Public Interest Resource Center

Fordham Law School's mission is to educate attorneys to work "in the service of others."

Public service has long been a tradition at Fordham Law School and is expressed today through the activities of nearly 500 Fordham Law students who participate annually in the public service work of the Public Interest Resource Center.

The Public Interest Resource Center (PIRC)

  • is the hub of public interest legal work at Fordham Law. Students interested in public interest work should connect with PIRC.

  • is the place where Fordham Law students can devote their passions, interests, and skills to pro bono, public service and community service work from their first week in law school–through participation in our dynamic PIRC Student Groups.  These pro bono projects are also a place where students are introduced to rewarding public interest work.

  • supports students in their public interest summer/academic year internship and post-graduate job search through a rich array of public service career support, complementing the services provided by the Career Planning Center.

  • offers programming throughout the school year to educate, excite and prepare students to be thoughtful and transformative public interest legal interns and lawyers.

  • administers the Stein Scholars in Public Interest Law and Ethics program.

  • coordinates pro bono initiatives throughout the law school.

  • advises on the NYS bar 50-Hour Pro Bono Requirement.

  • works closely with our Fordham Law Centers and Institutes  to coordinate student involvement.

PIRC News

Public Service Day Connects Students to the Local Community 

Public Service Day Connects Students to the Local Community 

From a Central Park clean up led by Fordham’s Environmental Law Advocates to a workshop on voter suppression conducted by Fordham Law Advocates for Voter Rights in partnership with the …

Meet Alexa Jean-Baptiste ’25

Meet Alexa Jean-Baptiste ’25

More than 130 rising second- and third-year Fordham Law students are engaging in rewarding and meaningful full-time public service work this summer at non-profit organizations and government agencies across the …

Fordham Law Students Help Empower New Yorkers at Call-in Center

Fordham Law Students Help Empower New Yorkers at Call-in Center

While externing at a legal helpline this spring, Arianna Hopkins ’25 often found herself consoling New Yorkers who were in tears—fearful of losing their homes and becoming homeless or seeking …

Fordham Law’s Annual PIRC Awards Recognize Contributions to Public Service

Fordham Law’s Annual PIRC Awards Recognize Contributions to Public Service

Dean Matthew Diller and alumnus Richard Saenz ’10, who has advocated for trangender people and incarcerated individuals with HIV, were honored for their dedication to public service at the 33rd …

New Class of Stein Scholars Are the Next Generation of Social Justice Advocates

New Class of Stein Scholars Are the Next Generation of Social Justice Advocates

This year’s class of Fordham Law’s Stein Scholars, composed of 21 students, are devoted to public interest law issues that range from human rights to gender equity, to labor rights, …

Fordham Law Kicks Off Spring Semester with New Faces, Classes, and Public Service Initiatives

Fordham Law Kicks Off Spring Semester with New Faces, Classes, and Public Service Initiatives

As Fordham Law students return to classes this week, they can look forward to 13 new courses, the addition of two prestigious faculty members, and a semester filled with interesting …

Meet U.S. Marine Veteran and REAL Scholar Shervin Shahnazi ’26

Meet U.S. Marine Veteran and REAL Scholar Shervin Shahnazi ’26

During his four years in the U.S. Marine Corps, Shervin Shahnazi ’26 oversaw a platoon of 35 marines as a First Lieutenant. When on the ground, especially during his deployment …

On Public Service Day, First-Year Students Live Out Fordham Law’s Ideals 

On Public Service Day, First-Year Students Live Out Fordham Law’s Ideals 

From cleaning up Central Park, advocating for gender-affirming care, and studying neighborhoods in Chinatown, around 200 Fordham Law students spread across New York City for the school’s annual Public Service …

Sarah Seo ’23 Selected as Inaugural NAACP Legal Defense Fund Policy Fellow

Sarah Seo ’23 Selected as Inaugural NAACP Legal Defense Fund Policy Fellow

Sarah Seo ’23 has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund Policy Fellowship. Seo will be joining the Legal Defense Fund (LDF)’s New …

