Purpose
Each year WUPILP provides financial assistance to allow students the opportunity to work in public service, defined as traditionally unpaid, non-profit, or government work, by way of public interest-focused fellowships. Our fellowships typically take place in the Summer semester and range from $3,000 for a part-time fellowship to $6,000 for a full-time fellowship.
The fellowships facilitate WUPILP's mission to educate law students on the inequities in the legal system and encourage future lawyers to dedicate their professional lives to the development of a more just society. The program is critically important because many law students face the economic realities of limited financial means and WUPILP serves as a way to even the playing field and allows more students interested in the public interest to gain the necessary experience to skillfully serve their clients before and after graduation.
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2023 WUPILP Fellows
Antonio Tellez-Santaella
Antonio Tellez Santaella is a rising 3L. He will be continuing his passion for public interest by interning at Catholic Charities' Immigration Legal Services (ILS). At Catholic Charities' ILS, he'll be primarily working in the rural program, which is funded by the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women. The program offers free immigration representation to Oregon rural survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child sex abuse, and stalking. Additionally, Antonio will be working with the senior supervising attorney on virtual community education events about immigration options for rural survivors of crime and abuse, along with training events for service providers. He will also work in the general program which provides low-cost consultations legal representation to immigrants and refugees throughout Oregon and southwest Washington. Antonio looks forward to the hands-on learning experience and the chance to learn more about immigration law.
Brian Eno
Brian Eno, a rising 2L in the JD/MBA program, has always been passionate about public service. Before entering law school he spent more than a decade working on healthcare access, housing, and nutrition assistance in both nonprofits and for Massachusetts legislature. He is grateful to WUPILP for the opportunity to return to The Commons Law Center this summer where he will assist the Tenant Eviction Defense program. After law school, he hopes to pursue a dual focus in consumer protection and business law.
Jasmine Contile-Palacios
Jasmine is a rising 3L who attended Willamette University for her undergraduate degree where she pursued criminal justice reform efforts. Through that work, she gained a passion for criminal defense when she aided in clemency efforts throughout Oregon amidst the pandemic. Since she plans on returning to live in San Diego, CA to practice law, she accepted an internship with the San Diego County Public Defender's Office for this summer. Jasmine will be representing adult felons in downtown San Diego, and can't wait to start!
Rylin Smith
Rylin, a rising 3L, was motivated to attend law school after discovering a love for working in criminal justice reform. Rylin is passionate about ensuring access to justice for defendants and is excited to be working for Oregon Innocence Project this summer. As a clerk for OIP, Rylin will be working at the appeals level to assist in tracking and investigating claims of innocence while promoting legal reform to prevent wrongful convictions. Thanks to the WUPILP fellowship, Rylin was able to accept this position which enables her to gain valuable experience in the area of law she hopes to work in after graduating.
Zackevia (Kia) Sconiers
Kia is a rising 2L who is very passionate about advocating for and working with marginalized communities. After graduating from undergraduate in Florida, she worked at a nonprofit that focused on individuals with special needs and she will be expanding on that work this summer by working with Disability Rights Oregon. She is very grateful for WUPILP for granting her this scholarship and giving her the chance to do work that she is passionate about.
2023 Stevens Fellows
This year, WUPILP partnered with the John Paul Stevens Foundation to sponsor Willamette's 4 Stevens Fellows. The Foundation’s Fellowship Program supports law students working in public interest roles over the summer in honor of Justice John Paul Stevens and his legacy promoting public interest and social justice values in America’s future generations of lawyers.
Holly McBride
Holly McBride is a rising 2L from Whidbey Island, Washington. She is spending her summer working as a child advocacy intern for the Tulalip Office of Civil Legal Aid for the Tulalip Tribes. She enjoys crafting and spending time with her dog Lavender. Holly hopes to pursue a career as a juvenile attorney once she graduates.
Christina Riess
Christina is a rising 3L. She came to law school to pursue mental health law and aspires to become an attorney specializing in that area. She is clerking for Disability Rights Oregon this summer and will be working on civil commitment and/or mental health rights projects. She is thankful for WUPILP and the John Paul Stevens Foundation for the opportunity to pursue what she is most passionate about.
Kate Roberts
Kate is a rising 2L who decided to attend law school in order to become a legal advocate for abuse survivors. This summer, Kate is a law clerk for Legal Aid Services of Oregon, an effective, high-quality legal services program with a mission to achieve justice for the low-income communities of Oregon.
Chris Henegan
Chris is a rising 2L who is looking forward to taking the skills he learns in law school back to his home state of Alaska where he can help make a tangible difference in the community. Chris has a passion for criminal defense and, with the support of his fellowship, he will be at the Oregon Innocence Project where he will be working to exonerate the wrongfully convicted.