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MBF 2012 Legal Intern Fellowship Award recipients announced

Issue August 2012

The Massachusetts Bar Foundation's Board of Trustees proudly announce the award recipients of its 2012 Legal Intern Fellowship Program (LIFP). This year, the program will provide three law students with stipends of $6,000 each for full-time, summer internships at a Massachusetts organization providing civil legal services to the poor.

Selected through a competitive application process, each law student intern brings to her placement a strong passion and dedication to working in civil legal services. "The committee was deeply impressed not only by the excellent academic qualifications of this year's LIFP candidates, but also by their determined commitment to trying to make a positive contribution in providing civil legal assistance to those who cannot afford it," said LIFP Review Committee Chair Harvey Weiner.

At a time when many legal services providers face difficult funding cuts, the work of these law students is eagerly welcomed. "Demand for services really continues to exceed our capacity to meet the needs of our clients," noted Rebecca Haag, executive director of the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, one of three organizations hosting 2012 LIFP interns. "With funding so tight, this fellowship provides crucial support and makes it possible for us to address clients' immediate issues more quickly."

LIFP's goal is encouraging careers in public interest law while simultaneously providing valuable staffing assistance to civil legal services agencies in Massachusetts. To add your support to this important program, visit www.MassBarFoundation.org.