Year after year, Michael Jeffcoat ('97) and his wife, Kim ('97 MLIS), have proved their belief that an investment in the community is one worth making.

They founded the Jeffcoat Firm more than 20 years ago and since that time have offered undergraduate internships and summer clerkships to law students and hired attorneys with USC Rice School of Law degrees.

As further affirmation of their support for the legal community and the common good, they established the Jeffcoat Public Interest Fellowship earlier this year.

“Even though we are a for-profit law firm, we still have the spirit in our firm of helping others,” Michael Jeffcoat says. “My brother and I were first-generation college students and first-generation lawyers, and I'm grateful for the opportunities that have come my way by virtue of my legal career. Kim and I established this fellowship because we saw an opportunity to support law students in a way that aligns perfectly with our mission of public service.”

For many years, public interest fellowships were offered to a handful of students thanks to funding from the South Carolina Bar Foundation, the Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough Center on Professionalism and the James L. Petigru Public Interest Law Society (PILS).

With the Jeffcoats’ support, the law school was able to offer 17 additional fellowships this past summer.

“I came to law school with the intention to pursue a career in public interest law,” says 2L Morgan Mercer, a Jeffcoat Public Interest Fellow who has been involved in pro bono and public interest groups since she started law school. “This fellowship allowed me to take what would have otherwise been an unpaid position and offered a unique opportunity to apply my legal education in a meaningful way without having to trade my passion for a paycheck.”

Over the summer, Jeffcoat Public Interest Fellows developed new skills across South Carolina and North Carolina, where Mercer was a summer legal intern with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District. They researched, wrote memos, assisted with writing motions, examined discovery, helped with trial preparation, met with law enforcement agencies and observed courtroom proceedings.

Most students worked directly with the populations they served in nearly a dozen organizations, from the 11th Circuit Solicitor’s Office to the Sudreau Global Justice Institute at the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law. Wherever students found themselves, working as Jeffcoat Public Interest Fellows strengthened their commitment to community service.

“The most rewarding aspect was helping clients navigate the justice system and giving them hope that someone was on their side,” says 2L Ki-Ga Pride, a fellowship recipient who worked in the Richland County Public Defender’s Office. “Whatever career path I choose, I want to make sure that I can directly help people.”

That sentiment is at the heart of the Jeffcoats’ mission and in the programs they support and lead.

They champion many local charities throughout the year and every holiday season participate in Families Helping Families. This fall they donated 1,000 backpacks with school supplies to children across South Carolina.

They also encourage employees to participate in these initiatives by offering time off to volunteer.

“Whenever I've talked to the attorneys about public service or community service, they always tell me a story about when someone helped them. They're so passionate about giving back,” says Kim Jeffcoat, who is the firm’s chief community officer. “Every time you support one individual and give them the space to go out and do the good work, the impact ripples out through the community.”

Fellowship recipients share that passion. Nearly every student chosen by the selection committee – composed of Jeffcoat Firm employees, the PILS president, law school staff and USC Rice School of Law alumni working in the public interest sector – exhibited an enthusiasm for public interest prior to becoming a fellowship recipient, either professionally or as volunteers.

Employees of the Jeffcoat Firm and Jeffcoat Fellows share the desire to use their skills in service to the community. They understand that their impact extends beyond the individuals they directly serve.

The Jeffcoats’ support does not end as the summer fellowship ends. Michael and Kim are working to identify and fill the gaps. They’re building a legacy of giving.

“Giving back can be something that builds on itself,” Michael Jeffcoat says. “I think it's something that we as alumni of the law school can do more of and, hopefully, we're doing our part.”