OREGON LAW STUDENTS PUBLIC INTEREST FUND (OLSPIF) University of Oregon School of Law 1221 University of Oregon Eugene, OR 97403

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1 OREGON LAW STUDENTS PUBLIC INTEREST FUND (OLSPIF) University of Oregon School of Law 1221 University of Oregon Eugene, OR OLSPIF SUMMER STIPEND APPLICATION PACKET OLSPIF is proud to have offered summer stipends to UO Law students for more than 20 years. 1

2 OREGON LAW STUDENTS PUBLIC INTEREST FUND 2018 SUMMER STIPEND INSTRUCTIONS Please use the following checklist to ensure that your packet is complete and conforms to the anonymity requirement. 1. Acquire a sponsor letter from your potential host organization, ensuring that it conforms to the requirements outlined in the Stipend Application Process. 2. Write a personal statement, ensuring that it conforms to the requirements outlined in the Stipend Application Process. 3. Complete the Cover Sheet. 4. Complete the Volunteer Hour Contribution Sheet, noting that completion of at least ten (10) hours volunteer work, at least five (5) of which must be OLSPIF fundraising work, is a prerequisite for an OLSPIF stipend. 5. Make two (2) sets of an application packet that includes a sponsor letter, a personal statement, and the volunteer hours contribution sheet. Redact your name from one of the application packets to ensure anonymity. Be sure to redact your name anywhere it appears in the redacted packet. 6. Attach the Cover Sheet to the packet that includes your name. 7. Turn in both sets of your completed application packet to the Student Services front desk located on the second floor in suite 200, no later than 5:00 PM on Thursday, April 5,

3 STIPEND APPLICATION PROCESS: SUMMER 2018 If you have any questions, contact the OLSPIF Grant Coordinator Chantal Guzman-Schlager at A. Deadline: Thursday, April 5, 2018, at 5:00 pm, Turn in both sets of your completed application packet to the Student Services front desk located on the second floor in suite 200. Each applicant will submit a packet that includes 2 copies of the Sponsor Letter, the Personal Statement, and the Volunteer Hour Contribution Sheet. The applicant s name should be redacted from one copy. A single copy of the Cover Sheet should be stapled to the copy that is unredacted. There will be a dropbox at the Student Services Desk for submission of applications. B. Stipend Amount: a full stipend is $4,000. Partial stipends are also available for applicants who will work less than full time or whose sponsors are able to provide some compensation. C. General Stipend Considerations & Eligibility Criteria 1. The OLSPIF stipend application process is a competitive selection process; meeting basic eligibility criteria does not guarantee that a student will receive a stipend. 2. Stipends are not awarded based on academic achievement or financial need. 3. You must be a full-time first or second year J.D. student in good standing at the University of Oregon School of Law. Applicants must return to UO Law the fall after the receipt of a stipend to retain the stipend. 4. A stipend applicant who has received a full OLSPIF stipend is ineligible to apply again. An applicant who received a partial stipend in the previous year may apply for a stipend for the amount of the difference between this year s stipend amount and the amount of the partial stipend already received. 5. A student with a full OLSPIF stipend of $4000 may not receive any other stipend (with the exception of the AmeriCorp J.D. stipend) or form of financial support for their OLSPIF-funded position. If a stipend recipient receives a second stipend (e.g. an Oregon State Bar Public Honors Fellowship), the student must return the OLSPIF stipend in full. The ONLY exception to this policy is the AmeriCorps J.D. stipend. 6. A student may not simultaneously receive a stipend and credit for their work. 7. A student who enrolls in summer courses and receives financial aid cannot receive a stipend due to rules governing financial aid disbursement. 3

4 8. Please note that a stipend, like any other payment a student receives, may impact a student s financial aid package. It is the student s responsibility to consult with the Financial Aid Office to determine any impact. D. Application Requirements 1. Sponsor Letter: You must have a sponsor letter offering legal work from a sponsoring organization. The letter, written by your sponsoring organization, should address the following requirements: a. An offer to work at the organization, which may be contingent upon receipt of a stipend; b. A statement of the maximum amount of money, if any, that the organization can pay you for your work; c. A general statement of the goals of the organization and a brief description of its work; d. A description of your job, including responsibilities, hours, and the amount of supervision you will receive by an attorney. 2. Personal Statement: you must write a personal statement, no longer than three pages (single spaced, Times New Roman, 12-point font), explaining why you should receive an OLSPIF stipend. Please focus on the following topics in your personal statement: a. The goals of your sponsoring organization; b. How your work would help achieve those goals; c. How your work would benefit specific groups of people or the public good in general; d. Your specific duties and how your work will provide you with a good legal learning experience; e. How and why your work is in the public interest; f. How your work will further your own career goals, especially as those goals relate to the public interest; g. A description of your commitment to public interest law and/or to the particular area in which you will work; and h. Any other information that would be helpful to the Stipend Selection Committee in making its decision. 4

