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Law students attend Equal Justice Works Conference

USC Gould School of Law • November 10, 2006
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Submitted by Lindsay Toczylowski

Five second-year USC Law students representing public service groups attended the 20th annual Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair in Adelphi, Maryland, in October.

The Public Interest Law Foundation was represented at the conference by board members Lindsay Toczylowski, Sarah Truesdell, Drew Coffin and Michelle Keogh, while Legal Aid Alternative Breaks was represented by

USC Law students at Equal Justice Works conference
Sarah Truesdell, Malissa Barnwell-Scott, Lisa Mead, Lindsay Toczylowski, Drew Coffin, Michelle Keogh, and Andy Miller
President Andy Miller. Joining the students were Associate Dean Lisa Mead and Student Programs Advisor Malissa Barnwell-Scott, both from USC Law’s Office of Public Service.

Equal Justice Works, formerly the National Association for Public Interest Law, leads the nation in promoting public interest programs at law schools and providing summer and postgraduate public interest opportunities for law students and lawyers. With a commitment to making society more just, Equal Justice Works promotes career opportunities in underserved and disadvantaged communities.

Over 75 employers from across the country were in attendance to interview students and provide information on the work they do. Participants also attended a variety of workshops on topics such as defending internet free speech, promoting public service projects on campus, financing a career in public interest law, doing pro bono work at law firms, and the ongoing efforts of the Student Hurricane Network to bring services to hurricane-affected areas.

The USC Law delegation was pleased to find that USC is one of the frontrunners in providing law students with public interest volunteer opportunities. The work that PILF does in connecting students with over 30 local public interest agencies provides invaluable services to the Los Angeles community and gives students the opportunity to practice the legal skills they are learning in the classroom.

We are hoping to return next year to participate in a panel discussion on building and maintaining these connections with community agencies.  We also visited with numerous employers to gather information for USC Law students who may be interested in pursuing career opportunities outside Southern California. We look forward to sharing information from the conference with students and faculty later this year. 

PILF and LAAB would like to thank both the Office of Public Service, the Office of Student Affairs, the National Lawyer’s Guild, and the Women’s Law Association for supporting the students who represented USC at this conference. 

For more information on Equal Justice Works, visit www.equaljusticeworks.org

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