PIERCE LAW'S 10^th Annual Public Interest Coalition (PIC) Auction raised $39,500 to fund law student fellowships with Public Interest organizations this summer. Due largely to the efforts of the auction's Honorary Bar Chair, Martha Van Oot, the event received outstanding support from New Hampshire Bar members and law firms. Credit also goes to Pierce Law student co-chairs Suzanne Ketteridge, Rose Wiant and Daphne Kaye (all class of '03), who worked tirelessly gathering over 200 donations, creating the auction program and coordinating the details of this popular event.

As a result of this year's extraordinary support, Public Interest Fellowships have been offered to 14 students who will work in a broad variety of organizations this summer. The fellowships range from New Hampshire Public Defender and County Attorney's Offices to Legal Aid work in New Hampshire, Florida and California, as well as the New Hampshire non-profit organization The Way Home, a transitional housing project in Manchester. A complete list of 2002 Public Interest Fellows and their placements appear in PIC Fellows - 2002.

Each spring, Pierce Law students seek summer positions with a variety of public interest and non-profit organizations and apply for a limited number of fellowships to defray their summer expenses. This year, an unprecedented 17 Pierce Law students applied for fellowships. Fellowship awards are competitive and non-partisan. The purpose of these awards is to enable law students to help provide access to justice for under-represented individuals and groups and to encourage these future lawyers to understand and appreciate the importance of public interest and pro bono work.

At this year's PIC Auction, 15 New Hampshire law firms and organizations showed law students how much the NH Bar values law student public interest efforts by purchasing tables at the auction. Table sponsorships alone raised $4,000 for student fellowships. Other Bar members and businesses supported the auction by purchasing program advertisements and through cash donations. Names of table sponsors and other outstanding donors are listed in 2002 PIC Auction Sponsors and Donors.

Last summer, PIC Fellows worked for NH Legal Assistance, Public Defender and prosecutor's offices, the NH Right to Marry Coalition and the NH Chapter of the National Education Association. (See accompanying article by 2001 PIC Fellow Barbara Dawson on her experience.)

The entire Pierce Law community - Dean Hutson, students, faculty and staff - extend sincere thanks to everyone who attended and made the 10^th Annual PIC Auction a resounding success.

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