Advocates for Public Interest Law is an organization within the Hawai'i legal community whose purpose is to encourage public interest legal work. APIL began with a gift from the 1985 graduating class of the University of Hawai'i's William S. Richardson School of Law.
Today, through its fund-raising activities APIL is able to award several grants each spring to Hawai'i law students, enabling them to intern with various public interest organizations during their summer recess. The goal of this program is to provide legal services to underrepresented groups in the community, while providing valuable training and experience to each of our grantees.
APIL also aims to raise the consciousness of Hawai'i's law students and the entire legal community regarding public interest law.
APIL consists of an all-student group at the William S. Richardson School of Law, and a community group headed by a board of directors composed of attorneys, students, and other members of the Hawai'i legal community.