Public Interest Law and Policy
Our robust program in public interest law and policy provides the training, skills and opportunities for students to become leaders in public service and social justice.
The robust and dynamic public interest community at UCLA Law is sustained by passionate students and world-class faculty and staff dedicated to supporting students’ public interest and public service career goals.
UCLA Law is proud to be a public law school with a deep commitment to public interest and public service. This commitment is supported and sustained by the Public Interest Law and Policy Programs, which houses the Office of Public Interest Counseling, the Judge Rand Schrader Pro Bono Program, and the prestigious and competitive David J. Epstein Specialization Program in Public Interest Law and Policy.
Our commitment is found in every facet of student life. There are numerous cutting-edge academic courses, including an excellent clinical education and externship program, taught by faculty with deep expertise in major social issues, including immigration, the criminal justice system, environmental law, and international human rights. All students can access public interest career counseling, academic advising, and other programs organized by the Office of Public Interest Career Counseling. As early as their first year, UCLA Law students can participate in volunteer opportunities through the Schrader Pro Bono Program. UCLA Law provides direct financial support for students pursuing public interest careers with a generous post-graduate loan repayment program, summer public interest stipends, and post-graduate fellowships.
For students who are interested in delving deeply into public interest lawyering with a curricular focus, the Epstein Specialization Program in Public Interest Law and Policy provides specific classes, faculty and alumni mentorship programs, and community-building events designed to educate, train, and nurture the next generation of visionary public interest lawyers.
Our Faculty
Alejandro Camacho
Professor of Law
Beth A. Colgan
Professor of Law
Scott L. Cummings
Robert Henigson Professor of Legal Ethics
Professor of Law
Sharon Dolovich
Professor of Law
Faculty Director, UCLA Prison Law & Policy Program
Director, UCLA Law Behind Bars Data Project
Faculty Co-Director, Criminal Law & Policy Consortium
Ingrid Eagly
Professor of Law
Faculty Co-Director, Criminal Law & Policy Consortium
Hiroshi Motomura
Susan Westerberg Prager Distinguished Professor of Law
Faculty Co-Director, Center for Immigration Law and Policy
Victor H. Narro
Lecturer in Law
Joanna C. Schwartz
Honorable Harry Pregerson Professor of Law
Robert Bradley Sears
Associate Dean of Public Interest Law
Roberta A. Conroy Distinguished Scholar of Law & Policy, The Williams Institute
Founding Executive Director, The Williams Institute
Sherod Thaxton
Professor of Law
Professor of African American Studies (by courtesy)
Professor of Public Policy (by courtesy)
Professor of Sociology (by courtesy)
Alex Wang
Professor of Law
Walter and Shirley Wang Chair in U.S.-China Relations and Communications
Faculty Co-Director, Emmett Institute on Climate Change & the Environment
Noah D. Zatz
Professor of Law and Labor Studies