Public Interest Project Celebrates 25th Annual Auction
The student-run organization’s annual auction raises funds to support grants for summer jobs in public service.
Boston University School of Law’s Public Interest Project (PIP) recently celebrated its 25th annual fundraising auction and gala. Proceeds from the auction will provide grants to students working at unpaid summer positions with non-profit, public interest, or government organizations.
Founded in 1984, by Michael Gollin (’84), Joe Ronson (’85), and Dan Van Doren (’85), PIP is one of the oldest, largest, and most active student organizations at BU Law. The group’s mission is to foster students’ commitment to non-profit, government, and pro bono work and to promote community service. Student members organize networking events, arrange discussions and panels on public interest opportunities, and coordinate community service activities.
“It was great to celebrate the 25th anniversary auction,” says Ali Tucker (’16) PIP’s co-president. “A lot of alumni came back for the event, and members of the wider legal community participated. It became a celebration of not just PIP, but also of public interest work more broadly and the impact students are having on the greater Boston community.”
In honor of its 25th annual auction, PIP staff convened an honorary committee to help with alumni outreach and acknowledge the impact PIP has had on the School of Law. The committee consisted of notable alumni and members of the Boston legal community, with Martha Coakley (LAW’79) serving as chair.
Honorary Committee members
Martha Coakley (LAW’79), chair
Howard S. Altarescu (QUESTROM’70, LAW’74)
Julie Babayan (COM’09, LAW’09)
Steven M. Bauer (LAW’83), Jared B. Cohen (LAW’13)
Professor Kristin A. Collins
Victor J. Garo (QUESTROM’63, LAW’65)
Attorney General Maura Healey
Professor Wendy J. Kaplan
Anuj K. Khetarpal (LAW’10)
Gary F. Locke (LAW’75)
Dean Maureen A. O’Rourke
David H. Pawlik (LAW’92)
Joseph Ronson (LAW’85)
Professor David B. Rossman
Anna M. Schleelein Richardson (LAW’08)
Mayor Martin J. Walsh
In addition to the honorary committee, PIP organizers set up an online bidding platform so alumni and supporters from across the country could contribute. Participants were able to preview items up for auction and place bids on a BARBRI course in advance of the event. Additional items up for bid included art, books, tickets to local sporting events, weekend vacation packages, and outings with BU Law professors and staff (for example, Dean O’Rourke and Registrar Aida Ten offered a doubles tennis set, while Professor Outterson proposed a home-cooked meal at his home).
Each year, PIP recognizes the public service and pro bono efforts of BU Law faculty and alumni by handing out awards at the auction. This year an additional public interest award was given to Anuj Khetarpal (’10) to honor his commitment to public interest law and his work on the PIP advisory and honorary committees.
Awardees
Public Interest Project Alumni Pro Bono Award: Melissa Nott Davis (’02)
Public Interest Project Faculty Award: Brian Wilson (’86)
Public Interest Project Alumni Public Interest Award: Cathleen Bennett (’85) and Anuj Khetarpal (’10)
The auction is one of the most popular events on the School of Law calendar, and has helped raise funds for more than 900 summer grants, typically ranging from $3,000 to $4,000, to support the public service work of BU Law students. This year, the organization’s fundraising efforts will allow them to support 60 summer grants.
“PIP is a special organization that impacts a lot of students, but also reaches far beyond that in terms of the organizations the students help and the clients they serve,” Tucker says. “It’s amazing to think of the number of people BU Law students have impacted as part of the program.”
