Declan Dempsey and Calen Garrett spend the summer advancing justice through public interest law
Two USC Gould School of Law students, 3Ls Declan Dempsey and Calen Garrett, have been named 2025 John Paul Stevens Foundation Public Interest Fellows. The fellowship provides funding to law students working in unpaid public interest summer positions and supports efforts to promote equal access to justice in line with the legacy of U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.
Declan Dempsey
Dempsey spent his summer at the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, where he conducted multiple preliminary hearings and worked directly with clients. The experience provided a foundation for his goal of becoming a public defender. “I wanted to apply for this fellowship to push myself to live out that mission and actively put my legal knowledge and education to work,” Dempsey said. “This fellowship is dedicated to effective justice through public interest work and recognizes that the law must serve everyone, regardless of who they are.”
He noted that conducting hearings gave him the chance to strengthen his oral advocacy skills and engage with the legal process in a meaningful way. “It was extremely rewarding to see that work pay off,” he said, referring to several hearings that resulted in the dismissal of charges. “I was proud to be the one to stand up for [our clients] in the face of a scary and stressful situation.”
At USC Gould, Dempsey has been active in student organizations related to public interest and trial advocacy. He served on the board of the Criminal Law Society, participated in Moot Court, and is currently on the executive board of the Gould Trial Team. He said receiving the fellowship gave him a strong sense of connection to the broader Gould public interest community. “It makes me proud to be part of such a great community of law students and lawyers who are passionate about public interest work just like me.”
Calen Garrett
Garrett worked at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office in the Preliminary Hearing Unit, assisting on a range of cases including vehicle theft, robbery and possession of a controlled substance. He emphasized how the fellowship enabled him to pursue this opportunity, which would otherwise have been financially out of reach. “Being able to live, take care of my expenses and just focus on helping people — that was the biggest gift for me,” he said.
Reflecting on his experience, Garrett spoke about the broader impact of public interest legal work. “I think it just really highlighted for me the importance of what public interest law is for people,” he said. “There are so many people who want legal help but can’t afford it. I know where I come from, and I know what it means to pay that forward.”
A former president of the Criminal Law Society and active member of the Barbara F. Bice Public Interest Law Foundation, Garrett was also involved in undergraduate student government at the University of Washington, where he first developed his interest in community-based service. After graduation, he plans to apply for a post-bar fellowship with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, with the goal of becoming a Deputy District Attorney.
‘Small but mighty field’
Both students acknowledged the broader value of the fellowship, which connects law students across the country who share a commitment to public interest careers. “The fellowship gives you a network of people who understand that this is hard work but is worth it,” Garrett added. “We’re all trying to be the best possible attorneys we can be in this small but mighty field of public interest law.”
Dempsey expressed a similar takeaway: “This experience, as well as all of the work I have done at Gould to volunteer with public interest law, will always stay with me as I begin my legal career.”
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