The Student Public Interest Network (SPIN) cultivates a strong, inclusive social community for public interest students at Penn Law. SPIN defines public interest broadly, including international, non-profit, government, direct services, impact litigation, and movement lawyering work. This group is open to justice-minded students with a wide-range of career aspirations, including those who want to work in public interest immediately after graduation and those who seek to do so later in their careers.

If you are at all interested in joining, please do not hesitate to reach out to either Carolyn Rice (carrice@pennlaw.upenn.edu) or Oliver Paprin (opaprin@pennlaw.upenn.edu) with your questions.

SPIN works closely with TPIC, CP&P, and other student groups to complement pre-existing programming by continuing conversations about public interest lawyering in informal, student-led settings. By connecting the range of talents and interests amongst Penn’s public interest students to existing institutional resources, SPIN seeks to enhance the public interest experience at Penn Law.

The SPIN Mentorship Programoffers to match any student interested in public interest law with a 2L or 3L mentor. Mentors support their SPIN mentees personally and professionally throughout their time in law school.

The SPIN Practice Group Program offers smaller communities dedicated to a particular practice area – such as government service, civil rights, criminal defense, and others – where members can meet other students who share their interests.

The SPIN Advocacy Section asks for transparency, accountability, and effort from the University of Pennsylvania in meeting the changing needs of public interest law students and new lawyers. In addition to collecting and sharing data about student priorities and potential solutions, we advocate for Penn to operate in the public interest of the Philadelphia community.