Public Interest Law Association Auction Raises $14,000 for Student Grants

The Public Interest Law Association (PILA) honored Franny Forsman at the 12th Annual PILA Auction on February 25, 2011 at The Orleans. PILA raised over $14,000 towards funding internship grants for Boyd students working in the public sector this summer. Since their first auction in 1999, PILA has raised over $130,000.

“The annual auction has traditionally been our largest event,” Richard Yien, president of PILA, said. “It brings together the legal community in Las Vegas for an evening of fundraising for law students and it gives law students the opportunity to work in a field of law that they have a passion for.”

The PILA Summer Grants will award students who choose to engage in public interest work over the summer up to $5000 for eight weeks of work for a minimum of 320 hours.

With the assistance of PILA grants, students have helped senior citizens obtain housing, resolved landlord-tenant conflicts, dealt with child custody and divorce disputes, and secured equal and civil rights for individuals. In 2010, PILA grant recipients provided over 5,000 hours of legal services to under-represented populations.