This summer, 117 St. John's University Law students participated in the Summer Public Interest Fellowship Program, which supports students working in nonprofit organizations and government agencies across the country. The program, which began in 1999 with just seven fellows, now offers stipends funded by endowments, foundations, alumni donations, academic center fellowships, and fundraising events.

Jeanne Ortiz-Ortiz, Director of the Law School’s Public Interest Center and coordinator of the program, said: “The Program’s remarkable growth reflects both the motivation of our students and the strength of our community’s commitment to public interest work. Supporting this year’s Fellows—the largest cohort in the Program’s history and one that’s 84% 1Ls—is not just a milestone in numbers, but a testament to the values we uphold at St. John’s Law. We were again able to support all eligible students who applied and met program deadlines and requirements, distributing $673,100 in stipends.”

Ortiz-Ortiz estimated that this year's fellows contributed more than 41,000 hours of pro bono legal work valued at $1.3 million throughout New York and other states.

Among this year’s fellows was Megan P. Denman ’27, who interned with both the Dispute Resolution Center of Montgomery County (DRC-MC) and Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA) in Texas. Denman said her experiences helping facilitate court-referred mediation and supporting clients facing civil legal issues had personal significance: “Montgomery County is where I was raised and where some of the hardest moments in my life happened as a single mom trying to support my daughter,” she explained. “To be able to serve the very community that shaped me, often helping clients sitting in the same offices I once sat in seeking help, is surreal and humbling. Just a few years ago, that was me. If it weren’t for the support and belief of the St. John’s community in this small-town Texas girl, I wouldn’t be in a position to pay it forward today.”

Reflecting on her fellowship experience after working with DRC-MC and LSLA—one of the largest free legal aid providers nationally—Denman added: “This Fellowship has shown me that public interest work is important, not just in non-profits, but in the wider legal profession,” Denman shares. “Whether I keep going in legal aid, mediation, or even something more private, I'll carry a sense of urgency and clarity with me. I've learned that empathy and efficiency aren't opposites. They're both key for justice. My law degree won't just be for me. It'll be a tool to fight for dignity, access, and fairness for the communities I care about most.”

Sophia Francisco ’26 also took part as a fellow at New York City’s Center for Family Representation (CFR), providing free legal services to parents and youth involved with family regulation systems or incarceration.

Francisco said: “Our clients aren’t just experiencing legal troubles, they’re also dealing with housing, employment, mental health, immigration, and other issues,” Francisco says. “There are strangers telling them when they can and can’t see their child, and there are random home inspections. With all of that going on,it’s extremely important to remember that these aren’t just cases on paper,but people experiencing their family being ripped apart.Effective public interest lawyering is holistic.It considers all aspects of a person's life because that’s what leads a person to us.I hope to approach my career in a similar wayand always look at the larger picture.”

She also emphasized how finding supportive peers enhanced her experience: “I think community is one of the most important things to have while in law school,” she notes.“Finding people who see the same valuein public interest workand encourage each otherto pursue those opportunitieshas made my experience allthe better.I’m especially gratefulfor the public defense communityand allof attorneys,social workers,and other law studentsI have met.It’s re-energizedandinspired measI go into my last yearat St.John's Law.”

Looking back on this year’s expanded program—which included new St.Vincent de Paul Public Interest Fellows—Ortiz-Ortiz noted alumni support as key:“The Program’s growth has been made possiblein partbythestrongsupportofouralumniwhosegenerosityandencouragementsendapowerfulmessagetostudentsengagedinthiswork.It’alsoexpandedthankstotheleadershipofDeanJelaniJeffersonExumwiththeadditionofacohortofSt.VincentdePaulPublicInterestFellowsaspartofthebroaderprogram.Whetherornotstudentsultimatelypursuecareersinpublicinterest,thisexperiencewillshapetheminteemorethoughtfulcompassionateandcommunity-mindedlawyers—qualitiesourprofessionneedsnowmorethanever.”