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PILF to thank volunteers, grads at luncheon

USC Gould School of Law • April 13, 2007
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Annual Pro Bono Luncheon will be Wednesday, April 18

-Submitted by the Public Interest Law Foundation

More than 100 students who collectively donated more than 3,600 hours of pro bono service to the Los Angeles community will be honored during the annual Pro Bono Luncheon.

Hosted by the Public Interest Law Foundation, the luncheon will be at 11:45 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 18, in Town and Gown.

Each student who gave more than 35 hours will get an award presented by the president of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, students who gave more than 50 hours will receive an award from the California State Bar and students who donated more than 100 hours will receive an award from the USC Law Office of Public Service.

With the support of the Sydney and Audrey Irmas Foundation, PILF will give out two post-graduate fellowships to Martin Gauto, who will work at the Catholic Legal Immigration Network in LA, and Marissa Gonda, who will be working at the Cabrini Green Legal Aid Clinic in Chicago.

PILF will also be presenting approximately 25 summer grants to first- and second-year students who will be serving public interest internships in Los Angeles, New York, Washington, DC, Arizona, Chicago, Nicaragua, Romania and Africa. The students will be working on a variety of issues including civil and human rights, homelessness prevention, indigent criminal defense, domestic violence, children's rights, affordable housing, discrimination law, and worker's rights. Several major law firms are sponsoring specific grants this summer, including Sidley Austin, Kirkland and Ellis, and Gibson Dunn. Representatives from the firms will be at the luncheon to present the awards.

Two PILF scholarships will be presented to students who are dedicated to serving the underrepresented.

In recognition of their longstanding commitment to public service, PILF will honor two graduates. Richard Kenall, partner at Irell and Manella, will receive the Paul Davis Outstanding Attorney Award for his service, which includes serving on the board of several nonprofit legal service organizations and taking on pro bono cases.

Caron Caines will receive the PILF Outstanding Alumnus Award for her 16 years of public interest work at Neighborhood Legal Services, where she is a directing attorney of the Domestic Violence Project.

Tickets to the Pro Bono Luncheon are $5 and may be reserved by e-mailing Sarah Truesdell. Please indicate if a vegetarian entree is requested.

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