Brooklyn Law School’s Public Service Grant Program is one of the nation’s most generous grant programs supporting public service employment. Through the Public Service Grant Program Brooklyn Law School guarantees all current students the means to engage in public service work during the academic year and during the summer. Our Public Service Grant Program is one of the many ways in which we assist students who seek to make government, non-profit and public interest service an integral part of their law school experience.
Hundreds of Brooklyn Law School students have participated in the Public Service Grant Program through placements across the country in public interest organizations as well as agencies of the federal, state and city government. Placements have included the Office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Clark County Public Defender’s Office/Las Vegas, Nevada, New York State Attorney General’s Office, American Civil Liberties Union, South East Louisiana Legal Services, HELP USA, Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, WIPO, and the Office of the United States Attorney General.
Eligibility for Support
All students are eligible to apply for a grant. A student need not be a financial aid recipient to receive a Public Service Grant.
Eligible Employment
Most law related work in the following organizations is eligible:
- Non-profit organizations within the United States
- Federal, state and city government organizations
- Some international intergovernmental organizations such as WIPO, UNESCO and the World Bank.
Non-eligible work includes:
- Employment that primarily benefits the members of a limited membership organization such as a credit union, fraternal or religious order or a cooperative
- Work as a political aide for any elected official
- Work for which a student’s political support or party affiliation is taken into account in the hiring decision
- Lobbying on the federal, state or local government level
- Positions with for-profit law firms (including private public interest firms)
Grant Amounts
The Public Service Grant Program guarantees that all of our students receive a pay rate of $12 per hour for eligible work. Students are permitted to work a maximum of 20 hours per week during the academic year and 40 hours per week during the summer. The amount of support any individual student will receive under the Public Service Grant program will depend on other sources of financial support, such as fellowships or other grants. As in the past, a Public Service Grant may be used to satisfy an agency’s share of funding when the agency is unable to make that contribution. Students are prohibited from accepting any compensation directly from the agency.
How to Apply for a Public Service Grant
Students should submit an application (Fall/Spring Application or Summer Application, PDF) to the Financial Aid Office based on their employment period. The Office will use this application to determine the source of funding for the student’s public service work.
In addition, each student must have a valid Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file with the Financial Aid Office for the corresponding award period. The FAFSA can be completed at www.FAFSA.ed.gov
Upon receipt of the notification of their Public Service Grant award and prior to the start of their qualifying employment, the students must provide the Financial Aid Office with the following completed documents based on their proposed period of employment:
The Financial Aid Office will send the agency an agreement form; this will include the students’ hourly wage, earning cap, period of employment and the responsibility the agency has to BLS students, namely, to provide a stimulating and career enhancing work experience.
Payment Process
Your Brooklyn Law School user name and password are required to access the payroll system. If you need assistance completing and submitting your time sheet, please refer to How to Record Timesheets (PDF) for assistance. Time sheets must be signed by your supervisor and submitted by the posted deadline in order for you to get paid. If your time sheet is submitted late, you will have to wait until the following pay period to get paid.
Students are eligible to sign up for direct deposit of their paychecks. The downloaded form can be faxed to the Financial Aid Office at 718/228-6796.
Helpful Links:
The Summer Process
The Financial Aid Office will be conducting information workshops explaining what is required to fund your summer employment. The summer employment period is May 15, 2008 to August 20, 2008.
Attendance is mandatory for all first time recipients of a Public Service Grant. The dates are:
Tuesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Tuesday
Tuesday
|
3/4/08
3/5/08
3/26/08
4/1/08
4/15/08
|
|
1 – 1:50 pm
5 – 5:50 pm
5 – 5:50 pm
1 – 1:50 pm
5 – 5:50 pm
|
Room 503
Room 503
Room 503
Room 503
Student Lounge
|
You must RSVP the date you will attend by calling the Financial Aid Office at 718-780-7915 or email your response to finaid@brooklaw.edu.
Locating Public Service Employment
The Public Service Program Office, located in the Career Center, counsels and assists students in their efforts to identify and obtain public service positions in a non-profit or government entity. In addition, the Office conducts resume writing and interviewing workshops for students.
Questions
Interested students who have questions regarding the Public Service Grant Program should contact the Financial Aid Office at 718/780-7915 or finaid@brooklaw.edu.
Back to top
|
Public Service Grants | FAQs | Contact Us | Students Home
