What is a PILF Stipend?

Every summer, PILF provides $4,500 summer stipends for unpaid internships with civil legal services organizations, nonprofits, government (federal, state and local), prosecutor and public defender offices and judges. All 1L and 2L law students are invited to apply for summer funding.

PILF stipends are paid at a rate of $17.36 per hour and are considered taxable income. Boston College Law School is the employer for all stipend recipients. PILF 4.5K stipends are funded through PILF and law school fundraising efforts and the generous contributions of BC Law alumni, faculty and staff, the Cummings Foundation, and local law firms.

Applications for summer 2024 stipends are now open and will close on May 1st, 2024.

Application Requirements

You are eligible for a PILF summer stipend if all below eligibility criteria are met:

1. You have secured an eligible unpaid summer internship with a civil legal services, nonprofit, government, prosecutor or public defender organization or an unpaid judicial internship.
2. You have completed and submitted your 2024-25 FAFSA. Exceptions to this requirement will only be made for those who are non-U.S. citizens and not eligible to submit a FAFSA, such as certain service members.
3. You have completed and submitted your 2024-25 BC Financial Aid Supplemental Form to bc.edu/finaidupload and have requested summer work study. Exceptions to this requirement will only be made for those who are non-U.S. citizens and not eligible for federal work study, including certain service members. You agree to accept your summer work study award, if received.
4. You have provided all below requested information regarding your summer position, including your completed employer verification form, and have reported your summer position on SAGE.

Needs-Based Applicants

PILF emphasizes awarding needs based stipends to applicants. We recognize that the public interest field is one that is often inaccessible to many groups because of the financial burdens that it can place on someone. We do not want anyone to feel that they are barred from accepting a job in the public interest field for this upcoming summer because of not being awarded a stipend. If you are eligible, PILF will prioritize funding for you, although we cannot guarantee that you will receive a stipend.

The qualification for the Needs-Based stipend is: without a stipend, you would be unable to accept a public interest internship for this upcoming summer without either finding an additional paid job or taking out loans to pay for living expenses (like food, rent, gas) this summer.

Additional Stipend Awards

Racial Justice Stipends (1Ls and 2Ls). PILF provides additional $1,500 funding for students participating in racial justice work. The Racial Justice Stipends program was inaugurated in the 2020-21 school year in response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless other Black lives. It recognizes students undertaking important and urgent work tied to dismantling systemic racism, including students of color doing public interest work in historically white spaces. The stipend is supported by the Hillinger Legacy Fund and will continue to be a fixture of PILF's stipend offerings. 1Ls and 2Ls are welcome to apply. The fellowship combines $1,500 with the $4,500 PILF Summer Stipend for a total of $6,000.

This supplemental application will be read by the Racial Justice Stipend Committee concurrent to the rest of your application for the PILF 4.5K Summer Stipend. In order to be considered for the Racial Justice Stipend, you must first have secured a position and complete the PILF 4.5K Summer Stipend Application, which is available at the link here.

Applications for summer 2024 Racial Justice Stipends have now closed. Check back here next January to apply for summer 2025. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to PILF's VP of Stipends, Sam Hodgkins-Sumner at bclawpilf@bc.edu.

Ingrid Michelson Hillinger Fellowship (2Ls Only). This fellowship recognizes students who are exceptionally committed to public service, as evidenced by their decision to pursue a public interest internship for their 2L summer. These students plan to pursue a public service path immediately after graduation and dedicate their careers to others. The Hillinger Fellowship will support the next generation of BC Law alumni who shape justice in our communities. Past Hillinger Fellows, including Shannon Johnson and Alena Chaps, exemplify the lifelong commitment to public interest that this fellowship seeks to foster. The fellowship combines $1,500 with the $4,500 PILF Summer Stipend for a total of $6,000.

