In an effort 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.

Representatives of student organizations, if you are planning any career-related events, please email opia@law.harvard.edu. We would love to minimize conflicts, can help identify speakers, and/or spread the word in our weekly emails.

Fellows work on human rights issues in the U.S. by alternating between one year at Human Rights Watch and one year at the ACLU. Strong research, writing, legal analytical skills. Experience with trauma-sensitive interviews, media, and press releases. Exposure to complex litigation. Must be able to practice in U.S. during the two-year fellowship. Preference for applicants with knowledge of a foreign language. Sign up for advising with Judy Murciano by making a Fellowship appointment. 

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 after October 15? 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 October 15, 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.

Student Government is matching up Big Law 3Ls and public interest 3Ls to enroll in matching programs for free bar prep courses. Learn more and complete this short survey to participate!

The Law and Social Change Program seeks a student fellow to work with program chairs (Ben Sachs, Catherine Pattanayak, and Sabi Ardalan) to facilitate programming. Responsibilities will include brainstorming and organizing events, setting up mentoring opportunities, updating the website, among others. The position is paid.

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, 2024. Final full application is due on December 2, 2024. Sign up for advising with Judy Murciano by making a Fellowship appointment.

Independence Foundation Fellows provide free, direct legal services in the Greater Philadelphia area. Only certain organizations are invited to host a single fellow. Consult your host organization about whether they are eligible for the fellowship this year. Sign up for advising with Judy Murciano by making a Fellowship 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 October 15, you can still take affirmative steps now to begin your career exploration. Read this post to learn how.

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. 

Please note that some deadlines vary by host country. Check the national deadline for your host country to determine which internal deadline you must meet. Project proposal should be endemic to the host country, detailed in methodology, and positioned as a “novel contribution to the field” driven by “why” and “how” questions for critical analysis. Besides the three letters of recommendation for a Fulbright (preferably 2 of the 3 from HLS Faculty), you will also need a Letter of Affiliation from the host country (faculty from an institute of higher learning/NGO), a language form from someone who has taught the host’s official language, and a Campus Evaluation (this fellowship requires a discussion with Judy Murciano in an advising appointment or during drop-in office hours). Submit your drafts for review well in advance of the internal deadline. 

As a PSL, you will have the opportunity to connect with other public interest-oriented students, participate in unique leadership development programming, and receive mentorship from like-minded alumni and upper-class students. To sign up, please complete the Public Service Leaders registration form by September 19.  Also mark your calendars for a PSL kickoff event on September 24 at 6:30pm in WCC 1010. Food and drinks provided at the social hour that follows immediately after the meeting! 

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.

Bidding for the fall Massachusetts Law School Consortium (MLSC) Government and Public Interest Interview Program closes on Monday, September 9, at 12 p.m. ET. This year's interviews will be conducted virtually on October 7 & 8, 2024. Review the employer list and learn more about the MLSC program and how to participate.

Prepare for the PMF by carefully reading the updated Applicant Handbook and answering the practice questions applying their key competencies. Note: 1) Register with your personal Gmail email address, NOT your HLS .edu email address; 2) Request a signed form on HLS letterhead from the HLS Registrar attesting to your status as a student in good standing due to graduate by May 2025. This form is critical and must be ready for uploading together with your transcript (use an official transcript, because PMF wants to see the HLS logo on school documents) and upload a resume (and a certification of veterans’ preference, Native American status, or specially granted accommodations) before you take the PMF exam; 3) Take the exam early and in one sitting. If documentation of eligibility from the Registrar may not arrive before Sept. 18, please contact OPIA asap. The PMF closes at NOON on Sept. 18.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State is looking for a two-year (Aug./Sep. 2025–Aug./Sep. 2027) Constitutional Litigation Fellow who is committed to civil rights, impact litigation, and upholding core First Amendment protections. Your work will include defending the rights of women, LGBTQ+ people, and racial and religious minorities against religion-based discrimination and oppression. And you will fight to keep religion out of government—including through challenges to religious activities in public schools, public financing of religious institutions, and government-sponsored religion in the public square.

EJW Fellows seek to meet the unmet legal needs of marginalized communities in a wide range of issue areas highlighted on their website. Project-driven, the EJW application prioritizes: 1) a clearly defined problem of significant magnitude; 2) an ambitious but feasible means to address the problem with an impactful, creative/innovative concrete strategy; 3) a sustainable and scalable solution; 4) a series of opportunities for engaging the sponsoring firm/corporation in the project. EJW proposals can often serve as a template for many additional fellowships throughout the year. Recommendations sent directly to the EJW portal must be received a week before the deadline. Sign up for advising with Judy Murciano by making a Fellowship appointment. Please check the EJW site for relevant info sessions and Guide. 

Skadden Fellows address civil legal services for low-income individuals to foster economic security and provide access to justice for marginalized communities. Whether you are conducting direct legal services or working on impact systemic change, it is critical to identify clients’ legal needs first and address the racial justice lens of your work overall. Host organizations may attach to their sponsorship letter community and/or media support for the targeted issue. Former and current Fellows can also contribute additional supporting letters for your work. Please consult the Skadden Application page for important dates. Sign up early for mock interviews with Judy Murciano by selecting Fellowship Advising when making an appointment. Semi-finalists often design colorful one-page handouts for their interviews.

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