Loyola University > School of Law > Student Life > Organizations > Public Interest Law Society (PILS)
Public Interest Law Society (PILS)
Faculty Advisor: Mary Bird
2023-2024 Executive Board
Ally Hayes, President
Rama Izar, Vice President
Isabel Smith, Outreach Chair
Leanna Nichols, Program Development Chair
The Public Interest Law Society (PILS) seeks to build and sustain a community of students interested in addressing issues that affect historically excluded and marginalized communities. Public interest law is broad by nature, and generally refers to legal work in service of individuals, groups, and causes that are under-served by the for-profit bar. PILS is dedicated to cultivating both awareness and understanding of how our legal education should be used to ensure the equitable access to resources and the empowerment of all people to exercise self-determination in a way that strengthens community capacity for collaborative action.
Central to the call of public interest work is listening and learning prior to deciding and acting. PILS organizes events and cultivates resources that encourage students to better understand what under-served communities are calling for, and then think creatively about how their legal skills can fulfill those needs. As such, the nature of the resources and events is fluid. PILS encourages all students to listen, learn, and think critically and imaginatively about how to directly challenge the roots of oppression to build a more just world.
Members of PILS support and participate in the editing and production of Loyola's Public Interest Law Reporter.
