The Public Interest Law Center, founded in 1969, is a nonprofit law firm based in Philadelphia. The Public Interest Law Center works primarily in the greater Philadelphia region occasionally taking on issues on a national scale.
The Public Interest Law Center's project areas include education, voting, employment, environmental justice, healthcare, housing, and community services.
History Founded by Edwin D. (Ned) Wolf, The Public Interest Law Center's history dates back to 1969, rooted in the Philadelphia chapter that was one of seven local affiliates of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. In its early years, the Public Interest Law Center's initial mission was to dismantle specific aspects of institutional racism by targeting discriminatory policies and practices.
Project Areas The Public Interest Law Centers aims to use high-impact legal strategies to both promote and protect the marginalized through project areas including Education, Voting, Employment, Environmental Justice, Healthcare, Housing and Community Services and voting.
A full list of The Public Interest Law Center's litigation can be found on the organization's website.
Notable former associates Gilbert F. Casellas, former board member — Chairman of OMNITRU Thomas Gilhool, former staff attorney — Former Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Jordan Konell, former intern — 2015 Rhodes Scholar
Thaddeus Stevens Awardees The Public Interest Law Center annually presents the Thaddeus Stevens Award to either individuals or organizations whose actions best correspond with its social mission. 2000: William T. Coleman, Jr 2010: Governor Ed Rendell; Hon. Doris Smith-Ribner; Sec. Donna Cooper 2011: Jerome Balter 2012: Dechert LLP 2013: DLA Piper LLP; Thomas B. Schmidt III 2014: Pennsylvania State Conference of NAACP Branches; William H. Ewing; Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP 2015: School Funding Lawsuit Clients; H. Laddie Montague, Jr.
Awards 1978: The Delaware Valley Council on Services for the Handicapped's Annual Award for Outstanding Service to the Handicapped Community 1997: Citizen's Committee on Public Education in Philadelphia's John N. Patterson Award for Excellence in Education 1997: The Barristers' Association of Philadelphia's Cecil B. Moore Community Service Award 1999: National Down Syndrome Congress' Education Award 1999: The Michigan Academy of Pediatrics' Special Recognition Award 2009: Inglis Award for Continuing Excellence 2006: Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics' Special Recognition Award 2012: Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center's Be The Change Award for Extraordinary Work Protecting Pennsylvanians' Right to Vote 2015: The Barristers' Association of Philadelphia's Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for Outstanding Service to the Community 2015: NAACP's Juanita Jackson Mitchell Award
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Grounded in Philly