Location: New York, NY
Deadline: May 31, 2025
Learn more about the Public Health Legal Fellowship position.
This job posting has not been vetted by our office and the employer has not given assurances of non-discrimination or compliance with our recruitment policies.

Please note that applications for the following OPIA-administered fellowships are due in February:

Public Service Venture Fund Org-Based Fellowship
February 7, 2025, 5:00 pm 
PSVF Org-Based Fellowships are intended to help launch students’ and judicial clerks’ public interest careers at the public service organization of their choice that otherwise is not hiring at the entry-level.

Location: Washington, DC or Silver Spring, MD
Deadline: Open until filled
Learn more about the Staff Attorney position.
This job posting has not been vetted by our office and the employer has not given assurances of non-discrimination or compliance with our recruitment policies.

To our Los Angeles area alumni - we are devastated by the news coming from your hometown. Your OPIA family sends prayers and we hope that you are safe and unharmed. 

Location: Houston, TX
Deadline: Open until filled
Learn more about the Staff Attorney position.
This job posting has not been vetted by our office and the employer has not given assurances of non-discrimination or compliance with our recruitment policies.

For those interested in public international law, the International Court of Justice (ICJ)’s Judicial Fellowship Programme offers an opportunity like a clerkship. HLS is one of several law schools invited to nominate a single candidate, and the school provides a stipend to its nominee. Now would be a good time for anyone interested in the position for fall 2025 to gear up to apply. The Court has not yet released its application timeline for the 2025-2026 term, but we expect it to be similar to past years, for which applications were due internally to HLS in early January. Additional details are on the OCS page about the Judicial Fellows Programme.

Location: Greenfield, MA
Deadline: Open until filled
Learn more about the Criminal Defense Bar Advocate position.
This job posting has not been vetted by our office and the employer has not given assurances of non-discrimination or compliance with our recruitment policies.

International Legal Studies (ILS) is accepting applications for the 2025-2026 International Legal Studies Post-Graduate Fellowships. The Fellowships are open to HLS graduates from the classes of 2022-2025.

Applications are due to International Legal Studies by Monday, January 13, 2025. Learn more about the ILS Post-Graduate Fellowships.

Alumni Speak brings public interest alumni voices to our current students and other alumni on topics related to law school, life, jobs and getting it all done with resilience, intentionality, and confidence. Throughout the academic year or after graduation, your messages will help students and fellow alums navigate the various challenges of law school and beyond.

We'd love your input on any or all of the topics, but right now we are particularly interested in hearing from you about Networking and Finances.

Please share your thoughts through our Alumni Speak Survey. Thank you!

If you missed out on the bidding period for V-PIIP virtual interviews, not to worry! You still have the opportunity to apply to many employers participating in the resume collection program. Bidding for V-PIIP resume collection runs through September 12th at 12pm ET. Find the current employer list here.

Applying for the U.S. Department of Justice's SLIP or Honors Program? Our application guide is now updated for this year's application cycle.

Read the 2024 OPIA Insider’s Guide

OPIA has now transitioned to a new appointment scheduling system! We have joined the Office of Career Services in CSM/Symplicity, so you will now be able to make all your HLS career advising appointments in one place.

To access CSM, you must have a HarvardKey. You may claim your HarvardKey here. If you need assistance with claiming your HarvardKey, contact the alumni Help Desk.

We appreciate your patience as we make this transition. If you have any questions please contact opia@law.harvard.edu or call us at 617-495-3108.

Bidding closes for V-PIIP virtual interviews on August 21 at 12 p.m. ET. Bidding for resume collection will continue until September 12 at 12 p.m. ET. All applications must be submitted through Symplicity CSM. Visit the step-by-step guide on how to submit your bids through Symplicity CSM.

Here are the deadlines for OPIA's internally administered fellowships for which 3Ls and alumni are eligible to apply. Mark your calendar and make an appointment to speak with an OPIA adviser!

Learn more about the private public interest law firms recruiting through V-PIIP with these resources to help you prepare your applications.

Over 120 organizations have signed up to participate in this year's Virtual Public Interest Interview Program (V-PIIP), either through virtual interviewing or resume collection! Take advantage of this exceptional opportunity to apply for summer and postgraduate positions with public interest organizations all across the country. Review our resources to help you prepare for the program. We will continue to send you important information and updates throughout the summer, including news on new employer registrations, which extends through August. Please schedule an appointment with an OPIA adviser to help you prepare for the program. Review more employer details through Symplicity CSM

Alumni in the Classes of 2021–23 can now set up an @alumni.harvard.edu email forwarding address through their profile in the HAA Alumni Directory. Alumni from the Class of 2024 will be able to set this up after graduation. For all other classes, this feature will be made available later in 2024.

Deadline: September 22, 2023, 11:59 pm Eastern. The Gideon's Promise Law School Partnership Project is a fellowship that provides recent law school graduates committed to a career in public defense with continuing legal education (C.L.E.) training and guaranteed permanent employment in a partner public defense office upon program completion. Note that, if you are selected as a Gideon’s Promise Fellow, you must apply for funding through the Public Service Venture Fund, as Gideon’s Promise positions are otherwise unfunded. As a result, the only offices that are eligible are those that aren’t conducting any entry-level hiring. Eligible offices to date include: Knox County Public Defender’s Community Law Office. 

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Public Service Venture Fund, which serves to support HLS graduates’ public interest careers and amplify the impact of their work. Read more about the PSVF, its history, and how some alumni are using PSVF funds to build a better world.

We have added a couple of new elements to our weekly alumni digest to improve the navigation and to help you find the job opportunities you are interested in.

• We have added a new category in our job postings for remote jobs. You will find it at the end of the alumni digest, after international jobs.
• We have also added jump links to each job category at the top of the job postings, which will allow for easier navigation.

Dear Alums! 
 
Alumni Speak is a series of reflections from our public interest alumni. Periodically throughout the year, we share with students your thoughts on law school, life, jobs, and getting it all done with resilience, intentionality, and confidence.   

This series is a resounding success!  We hear from students that your messages come at just the right time to help them navigate the many challenging aspects of law school and career planning. 

Please help us build this series even further by sharing more wisdom!

• Work-Life Balance: How do you manage the demands of your job while having a life outside of work?  What are your strategies?  What advice do you have for a student who is focused on finding the right balance? 

• How I Got My First Post-Graduate Public Interest Job/Fellowship:  What would you say was the most important step to landing your first public interest job/fellowship (excluding clerkships)? Who or what helped you along the way?  How did you manage the search with demands of school/your current job and life?  

Please submit content through our Alumni Speak Survey. Please note that we may edit content slightly for format or style but will endeavor to maintain the spirit of your message.  As always, we are grateful for your support of OPIA and our students. Our public interest community has a strong history of paying it forward and we appreciate your help to guide the next generation of lawyers!