldn’t go to conferences or pursue other opportunities beyond the L.A. legal market.”

Launched last fall, the Small Business Clinic offers basic corporate legal assistance to small businesses, entrepreneurs and nonprofit organizations. Directed by Professor Michael Chasalow, the clinic already has helped local residents from more than 40 businesses, ranging from a non-profit corporation that helps disabled youth attend college to a DVD production that provides advice to struggling parents. This semester, nine students are working individually with clients for the clinic.

“The Orfalea Family Foundation’s support allows us to keep the clinic going strong through the summer and next fall,” said Chasalow. “It enables us to help people who otherwise couldn’t launch a small business because they couldn’t afford the legal fees, which easily could be $5,000 to $10,000.”

The Orfalea Family Foundation also bolstered its support of the Clinton-Orfalea Fellowship Program. Established in 2006, the program awards several one-year post-graduate fellowships for high-achieving USC graduates with a demonstrated commitment to practical social action and the desire to pursue long-term careers in public service roles in business, government, the nonprofit sector or governmental organizations. Students from USC Law, the USC Marshall School of Business and the USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development may apply for the fellowship.