APIL Gala will provide funding for summer pro bono service by law students

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Beverly A. Creamer, 808-389-5736
Media Consultant, William S. Richardson School of Law
Posted: Mar 7, 2014

An organization of UH Mānoa law students dedicated to serving those who cannot afford legal help on their own is sponsoring a fundraising gala on Friday, March 14, from 5:30-9 p.m. at the Laniakea YWCA at 1040 Richards Street.

All proceeds from this 4th annual fundraising gala will go toward providing summer grants for law students doing pro bono work for non-profit public interest law firms and agencies serving traditionally under-served groups.        

Since its founding in 1985, Advocates for Public Interest Law - APIL – has awarded 133 summer grants to law students doing pro bono work. These students have provided over 40,000 free “billable hours” to 30 organizations that provide support to a wide variety of people in need, including immigrants, homeless individuals, and victims of elder abuse, domestic violence, and sex trafficking.

Stephanie Lee ‘15, one of the event coordinators, said APIL is dedicated to continuing this important work in Hawai’i. “APIL is so proud to continue its tradition of supporting those doing public interest work in our communities. These grants provide students with the opportunity to learn more about the needs of our community and begin charting their own future course of legal work. The APIL Gala is a great venue for the legal community to come together and support important causes like this.”

Tickets for the Gala include pupu, drinks, entertainment and a live and silent auction. Auction items include Red Sox tickets, condo stays, Hawaiian Airlines miles, restaurant gift certificates, artwork, and jewelry. Music featuring Eric K. Yamamoto, the Fred T. Korematsu Professor of Law and Social Justice, and Hawai‘i Supreme Court Justice Sabrina McKenna ’82 will be part of the entertainment.

Tickets are $30 for the event and the public is welcome. Tickets are available by emailing apil@hawaii.edu. Tickets may be reserved through email and picked up and paid for at the door. Tickets also will be available at the door on a walk-in basis.