Public Interest Student Recruiting Policies

OPIA will communicate regularly through weekly bulletins and recruiting-specific communications; please check your email regularly so you do not miss important information. All communications from OPIA will be sent to your official HLS email account. If you choose to forward your HLS email to another personal account, it is your responsibility to ensure the email is forwarding correctly, so routinely check your HLS email account. If you are not receiving OPIA’s emails and would like to, please email OPIA.

OPIA provides recruiting information through our PIIP/V-PIIP webpages and through the Career Services Manager (CSM) (sometimes referred to as Symplicity). From the open of the bidding period until your last interview, you should regularly visit PIIP/V-PIIP webpages and the CSM section on PIIP/V-PIIP, where we will detail any changes and important notices regarding interviews and employers. You are responsible for being aware of the information contained in the CSM as it relates to you.

As always, any information you provide to prospective employers (resume, transcript, etc.) must be accurate and not misleading. Similarly, any writing sample or work product that you submit to an employer should be your own work and, if necessary, be redacted to protect client confidentiality.

By participating in PIIP/V-PIIP interview programs, you agree to review and comply with all applicable policies, procedures, and deadlines. You also agree that OPIA may distribute your application materials and other relevant information to the employers you have selected, communicate with those employers regarding your interviews, and collect information from them regarding the outcomes of your interviews.

You may not cancel OPIA-scheduled interviews, including any interviews conducted through phone, video, or other remote portals, except in the following instances:

• There is a valid illness or emergency.
• You have accepted an offer of employment, in which case, all of your upcoming interviews will be canceled.
• Due to a change in your class schedule, the interview conflicts with one of your classes. In such a case, OPIA will attempt to re-schedule the interview before canceling.

In all of the above instances, you must notify Micah Nemiroff by email as soon as possible regarding your intent to cancel, clearly stating your reason for cancellation.

Employers invest considerable time and effort to interview HLS students. Failing to attend a scheduled interview deprives your classmates of interviewing opportunities and reflects poorly upon both you and HLS. If you do not show up for your interview, you must promptly email the employer an apology and Cc the Assistant Dean for Public Service, Catherine Pattanayak.

HLS prohibits students and employers from interviewing during scheduled class times. This policy also applies to the January Experiential Term, which is a mandatory academic program for 1Ls. When you are notified of interview selections, you should select an available time slot that does not conflict with your class schedule. If you have any trouble finding an appropriate interview slot, contact Micah Nemiroff.

In the event of unanticipated emergencies, such as electrical or internet outages, inclement weather, or other events impacting HLS operations, OPIA will make every effort to support you and will assist in rescheduling the interview or make alternative arrangements as necessary.

If you are a student with a disability and believe that you may need a reasonable accommodation during one of our recruiting programs, please contact Accessibility Services in the Dean of Students Office and Cc Micah Nemiroff at mnemiroff@law.harvard.edu. Some accommodations take time to arrange; it is, therefore, helpful if you notify us as soon as possible.

In order to ensure a fair, open, and effective hiring process for students as well as employers, OPIA will not forward law school grades or transcripts to employers participating in PIIP/V-PIIP interview programs until the employers have selected the students they wish to interview

Employers participating in PIIP/V-PIIP resume collection programs may request and receive law school grades or transcripts from OPIA.

Employment data is extremely helpful for OPIA as we plan recruiting programs and assist students with their job searches. Employment data is critical for OCS, as OCS prepares employment statistics – including those related to public interest employment – for submission to the American Bar Association. You must report your post-graduate employment information to OCS when requested, even if you are still seeking employment. Please share both your summer and post-graduate employment information with OPIA as well.

Employers recruiting through OPIA’s recruiting programs agree to comply with OPIA’s Employer Recruiting Policies and Harvard’s University-wide Title IX University Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment Policy.

In particular, students should be familiar with the following provisions in the Employer Recruiting Policies:

• Obligations To Applicants
• Employee Restrictions on Grade Requests

While most employers strive to maintain a professional and sensitive attitude in recruiting, there may be instances of offensive or discriminatory behavior. If you believe an employer has acted in a way that does not comply with HLS’s non-discrimination policies, has engaged in harassing behavior, or has exhibited any other concerning behavior, we encourage students to speak with an OPIA adviser or contact the Office of Public Interest Advising (opia@law.harvard.edu). OPIA will work with the student to address the issue in a timely and sensitive manner.