The Carrico Center gives students opportunities, whether they're 1Ls, 2Ls, or 3Ls, to engage in pro bono work.
I was involved in the Carrico Center by being one of the student program managers for my 2L and 3L year. So what that meant was I helped put on programs, helped students get involved in pro bono opportunities while they were in law school. And I also helped run our street law program, where we sent law students into local public schools and teach about different aspects of the law.
One of the opportunities I had was a pro bono Wills for Seniors event. We were able to get a crash course on how to assist people in drafting wills, and I thought it was really special that we were able to help them at no cost. But I think that learning those skills as well was something that I didn't expect I'd get to do.
So the Summer Public Interest Fellowship is an opportunity to really engage in public interest careers, because a lot of the public interest internships/fellowships are unpaid. And so the Public Interest Fellowship provides an opportunity for students to actually sustain those opportunities, to engage in the community, engage in those employment opportunities. And it's guaranteed for students who are interested in those public interest fields.
While I was in law school, I participated in a variety of pro bono programs through the Carrico Center. And I've carried that on to my career now, participating in pro bono cases. And while I was here, already having the opportunity to interact with clients gave me the confidence to know that I could do that on my own.
