Shore Legal Access (formerly Mid-Shore Pro Bono) has named the Fall 2023 recipients of its Sandy Brown Public Interest Internship. Cody Pfieffer, of Centreville, Maryland, will work with Shore Legal Access staff at the organization’s Easton office, assisting residents of the Mid-Shore with their civil legal issues. Amirah Rice, of Baltimore, Maryland, will work at the Salisbury office, which serves the Lower Shore.
The Sandy Brown Public Interest Internship, created in honor of former long-time Shore Legal Access executive director Sandy Brown, offers a stipend to undergraduate and law students as they gain invaluable experience in the field of public interest law at a respected non-profit organization. The program is supported by the Campbell Foundation, with the goal of expanding the pool of diverse, qualified, and committed candidates for career positions in public interest work on the Eastern Shore. As Shore Legal Access continues to grow to meet the civil legal needs of the region, it has added several former recipients of the Sandy Brown Public Interest Internship to its staff.
“We are thrilled to have these outstanding young people learning about public interest careers and supporting our community,” says Meredith Lathbury Girard, executive director of Shore Legal Access. “Our interns play an integral role assisting people with limited financial means to access legal representation while gaining real-world experience with the justice system and nonprofits.”
Cody Pfeiffer recently graduated from Bates College in Maine with a Bachelor of Arts degree, double-majoring in history and Spanish. Pfeiffer describes himself as passionate about community service. In the past, he volunteered for several years at the Maryland Food Bank, tutored students online, and helped prepare taxes for those needing assistance. Pfeiffer soon plans to enter law school, where he will focus on public interest law.
“The Sandy Brown Public Interest Internship,” Pfeiffer says, “is an invaluable opportunity to be able to contribute to local communities through Shore Legal Access’s mission of assisting under-resourced members of these communities in a variety of civil legal matters.”
Amirah Rice is currently studying for her Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice at University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne. Rice, too, is highly motivated to serve her community, having volunteered as a Youth Mentor at Bmore United, a Baltimore-based organization that empowers women and girls of color, and at Chase A Legacy, which teaches Baltimore youth important life skills. Rice applied for the Sandy Brown Public Interest Internship to see up close the positive impact civil legal representation can have on individuals, families, and communities.
Rice says she is, “looking forward to gaining hands-on experience and the knowledge I need to strengthen my skills in my future endeavors as a criminal justice professional.” After graduation, Rice intends to pursue a PhD in psychology and hopes to work for Child Protective Services.
For more information about the Sandy Brown Public Interest Internship and to donate to the fund, visit shorelegal.org/internships.
