UVA Law Summer Public Service Grants – FAQ

These are non-pro bono hours that count toward the minimum hours grant applicants need in order to be eligible to apply.  The official definition and examples are below.

Public Service Hours:  Uncompensated hours during the academic year (including fall, winter, and spring breaks) spent volunteering in non-profit or governmental activities that directly benefit disadvantaged populations, the environment, animals, or the broader community beyond the university, including hours spent doing charitable work through a student organization.

Examples of Hours That Qualify:

• Tutoring or mentoring disadvantaged populations.
• Volunteer work with city agencies or local non-profits other than UVA (e.g. trail maintenance for Charlottesville Parks and Recreation; volunteering at the Humane Society; building for Habitat for Humanity).
• Soliciting donations for a charitable cause or event where a majority of the net proceeds go to charity (e.g. raising money for natural disaster relief or disease research).
• Organization and coordination of activities that qualify as pro bono or public service hours (e.g. organizing for Alternative Spring Break).

Examples of Hours That Do NOT Qualify:

• Activities which primarily benefit law students or others in the UVA community (e.g. planning or attending student events, fundraising for an organization’s general fund, attending general meetings or social gatherings of student organizations).
• Partisan activities (e.g. canvassing for a candidate, fundraising for a political party, lobbying).
• Hours completed during the summer when school is not in session.
• Hours that are already counted as pro bono hours.

If you are unsure about whether a particular activity qualifies as a public service hour, please contact PILA Grants Director Morgan Maloney.

PILA’s definition of pro bono is the same as the Pro Bono Office’s.  We highly recommend that you read the Program’s Pro Bono FAQs on their website.  If, after reading the definition and FAQs you still have questions about whether an activity qualifies as pro bono, you should email the Program at probono@law.virginia.edu.

• Law-related and non-clerical (e.g. interpretation/ applications of the law, legal research and writing, legislative drafting and work in preparation for litigation or trial);
• For the benefit of legal services, nonprofit organization (501(c)(3) or (4)), governmental agency, or private firm providing pro bono services;
• Supervised by an attorney or faculty member;
• Not performed for academic credit or financial compensation; and
• Completed while the student is enrolled at the Law School.

To find pro bono opportunities, please check GoodWorks: https://www.law.virginia.edu/pro-bono/pro-bono-opportunities

• 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 hours of pro bono hours, 5 of which may be 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 – 2Ls who have already received a grant must complete 40 hours in addition to the 20 hours that were required to receive their 2021 PILA grant (a total of ten hours may come from public service). However, any hours they completed during the 2020-2021 academic year that were beyond the required 20 hours for the 1L grant can be counted towards their 2022 PILA Grant application.
• A student is also eligible for a 2022 grant by participating in the 2021-22 Alternative Break program.

As a threshold eligibility requirement for any UVA Law Summer Public Service grant funding, grantees must work at least 320 hours (the equivalent of 8 weeks of full-time work) during the summer in an eligible public interest position or positions. The requirement of at least 320 hours in a public interest position applies to all grantees, regardless of whether a grantee takes only a portion of the grant money.

Yes. If you recieved a PILA grant for summer 2021, your PILA point obligation for this year has not changed. You are still required to complete a total of 15 PILA points, as you previously agreed to in order to receive a Summer 2021 PILA grant. However, all money that you help us raise this year will go towards the PILA+ program! This means that each dollar that you raise will go directly towards supporting you and your classmates in their public service activities. Starting in August 2022 PILA points will become voluntary and such assistance will be encouraged, but not required.

Grantees receive fellowship funding through the Law School Foundation’s payroll system. Required federal and state taxes will be deducted from the fellowship payment. Grant recipients must complete and submit all the necessary payroll paperwork before receiving their fellowship payment.

Pre-tax grant amounts are $4,000 for 1Ls and $7,000 for 2Ls. The tax impact will vary on an individual basis. The Law School Foundation, PSC, and PILA cannot give you tax advice, so we encourage you to seek outside opinions if you have further questions about your personal tax situation.

Students must work for a qualified public service employer to be eligible for a UVA Law Summer Public Service grant. Qualifying employers include:

• Judicial internships
• Government (federal, state, or local)
• Public defenders
• Non-profits

For lists of past internships students have participated in, see here: ​​https://www.law.virginia.edu/public-service/pila-grant-employers-summer-2021

*If you are unsure if an internship is eligible for the grant, please contact the UVA Law Public Service Center at publicservice@law.virginia.edu.

Students performing legal work for a judge or a court in the summer of their 1L and 2L years are eligible to receive UVA Law Summer Public Service grants. They must meet all the other requirements expected of public service grantees, including the performance of pro bono service.

No.  Regardless of whether grantees obtain an additional summer fellowship, pay from their internship employers, or other sources of income, they will receive the full amount of their UVA Law Summer Public Service grants as long as their internship is from a qualifying duration with a qualifying employer.