Public Interest Fellowship Program
The Walter A. Lucas Public Interest Fellowship Program (PIFP) at Villanova Law has provided financial support to students who commit their summers to public service legal work for over 25 years. Every year, Villanova students are inspired to share their talents and give back to their community through public service legal work. However, due to the financial restraints many public interest organizations face, students work in unpaid positions. From these circumstances, PIFP was born. PIFP, an entirely student-run organization, works tirelessly to provide summer fellowships to Villanova Law students, who, in turn, dedicate themselves to providing legal services to those who need it most. At PIFP, our fellows know the value of public interest law, and we are devoted to providing opportunities for students to experience meaningful, fulfilling work without fear of summer finances.
Since its founding in 1998, PIFP has raised over $1,000,000, supporting over 250 fellows with awards. The impact of PIFP has been felt worldwide, with Villanova students using their fellowships in over 130 organizations located across nineteen districts, fourteen states and five countries.
Support PIFP
If you would like to support PIFP鈥檚 mission of providing meaningful opportunities for Villanova Law students to work alongside public interest organizations and deliver impactful legal aid to those who need it most, please consider making a tax-exempt monetary contribution.
Please consider sponsoring a fellow for
- an hour ($15)
- a day ($120)
- a week ($600)
- a month ($2,400)
- an entire summer ($6,000)
If you have any questions about PIFP, public interest law or getting involved with the organization, please contact us.
PIFP would like to take a moment to thank all of our community partners and donors who generously contributed to this year鈥檚 auction! Please visit our partners鈥� websites below for more information!
- Bliss Nail and Spa
- Anne Cook
- Professor Lori Corso
- Professor David Caudill
- Professor Michelle Dempsey
- Bo Connell
- Dean Michael Risch
- Professor MarySheila McDonald
- Professor Amy Emerson
- Professor Mary DeFusco
- Veronica Sansone
- Professor Steven Chanenson
- Professor Chaim Saiman
- Professor Lee Rosengard
- Professor Thomas Bennett
- Janine Dunlap-Kiah
- Pat Lavin
- Caity Rogowski
- The Rafter Family
- Victoria Alexitch
- Professor Ann Juliano
- Professor Doris Brogan
- Villanova Law Library
- Professor Itay Ravid
- Corporate Law Society
- Edward Stephen
- Professor Emily Stolzenberg
- Alicia Broderick
- Professor Amy Spare
- Villanova Law Office of Development and Alumni Relations
- Villanova Law Student Bar Association
- Professor Matthew McGovern
- Dean Mark Alexander
- Professor Andrew Brandt
- Professor Candance Centeno
- Professor Amy Emerson
- Professor Mary Ann Robinson
- Riley Crouthamel
- Rachael Robles
- Shea Rhodes & Paul Duca
- Villanova Law Clinic Faculty
- Lauren Walsh
- Nic Johnson
- Casey Brogan
- Jillian Updegraff
- Anthony Ryback
- Sofia Deihl
- Villanova Entertainment & Media Law Society
- Kevin Sheppard
- Eddie Reilingh
- Joe Capone
- Conor Mach
- Joe Torres
- Villanova Law Review
- Villanova Latin American Law Students Association (LALSA)
- Professor Daniel Friedman
- Sharon Buckingham
- Villanova Jewish Law Students Association
- Villanova Federalist Society
- Villanova Criminal Law Society
- Caela Russel
- Villanova Law Office of Development and Alumni Relations
- Villanova Immigration Law Society
- Villanova Entrepreneurship Society
- Villanova OUTLaw
- Villanova Justinian Society
- Villanova Black Law Students Association (BLSA)
- Villanova Street Law
- Villanova Law Women鈥檚 Network
- Villanova Military and Veterans Law Society
- Villanova Sports Law Society
- Villanova Tax Law Society
- Villanova Students Against Sexual Violence
- Villanova Anti-Poverty Society
- Villanova If/When/How
