Public Interest Work Types

A policy is a course of action for tackling a political problem. Policymaking is itself a process; it is conceived by public or private groups…

Use of non-legal strategies to advocate for clients or a cause. Can also refer to high-level administration or management duties. Day-to-Day Activities Program administration Consulting…

A lobbyist is paid by an organization to promote the organization’s positions to federal and state legislatures and, less frequently, to administrative agencies. Lobbyists may…

Lawyers often play a major role in the development, negotiation, and drafting of new legislation or amendments to existing legislation. Both legislative staffers and elected…

Legal writing refers generally to the analysis of fact patterns and presentation of arguments in legal memos and briefs. The vast majority of legal internships…

In-person or phone intake interviews and screenings of clients with legal problems. Identification of key issues and referrals to appropriate lawyers and other service providers…

Planning, preparing, and filing or defending law suits focused on changing laws or on the rights of specific groups of people. Impact litigation is brought…

Lawyers often play a major role in congressional or state oversights and government activity. Day-to-Day Activities Review documents. Identify witnesses for hearings. Draft hearing statements…

Enforcement lawyers are responsible for taking legal action in federal or state court or within administrative agencies to bring violators into compliance with the law.

Community lawyering is an umbrella term for collaborative, community-based approaches to legal services. While there are different variations on “community lawyering,” the core elements are…

Providing education in community-based settings and information on legal rights related to specific topics (e.g., your rights as a tenant), typically to underserved communities in…

Client-based public interest lawyering entails handling individual client cases. In the context of public interest work, client-based advocacy often takes the form of representing low-income…

A class action is a type of civil lawsuit brought on behalf of many similarly situated people who have been harmed in the same way…

Trial lawyers represent parties in trials before federal, state, and local courts. Day-to-Day Activities Interview the client and conduct an initial case investigation. Draft pleadings,…

When cases in litigation are appealed to a higher court, appellate litigators handle the proceedings. While some litigators manage both trial and appellate litigation, appellate…

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) refers to a variety of processes and techniques designed to help disagreeing parties come to an agreement short of litigation. These…

Administrative and management positions may involve non-legal work, such as overseeing staff and coordinating long-term projects. Day-to-Day Activities Supervise an organization’s projects. Meet with project…

Administrative advocacy encompasses a variety of positions concerned with influencing the formation, application, or change of rules that government agencies put in place to implement…