Tackling Challenges in Public Interest Law

Northeastern University’s School of Law—whose alumni include a U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, a former U.S. Senator, and numerous social justice advocates—was recently ranked number one in the nation for public interest law. As the country’s top program, Northeastern provides resources for essential centers, institutes, and programs tackling challenges like public health, and civil rights.

The Center for Public Interest, Advocacy, and Collaboration (CPIAC) was founded to enhance the role of law and legal practice in achieving social, economic, and environmental justice through teaching, practice, research, and networking. A generous philanthropic gift supports the center’s commitment to public interest law and social justice by covering general operations; costs related to conferences for faculty, fellows, staff, and students; student loan forgiveness; and salaries and stipends for student workers and fellows.

“The center is important for social justice law, taking on major issues like the cradle-to-prison pipeline, voting rights, and disenfranchisement,” says Lucy Williams, faculty director of the CPIAC. “But more importantly, we are working with many public interest and social justice minded law students to create the next generation of social justice lawyers.”