Public Interest Law

The Feinstein Center for Pro Bono & Experiential Education was created to foster a pro bono culture within the law school and cultivate graduates who will give back and help those in need.

Public Interest Community

The Feinstein Center for Pro Bono & Experiential Education is the hub of public interest law at RWU Law and we work to foster a pro bono culture within the law school and cultivate graduates who will give back and help those in need, whether through public interest careers or pro bono legal service in their private practice.  We work closely with RWU Law’s Association for Public Interest Law (APIL) and the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) to support their programming. Additionally, we host several events annually, including 1L Public Interest Orientation luncheon to Public Interest pot luck and Pro Bono Celebration week.

We have an active student association, the Association for Public Interest Law, and provide numerous opportunities to help you find rewarding public interest summer internships all over the country. The key to finding a rewarding public interest job is getting as much public interest experience as possible during law school, and we provide you with numerous opportunities to do just that. We subscribe a expansive database for all our students and alumni called Public Service Jobs Directory 

Public Interest Career Fairs & Conferences

We participate in two national public interest job fairs in Washington D.C. and at NYU School of Law, respectively.

Equal Justice Works Conference & Career Fair 

This national career fair is an opportunity to connect with public interest employers and attend a variety of public interest and social justice workshops. The Office of Career Development will provide you with all the information you need to make this job fair a success. Dates: Thursday, October 20 - Saturday, October 23, 2022. 

Register for Equal Justice Works

NYU Public Interest Law Career Fair

The NYU Public Interest Law Career Fair is the largest of its kind in the country.  The fair gives students an opportunity to meet and interview with employers for internships and post-graduate jobs.  For more information, contact the Office of Career Development. .

Register for the NYU Fair

Rebellious Lawyering Conference

Grounded in the spirit of Gerald Lopez’s Rebellious Lawyering, this conference brings together practitioners, law students, and community activists from around the country to discuss innovative, progressive approaches to law and social change. The conference seeks to challenge hierarchies of race, wealth, gender, and expertise within legal practice and education. RebLaw is the largest student-run public interest conference in the United States. The conference is traditionally held mid-February at Yale Law School in New Haven, Connecticut.

Robert M. Cover Public Interest Law Retreat

The Robert M. Cover Retreat brings together law students, academics and practitioners committed to public interest to share their experiences, educate on the complexities and nuances of public interest law, network and reinvigorate their commitment to this important work. The retreat is traditionally held late-February, in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Robert M. Cover Retreat registration for RWU Law students is subsidized and coordinated by RWU Law—email zkhairuddin@rwu.edu if you would like to register.

Learn More

Champions for Justice Dinner & Public Interest Law Auction

Please join us for a special evening to celebrate and support the students, alumni, partners and friends whose exceptional devotion to social justice increases access to justice for all. This year's event, held on May 6, 2022, raised over $100,000 to support our public interest and experiential education programming. 

Attend Champions for Justice Dinner & Auction

Alumni 

Graduate Network

Our graduates work in public interest offices all over the country, and we have a vast network of alumni ready, willing, and able to help you with your search in different areas.

 

Close Course Type Descriptions

Course Types

We have classified RWU Law classes under the following headers. One of the following course types will be attached to each course which will allow students to narrow down their search while looking for classes.

Core Course

Students in the first and second year are required to take classes covering the following aspects of the law—contracts, torts, property, criminal law, civil procedure, and constitutional law, evidence, and professional responsibility.  Along with these aspects, the core curriculum will develop legal reasoning skills.

Elective

After finishing the core curriculum the remaining coursework toward the degree is completed through upper level elective courses.  Students can choose courses that peak their interests or courses that go along with the track they are following.

Seminar

Seminars are classes where teachers and small groups of students focus on a specific topic and the students complete a substantial research paper.

Clinics/Externships

Inhouse Clinics and Clinical Externships legal education is law school training in which students participate in client representation under the supervision of a practicing attorney or law professor.  RWU Law's Clinical Programs offer unique and effective learning opportunities and the opportunity for practical experience while still in law school.