OPIA is now using CSM for application materials review! Going forward, if you would like OPIA to review your materials, please complete this new form and attach your document(s) as Word docs. Your materials will then be assigned to an adviser for review. When completed, you will receive a notification to retrieve your reviewed document(s) from CSM.

Reminder: we will review one resume and one cover letter per academic year for 1Ls, 2Ls, and alumni. We will review multiple materials (including fellowships application materials, honors program essays, etc.) for 3Ls and LL.M.s pursuing post-graduate positions. Please allow 10-14 business days for your materials to be returned with edits and comments.

As OPIA works to support students and alumni along their public interest career journey, we rely on you, our wonderfully committed public interest alumni community, to help us gather valuable information about the many fields in which you practice.  With your assistance, we can provide better insight for students and alumni into the public interest job market and continue to help mentor and launch them along their public interest path.

To help us in this effort we ask that you complete this survey. You may respond to this anonymously and all questions are optional. Responses will be used internally and will not be published in any form.

Location: Bethel, AK; Kenai, AK; Kodiak, AK; Nome, AK; Palmer, AK; Utqiagvik, AK
Deadline: October 1, 2025
Learn more about the Assistant Public Defender position.

The OneJustice Executive Fellowship Program is now accepting applications. Enrollment is open to executive directors, senior-level leaders, and managers at legal services and public interest nonprofit organizations. Through the Executive Fellowship’s 10-month intensive program, a diverse class of new executive directors and other emerging leaders learn core leadership and management skills that will help expand the capacity of their nonprofit legal organizations to serve their clients. Apply by July 11.

Class of 2024: This is a reminder that your HLS student email address will expire one year after graduation. All alumni can set up an @alumni.harvard.edu email forwarding address through their profile in the HAA Alumni Directory.

Contemplating your post-clerkship / post-fellowship plans? Thinking about a career change? OPIA's Alumni Adviser, Rachel Pemstein, is available to help you strategize for your public interest job search. Feel free to schedule an appointment directly with Rachel. You can also find general information online at OPIA's Public Interest Job Search Resources and Services for Alumni webpage.

Harvard Law alumni in federal government can now see a public interest career roadmap in the newly updated OCS & OPIA Guide to Transitions from the Federal Government (2025). Please share widely with your HLS classmates and be in touch with us here at OPIA!

In light of the federal hiring freeze and related actions, the Heyman Fellowship Program has been suspended for the 2025 fellowship year.  If you are a 3L, feel free to make an appointment with an OPIA adviser or come to a drop-in hour if you need assistance.  If you are an HLS alum in need of public interest career support, please reach out to OPIA for an appointment.

Around the country, law students and lawyers are facing a period of uncertainty. OPIA has always been here to support the HLS public interest community.  If you are an HLS alum in need of public interest career support, please reach out to us for an appointment.

To our wonderful network of OPIA alumni – we need your help!  If you are an employer with a potential opportunity (for students or alumni) or if you are available to offer guidance and support to one of our students or alums, please let us know by submitting a job posting or emailing us directly.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

Below are events a part of the Life After Law School Series. Click on each one to learn more.

Looking for a small way to contribute to the public interest legacy at HLS and encourage the next generation of public interest lawyers? OPIA is excited to announce the creation of a social justice library, a space in our suite that we hope will inspire students and facilitate community-building among public interest-minded students and alumni.
Find out how you can help!

One of the benefits of attending Harvard Law School is that it gives you a lot of freedom to carve out your unique career path.