5 3. Volunteering Requirements: you must have completed 10 hours of volunteer work during the present school year: a. A minimum of five of these hours must be earned by volunteering for OLSPIF. b. When awarding stipends, the OLSPIF Committee will consider commitment to OLSPIF s mission as indicated through service to OLSPIF in excess of 10 hours. c. Five hours of the required 10 hours may be earned by volunteering on a project with the Community Action Public Service (CAPS) student group or through doing pro bono work. d. This requirement must be filled prior to applying for a stipend. e. Complete the attached Fundraising Contribution Sheet documenting your hours worked. 4.. Work requirements a. OLSPIF-funded summer work must be legal work and must be supervised by an attorney. Lobbying, organizing, and campaigning are not eligible for OLSPIF stipend funding. The organization may be involved in these activities, but a student receiving a stipend may not participate in these activities as part of his or her summer work. b. To receive funding, the work must also be in the public interest. OLSPIF s definition is broad and generally includes projects that will benefit underrepresented groups or individuals. Examples include work that focuses on protecting civil and individual rights, better government, environmental issues or advocacy for the public good in general. c. The organization itself must be not-for-profit, government funded, or a government agency. Because government agencies generally have more funding than nonprofits and perform a wide range of functions, work with government agencies will receive more scrutiny by the Stipend Selection Committee. Be sure to explain in your application why the agency lacks funds to hire you and how your contribution to the agency will promote the public interest. d. To receive a full stipend, you must work full-time or approximately 400 hours over the course of the summer. If you do not complete approximately 400 hours of work, you must reimburse OLSPIF pro rata for work not completed absent severe illness, injury, or other emergency. 5

6 E. Post-stipend expectations for Stipend Recipients: 1. After finishing your summer work, you must write a brief statement about your experience that OLSPIF can use on its website and share with donors and potential donors. 2. You may be asked to give a short presentation of your work experience at a future OLSPIF meeting or event. 3. You may be asked to participate in a video production for future auctions or for the OLSPIF webpage to demonstrate the benefits of OLSPIF fundraising. 4. While you are still a student at the University of Oregon School of Law, you are expected to attend future OLSPIF auctions as a volunteer and/or as an ambassador for OLSPIF. 5. OLSPIF seeks to form long-term relationships with its stipend recipients for the benefit of current and future students. As an attorney, OLSPIF may ask for your continued support in the form of attending events and speaking on behalf of OLSPIF, and when possible, contributing financially to OLSPIF as you are able. F. The Selection Process / Anonymity 1. The selection process is anonymous. If you know members of the Stipend Selection Committee, you should avoid discussing the stipend application process with them. 2. The OLSPIF Community Board serves as the Stipend Selection Committee. 3. Stipends shall be awarded based on the following: a. The applicant s ability to make an impact with his/her target population/cause or organization; b. The merits of the proposed project; c. The organization s monetary needs; d. The project s benefit to the student s legal education and career goals; e. The applicant s prior commitment to public service as demonstrated by jobs, internships, public service student group involvement, and pro bono work; f. Commitment to OLSPIF s mission as indicated through service to OLSPIF in excess of 10 hours; 6

7 g. The nature of the project. Projects given the highest priority are generally those for organizations that directly serve vulnerable/disadvantaged populations such as people with low-incomes, elderly, children, domestic violence survivors, migrant farmworkers. Projects for nongovernmental nonprofits whose work serves the public interest will be the second highest priority. Projects for government agencies will generally be the third highest priority unless the work is clearly on behalf of vulnerable populations; h. Whether the project serves communities in the Pacific Northwest; and i. Whether the application reflects careful drafting and writing. 4. Stipend applicants must include any other sources of funding they have received for the project. 5. Requests for full and partial stipends will be treated equally. 6. Stipend recipients will be announced as soon as possible. This process may take two weeks. All applicants will be notified by Disbursement of funds is through the University of Oregon Financial Aid Office. While UO Law and OLSPIF will work to facilitate the disbursement of funds shortly after end of spring term, the University of Oregon Financial Aid Office controls the exact timing of disbursement 7

8 COVER SHEET OREGON LAW STUDENTS PUBLIC INTEREST FUND 2018 SUMMER STIPEND APPLICATION Name: Year in school: Phone: Statement of Intent: I swear or affirm that all information contained in my OLPSIF Stipend Application is true and consistent with my obligations under the Honor Code. If any change in information occurs before, during, or after the selection process, including change of student status at the University of Oregon, I will notify the Public Law and Policy Program Managing Director. I will also direct all questions and concerns regarding this application to the Grant Coordinator. Signature: Date: Intent to remain at Oregon Law: (Check one) I plan to continue my legal education at Oregon Law. I am currently considering transferring. I understand that if I transfer, I remain obligated to write my post-summer description of my summer work for posting on the OLSPIF website. Check one: I am requesting a full stipend. I am requesting a partial stipend. My employer has agreed to contribute approximately $ for my summer work 8

9 Volunteer Hour CONTRIBUTION SHEET 2018 SUMMER STIPEND APPLICATION Name: Total Hours: You must have contributed at least ten volunteer hours the current school year. A minimum of five of these hours must be earned by volunteering with OLSPIF. The OLSPIF Stipend Selection Committee when awarding stipends will take commitment to OLSPIF s mission as indicated through service to OLSPIF in excess of 10 hours into account. Five hours of the required 10 hours may be earned by volunteering on a service project organized by the Community Action Public Service (CAPS) student group or through doing pro bono work. Estimate hours as reasonably and as accurately as possible to the quarter hour. If you have any questions regarding hours worked, please consult the OLSPIF Grant Coordinator or the Public Law and Policy Program Managing Director. Any major discrepancies between the hours reported and what is in our records will be noted on your application. Task #1: Date: Hours Worked: Specific Work Activity: Task #2: Date: Hours Worked: Specific Work Activity: Task #3: Date: Hours Worked: Specific Work Activity: 9