The OPIA Blog

We look forward to getting to know you in the coming months and to helping you learn more about public interest career opportunities. Although you cannot receive formal career advising until October 15, you can still take affirmative steps now to begin your career exploration.

Speaking with attorneys practicing in your areas of interest (i.e., networking) is a critical component of a successful post-graduate job search. If you have been slow to make career connections in your city and/or field of interest, now is the time to kick things into gear, even if you're working remotely this summer.

To prepare you to get the most out of your summer internship, read our suggestions for navigating some common summer internship challenges students face, particularly around communicating with your supervisor or the intern coordinator to make a clear request for what you need.

A few plaintiffs’ firms and several litigation boutiques participate in EIP, but most plaintiffs’ firms and private public interest law firms (PPILFs) do not participate in campus recruiting programs like EIP or V-PIIP. Learn more about how the hiring processes differ with these types of firms.

All HLS students who are receiving SPIF funding and will traveling abroad this summer, including international students returning to their home countries, must fulfill several pre-travel requirements prior to departing the U.S. If you have any questions, email International Legal Studies.

OPIA's end-of-year survey is a key opportunity to tell us what's working well in OPIA -- and what isn't! We will use your thoughts to inform our planning for future years. All responses to the survey are anonymous.

Our goal is to help you find a great public interest job and avoid the common mistakes that can derail your job search. Take a look at our list of common job search mistakes and don’t let them happen to you!

Searching for post-graduate job opportunities can feel daunting if you don’t know where to begin. Learn about the four primary ways to search for entry-level job opportunities.

While the public sector is extremely varied, most employers are looking for a core set of skills. These are skills you may already have and should continue to develop during law school through internships, clinics, and coursework. Additional qualities that employers value in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic are increased flexibility and comfort with remote or hybrid work.

Interested in learning more about public international law work? These resources can help you begin your exploration.

We are often asked by students interested in public service work about the value of extracurricular involvement; while we cannot offer formal career counseling before October 15, we can help you make choices about extracurricular activities before then.

Although the vast majority of public interest employers will not begin to consider applications for post-graduate employment until the fall, we wanted to alert you to a few earlier deadlines of which we are currently aware.

Although the vast majority of public interest employers will not begin to consider applications for 2L summer internships until the fall, we wanted to alert you to a few earlier deadlines of which we are currently aware.

Some of you may be considering government work for your 2L summer. Most federal (and some state and local) agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice, offer formal internship programs.

Check out our new fellowship application calendar that breaks down and maps out the application processes for many of the more complicated project- and organization-based fellowships. Use this in conjunction with our other fellowship resources and fellowship and entry-level jobs deadlines feed. We look forward to supporting you through your entry-level job search this upcoming year and to seeing you back on campus.

Read how the 2L summer job search differs from the 1L summer job search in timeline, application strategy, networking, splitting summers, and application materials.

Once you hone in on the jobs for which you are interested in applying, it is important to start preparing your job search materials in advance. The typical application will include a resume, cover letter, and writing sample. Some employers will also ask for a transcript and references or recommendations. Follow our advice to help you submit materials that get you the interview.

Congratulations, graduates! We have loved working with you. Many of our services are available to you after you leave HLS and we very much hope that you will stay in touch. Please know that we will always be among your biggest fans! All graduating students are welcome to join alumni listserv for a weekly email with fellowship and entry-level job opportunities that require 0-3 years’ experience, job opportunities that require 3+ years’ experience, relevant announcements, and events.

We've expanded our popular summer public interest job search FAQs with additional answers to common general and post-grad public interest job search questions to help you get started or answer questions wherever you are in the process. Check out all of our FAQS!

Are you still searching for a 1L or 2L summer position? OPIA advisors are here to help - sign up for an open advising appointment!

A significant majority of HLS graduates begin their public service careers through domestic and international fellowships offered by Harvard University and hundreds of other organizations. We provide a short roadmap for the coming months; stay tuned for more information on the post-graduate public interest job search and fellowships beginning in March, and mark your calendars for OPIA’s spring fellowship and job search events.

Application materials for the Harvard Law School Public Service Venture Fund Seed Grant will be accepted online until Friday, January 15, 2021 at 5 pm. The PSVF Selection Committee invites J.D. alumni to apply for a seed grant to support a proposed organization that is in its initial stages and has few available funding sources. Learn more and apply!

