Public Interest Center
Northwestern Pritzker School of Law is a leader in preparing students for public interest careers and pro bono work that promotes advancement of social justice. The Public Interest Center provides strategic leadership of key public interest activities on campus and cultivates a strong public interest culture – one that encourages all students to develop a public service ethic.
Our staff is here to advise, support, and foster strong commitments to public interest and help shape the next generation of public interest attorneys and leaders. The Center provides financial support for students doing public interest work during and after law school; career programming and counseling; a wide range of pro bono and public service opportunities; and passionate student organization participation and leadership. The Center staff also works closely with faculty involved in the law school’s many public interest course offerings, including those in the Bluhm Legal Clinic and the Law and Social Policy concentration. This collaboration helps ensure that students learn a public interest ethic inside and outside the classroom.
Check out our Video Introduction to the Public Interest Center!
Recent Updates
A Commitment to Community: Public Interest Center's Annual Day of Service
This year, around 190 students, representing all three degree programs, gathered to volunteer for ten different organizations around the city. These included the Alliance for the Great Lakes, Cabrini Green Legal Aid, Prairie State Legal Services, Ladder Up, Chicago Covenants, Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts, Legal Prep Charter School, and Cradles to Crayons.
Read more about the Day of Service
Graduates Launch Careers Through Public Interest Fellowships
Four Northwestern Pritzker Law graduates have begun their careers in public interest as recipients of national fellowships. These 2026 graduates have dedicated their time and skills to causes such as eviction defense, supporting nonprofits advancing philanthropy and economic justice, and environmental advocacy in Appalachia.
Read more about these graduates
Dedication to Service: Alternative Spring Break 2026
Alternative Spring Break is a full week of immersive, experiential learning and service to communities outside the Chicago area. This long-standing program is facilitated by the Public Interest Center offering students' valuable leadership and collaboration opportunities in addition to pro bono service.
Read more about Alternative Spring Break 2026.
Two Graduates Pursue Public Interest Fellowships
Two recent Northwestern Pritzker Law graduates have begun their careers in public interest as recipients of national fellowships. These 2025 graduates have dedicated their time and skills to causes such as advocating for incarcerated women who have reported sexual abuse and developing legal and policy strategies to address the harms of mass incarcerations.
Read more about these graduates.
Hochkammer Scholarship Recipient Plans to Become a Public Defender
Jordan, a second-year student who received the William O. and Marcia A. Hochkammer Scholarship, once planned to litigate wrongful conviction cases, but she has instead set her sights on becoming a public defender.
Read more about Jordan's plans to become a public defender