The 2021 PILA Auction is Now Live!
2021 PILA Auction

Summer Grants

New for 2021-22: PILA is excited ot announce PILA+! PILA+ is designed to be a need-based grant program and to serve as an addition to the current guaranteed public service summer grants, which will be renamed “UVA Law Public Service Summer Grants”.  This program will be completely student run, fundraised, and administered. See below for information on both grant programs. 

 

PILA+ Grants

The purpose of PILA+ will be to provide additional funding for students seeking to do a public interest summer internship who have demonstrable financial need for additional funding.

 

Who is eligible for the PILA + Grants? Will these grants be guaranteed?

The PILA+ grants are guaranteed to all eligible students. Students must receive a Public Service Summer Grant (see above). In addition, they must verify on their honor that: 

  • The student will be living in a high cost of living area, defined as any area where the average rent is $2,000 or more per month; and
  • The student will not be receiving a summer stipend of over $1,000 from their summer employer; and
  • The student certifies that they will be paying two separate rents over the summer; and
  • The student does not expect to receive more than $2,000 of family support over the summer intended to assist with their cost of living; and
  • The student has not received a summer fellowship (in-house or otherwise) for over $2,000. If the student receives a fellowship after the disbursement of this grant, they will be expected on their honor to return the funds to PILA for use the next year.

When is the PILA+ application deadline?

This application is due by March 18 at 5pm EST. Absolutely no late applications will be accepted. 

Where can I read more?

Please visit our PILA+ Information page and  PILA+ FAQ page!

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UVA Law Public Service Summer Grants

UVA Law Public Service Summer Grant Amounts

UVA Law Public Service Summer Grant amounts pre-tax are $4,000 for 1Ls and $7,000 for 2Ls.  Actual check amounts, after deducting all applicable taxes, will vary based on grantees’ individual tax withholdings and exemptions.  The Public Service Center will provide detailed information about the tax forms you must provide in late February.  The Law School Foundation, PILA, and the Public Service Center are all prohibited from giving individual tax advice to students. ​

Eligibility

UVA Law Public Service Summer Grants will be 100% guaranteed to all applicants who complete their applications on time and meet all the requirements.

Pro Bono Requirement

  • First time grantees– 1Ls and 2Ls who did not receive a PILA grant for the summer of 2021 are required to earn a total of 40 pro bono hours (or 35 pro bono hours + 5 public service hours) prior to February 11, 2022. See the section on what counts as pro bono or public service hours for more information.
  • ​​​2Ls who received a PILA grant in 2021 – You must complete 40 pro bono hours (or 35 pro bono hours + 5 public service hours) in addition to the 20 hours that were required to receive your 2021 PILA grant. However, any pro bono hours you completed during the 2020-2021 academic year that were beyond the required 20 hours for the 1L grant can be counted towards your 2022 PILA Grant application.
  • A student is also eligible for a 2022 grant by participating in the 2021-22 Alternative Break program.

Qualifying Employers

  • By Friday, February 11, 2022, applicants must have either secured an internship from a qualified employer OR have submitted applications to at least five qualified employers
  • Qualifying internships include but are not limited to:
    • Judicial internships
    • Government (federal, state, or local)
    • Public defenders
    • Non-profits

Grant Information Sessions

All grantees must attend a grant information session before applying for a grant. These will be widely publicized for students.

Post-Grant Conditions [Applicable to Summer 2021 PILA Grantees ONLY]

Grants are awarded on the following conditions:

  • Students must work at least 320 hours at a qualifying employer
  • Students must submit a summer internship evaluation survey to the Public Service Center.
  • Student must complete the specified number of required PILA  points during the academic year following receipt of a PILA grant, which will amount to no more than 15 points for 1L grant recipients and no more than 10 points for 2L grant recipients* or serve on the PILA Board in the 2021-22 school year;

*The exact number of PILA points will be announced once the total number of grantees has been determined.

​Questions

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