Were you a recipient of a UBSPI fellowship and want to share your story? Contact Jason Keller at jkeller@ubalt.edu
Each year, UBalt Students for Public Interest (UBSPI) raise money for stipends for law students working for public interest organizations over the summer. Each stipend is $5,000 and helps offset living expenses for students working their entire summer at worthy organizations for free.
Without these stipends, many students wouldn't be able to afford to take an unpaid summer position with these organizations. And without the valuable work of our law students, many of these organizations would not be able to maximize their impact on our community.
Below are a few stories from our student fellows:
Payton aldridge
Student Fellow Project HEAL at Kennedy Krieger Institute
Project HEAL (Health, Advocacy, Education, and Law) is a medical-legal partnership that provides legal representation to children with disabilities in Maryland who are patients of Kennedy Krieger Institute and their families... As a trainee, I was able to meet and work directly with clients, attend intake meetings, attend meetings with the school system, and work on policy issues with other local organizations in regards to disability rights and special education reform....Project HEAL helped me realize that I wanted to dedicate my future to public interest law, and representing low-income families and children with disabilities."
Corrine Ellis
Student Fellow Baltimore Bar Foundation, Senior Legal Services
"My internship with Senior Legal Services exposed me to an array of issues and skills, and challenged my education daily... I was able to give back to my community... by going to seniors centers with attorneys and attending estate planning clinics that provided low income seniors in Baltimore City a much-needed legal service for no cost. Thanks to UBSPI's grant, I was able to continue the work I love and give back to my community simultaneously."
adrianne blake
Student Fellow U.S. Coast Guard
"As a result of this [fellowship], I have submitted an application to the Direct Commission Law program for the U.S. Coast Guard. Receiving a UBSPI grant helped me to pay out-of-pocket for monthly public transit and convenience costs owing to the daily commute between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. I was also able to purchase additional business attire, as the daily dress code at Coast Guard Headquarters is business professional."