- Villanova Health Law Society
- Villanova Student Mental Health Society
- Villanova National Trial Team
- Villanova Environmental Law Journal
- Villanova First Generation Lawyers Group
- Villanova Asian and Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA)
- Emily Dodds
- Villanova Women鈥檚 Law Caucus (WLC)
- Villanova Fashion Law Society
- Villanova Pro Bono Society
- Villanova International Law Society
- Villanova Intellectual Property Society
- Villanova Moot Court Board
- Villanova Muslim Law Students Association
- Villanova Art Law Society
- Villanova Middle Eastern Law Students Association
2024鈥�25 Executive Board
Co-directors: Riley Crouthamel '25 & Emily Dodds '25
Vice Director: Dave Goulden-Naitove '25
Auction Coordinators: Caroline Nelson '25 & Lauren Walsh '25
Solicitation Coordinators: Caitlin McElwee '26 & Gavin Tamer '26
Volunteer Coordinator: Alysse Danyi '26
Fellowship Coordinator:
Secretary & Graphics Coordinator: Sydney Ryan '26
Treasurer: Allison Gherovici '25
Grants & Endowments Coordinator: Morgan Nash '26
Special Events Coordinator: Will Gale '26
Social Chair: Ryan Roe '25
Alumni Coordinator: Sadie Richardson '26
PIFP Committee: Maria Elisa Escobar '26; Colin Hopkins '26; Ry Stratton '26; Bryce Winterowd '26
Faculty Advisors: Doris Brogran &
PIFP Events
The highlight of PIFP鈥檚 fundraising efforts is its annual spring auction, which in recent years has featured 250 to 300 silent and live auction items donated by individuals and businesses throughout the Greater Philadelphia area. We hope you鈥檒l join us for this year鈥檚 auction on March 23, 2024. Learn more about last year's Fellows, for this year's Walter A. Lucas Public Interest Fellowship Program鈥檚 Annual Public Interest Auction. !
If you have an item you would like to donate please complete the donation form in our solicitation packet.
The Philadelphia Deans鈥� Cup is an annual charity basketball tournament designed to raise funds for the public interest organizations of participating local law schools.
The 2024 tournament featured Drexel Law, Penn Law, Temple Law and Villanova Law and was hosted by the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School at The Palestra on Friday, March 22. In game one, Villanova Law defeated Drexel Law in a thrilling overtime matchup. Despite a late-game comeback, Penn Law defeated Villanova Law in the finals.
Villanova won the inaugural Deans' Cup game in 2011 and took the cup again in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2019, when it hosted the competition.
PIFP Fellows
2024
- Alysse Danyi 鈥�26
- Caitlin McElwee 鈥�26
- Maria Elisa Escobar 鈥�26
- Allison Gherovici 鈥�25
- Colin Hopkins 鈥�26
- Arielle Jackson 鈥�26
- Morgan Nash 鈥�26
- Fiona Powell鈥�25
- Sadie Richardson 鈥�26
- Ryan Roe 鈥�25
- Rachael Smith 鈥�25
- Gavin Tamer 鈥�26
- David Tilli 鈥�25
- Cady Tobin 鈥�26
- Lauren Walsh 鈥�25
2023
- Casey Brogan 鈥�24
- Andrea Solis Canto 鈥�25
- Riley Crouthamel 鈥�25
- Sofia Deihl 鈥�24
- Emily Dodds 鈥�25
- David Goulden-Naitove 鈥�25
- Alannah King 鈥�24
- Rachel Robles 鈥�25
- Caela Russell 鈥�25
- Anthony Ryback 鈥�25
- Veronica Sansone 鈥�24
- Julia Sullivan 鈥�25
- Brooke Tyler 鈥�24
- Jillian Updegraff 鈥�25
- Nic Johnson 鈥�25
2022
- Anderson Amaya '24
- Kimberly Baxter '23
- Victoria Stabile Bouv茅 '24
- Riley Cook '23, Hacker Fellow
- Laurel Enaco '24, Villanova Law Faculty & Staff Fellow
- Michaela Kelly '24
- Conor Mach '24
- Leigh McLinden '23
- Jordyn Pace '24
- Madelyn Phinney '23
- Julia Raith '24, Penny Pether Fellow
- Eddie Reilingh '23
- Caity Rogowski '24
- Briana Smalley '23
- Julia Stribula '24, Krasno, Krasno & Onwudinjo Fellow
- Sarah Urie '24
- Sadie Walker '24
2021
- Taylor Bourguignon '23
- Alicia Broderick '23, Penny Pether Fellow
- Melissa Durante '23, Krasno, Krasno & Onwudinjo Fellow
- Annalise Hodges '22
- Juliette Mogenson '23
- Destynee Speaks '23
- Rachel Wolfman '23, Villanova Law Faculty & Staff Fellow