Office of Public Interest Programs
Supporting future public interest advocates and nurturing a lasting commitment to public service.
UCLA Law, one of the nation’s premier public law schools, has a proud tradition of public service. Through our rich and innovative academic and pro bono programs, our vibrant public interest community of faculty, administrators, students and alumni, our intellectual and programmatic ties to one of the foremost universities in the country, and our location in one of the most diverse and exciting cities in the world, we are committed to preparing the public interest lawyers and advocates of the future and nurturing in all of our students a public service ethic.
The Office of Public Interest Programs strives to enhance UCLA Law’s commitment to public service by offering an array of services to students and alumni. The office’s principal goal is to encourage students and alumni to embrace a career that incorporates an ongoing commitment to public service.
The Office:
- Provides a variety of career and job search-related services to students and alumni interested in exploring and pursuing pro bono opportunities, public interest internships and/or postgraduate public interest employment.
- Hosts and sponsors public interest career-related events and educational programs, including the Annual Southern California Public Interest/Public Sector Career Day.
- Encourages and facilitates students' pro bono efforts.
- Administers the Summer Public Service Fellowship Program and provides information about public interest financial support.
- Serves as UCLA Law’s principal information center for public interest and community service activities.
Professional Staff
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Robert Bradley Sears
Associate Dean of Public Interest Law
Rand Schrader Distinguished Scholar of Law & Policy, The Williams Institute
Founding Executive Director, The Williams InstituteBrad Sears was appointed the Associate Dean of Public Interest Law at UCLA School of Law in the summer of 2017. Directly prior to this appointment, Brad served as the Founding Director of the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Public Policy for the past 16 years and as the assistant dean and then associate dean of academic programs and enters act UCLA Law for the past six years. In his current role, Brad provides strategic leadership for UCLA Law’s public interest programs in order to support students pursuing public interest careers; promote a broader public service ethic throughout the law school and its alumni; facilitate students and alumni in advancing justice and being of service to the Los Angeles and broader communities; and continue to enhance UCLA Law’s national reputation as a leader in public interest practice. Brad earned his undergraduate degree from Yale University and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.
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Andrew Whitcup
Assistant Director of the Office of Public Interest Programs
Andrew Whitcup provides career and academic guidance to UCLA Law students and alumni pursuing public interest opportunities and help with coordinating OPIP’s programs, including post-graduate fellowships, public interest career day, and the public interest and government career fairs. Since receiving his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law, Drew represented clients from arraignment to trial in Manhattan and the Bronx with The Legal Aid Society of New York and has been a Lecturer in Law here at UCLA Law since 2018. As Lecturer in Law, Drew taught the public interest section of Legal Research and Writing and has collaborated with experiential faculty, assisting with both Pretrial Civil Litigation and Pay or Stay: An Exploration of the Bail System in America. Throughout his career, Drew has made it a priority to support new and future public interest lawyers and advocates, supervising and mentoring law student interns and newly hired public defenders. He has strong connections with public interest organizations and practitioners nationwide.
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Jamie Libonate
Manager of Operations and Events
Jamie joined the Office of Public Interest Programs and David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy in August 2018 and has been with the UCLA School of Law since August 2016. In their current role, Jamie supports our mission of nurturing a public service ethic in our community through managing various events, initiatives, and programs. Jamie started their career with the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania after receiving their B.A. in Criminal Justice with minors in Spanish and Forensic Studies from LaSalle University in Philadelphia.
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Katerin Rosales
Program Coordinator
Katerin Rosales is Program Coordinator of the Office of Public Interest Programs and David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy. She is a 2021 UCLA graduate who received her B. A. in Psychology and Chicano/a Studies and Central American Studies. She has background working at UCLA and volunteering with various public interest organization. Previously, she was Project Manager for the UCLA Social Psychology Culture and Contact Lab. During her time as an undergraduate, she also served as an interpreter for the UCLA Law Immigrant Family Legal Clinic.