A Legal Education Driven by Purpose
At Hofstra Law, public service is at the heart of our mission.
The Mendel Center for Public Justice serves as the central home for all things public service — connecting students to meaningful, hands-on experiences that make a difference in their communities and beyond. Students gain real-world experience through our clinical and externship programs, pro bono initiatives, and partnerships with legal services organizations, government agencies, and nonprofits across Long Island, New York City, and the nation.
Whether you plan to pursue a career in public interest law or simply want to contribute to the public good, Hofstra Law provides the support, network, and opportunities to help you make an impact.
Public Interest Opportunities
Clinics and Practicums
Working in a clinic or practicum setting is your opportunity to learn from our experienced faculty to hone your skills in counseling clients, conducting fact investigations, and advocating in court while representing people facing real legal challenges.
Explore Our Clinics and Practicums
Institutes and Centers
Whether interested in health policy, family law, or legal ethics, Hofstra Law’s centers of excellence foster research, education, and action on critical issues facing today’s society. You can work collaboratively with a professor to develop scholarship and organize thought-leadership events that affect the community and the legal profession.
Learn More About the Institutes and Centers
Externships
Hofstra Law has a historic legacy for experiential learning and providing pro bono services in the community with nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and private law firms or practitioners.
View Our Specialized Externship Programs
Pro Bono Scholars Program
The Pro Bono Scholars Program allows students to devote their last semester of law school to providing pro bono legal services for impoverished clients under the supervision of a licensed attorney. Pro Bono Scholars are granted permission to take the New York Bar Exam in February of their 3L year, before beginning their pro bono service.
Read More About the Pro Bono Scholars Program
79,000+
Hours of Pro Bono Services Contributed by Hofstra Law’s Class of 2026
30%
Of 2024 Graduates Went Into Public Interest and Government Careers
100%
Bar Exam Pass Rate for 2025 Pro Bono Scholars
Student Resources
Public Service Career and Academic Advising Support
Students receive personalized guidance from dedicated staff, career counselors, and the Mendel Center for Public Justice, which provide tailored career advising, internship, and job placement support and access to financial resources. The team also helps students design individualized experiential learning paths, connect with alumni mentors, and build strong professional networks in public interest law.
Learn More About Our Career Services
Public Justice Foundation
Hofstra Law’s Public Justice Foundation helps to ensure that quality legal services are provided to those who would otherwise be marginalized or forgotten in the justice system through Public Interest Law Fellowships.
Explore the Public Justice Foundation
Student Organizations
Join a community of students involved in organizations that offer public interest programming and opportunities, including the Criminal Justice Society; Energy and Environmental Law Society; Family Law Society; Health Law Society; Hofstra Law Animal Legal Defense Fund; Hofstra Law Disability, Rights, and Community; If/When/How; Immigration Law Society; and Public Justice Foundation.
View Our Student Organizations
Pro Bono Student Groups
Hofstra Law students gain hands-on experience and serve the community through a range of pro bono initiatives, including the Courtroom Advocates Project, Unemployment Action Center, Volunteers for Income Tax Assistance, and Veterans Legal Assistance Program. These groups allow students to apply their legal skills while advancing access to justice for individuals and families in need.
Learn More About Our Commitment to Pro Bono Work
Public Interest Scholarships, Fellowships, and Stipends
Hofstra Law is committed to helping you achieve your legal education goals. Through competitive fellowships and scholarships, students can earn stipends for internships or research and have opportunities to interact with leading scholars and practitioners in their respective fields.
Scholarships and Fellowships
Hofstra Law is committed to helping you achieve your legal education goals through competitive fellowships and scholarships.
Explore Fellowship Opportunities
Mendel Public Justice Scholarship
Through the generosity of Emily ’77 and Stephen Mendel ’77, Hofstra Law provides robust support for students pursuing public interest careers. The Mendel Public Justice Scholarship awards one or more tuition scholarships to first-year students who demonstrate dedication to future practice in a public interest legal setting.
Learn More About the Mendel Public Justice Scholarship
In 2026, the Mendel Center for Public Justice was founded through the generosity of Emily Mendel (‘77) and Stephen Mendel (‘77), to provide vital financial support to Hofstra Law students who demonstrate a commitment to working in fields that improve access to justice. In addition, the Mendel Center fosters the academic and professional development of Hofstra Law students who are pursuing public interest careers and seeking opportunities to engage in pro bono legal services. Through its mentorship, scholarships, and programming, the Mendel Center cultivates a community of Hofstra Law students who will be leaders in the legal profession, modeling ethical representation of their clients and crafting innovative solutions to the challenges facing our American legal systems.
Get In Touch
Need more information about our Mendel Center for Public Justice?
Franca Sachs
Director of Public Justice Programs
Jennifer A. Gundlach
Emily and Stephen Mendel Distinguished Professor of Law and Clinical Professor of Law, and Faculty Director of Public Justice Programs
Luciana DeCarlo
Director of Externships and Pro Bono Programs
From pro bono initiatives to public interest fellowships, Hofstra Law prepares students to expand access to justice and make a meaningful impact in their communities.
