This spring's in-person Public Interest Law Group (PILG) Auction has been canceled in response to COVID-19. The PILG Auction benefits the Irvin and Margaret W. Dagen Public Interest Fund.
The support from this fellowship fund provides law students with summer stipends, allowing them to provide much needed legal services at nonprofits and government entities locally, nationally or internationally — services these organizations will need now more than ever.
The good news: the PILG Auction is going digital! The auction is live from April 13 to 5 p.m. CT on April 20. Register to bid at the link below.
Live now: PILG Online Auction, April 13-20, 2020
There is no better example of mission-driven work than the work that the students will do because the PILG Auction funds make it financially feasible for them to do it."
William P. Johnson, Dean, School of Law
PILG and SLU LAW are committed to increasing access to justice and legal services for all, but we cannot do it alone and we need your help.
Testimonials from Past Dagen Fund Recipients
Amber Lockhart Lange, 2L
“Receiving the Dagen stipend enabled me to take an unpaid internship during my 1L
summer with the Missouri Public Defender's Office.
My husband and I have two daughters. Kate just turned four, and Ellie is two. Prior to attending law school, our household was a two-income household. Quitting my job to attend law school required intense budgeting.
When I received the internship with the MO Public Defender’s Office, I assumed I wouldn’t be able to attend summer courses. My husband works nights, and without the income of a paid internship, we couldn’t have paid for childcare on the nights his work schedule and my evening classes overlapped.
The Dagen stipend covered the cost of our childcare for those times, enabling me to
complete summer courses as planned. I'll be able to graduate a sememster early because
of that. Thank you!”
Amber Lockhart Lange, intern, Missouri Public Defender's Office
Lindsea Hawotte, 2L
"In the summer 2019 I was an intern with the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's
Office working with the sex crimes team. That internship solidified my desire to practice
in the area of criminal prosecution.
Unfortunately, like most public interest internships, mine was unpaid, which caused
some concerns. However, the Dagen Fund allowed me to work toward my goal and have
some funds that paid for textbooks for fall 2020. I'm forever grateful for the PILG
Auction and all the help it gives us students. Thank you!"
Lindsea Hawotte, intern, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office
Tim Schweiss, 2L
"Summer 2019 Dagen funding allowed me to intern in the Bankruptcy Court in the Eastern
District of Missouri. I worked on a variety of bankruptcies, from businesses to individuals.
This experience enabled me to extend my career in government by working for the Securities
and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. in the spring and summer of 2020. There,
I continued to work in an investigative unit prosecuting insider trading and various
types of fraud. Dagen funding affords me the opportunity to continue pursuing a career
in public policy working to prevent white-collar crime."
Tim Schweiss, intern, Bankruptcy Court in the Eastern District of Missouri
Nicole Strombom, J.D. ('19), M.P.H. ('20)
"I received Dagen funding for two of my law school summers. Summer 2018 Dagen funding
allowed me to intern at the National Health Law Program (NHeLP) in Los Angeles. This
was a great experience that broadened my understanding of health disparities and women’s
health. I worked on important legal research concerning doula coverage under Medicaid,
maternal mortality, and Medi-Cal coverage of mental health services. My summer at
NHeLP provided me with experience performing legal research for publications related
to health law policy.
Summer 2019 Dagen funding allowed me to go to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention in Atlanta. I interned through the Public Health Law Program and was a
host-site intern placed in the Applied Research and Translation Team in the Division
for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention. Here, I worked on legal epidemiology research
related to food service guidelines and ST-elevation myocardial infarction. I now know
that I want to continue in a path of performing public health law research and have
applied to Ph.D. programs. Eventually, I hope to teach and publish in the public health
law field."
Nicole Strombom, J.D. ('19), M.P.H. ('20), intern, National Health Law Program (NHeLP);
intern, CDC, Public Health Law Program
Shaunessy Carr, 2L
"For my 1L summer, I interned at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District
of Missouri. The Dagen stipend was a benefit that made a significant difference in
my internship experience. SLU providing this funding reduced my stress over the lack
of financial resources that accompanies an unpaid internship. The Dagen Fund allowed
me to sustain my cost of living and be more selective in how I spent my free time
last summer. Lastly, the Dagen Fund allowed me to maximize my learning experiences,
as well as focus on having a rewarding and well-rounded internship experience. Thank
you!"
Shaunessy Carr, intern, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri
Ryan Kime, 3L
"The Dagan Fellowship was incredibly helpful to me because it allowed me to stay in
St. Louis. The Fellowship went toward my rent and allowed me to work in St. Clair
County, IL, instead of heading back to Cincinnati to live for free. Working at St.
Clair County gave me connections I used to get a field placement at the Southern District
of Illinois this semester. That federal internship will hopefully assist me in landing
a federal law enforcement job after graduation."
Ryan Kime, intern, St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office
Louise Taylor, 2L
"The Dagen stipend allowed me to pursue unpaid legal internship options and still
pay for rent. My internship at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District
of Missouri last summer was truly eye-opening. I explored civil and criminal areas
of the law, observed court, participated in trial prep, toured a federal prison and
had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people. I am very thankful for all those
who participate in the PILG Auction and hope this year is a great one!"
