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Toll Public Interest Scholars Program

Toll Scholars Program

The Toll Public Interest Scholars Program reinforces the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School’s commitment to service by increasing substantive programming and financial support for students pursuing public interest careers.

The Toll Public Interest Scholars Program is made possible through a generous donation from the Robert and Jane Toll Foundation, founded by Robert Toll L’66 and Jane Toll GSE’66. The Scholars Program reinforces the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School’s commitment to service by increasing substantive programming and financial support for students pursuing public interest careers. The Scholars Program has several objectives:

  • Strengthen the existing public interest community at the Penn Carey Law by deepening students’ relationships with peers, faculty & staff, and alumni.
  • Develop students as service-oriented leaders by introducing them to new ways to think about and engage with the causes and communities they care about most.
  • Invite students to cultivate the kind of self-awareness necessary for truly impactful, empathy-driven advocacy, activism, and service.
  • Ease the financial burden of law school by providing full-tuition scholarships and funded public interest summer employment.

Scholarship Information

Toll Scholars receive a full-tuition scholarship for all three years of law school, as well as generous stipends to fund public interest summer employment and for the summer following graduation. Toll Scholars must participate actively in the Law School’s public interest programs, be engaged members of the public interest community, remain enrolled at the Law School, stay in good academic standing, and commit to working in the public interest for at least three years upon graduation or following a clerkship. Adherence to these conditions is required to remain in the program.

The Toll Public Interest Scholars Program also administers the Skadden Youth Advocacy Scholarship (previously known as the Flom Youth Advocacy Scholarship), which provides full scholarships to exceptional entering students who intend to dedicate their careers to advocating for young people. This scholarship is funded by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Skadden Youth Advocacy Scholars are selected as part of the Toll Public Interest Scholars selection process and participate in all program activities.

Scholar Responsibilities

  • Participate in Toll Public Interest Scholars orientation & cohort meetings.
  • Successfully complete at least one course in 2L and one course in 3L geared towards developing specialized knowledge and skills central to public interest law. Courses TPIC has recommended in the past include:
    • Equity & Justice Lab, Ayanna Williams
    • Law, Race & Communication Theory, Brittany Farr
    • Law, Technology & Access to Justice, Claudia Johnson and Miguel Willis
    • Leading Social Change, Ben Jealous and Ariel Schwartz
    • Litigating Civil Rights Cases, Jon Feinberg
    • Negotiations Boot Camp, Rachel Krol and Leah Kang
    • Power, Injustice & Change in America, Emily R. Sutcliffe
  • Obtain and maintain eligible public interest summer employment during law school.
  • Obtain and maintain eligible public interest employment for a minimum of three years immediately following law school or a clerkship.

Application Process

All admitted students are welcome to apply for the Toll Public Interest Scholars Program. The Office of Admissions & Financial Aid sends application instructions to admitted students beginning in February. Applicants are notified via email whether they have been selected for an interview. Interviews take place in late March and early April.

Current Scholars

2026

Scott Aravena

Scott Aravena L’26

 

Kem Chatfield, Jr. L’26

 

Gabriel Dell L’26

 

Connor Henderson L’26

 
Sarah Jaklitsch

Sarah Jaklitsch L’26

 
Ambar Larancuent

Ambar Larancuent L’26

 
Sunny Light

Sunny Light L’26

 
Dominique Malone

Dominique Malone L’26

 
Hazel Millard

Hazel Millard L’26

 

Abigail Oliver L’26

 

George Porter, Jr. L’26

 

Noor Shater L’26

 
Angela Yu

Angela Yu L’26

 

2025

SD

Simone Downs L’25

 
RE

Ronald Edwards L’25

 
NL

Narintohn Luangrath L’25

 
EM

Eleanor Mammen L’25

 
SM

Saba Mengesha L’25

 
LP

Levi Phillips L’25

 
AR

Astonique Robinson L’25

 
JR

Jesse Rubin L’25

 
YS

Yasmine Seghir L’25

 
HS

Hillary Shah L’25

 
headshot

Sara-Paige Silvestro L’25

 
AT

Asja Towns L’25

 

2024

Michael Asparrin L’24

 

Andrew Bookbinder L’24

 
CF

Charlie Ferguson L’24

 

Sarah Gordon L’24

 

Yaried Hailu L’24

 

Aleyah Hassan L’24

 

Abigail Kasdin L’24

 

Julian Lutz L’24

 

Juan Pablo Madrigal L’24

 

Ava Obrecht L’24

 

Chiara Padilla L’24

 

Ty Parks L’24

 

Devontae Torriente L’24