2L Public Service Guarantee
It's no secret that it's hard to secure even minimal funding for summer internships with government agencies and public interest organizations even though these organizations offer invaluable, highly specialized legal experience. And sometimes it seems the very organizations that provide the best experience are least able to provide financial support.
At Michigan Law, we think it’s central to our role as a top-ranked public law school to continue making it possible for our students to pursue careers that serve the greater good. Frankly, we don’t want financial hardship to come between our talented and energetic students and their ability to contribute those talents and energies to public service. The 2L Public Service Guarantee, which aims to continue our long and distinguished history of supplying superbly trained lawyers to the public and nonprofit sectors, is proof of that commitment.
The Public Service Guarantee offers a $5,000 summer stipend for all 2Ls who obtain summer internships with qualified government or public interest organizations. If the qualifying summer internship is a paid one, salary up to $3,000 can be earned in conjunction with the Guarantee for a total of $8,000. If a student earns an internship salary higher than $3,000, the stipend will be set at the amount necessary to total $8,000 when added to the internship salary.
In order to qualify for the 2L Public Service Guarantee, a student must
The deadline for summer 2010 2L Public Service Guarantee applications is 11:59 PM, Sunday, June 6, 2010.
After a student accepts a qualifying offer of employment they must submit the employer verification form to the employer. The employer must then submit the employer verification form by e-mail to jmjulien@umich.edu or in hard copy by June 6, 2010 at 11:59 PM Eastern time. Hard copies should be directed to:
University of Michigan Law School
Office of Public Service
625 S. State St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1215
Searching for the 2L summer internship involves more than just finding a summer job. The choice of where you go, the skills you develop and the practice area you choose have an impact on your post-graduate career. OPS recommends that you make an appointment to meet with an attorney advisor to discuss your job search. Contact Jackie Julien at 734.647.3256 or stop in to 200 Hutchins Hall #29 to make an appointment. [Note: If students have summer funding, they often find it helpful to include that information in a cover letter to a prospective public interest or government employer. It's as simple as saying something like, "I have funding in place because Michigan Law offers a summer stipend for 2Ls who obtain summer internships with qualified government or public interest organizations."]
The government or nonprofit position must be the primary legal employment for the summer; students who split their summer employment between public service and private law practice are ineligible. A summer split between two public service employers must be approved by the Assistant Dean for Public Service. Eligible 2Ls must be employed a minimum of ten weeks in the specified position. Eligible 2Ls may not receive any other form of financial assistance from the University of Michigan for said summer employment, including but not limited to support from the Dean's Public Service Fellowship, a Bates Fellowship, the Perry Watkins Fellowship, the School's Refugee and Asylum Law Program, the Cambodian Law Program, the Student Funded Fellowship program, and the University's International Institute. The summer internship may not be partisan political in nature. Judicial internships do not qualify for the Guarantee. The Assistant Dean for Public Service shall make the final determination on whether a summer internship qualifies for the 2L Public Service Guarantee.
At the conclusion of the summer, Public Service Guarantee recipients must submit an online report that includes the contact information of the organization for which they worked, a description of the specific duties performed, and an overall evaluation of the job experience.
OPS has compiled a list of frequently asked questions regarding this Program. If, after reviewing this page and the FAQ you have further questions, contact the Office of Public Service at ops@umich.edu, 734.647.3256, or 200 Hutchins Hall #29.