Public Interest Resource Center Holds 32nd Annual Public Interest Student Awards Ceremony

Public Interest Resource Center Holds 32nd Annual Public Interest Student Awards Ceremony

On April 17, Fordham Law’s Public Interest Resource Center (PIRC) recognized nearly 300 students at its 32nd Annual Public Interest Awards Ceremony, celebrating their contributions to public interest work. Dean …

Meet the Two Newest Members of the Stein Scholars Program

Meet the Two Newest Members of the Stein Scholars Program

This spring, Fordham Law School welcomed Grey Berkowitz ’25 and Taylor Young-Wells ’25 into the Stein Scholars Program in Public Interest Law and Ethics. The program is designed to cultivate …

Fordham Law Celebrates “Giants in the Field of Labor Law” Through Creation of the Joseph Vitale Labor Fellowship

Fordham Law Celebrates “Giants in the Field of Labor Law” Through Creation of the Joseph Vitale Labor Fellowship

On Oct. 11, members of the Fordham Law community and the wider legal community joined the families of Joseph J. Vitale ’89 and Marc A. Tenenbaum for a special reception …

Public Service Day Events Connect First-Year Students with Local Community

Public Service Day Events Connect First-Year Students with Local Community

This year’s Public Service Day, hosted by the Public Interest Resource Center (PIRC) and held on Aug. 20 as part of first-year orientation, featured a variety of activities for first-year …

Public Interest Resource Center Holds 31st Annual Public Interest Student Awards Ceremony

Public Interest Resource Center Holds 31st Annual Public Interest Student Awards Ceremony

On March 28, the Public Interest Resource Center (PIRC) at Fordham Law held its 31st Annual Public Interest Student Awards Ceremony, recognizing and celebrating student contribution to public interest work. …

Fordham Law Students Break Engagement Record at Public Service Day

Fordham Law Students Break Engagement Record at Public Service Day

Fordham Law’s annual Public Service Day, hosted by Fordham Law’s Public Interest Resource Center (PIRC), is a testament to the Law School’s motto, “In the service of others.” Every year, …

Public Interest Resource Center Honors Students and Founder Thomas Schoenherr at 30th Annual Awards Ceremony

Public Interest Resource Center Honors Students and Founder Thomas Schoenherr at 30th Annual Awards Ceremony

On April 8, Fordham Law School’s Public Interest Resource Center (PIRC) recognized hundreds of students at its 30th Annual Public Interest Students Award Ceremony, held virtually this year. The Class …

Pro Bono Counsel Alumnae Find Innovation Amid the Pandemic

Pro Bono Counsel Alumnae Find Innovation Amid the Pandemic

As stay-at-home orders have impacted businesses, law offices, and courts, three Fordham alumnae—Artemis Anninos ‘96, pro bono counsel, Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP, Susan Cordaro ‘04, pro bono manager, Simpson …

Leah Horowitz ’06 Named Assistant Dean for Public Interest and Social Justice Initiatives

Leah Horowitz ’06 Named Assistant Dean for Public Interest and Social Justice Initiatives

Leah Horowitz ’06 has been named assistant dean for public interest and social justice initiatives. Beginning in July, in her new role, Horowitz will be responsible for developing, coordinating, and …

Brian Glick to Receive PIRC Public Interest Faculty Member of the Year Award

Brian Glick to Receive PIRC Public Interest Faculty Member of the Year Award

Professor Brian Glick, supervising attorney of the Community Economic Development Clinic, will be presented with the Public Interest Faculty Member of the Year Award at the PIRC Awards Dinner on April 4, …

In Our Corner

In Our Corner

Highlighting a key partner in the A2J Initiative at Fordham Law School When it comes to housing in the country’s most densely populated big cities, a lawyer’s help can make …