Many students enter law school with a passion for a particular issue or set of issues, such as education or civil rights. Others develop a strong interest for a substantive area during law school. Still others find a practice setting or work style that they like and the issues they work on are less important. In any event, public interest work covers a huge range of issue areas, including some that people typically think of as “corporate.”
Spotlight: Criminal Legal System Reform
The following are some issue areas public interest lawyers work in, along with links to relevant guides.
| AIDS/HIV | Environment / Energy (.pdf) | Native American / Tribal Law |
| Animal Issues | Family | Personal Injury / Med Malpractice |
| Arts/Entertainment | Farm / Migrant Workers | Prisoners’ Issues |
| Bankruptcy/Debt | First Amendment | Property / Real Estate |
| Business/Economic Issues | Gun Control | Prosecution (.pdf) |
| Children / Youth (.pdf) | Government Accountability | Public Defense (.pdf) |
| Civil Rights / Liberties (.pdf) | Health / Medical (.pdf) | Racial / Ethnic Justice |
| Communications | Housing / Homelessness | Religious Issues |
| Consumer | Human Rights | Reproductive Rights |
| Criminal Legal System Reform (podcast) | Immigration / Refugee (.pdf) | Security / Defense / Arms Control |
| Death Penalty | Intellectual Property / Technology | Tax |
| Disability | Juvenile Defense (.pdf) | Trade |
| Domestic Violence | Labor / Employment | Transitional Justice / Democracy |
| Economic Development (.pdf) | Legal Services (.pdf) | Trusts and Estates |
| Education (.pdf) | LGBTQ+ Issues (.pdf) | Voting / Campaign Finance |
| Elders | Municipal Law | Women’s Rights (.pdf) |