Unfortunately, given the uncertainty surrounding Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and consistent with Harvard University's policies regarding travel and gatherings, we will be cancelling our Public Interest Reception in NYC on March 19.

Attorneys general are independent state constitutional officers vested with extraordinarily broad criminal and civil responsibilities. Learn more about state AG work and resources available to you at HLS.

Missed the MLSC bidding deadline for the U.S. DOJ, Civil Rights Division, Disability Section? It's now extended to Friday, September 20, 2019! Learn more and submit your materials.

“If you spend 12 hours a day doing work you hate, at some point it doesn’t matter what your paycheck says.” The upper echelon is hoarding money and privilege to a degree not seen in decades. But that doesn’t make them happy at work.

The prospect of returning to the workforce after a parenting sabbatical or other career break can be daunting. A pro bono fellowship can help bring lawyers back into public interest law after a time away.

A federal judge has struck down a decision by the Trump administration to add a question about citizenship to the 2020 U.S. Census, setting up what’s expected to be a drawn-out appeal process from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Through these examples, we highlight the paths of a number of alums who have taken varied career routes to show that there is no “right” path to a fulfilling career.

A comprehensive listing of diversity scholarships, clerkships, mentorships, internships, conventions, and job fairs available to law students.

"The point is not just to protect victims and hold people accountable—the deterrence function—but to make sure we’re using our resources to effectively address what led the person to commit this act."

1Ls are now able to apply for for entry into the Graduate Law program while 2Ls are able to apply for the One Year College Program. Online applications will be accepted until January 10, 2019. Other important deadlines for the program include:
January 10, 2019: Complete an interview with AFROTC Detachment Commander
February 1, 2019: Complete an interview with a Staff Judge Advocate

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The HLS website has moved to HarvardKey. This means secure webpages that use LDAP (HLS Me) credentials to log in will now require HarvardKey credentials instead. There will be a new login screen that will prompt you to enter your HarvardKey with two-factor authentication. Once logged in, you’ll be able to view content on the HLS website.

If you have any questions or problems logging in, please contact ITS at 617-495-0722 or submit a ticket through the HLS Administrative Services Hub.

Check out two webinar recordings to hear from different attorneys and  learn more about working at the Department of Justice !
The webinar links will remain open until December 1, 2018
November 14th Webinar Session November 15th Webinar Session

Stephanie Gendell '98, a veteran advocate with Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York, has joined the New York City Administration for Children’s Services.

"What I bring to it is really being out in the community, figuring out why people don’t vote, supporting them, figuring out how to engage with them and making it easier to vote in New York,”

A highly anticipated new survey of thousands of undergraduates and first-year law students found that the top four most-cited reasons for pursuing law school are: providing a pathway to a career in politics, government or public service; having a passion and high interest in legal work; creating opportunities to give back to others; and the desire to be an advocate for social change.

“You can lose your children, you can lose your home, you can lose your livelihood without having legal help to get you through complicated legal proceedings.”

Learn more about the Daniel J. Curtin, Jr. Fellowship here! …

Learn more about the Roddenberry Prize and how to enter.

Jacob Lipton, Fellowship Director of the Justice Catalyst (and Program Director of the Systemic Justice Project at HLS) will be hosting 1-on-1 advising sessions about the Justice Catalyst Fellowship on Monday, 4/23.

Sign up for an appointment!

Learn more about the 35th Annual Smith-Babcock-Williams Student Writing Competition.

A successful job search starts with identifying positions that are a good match for your preferences, experience, and skill set. A balance of focus and flexibility is key.

Take this quick one-question survey to let us know about the 1L career advising experience. Your feedback is extremely important to us! All responses to the survey are anonymous.

Take the survey!

Learn more about the 2018 Judge John R. Brown Award of $10,000 for Excellence in Legal Writing.

The U.S. Foreign Policy Colloquium (FPC) provides 75 of the best and brightest Chinese graduate students a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the complex forces that shape American foreign policy and inform the U.S.-China relationship. Interested students can apply today.

NAWL has established the annual Selma Moidel Smith Law Student Writing Competition to encourage and reward original law student writing on issues concerning women and the law.