Inaugural Bool Simpkins Fellowship Awarded
Summer public interest fellowships provide important hands-on learning opportunities for law students. At the School of Law, financial support for these experiences has been on an upward trajectory since 2017. In fact, funding has significantly grown over the last five years, resulting in a 450% increase in support.
During the 2022 summer, 85 students were awarded $305,750 for legal work in nonprofits, state and federal government, legal services and policy/impact organizations in 14 states and the District of Columbia.
Notably, this past summer’s awards included the inaugural Bool Simkins Summer Fellowship, which supports a top performing second-year student in a full summer public interest/pro bono placement. With the help of this grant, Emily M. “Millie” Price worked for the Eastern District of Virginia Office of the Federal Public Defender.
Created by married 2010 graduates Kevin P. Murphy and Elizabeth A. Murphy – in honor of Elizabeth’s grandmother, Annie Bool, and great aunt, Mary Simkins – the fellowship is currently the school’s largest annual public interest grant and, in the future, it will be awarded in the fall during the on-campus interviewing season for the following summer.
Dean Peter B. “Bo” Rutledge said he would like to thank Kevin and Elizabeth for this leadership gift that invests in the success of the school’s growing portfolio of public interest fellowship funding. “Not only will the annual award amount be the largest for a fellowship offered by our law school but the timing of the award is significant. This fellowship structure speaks to the law school’s desire to have our students follow their dreams for serving state and society, while minimizing financial concerns. It also contributes to our vision of being the nation’s best return on investment in legal education,” he said.
If you would like to learn more about supporting public interest legal opportunities for School of Law students, please contact 706-542-7959 or email [email protected] .
