College of Law Awards $28,000 in Second Year of Summer Grant Program
Thursday, May 14
The University of Idaho College of Law will award approximately $28,000 this summer to students who will complete public interest work in Idaho and beyond. The Summer Public Interest Grant program started in 2014 with seed money from the Idaho State Bar Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA) Foundation, alumni and external donations, federal work study funds, and fundraising efforts from the College of Law’s student organizations.
This year, grant recipients will receive between $1,000 and $4,000 to conduct public interest legal work in unpaid positions. Students applied by submitting a résumé and statement of interest that covered relevant questions, including long-term career goals and how the internship fit into their future plans. A selection committee of faculty and staff evaluated the position, location and financial needs of each applicant in relation to the total requests received.
“The College of Law developed this program to enable students to gain valuable legal experience that would also benefit the public,” said Jeffrey A. Dodge, associate dean for students and administration and creator of the program. “Working on behalf of the public is critical for law students and sometimes financially difficult for them to achieve. We are grateful for and proud of the grant program and the impact it will have on students and the community.”
Eight students received grants to participate this summer:
• Austin Allen ’16 will serve for two different public offices: the Seventh Judicial District of Bonneville County and the Bonneville County Prosecutor's Office, both in Idaho Falls.
• Allison Fuller ’16 will work as a legal extern for the United States Attorney's Office in Boise.
• Patrick Johnson ’16 will work as a legal extern with the Region 4 Office of the United States Environmental Protection Agency based in Atlanta, Georgia.
• George Luong ’16 will work as a legal intern with the Snohomish County Legal Services in Washington state, assisting with the Housing Justice Project.
• Natali Magana ’16 will serve as a legal intern for the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and directly represent detainees from the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC) under the supervision of attorneys.
• Ashley C. McDermott ’16 will work for the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C., as an Honors Law Clerk in the EPA’s Office of Federal Facilities Enforcement.
• Justine Groome ’17 will work as a legal intern at Idaho Legal Aid Services in Coeur d’Alene.
• Erin Heuring ’17 will serve as an intern in the Navy JAG Corps Summer Internship Program for the Defense Service Office West in Bremerton, Washington.
About the University of Idaho
The University of Idaho helps students to succeed and become leaders. Its land-grant mission furthers innovative scholarly and creative research to grow Idaho's economy and serve a statewide community. From its main campus in Moscow, Idaho, to 70 research and academic locations statewide, U-Idaho emphasizes real-world application as part of its student experience. U-Idaho combines the strength of a large university with the intimacy of small learning communities. It is home to the Vandals. For information, visit www.uidaho.edu.