A decade ago, Northwestern Law School had some significant strengths in the "three C's" of public interest law-curriculum, co-curricular activities, and Center for Career Strategy and Advancement; but there were significant gaps in each of these areas. Thanks to the efforts of students, faculty, and the administration, the 1990s witnessed numerous changes. Additional initiatives are currently underway, and there are opportunities for more to be done in the immediate future.

On the curricular front, the major public interest opportunity available in 1990 was the Legal Clinic. At that time, it had been in operation for a generation, serving under-represented groups and providing students with hands-on training in the process. Since 1990, the Legal Clinic has undergone a dramatic expansion, and has moved to the forefront of reform efforts with its Children and Family Justice Center and the Center on Wrongful Convictions. Recently, the Law School has also established the International Human Rights Center.

During the '90s, the school also developed practicum courses, offering students practical field experience. Currently, those include a Criminal Law Practicum, a Public Interest Practicum, and a course providing externships with federal judges.

While there were some public interest-related courses a decade ago, such as civil rights and social change offerings, there has been a proliferation of such courses in recent years. The recent additions include topics such as race, gender, sexual orientation, housing, urban redevelopment, immigration, and international human rights. Many of these courses have been created at the initiative of students, through petitions and other expressions of interest.

As the public interest aspects of the curriculum have expanded, so too have co-curricular activities. A decade ago, the major activity was the Student Funded Public Interest Fellowships (SFPIF). SFPIF began in the early 1980s to raise money to support students' summer work with public interest organizations. However, in recent years, SFPIF has developed innovative fund-raising strategies, such as its auction, and has dramatically increased its grants. The last two deans have provided matching funds, which has also expanded the pot of money for fellowships. This past year, SFPIF also made money available for expenses for graduates going into public interest jobs.

While SFPIF was growing, other initiatives were beginning. About a decade ago, two third-year students started the Public Interest Law Group (PILG), which has grown to play a major role in the life of the law school. In addition to its many other activities, in recent years PILG has assumed primary responsibility for the Law School's annual Public Interest Law Week. That week has become a major event in the fall calendar, with a series of speakers and panel discussions related to current topics of interest as well as careers in public interest.

With respect to public interest jobs and careers, the SFPIF funds for summer jobs have long been supplemented by three summer fellowships for poverty law funded by the Mansfield Foundation. In recent years, the Law School has also awarded John Paul Stevens fellowships for public interest summer work. Also, through the generous contributions of Teri Zenner, class of '83, Zenner Grants are available to assist graduating students going into public interest positions with bar expenses.

Also, in the last decade, the Center for Career Strategy and Advancement office has expanded its efforts in this area by assigning an assistant director responsibility for public interest counseling and by expanding materials and information available about public interest fellowships and other opportunities. The Center for Career Strategy and Advancement office has a dedicated part-time public interest career counselor. As a result of the joint efforts of students and CSO staff, Northwestern graduates have obtained both Skadden-Arps and EJW (Equal Justice Works) Fellowships in recent years.

Currently, several important initiatives are underway. Recently, students founded the Journal of Law and Social Policy. Faculty and students have developed a Law and Social Policy "concentration", which will rationalize the curriculum in this area and acknowledge students who meet the requirements of the concentration. There are two tracks in the Law and Social Policy concentration: Policy Analysis and Public Interest. In the co-curricular area, this website represents an important PILG initiative to provide useful information and to contribute to a law school culture that recognizes the importance of public interest law. In addition, PILG is taking steps to organize a mentor program to pair public interest lawyers in the Chicago area with students interested in public interest. And this past Spring, PILG organized a reception for graduating students going into public interest work.

So this decade has made a difference. Now we are at a point where there are opportunities for significant additional initiatives. The Law School's Strategic Plan and its capital campaign represent an invitation to innovation. It is a time to think creatively about curriculum, co-curricular activities, and Center for Career Strategy and Advancement initiatives that support public interest. While some strategies require financial resources, others simply call on our imagination and effort-qualities that have held us in good stead over the years.