Applications for summer 2024 Ingrid Michelson Hillinger Fellowships have now closed. Check back here next January to apply for summer 2025. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to PILF's VP of Stipends, Sam Hodgkins-Sumner at bclawpilf@bc.edu.

The Holocaust and Human Rights Project (1Ls and 2Ls). HHRP at BC Law offers summer funding through the Allan Ryan Summer Internship Program. HHRP grants provide limited summer funding between $3,000 and $6,000 to 1L and 2L students whose human rights work is connected to HHRP's charter. Students who receive HHRP funding work outside the U.S. over the summer. Funds are disbursed in one payment to help cover travel and living expenses while abroad. You are welcome to apply for both a PILF Stipend and HHRP funding, but you will only be able to accept one.

Applications for HRRP funding are now open and will close on May 1st, 2024. The link to apply is here. For any questions related to HHRP funding, please contact HHRP President, Eliot Usherenko, at usherenk@bc.edu.

FAQ

Where can I learn more about PILF Stipends? A recording of the last Stipends info session is available here.
I'm having trouble with the FAFSA. What do I do? Questions regarding Financial Aid, including the FAFSA, Supplemental Form and award status for federal summer work study can be directed to:
- Marsia Hill Kreaime, Associate Director, counseling students whose last names begin with the letters G-R at marsia.hill@bc.edu, (617) 552-3300, Office of Student Services, Lyons Hall 103
- Elaine Holloman, Assistant Director, counseling students whose last names begin with the letters A-F, S-Z at elaine.holloman@bc.edu, (617) 552-3300, Office of Student Services, Lyons Hall 103
How do I know if my summer job is eligible for a Stipend? Questions regarding your summer job search for eligible internships can be directed to the BC Law Career Services Office by making an appointment with an advisor on SAGE or by contacting law.career@bc.edu, (617) 552-4345 or stopping by Suite 210, East Wing.
How does the payments work? Questions regarding PILF 4.5K stipend award status and payroll can be directed to BC Law's Office of Finance and Administration/Payroll:
- Patrick Mahoney, Assistant Director of Fiscal and Grant Administration at patrick.mahoney@bc.edu, (617) 552-4404, Stuart Hall, Suite 302
- Terry-Anne Roberts, Fiscal Assistant at terryanne.richelieu@bc.edu, (617) 552-4359, Stuart Hall, Suite 302.
I recently applied for a stipend. When will I hear back? You will be notified of your stipend status no later than two (2) weeks of the application close date.
I was awarded a stipend. How do I log my hours? Is there any required paperwork? If you are awarded a stipend, BC Law's Office of Finance and Administration/Payroll will contact you to ensure you have the proper paperwork for BC payroll and instructions on how to submit summer hours to payroll to receive your stipend payments. All stipend recipients must complete required paperwork for payroll including an I-9 Form before leaving campus for the summer. Please review page 2 of the I-9 Form to ensure you have the required original documentation needed to verify your identity for completion of the form on campus.
I was awarded a stipend. When will I receive my first paycheck? Recipients can begin tracking their hours for the stipend no sooner than May 20th and log no more than 40 hours per week. Please note your first paycheck will be received 2 weeks after your internship begins. For example, a recipient who begins interning on May 20th will log their hours for that week with payroll on May 24th and receive their first paycheck for hours worked the week of May 20th on May 31st. Recipients who begin interning on June 3, will log hours with payroll on June 7th and receive their first paycheck on June 14th. Please plan accordingly.
I have fulfilled the eligibility requirements, but I was denied a stipend. What can I do? If you are denied summer funding for a reason other than funding has run out and believe you have fulfilled all eligibility requirements, please contact the Public Interest and Pro Bono Program Director, Michelle Grossfield at michelle.grossfield@bc.edu, (617) 552-4345 or stop by Career Services in the East Wing, Suite 210.

For general questions about the PILF Summer Stipend, feel free to reach out to PILF's VP of Stipends, Sam Hodgkins-Sumner at bclawpilf@bc.edu.