Students log more than 1,900 hours of volunteer time
-By Gilien Silsby
USC Gould School of Law students were celebrated at the annual Pro Bono Luncheon, hosted by USC’s Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF).
Gould students logged more than 1,900 hours of pro bono legal work, volunteering at dozens of nonprofit organizations during the 2014-15 school year, said PILF president Zachary Lainer.
“We are proud of the contributions Gould students make to our local and national communities,” Lainer said. “This impact is not limited to their summer-work, but extends year-round. We believe their experiences now, will propel them to a lifetime of pro bono and public interest work and activities.”
For 2014-2015, PILF awarded 26 summer grants to 1Ls and 2Ls, and seven bar stipends, including the Karen A. Lash Grant, to graduating 3Ls.
USC Gould students worked with more than a dozen of organizations in the Los Angeles area, including Bet Tzedek Legal Services and Public Counsel.
Dean Robert K. Rasmussen said that the PILF Awards luncheon is a highlight of the year. "This event reminds us who we are as a law school and community," he said. "We honor students and alums who have taken legal training and use it to make the world a just place."
Receiving special recognition at the April 30 luncheon were:
Public Interest Student of the Year
Sam Brown ‘15
Brown was recognized for his dedication to employment equality and workers' rights legal work. He was a peer mentor, Saks Institute Scholar, and as co-president of the National Lawyers' Guild Chapter at USC. Brown has a strong interest in beginning his legal career as a public defender. In the field of mental health, he is interested in focusing on the legal reform necessary to break the stigma associated with mental illness.
Public Interest Attorney of the Year
Ben Conway ‘06, Public Counsel Children's Rights Project
Conway is a supervising staff attorney at Public Counsel in Los Angeles. He supervises a multi-disciplinary team that provides direct service to and policy advocacy for children with disabilities, English learners, youth in the juvenile delinquency system, and youth who have been subjected to commercial sexual exploitation. He litigates education cases including Casey A. v. Delgado, a class-action lawsuit for approximately 2,000 youth detained in Los Angeles County that is in its third year of a court-supervised settlement agreement. Prior to joining Public Counsel, Conway was a staff attorney at Mental Health Advocacy Services where he represented children with mental and developmental disabilities.
Pro Bono Attorneys of the Year
Bryant Yang, Irell & Manella LLP
Zachary Davidson (Class of 2012), Irell & Manella LLP
Curt Brown, Irell & Manella LLP
The Irell & Manella attorneys collaborated with the USC Post-Conviction Justice Project (PCJP) in representing Edel Gonzalez, the first juvenile released under the California Fair Sentencing for Youth Act. PCJP and Irell co-counseled to represent him at his parole hearing, and he was granted parole.
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