Thirty-four Miami Law students engage in public interest advocacy this summer as part of the HOPE Public Interest Resource Center's summer fellowship programs. The Summer Public Interest Fellowship, open to rising 2Ls, and the HOPE Fellowship, open to all returning students, provide funded opportunities for students committed to public service to gain practical skills while giving back to communities near and far.
After an immersive orientation, or "boot camp," SPIF students serve as full-time summer interns for eight weeks at public interest and government agencies in South Florida, including Public Defender and State Attorney offices in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, the Federal Public Defender, the U.S. Attorney, the Office of Criminal Conflict & Civil Regional Counsel, the People's Economic & Environmental Resiliency Group, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Miami-Dade Office of Resilience.
The fellows also take part in a Lawyering in the Public Interest course two evenings per week, during which they have the opportunity to hear from advocates, including Miami Law alumni, engaged in public service work in areas such as voting rights, reproductive rights, the criminalization of homelessness, and environmental advocacy.
"HOPE has given me the opportunity to combine my passions for environmental law and public interest by fighting for environmental justice in the local Miami community," said SPIF Fellow Kyle Spohn. "During my fellowship with the People's Economic and Environmental Resiliency Group this summer, I will be able to gain a unique perspective on social justice lawyering through the lens of environmental sustainability."
The HOPE Fellowship Program allows students to create their summer dream jobs anywhere in the world. HOPE Fellows work full-time with nonprofit and government organizations for nine weeks, assisting with legal advocacy, policy development, and implementation. Fellows develop on-site projects to address the unmet needs of their agencies uniquely and, upon their return to Miami Law, design and implement initiatives to educate and engage their peers in advocacy. This summer, HOPE Fellows are serving clients and causes in Washington, DC, New York, Chicago, Paris, and Miami, in areas ranging from education and youth to criminal justice and immigration, as well as government/policy work at the local, state, federal and international levels.
"I am thrilled to spend the summer with the United States Department of Justice in their Office of Aviation, Space & Admiralty Litigation," said HOPE Fellow Lauren LaBeck. "I will be engaged in a spectrum of legal matters spanning choice of law, contract law, civil procedure, constitutional law, and evidence. As someone dedicated to public service, I eagerly anticipate refining my legal writing and public speaking abilities as I contribute to governmental initiatives."
With generous contributions from Miami Law alumni, including past summer fellows and other friends of HOPE, summer fellowship opportunities connect Miami Law students with agencies that address today's most pressing legal needs. To support future fellows, click here.
Read more about the HOPE Fellowship Programs.
