Frequently Asked Questions
PILA is a student organization dedicated to the promotion of public interest law at the University of Virginia School of Law. Our activities include:
- sponsoring social and networking opportunities to support students interested in public interest law;
- raising funds, through an annual auction and other fundraisers, for Student-Funded Fellowships (SFF);
- distributing summer fellowships through a competitive application process to support first- and second-year law students working in non- or low-paying public sector jobs during the summer.
PILA hosts an annual auction to raise money for summer stipends for students pursuing low- or no-paying internships in public service. These stipends make it possible for UVA Law students to serve people and communities in need of legal representation. This year we moved the auction online for everyone’s safety but we are still raising money for the same cause!
First, you’ll have to create an account. In the top right corner click “My Account” then “New? Register Here!”
Once you have an account you can bid on items. Simply click on your item and click the red “Bid” button. If you are the first bidder the default amount will be the minimum bid for that item. You can always bid more by clicking the plus sign. If you’re not the first bidder, the price will be the minimum you have to bid to surpass the current bid. Again, you can always increase your bid by more by clicking the plus sign.
After you submit a bid you will receive a confirmation email that your bid has been registered. If someone outbids you, you will receive an email notice so you can come back and bid again. If you have any problems bidding or with the site in general please contact the auction director, Kim Curtis (kcc5fy@virginia.edu).
When the auction closes at 11:59 pm on Tuesday, November 17 th all the winners will be finalized. You will receive an email on November 18 th with instructions for payment and how to collect your item(s). We strongly encourage payment via Venmo because there are no transaction fees and 100% of your contribution will go to PILA (cash and check are also great). If you cannot pay by Venmo, cash, or check we do have the option to pay using PayPal. Depending on the type of item (digital or physical) and where you are (Charlottesville or elsewhere) we will work with you to ensure you get your item(s) as quickly as possible.
If your items are digital (digital gift cards, certificates for professor experiences, etc.) we will email them to you when we receive payment. If your items are physical, we will host pick up times throughout the next few weeks at the law school for pick-ups. If you are unable to visit the law school due to quarantine, sickness, or other reason we will coordinate a contactless drop off.
If your items are digital (digital gift cards, certificates for professor experiences, etc.) we will email them to you when we receive payment. If your items are physical, we can ship them to you. We do ask that you cover the cost of shipping and we will do everything in our power to minimize those costs. You can also authorize PILA to give your item to someone in Charlottesville who will be responsible for getting your items to you.
If you have questions about any of the items please feel free to contact the auction director, Kim Curtis (kcc5fy@virginia.edu). We are happy to send more pictures, information on size, or anything else that would be helpful.
PILA is more than happy to accept any donations even if you don’t want to participate in the auction! You can donate 3 ways:
- Via Venmo (@PILA_UVA_2020) just make sure to put “auction donation” in the
memo - Send a check payable to the Public Interest Law Association to:
Public Interest Law Association
c/o Auction Director
University of Virginia School of Law
580 Massie Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903 - Via PayPal (we do ask that you consider Venmo or check first as PayPal takes a
service fee from any donations we receive)