CPILO Community Auction Raises Nearly $10,000 for Public Interest Internships

UNC School of Law’s most highly anticipated event of the year, the 2024 Annual CPILO Community Auction, took place on Thursday, March 7th at The PITCH on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. The exciting event brought together Carolina Law students, faculty, and community members to raise money for supporting students in unpaid or underpaid summer public interest internships.

The auction featured both a silent auction and a live auction, with the silent auction running from February 26th to March 1st. The event raised a total of $9,966, with $3,741 from the silent auction, $3,825 from the live auction, and $2,400 in ticket sales.

The live auction, hosted by Professors Osamudia James and Kathleen Thomas, featured unique professor experiences. The “Traditional Homemade Chinese Dinner” with Professor Rick Su and “High Tea at the Fearrington” with Professor Eisha Jain were the highest-grossing experiences, fetching $500 and $300, respectively. The silent auction’s top item was the “Ultimate Concert Package” donated by Carolina Law’s Career Development Office, which included a $230 Ticketmaster gift card, a $35 Uber gift card, and a bottle of La Marca bubbly, selling for $193.

The evening was filled with surprises and entertainment. Professor Bill Marshall performed Bob Dylan and Waylon Jennings songs, while Professors Thomas and James sang “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele with the law school’s favorite band, Slinky and the Dogs.

CPILO Vice President 2L Sarah Dobbs emphasized the importance of the auction, stating, “The CPILO auction helps raise money for students with unpaid and underpaid public interest summer positions. This allows students who want to pursue public interest law but otherwise couldn’t afford to live during the summer to pursue their passions. Students working with district attorneys, public defenders, nonprofits, the Department of Justice, and many more organizations benefit from this support.”

All net proceeds from the auction will directly fund summer public interest internships, making the CPILO Community Auction an essential event for supporting Carolina Law students in their pursuit of public interest law careers.