June 01, 2010

Adam Adkin

Community Development Law Center, Portland, OR
2010

Helping nonprofits so that they are able to more effectively operate and benefit the causes they were created to serve was a major motivating force that brought me to law school. As I progress along with my legal career, I hope to retain an emphasis on working with socially beneficial organizations. For that reason, working with the Community Development Law Center (CDLC) this summer was an incredible opportunity.

CDLC, a program of Legal Aid Services of Oregon, provides legal assistance to nonprofit organizations benefiting low-income individuals and families in Oregon. While working at CDLC, I was able to provide very needed legal services and advice to a number of local nonprofit organizations that otherwise may have been forced to shut down. I know that my work benefited my community by enabling excellent, local nonprofit organizations to serve their communities.

I am incredibly thankful for the PILP stipend that I received. The debt that I have incurred to attend law school places a serious limitation on my activities and the employment opportunities that I am able to consider. Despite my desire to work with the incredible social-benefit organizations of Oregon, the prospect of incurring additional debt to provide for my living expenses was very unattractive. PILP enabled me to pursue my interests and benefit my community.