Louise Taylor, intern, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri
Brad Bilyeu, 3L
"So many important public interest organizations and government entities simply do
not have the funds to pay law students for their efforts. Though unpaid, these positions
are extremely beneficial to law students as they present opportunities to gain practical
experience and legal community connections. However, experience and connections do
not pay the rent. The Irvin and Maggie Dagen Fellowship Fund is vital in supporting
SLU LAW students’ pursuit of public interest law so that students do not have to choose
between accepting a beneficial but unpaid opportunity and being broke.
I received a Dagen Fellowship stipend my 2L summer to work for the Federal Public Defender's Office of the Eastern District of Missouri. Thanks to the Dagen stipend, I did not have to choose between accepting a position where I could gain valuable practical experience in my concentration or paying my rent. Thanks to the stipend, I did not have to choose between accepting a position where I could gain connections and institutional knowledge or paying utilities or buying food for my family.
Thank you to SLU LAW, PILG, and the Irvin and Maggie Dagen Fellowship Fund for empowering
and encouraging law students to work in public interest law. You’ve helped me, a non-traditional,
first-gen law student, serve the public interest without jeopardizing the financial
health of my family. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart."
Brad Bilyeu, intern, Federal Public Defender's Office, Eastern District of Missouri
Felicia Johler, 2L
"I am incredibly grateful to have been a Dagen recipient. Last summer, I accepted
an internship with the St. Clair County State's Attorney's Office. The Dagen fellowship
gave me the ability to afford transportation costs, as I live in St. Louis and commuted
across the river every day. I've had my sights set on a career in criminal litigation
since I started law school, and I'm thankful that the Dagen fellowship gave me the
opportunity to experience my field of interest."
Felicia Johler, intern, St. Clair County State's Attorney's Office
Ella Salvator, 2L
"Because of the Dagen Fund, I was able to spend my 1L summer working at Oklahoma Indian
Legal Services (OILS), which offers legal aid services for low-income American Indians
in Oklahoma. This internship was my first legal work experience and I had a great
time and learned so much. At OILS we represented individuals from any federally recognized
tribe in Oklahoma, which has 39 federally recognized tribes, so I was able to interact
with people from many different native nations.
The attorneys at OILS were patient and took the time to take us to court and to casinos. I went to court at least once but usually twice a week. I saw proceedings in different state county courts and also in multiple tribal courts. We would often drive an hour or more around the state to get to tribal courthouses, so we had hours of one-on-one time in the car to talk with OILS attorneys about their jobs and cases. This allowed the attorneys and the interns to get to know one another quickly and form relationships that I have maintained since leaving OILS. I have used several attorneys from OILS as references when applying to future jobs and I keep in touch with them as friends, as well. We would often stop for lunch at greasy diners or steak spots or even Dairy Queen in the middle of nowhere. Basically, we were always having an adventure. It was an opportunity to see an entire state and many different court settings.
Some of the tribal courts I visited were Comanche, Cheyenne & Arapaho, Cherokee Nation, Absentee Shawnee, Kiowa, and Citizen Potawatomi Nation. While in Oklahoma I also had the opportunity to go to a talking circle and three different pow wows, which are important cultural celebrations for Native American tribes where there is dancing competitions, food, games and people selling native jewelry.
At my internship, I wrote a brief on the Indian Child Welfare Act in support of a motion to transfer a guardianship case to tribal court. I used this brief as my writing sample when applying for 2L summer jobs. I also wrote other shorter motions. I assisted with 10 Wills Clinics, traveling all over the state to interview clients, draft and execute their wills. I also learned how to draft power of attorneys, advanced directives, and transfer on death deeds. I often had the opportunity to interact with clients directly and this was the best part of my job.
I am so grateful that I was able to take this unpaid internship, and it is solely
because of the Dagen Fund that I was able to without worry. It is incredibly important
that students don’t have to think solely about money when picking their 1L and 2L
summer internships. Without the donations, the Dagen Fund, and the PILG Auction, many
students would be unable to have an experience like mine."
Ella Salvator, intern, Oklahoma Indian Legal Services
Courtney Federico, 2L
"Receiving the Dagen scholarship allowed me to work for a not-for-profit law firm my 1L summer, ArchCity Defenders. Entering law school, I knew what I wanted to do, but I didn't know how to achieve it. I explained it to my fellow 1Ls and I couldn't quite figure out what exactly my career path would look like. Finally I met with some 2Ls who told me about impact litigation, specifically the amazing work that ArchCity Defenders does every day to improve the quality of life for so many individuals in our community.
Without the Dagen scholarship I would not have been able to take this job and have
the opportunities that I did. I was able to work with the direct representation teams
and the civil litigation team, which has given me a lot of opportunities to connect
with the St. Louis community. Since I worked full time hours at ACD, I was not able
to have another job to pay for necessities like rent and groceries. This scholarship
has allowed me to continue to pursue a career in public interest while also supporting
myself. Thank you!"
Courtney Federico, intern, ArchCity Defenders