Professional Attire, Clerkship Expenses, and 3L Public Interest Interview Travel

Funding availability, eligible expenses, and submission guidelines

• Professional Attire

  A budget increase of up to $1,000 for professional attire purchases is available to J.D. students once over the course of the three-year J.D. program. Expenditures for professional attire suitable for the workplace or courtroom (such as clothing and shoes) are eligible for submission. Approved budget increases, are awarded a 5%  subsidized HLS loan.  This loan is eligible for LIPP assistance.

  To ensure efficient processing of your appeal, it is strongly recommended that you submit one budget increase request for your professional attire expenses, rather than submitting separate budget increase requests for each individual expenditure.

  To submit a request, use the following instructions:

  • Log into the SFS Self-Service Portal
  • Under the Financial Aid navigation menu select Adjustment Form
  • Start a New Adjustment
  • For Adjustment Category select “Standard Budget Adjustments”
  • For Adjustment Reason select “Professional Attire Expenses“
  • Complete the remainder of the form and then hit “Submit”

  An upload link for receipts will be available once the form is submitted. Documentation in the form of receipts must be submitted at the time a request is made. All receipts must include your name and payment information. Order confirmations are not valid receipts and will not be processed.

• Clerkship Related Expenses

  2L and 3L students who are applying to judicial clerkships, and need help financing their related expenses, are eligible to for a budget increase of up to $1,200 in an academic year, with a total limit of $2,400 over the course of the three-year J.D. program. Approved budget increases, are awarded a 5%  subsidized HLS loan.  This loan is eligible for LIPP assistance.

  The following expenses are eligible to be considered in a budget increase request:

  • Travel to interviews (3Ls may be eligible for a travel grant – see 3L Public Interest Interview Travel Grant in next section)
  • Lodging during interview visits
  • Printing paper clerkship applications (resumes, cover letters, etc)
  • Mailing hard copy applications
  • Local transportation at interview site (cab, bus, etc)
  • Food during interview travel

  It is strongly recommended that you submit one budget increase request for any clerkship related expenses. However, it is possible that the length of time between interviews may require two or more individual submissions.

  To submit a request, use the following instructions:

  • Log into the SFS Self-Service Portal
  • Under the Financial Aid navigation menu select Adjustment Form
  • Start a New Adjustment
  • For Adjustment Category select “Standard Budget Adjustments”
  • For Adjustment Reason select “Clerkship Interview Expenses“
  • Complete the remainder of the form and then hit “Submit”

  An upload link for receipts will be available once the form is submitted. Documentation in the form of receipts must be submitted at the time a request is made. All receipts must include your name and payment information. Order confirmations are not valid receipts and will not be processed.

• 3L Public Interest Interview Travel Grants

  HLS grants of up to $600 are available to qualifying 3L students traveling for postgraduate fellowship, judicial clerkship, and job interviews with public interest employers. A student could request up to $600 for a single interview or reach $600 cumulatively across multiple trips/interviews. Requests for funding above $600, whether for a single trip or for multiple, will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Feel free to contact SFS with any questions about eligibility.

  Note also: these funds can be applied to the $25 registration fee to the Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair, typically held in October.

  Students are encouraged first to ask whether the employer would consider a remote interview (if the employer asked to interview in person.) Priority will be considered based upon the applicant’s need, and submissions received after April 25, 2025 (for the 2024-25 academic year) will not be eligible for reimbursement.

  To submit a request, use the following instructions:

  • Log into the SFS Self-Service Portal
  • Under the Financial Aid navigation menu select Adjustment Form
  • Start a New Adjustment
  • For Adjustment Category select “Other”
  • In the Request Details section, students should specify the date of their interview, the prospective employer’s company name, list their travel dates, and certify the amount spent.

  An upload link for receipts will be available once the form is submitted. Submissions without receipts will not be reviewed.  All receipts must include your name and payment information.

  Travel made during a leave of absence will not be eligible for reimbursement.