Read this guidance if you plan to bid on plaintiffs' firms this summer.

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

The directors of the EJW and Skadden Fellowships will be holding virtual information sessions on March 19 and April 2 respectively. It is mandatory for you to attend these information sessions if you plan to apply for these fellowships. You are afforded the important opportunity to meet one-on-one with the fellowship directors. Please come prepared for those meetings. For assistance drafting your proposals or deciding which fellowship is right for you, set up an appointment with Judy Murciano or attend Judy’s drop-in hours.

• Equal Justice Works Info Session - Tuesday, March 19 at 12:30
• Skadden Fellowship Information Session - Tuesday, April 2 at 12:30

Searching for post-graduate job opportunities can feel daunting – or even overwhelming. We can help you get started by breaking down the process into more manageable chunks. Here are 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.

You are encouraged to apply for the Borchard Fellowship even if you have not worked on Elder Law issues in the past. An Elder Law lens can often be applied to the work you’re doing whether it involves housing, employment, health issues, or criminal law. Past fellows have worked on issues ranging from immigration detention to consumer affairs. For assistance with your application, set up an appointment with Judy Murciano or attend Judy’s drop-in hours.

We strongly encourage you to apply for fellowships to support the work that excites you. Because many fellowships require you to pursue a project with a host organization and some fellowships have very early deadlines, it is important to begin preparing NOW.

Because many fellowships require you to pursue a project or position with a host organization and some fellowships have early deadlines, it is important to begin preparing during your 2L spring for the fellowship application process.

We are often asked by students interested in public service work about how to weigh their wide-ranging academic options while in law school. This advice is meant to offer broad guidance on the choices you may be contemplating. Please note that it is impossible to truly provide “one-size-fits-all” advice — if you have questions about particular options and how they might relate to your career plans, be sure to seek out an OPIA adviser. 

OPIA has compiled a few key dates that may be useful as you plan your summer internships and other commitments.

We know it may seem early to start thinking about your post-graduate job search as a 2L. However, your 2L spring is the best time to check out our 3L Guide to Entry-Level Post-Graduate Jobs, start monitoring fellowship and entry-level job deadlines, and make an appointment with an OPIA adviser to position you for success in your search.

If you haven’t yet secured an internship for this summer, don’t panic. There are still public interest employers that are actively hiring in March and even in April. If you put in the effort, apply broadly, and remain persistent, you WILL find a summer job.

If you have secured employment, please take a minute to complete the Graduate Employment Survey in CSM. The ABA requires all law schools to report the employment outcomes for its graduates pursuant to ABA Standard 509(b). The information you provide will be reported in the aggregate, will not be shared with anyone, and will allow us to comply with this ABA requirement.

If you are unsure of your start date, so that you can complete the survey, you may enter an estimated date and note in the survey that it is approximate. The Office of Career Services will follow up with you later in the spring for an updated start date.

Read this post for information regarding upcoming Bar Exam application deadlines.

Thinking of applying for a U.S. Department of Justice Volunteer Legal Internship? Our application guide is now updated for this year's application cycle.

Read the 2023 OPIA Insider’s Guide to the U.S. Department of Justice Volunteer Legal Internship Application Process.

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.

All 2L and 3L students considering or planning to apply for clerkships for the 2024 cycle can now refer to HLS’s updated 2023 anecdotal list of judges with a public interest focus when researching potential clerkship options. Note that this version has been significantly expanded to include federal circuit and district judges confirmed in the last year, as well as additional federal magistrate and state court judges. The updated list can be accessed here.

Student Government's Public Interest Committee and the Law and Social Change Program are coordinating a peer-to-peer mentoring program for public interest students! 1Ls will be matched with more experienced students who have similar public interest career aspirations to share advice/resources/frustrations. The program will have a budget for mentors and mentees to get coffee or pastries, and will also be coordinating small group meetings with HLS professors in each interest area. Please sign up if you are interested in being a mentor or mentee! The program is open to all kinds of public interest students, including students who are going to firms upon graduation but hoping to transition later in their careers.

As you may have heard, beginning this September, HLS will institute a new orientation session for returning 2L students designed to help you reconnect with classmates, reflect on what you have learned in your first year and first summer as a law student, and look ahead to your future career. HLS will offer the three-hour orientation program on three different afternoons: Thursday, September 28; Friday, September 29; and Sunday, October 1, and you will be asked to choose the session that works best for you.

Representative Jim Cooper (D-TN) (HLS JD 1980) will be making a virtual visit to Professor Howell Jackson’s Federal Budget Policy class on Tuesday, November 22nd, from 9 to 10 am in WCC 2009. Students not enrolled in the course are welcome to sit in on the session. 

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.