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DePaul Law’s
Program of Excellence in Public Interest Law & Public Service is held in high regard among students for helping them engage and find direction as they prepare for impactful careers in law and service. Reflecting a key part of DePaul’s Vincentian
mission, the program teaches students about the power of the law in areas such as discrimination, civil rights, housing and racial equality, as well as protecting the rights of low-income, marginalized and vulnerable populations.
The program is strengthened by the
Center for Public Interest Law (CPIL), which provides academic and financial support to students committed to social justice. Through fellowships, summer scholarships and a Loan Repayment Assistance Program, CPIL embodies DePaul’s mission while helping students manage the financial challenges that often come with pursuing public interest work. Additionally, a variety of scholarships are made possible through
Public Interest Law Association (PILA) fundraising, endowments, grants, alumni contributions and DePaul’s Division of Mission & Ministry, underscoring the strong community support behind this work.
Students also engage through the
Pro Bono & Community Service Initiative (PBCSI), which offers one-day service projects, spring break pro bono work, and collaborations with legal aid and community organizations. Alongside CPIL and PBCSI, the student-led PILA and
Journal for Social Justice create a strong foundation that sustains students throughout law school and into their public interest law careers.
DePaul Law faculty also play a central role in shaping the program’s impact. Full-time faculty experts, including
Sioban Albiol,
Jesse Cheng,
David Franklin,
Julie Gilgoff,
Elisabeth Ward and
Mark Weber, cover areas such as immigration, criminal law, constitutional law, housing and homelessness policy, human rights, and disability and special education. They are complemented by public interest law professionals who serve as adjunct professors, including
Caroline Chapman (Poverty Law), and Kevin Curran (Legal Writing),
Kelli Dudley (Housing Law),
Rachel Koch (Education Law & Policy),
Noah Praetz (Election Law) and
Elizabeth J. Vastine (Restorative Justice). Together, this blend of academic expertise and practical experience helps students see how legal, social and historical forces intersect with the realities of public interest practice.
Current PILA co-presidents, Taylor Love (JD ’26) and Hannah Strahl (JD ’26), both credit the program as key to their legal education and professional growth. Love is particularly impressed with how faculty “examine historical inequities in the legal system while teaching practical strategies to advocate for clients within that system.” Strahl acknowledges how Professor Curran “helped me understand the true impact of advocacy, which deepened my commitment to justice-centered legal practice.” They both recognize CPIL Executive Director Shaye Loughlin as an incredible mentor with a true dedication to her students, with Love adding, “her support has been crucial in making public interest work accessible to me.”
In addition to being co-presidents of PILA, Strahl and Love also hold roles with the DePaul Journal for Social Justice. Strahl is on its executive board “working on articles that elevate voices in social justice and international human rights law,” and as editor-in-chief, Love hopes to “build on the journal’s legacy of writings that explore how today’s legal and policy decisions fit into the broader trajectory of the law.”
Students also benefit from real-world learning through internships and externships at places such as Legal Aid Chicago (through the Equal Justice America Fellowship), Illinois Legal Aid Online, the Center for Disability and Elder Law, the Federal Defender Program and the Office of the Illinois Attorney General. These experiences not only prepare them for future careers in public interest law but also highlight the many paths available to make a lasting impact. “DePaul’s Public Interest Law & Public Service Program helps students turn their commitments to public interest into sustainable career paths,” says Love, “and exploring such varied paths wouldn’t have been possible without the support of CPIL staff and program faculty who help students discover what they truly want in a legal career.”