As part of Harvard Law’s continued commitment to supporting its students’ pursuit of the full range of opportunities, the Bernard Koteen Office of Public Interest Advising, or OPIA, has announced increased funding for graduates pursuing public interest internships and careers.
Beginning with members of the class of 2026, the Public Service Venture Fund (PSVF) program will increase stipends and other resources designed to support public interest lawyering. Additionally, effective this year, the Summer Public Interest Funding (SPIF) program will increase funding for 2L students pursuing public interest opportunities during their summers.
“The PSVF and SPIF initiatives are catalysts that empower our talented students and graduates to serve communities around the country and the world. I am incredibly proud of their work and of our school’s commitment to legal practice in service of the public interest,” said John C.P. Goldberg, Morgan and Helen Chu Dean and Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. “I am also very grateful to our OPIA team for its support for our students and alumni as they seek to find meaningful work that advances important objectives and values.”
“These key funding increases reaffirm Harvard Law School’s commitment to maximizing the excellent contributions of students and graduates who are committed to serving populations and causes that are often underserved,” said Catherine Pattanayak ’04, assistant dean for public service. “I am extremely pleased Harvard Law will be allocating additional resources to support graduates and students interested in utilizing their skills and expertise to serve the public good.”
Public Service Venture Fund
Launched in 2012 by OPIA, the PSVF has awarded more than $13 million in yearlong fellowships to Harvard Law students and graduates working to confront some of society’s most urgent challenges — from defending individual rights to challenging unconstitutional prison conditions to advancing public health initiatives.
Beginning with the 2026-2027 fellowship cycle, the PSVF has increased its annual stipend for students and graduates from $50,000 to $60,000 per year.
The PSVF funding increase was made possible through the generosity of Harvard Law School alumnus Ed Colloton ’90 and his wife, Eve. Inspired by the PSVF’s success, Ed and Eve established a fellowship fund that provides immediate financial support for students and graduates pursuing careers in public service.
“When our talented students and graduates step forward to serve their clients, everyone benefits,” said Dean Goldberg. “We are so thankful to the Collotons for making transformative fellowships possible for our students.”
“We believe in the power of public service, and that HLS graduates are uniquely positioned to answer the call at a moment when public service has rarely mattered more,” said Ed Colloton.
Colloton, who served as a navigator in the U.S. Navy followed by a role with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was drawn to law school by witnessing the impact of the lawyers around him. Reflecting on what his Harvard law education made possible, he hopes the funding increase provides additional financial security for those interested in pursuing public service careers.
“We feel privileged to help launch the careers of exceptionally capable, thoughtful people,” Colloton added. “By investing in this program, we hope more students are empowered to step into public life — to strengthen our institutions, serve their communities, and tackle the defining challenges of their generation.”
In addition to giving students the opportunity to work for established nonprofits and government entities, PSVF has also provided more than $2.5 million in seed grants to third-year students and alumni who have created their own public service organizations. PSVF seed grant funding has helped launch programs such as the Climate Defense Project, which bolsters front-line activists and advanced legal arguments in support of the climate movement; the Essie Justice Group, which promotes award-winning advocacy models to help women impacted by incarceration; and Co-op Dayton, an incubator for cooperative businesses to create and retain jobs in the Dayton, Ohio region.
Summer Public Interest Funding
Administered by the Office of Student Financial Services, SPIF provides students financial support for substantive law-related summer employment under the supervision of a legal professional in a nonprofit, government, nongovernmental organization, intergovernmental organization, or approved private public interest firm setting. Since a large portion of public interest positions are unpaid, SPIF affords students the financial resources needed to accept summer positions focused on serving the public.
Last summer, SPIF supported more than 400 Harvard Law School students working in 33 different states, 21 different countries, and the District of Columbia.
For the summer of 2026, the SPIF per-student funding cap has increased from $9,500 to $10,500. For 2L students receiving financial aid, the weekly stipend has been raised from $750 per week to $900 per week. For 2L students who are not receiving financial aid, the stipend has been raised from $4,200 per summer to $5,000 per summer.
“We are thrilled with the increase in funding for our 2L students pursuing public interest opportunities this summer, many for a second year, while forgoing significantly higher-paying private-sector opportunities,” said Natasha Onken, assistant dean for student financial services. “I am very grateful and hopeful it will have a meaningful impact on their lived experiences this summer.”
Additional Public Interest Resources
SPIF and PSVF are only two of the ways Harvard Law School supports students and graduates working in the public interest.
The law school’s longstanding loan repayment assistance program, the Low Income Protection Plan, helps J.D. graduates pursuing careers in lower-paying public interest, government, academic, or law-related private sector jobs by subsidizing loan payments. Qualifying alumni with an income of $70,000 or less annually are eligible to have LIPP cover the full cost of their loan repayments. All other LIPP-eligible participants pay less each month towards their law school loans.
Three years ago, Harvard Law School launched a new loan repayment assistance option based on the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness, or PSLF, program for J.D. alumni with federal loans. This option enables participants who are eligible for the PSLF program and committed to working in a qualifying public service role for at least 10 years to earn up to $110,000 per year before contributing towards their qualifying loans.
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