Financial Support

Northwestern Pritzker Law through the Public Interest Center offers public interest students an array of financial support opportunities throughout their time as students and post-graduation. 

Dawn Clark Netsch Public Interest Scholarship

Each year the law school awards one scholarship for full tuition to a student who demonstrates a strong commitment to public interest. The scholarship is in honor of our late graduate and faculty member Dawn Clark Netsch and is funded by a generous gift from her estate. 

Guaranteed Summer Funding & Named Summer Fellowships

The Law School provides $8,000 in guaranteed summer funding to JD students who work full-time in public interest jobs in the U.S. during their law school summers. The funding is available for JD students doing legal work supervised by an attorney for non-profit or government agencies during the summer. In addition, thanks to generous gifts from alumni, the law school offers several named fellowships to support public interest students with summer funding. Visit the Summer Funding page for more details including eligibility information. 

Student Funded Public Interest Fellowships (SFPIF)

SFPIF’s primary focus is providing funding for 3L students who have unique funding needs such as bar exam preparation and bar application fees, on top of summer living expenses. To bridge the financial gap between graduation and the start of a job (usually in late summer/early fall for public interest positions) and prevent them from having to work while studying for the bar exam, 3Ls preparing for a career in public interest get the bulk of the funding. The remainder goes to 1Ls and 2Ls to “top off” the funding given to them through the school. For more information visit SFPIF's website. 

Public Interest Post-Graduate Fellowships

The Law School recognizes that although the need for public interest lawyers is strong, many organizations lack the funding to offer entry-level opportunities. The post-graduate fellowships (pdf) launch public interest careers of dedicated graduates by providing a $50,000 salary and health care benefits to work for one year as a lawyer at a domestic nonprofit or government agency of the graduate’s choice. After a year as a fellow, recipients gain the experience needed to be hired for competitive public interest positions. Each year five to eight graduating students are awarded the fellowship through a competitive process. To date, over 40 graduates have received the fellowship and are employed in public interest agencies across the country.  For more information checkout the Post-Graduate Public Interest Fellowship Guide. 

Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP)

Northwestern Pritzker Law is committed to supporting graduates who pursue legal careers in the public interest. The program has been revised over the years to respond to changes in salaries and student loan debt. LRAP was recently revised in 2024 to align with federal income-driven repayment (IDR) plans. Our LRAP Program helps graduates with an adjusted gross income (AGI) up to $105,000 repay their student loans. Participants in the program with an annual AGI of $85,000 or less can receive benefits covering 100% of their IDR payment. Those with an AGI between $85,001 and $105,000 will receive benefits based on their income. The LRAP program is supported in large part by the generosity of the Estate of Dawn Clark Netsch (JD '52). Vist the Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) page for details.