PILA GRANTS

Meet our 2008 Grantees

Who may apply

PILA grants are awarded to projects that serve the public interest and provide a tangible benefit to the community. We are looking for projects that embody our mission and that advance the concepts of justice, equity, and the public good on behalf underrepresented people and causes.

Any University of Washington law student who has a job offer from a qualifying organization (see below) and who will have completed at least one year of law school by the time the proposed project begins is eligible to apply for a PILA grant. Students who are members of the Grant Selection Committee are ineligible.

Grant amount and work time periods

The number and amounts of available grants will be determined in April 2009. Last year, we broke a PILA record by funding 18 grants (15 full grants, 2 half grants, and 1 work-study grant) for a total of almost $90,000 awarded. Grant projects should be completed during the summer or during the 2008-2009 academic year. Full grants require 350 hours of work for the host organization and partial grants require 175 hours. Those who choose the work study option are required to work the hours required by work study regulations.

Qualifying Organization

The types of sponsoring organizations that will generally qualify for PILA funding include legal services offices, public interest organizations, social service agencies, public defender offices, non-profit organizations, and tribal entities. Work for a state or federal governmental agency or intergovernmental organization will also qualify, provided the agency can demonstrate that it would be unable to fund the applicant's salary due to budgetary constraints. Because of PILA's federal tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status, work on behalf of any political campaign or lobbying effort will not qualify for PILA funding.

Find out more about the Grant work we do