The Eric R. Neisser Public Interest Program, launched in the spring of 2000, serves as the umbrella organization for a wide variety of public interest related activities and educational opportunities at the law school. Created to honor the life and work of the late Eric R. Neisser, the former acting dean, long-time professor, and committed social activist, the Neisser Public Interest Program serves to promote a culture of public service within the law school community, increase and enhance opportunities for students to learn about and experience public interest work, and support and assist students interested in developing careers in public service.
The Neisser Program provides students with a variety of opportunities to experience public service during their time at the law school through school-based pro bono projects, fellowship programs, semester internships and paid public interest summer internship opportunities. Students may participate in a number of student organizations dedicated to enriching the law school community and increasing student access to and awareness of current public sector issues. Students also have the opportunity to participate in the law school's rich clinical program. Through any one of the law school clinics, students may work with real clients and real life problems. Through this experience, students study questions of law and policy, practice and professionalism; they develop a multitude of skills; and they serve people and communities in need. The Neisser Program also provides programming about current issues and work in the public sector, hosting speakers, symposia, and informal brown-bag lunches and afternoon gatherings. Finally, the program supports students seeking to work in the public interest by providing career counseling and assistance in seeking post-graduate funding through the Loan Repayment Assistance Program and through fellowship programs.
For further information, see the Student's Guide to Public Interest at Rutgers-Newark Law School.