Why Would Anyone Want to Be a Public Interest Lawyer?

I can barely express how grateful the Law Center is to the Delaneys for their generous gift, or what an honor it is to be designated as the first Delaney Family Professor of Public Interest Law at this incredibly vibrant institution. But our celebration today is not merely the recognition of my scholarship or public service. What the Delaneys have done is to honor not only me but also the hundreds of Georgetown students, faculty, staff and alumni who perform public service. Whether they have achieved high office, like Senators Richard Durbin and Patrick Leahy, or provide free legal services for accused defendants in the local courts, or like April Delaney herself, do research, advocacy, or public education in nonprofit organizations, the public interest lawyers who have passed through the halls of Georgetown Law are all encompassed by the Delaneys\u27 vision that public service is the highest calling of those in our profession