As you make your game plan for applying for summer internships, you may be trying to strategize about which applications to submit earlier or later. Though 1Ls can apply to summer jobs on or after November 1, employers’ hiring timelines after that date can vary significantly. Here are some examples of employers with early deadlines.

You won’t want to miss OPIA’s annual Student-to-Student Job Fair on October 27, 6:30-8:00 p.m. in Milstein East and West, designed to introduce you to the myriad summer employment opportunities available in the U.S. and abroad. Through this in-person fair, 2Ls and 3Ls will be available to answer questions about their previous summer employers and internship experiences. 

Take a peek at the current list of organizations (subject to change) that will be represented at the fair!

Interested in learning more about government careers? The following resources can help you begin your exploration.

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!

The University of Pennsylvania Law Review is currently accepting submissions for the Dorothy E. Roberts Public Interest Essay Competition through February 28, 2026. The winner will be awarded a $5,000 grant to implement a public interest project related to the article and a $2,000 cash prize.

A strong resume and cover letter are essential to making a good first impression with a potential summer employer and helping them start to get to know you. The following OPIA resources can help you perfect these documents and present your background and experiences in a way that employers will find compelling.

As a reminder, 1Ls may begin to apply for 1L summer positions starting on November 1.

If you are searching for summer jobs, don’t forget to check the HLS Job Bank in CSM regularly.

If you are searching for fellowships and entry-level jobs, don’t forget to check the HLS Job Bank in CSM regularly.

If you are searching for fellowships and entry-level jobs, don’t forget to check the HLS Job Bank in CSM regularly.

Immigrant Justice Corps. Demonstrate a strong commitment to immigration work and policy reform. Highlight proficiency in languages other than English, cultural competence, trauma-sensitive interview skills, and direct representation. Mention stakeholders, movement lawyering, and collaborative work in high pressured settings with diverse individuals and age groups. Indicate readiness to take the bar. Contact your top-choice organizations to express interest. Sign up for advising with Judy Murciano by making a Fellowship appointment.

OPIA’s job postings can now be found in CSM/Symplicity!  You can search for jobs by keyword and location, filter by sector, save postings to return to later, and set up job alerts. For some jobs you can apply directly within CSM.

We will continue to include a sampling of recently added public sector jobs in our weekly emails.

We appreciate your patience as we make this transition. If you have any questions, please contact opia@law.harvard.edu.

As public sector summer job postings go live in the coming weeks and months, you can view a wide variety of opportunities in CSM/Symplicity. 

You can search for jobs by keyword and location, filter by sector, save postings to return to later, and set up job alerts. For some jobs, you can apply directly within CSM. 

Starting next week, we will include a sampling of recently added public sector jobs in our weekly emails.

Keep in mind that proactivity goes a long way in a public interest job search. Though our job board (and other public interest job boards) will show you many exciting opportunities, other jobs may never appear on a board at all. In addition to monitoring boards, remain in the driver’s seat of your search by identifying and reaching out to organizations of interest.

To help guide you in your public sector summer job search and beyond, we've answered some common 1L questions about accessing OPIA advisers and services.

Directed by Georgetown Law, Fellows provide quality representation at PDS to adults and adolescents accused of crimes, while developing skills as a clinical instructor. Emphasize long-term commitment to PD work and racial justice. Apply early for its rolling deadline. Submit all essay drafts for review well in advance of the deadline. Sign up for advising with Judy Murciano by making a Fellowship appointment.

Wondering how to make the best use of your appointment time? Not sure what to expect when working with an adviser? Read this post to find out.

We know that many of you are considering whether – and to what extent – you’d like to become involved in the myriad student activities available to the law school community. We are often asked by students interested in public service work about the value of extracurricular involvement. While we cannot offer formal career counseling before September 29, we can help you make choices about extracurriculars before then. Broad guidance on those choices can be found below, but please note that it is impossible to truly provide “one-size-fits-all” advice. Feel free to come to our drop-in office hours to have a conversation tailored to your individual goals.

Sign-ups for advising appointments with public interest attorney mentors visiting through the Wasserstein Fellows Program are now available! All students can take advantage of this remarkable opportunity to receive guidance from current practitioners in a wide variety of fields.

Learn all about the 2025-26 Wasserstein Fellows and sign up for an appointment!

We look forward to getting to know you in the coming months and to helping you learn more about public interest career opportunities. Although formal career advising does not begin until September 29, you can still take affirmative steps now to begin your career exploration. Read this post to learn how.

Justice Catalyst Fellowship. Harnessing the interdisciplinary approach of Professor Hanson’s Systemic Justice Lab, target how your innovative solution to a community-informed, access to justice problem can be addressed for the greatest sustainable and scalable impact that shifts power dynamics (economic and political) and fuels a clear Theory of Change. Regional work may be nationally magnified. Watch the latest info webinar. Applicants are highly encouraged to submit a prospectus by September 30, 2025. Final full application is due on December 1, 2025. Sign up for advising with Judy Murciano by making a Fellowship appointment.

The ACLU runs multiple different organization-based fellowships for specific targeted litigation (Brennan First Amendment/National Security, Technology, and Privacy; Karpatkin Racial Justice Fellowship is now 2 yrs, etc.). Familiarity with their ongoing litigation and latest policy advocacy, as well as highlighting your writing and research skills, are key for integrating into their team hiring. Sign up for advising with Judy Murciano by making a Fellowship appointment.