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

The LGBTQ+ Public Interest Scholarship is intended for law students and/or recent law school graduates studying for the Bar who are working or will be working in the LGBTQ+ space doing public interest work. One or more scholarships of up to $5,000 each are awarded annually. The deadline is April 30, 2025.

The Rural Summer Legal Corps is a collaboration between Equal Justice Works and Legal Services Corporation that aims to address critical legal issues facing rural communities. The following host organizations are seeking additional law student applicants for the 2025 Rural Summer Legal Corps: Michigan Advocacy Program: Farmworkers Legal Services / Legal Aid of the Bluegrass / Colorado Legal Services

The Curtin Fellowship provides a $3,500 stipend to three law school students who spend the summer months working for a bar association or legal services program designed to prevent homelessness and/or assist indigent clients (including those experiencing homelessness) or their advocates. The deadline to apply is March 28, 2025.

Harvard’s Presidential Public Service Fellowship (PPSF) program supports a broad range of summer opportunities that serve the common good. Students from Harvard College and from Harvard’s graduate and professional Schools are eligible to apply. The application deadline is March 21, 2025 at 5:00pm EST.

Law Students for Climate Accountability, creators of the scorecard assessing law firms' work with the fossil fuel industry, is accepting applications to join its student board for the 2025–26 school year.  Responsibilities range from strategic operations to outreach to content generation, and board members receive a stipend. Successful applicants are passionate about climate justice and student engagement. Applications are open until March 24; you can apply here.

As you may have heard, over the last few days, several U.S. Attorney’s Offices have notified students who had accepted internships (and in some cases, had interviewed) before the federal hiring freeze that their office now has permission to hire unpaid volunteer interns. If you have been notified of a re-issued offer and would like to speak with an OPIA adviser about your options, please come to drop-in hours or schedule an appointment in CSM.  We strongly discourage reneging on an alternative offer you have already accepted, but can speak further about exploring split summers or other opportunities to work in government while at HLS.

While you may have just finalized your internship plans for this summer, we know that many of you are already thinking ahead to 2L summer and weighing the pros and cons of spending it in the private sector. In this post, we offer some thoughts you may find helpful as you consider whether to participate in the Early Interview Program (EIP).

The shifts in federal government policy towards summer law interns this year has necessitated reimagining this year’s Heyman Summer Interns Program to be both more virtual and more inclusive.  The prior application deadline of February 13th has been waived.  Please stay tuned for additional information in the coming weeks/months as to what the program may look like and how you can participate.

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.

James & Hoffman PC, a law firm in Washington, DC that represents workers and labor unions, is hiring law students to assist with intake.  The firm is currently working to meet high demand from probationary federal employees who have lost their jobs and are seeking legal help.  Students will earn $20/hour.  Email firm associate Emily Postman at erpostman@jamhoff.com to inquire.

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

Due to federal hiring changes impacting in-process summer employment searches, judicial clerkships/internships will be eligible for summer public interest funding (SPIF) for the summer of 2025. Internships with a judge or court are typically not funded by SPIF, with the exception of international war crimes and human rights courts that involve more than one country.

• Youth Summer Fellowship, Indigenous Peoples & Minorities Section - Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) – Priority Deadline: February 3, 2025

• Youth Summer Fellowship, Humanitarian Funds (against Slavery & Torture) - Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) – Priority Deadline: February 3, 2025

• Legal Intern, Programmes & Projects Team - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – Deadline: January 31, 2025

• Legal Intern, Administrative Law Team - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – Deadline: January 31, 2025

• Legal Intern, Corporate and Institutional Law Team - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – Deadline: January 31, 2025

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.

Emphasize the need for launching an ambitious but feasible non-profit that is scalable and sustainable to meet an unmet need with a Theory of Change.

1Ls interested in summer public interest work are now invited to make a one-on-one counseling appointment with an OPIA adviser to occur after October 15. Any of our generalist advisers can help you begin your job search; you can review adviser bios and schedule an appointment online. Choose one of the “general advising” scheduling options if you are in the early stages of exploration. Alternatively, if you have identified specific interests aligned with one of our more specific appointment options, you can select one of those instead. Please do not email the general OPIA email address or individual advisers asking for an advising appointment, as all 1Ls should be using CSM to schedule appointments.

To help prepare for your advising session, we encourage you to read our e-advising post that provides further guidance on your 1L appointment.

Environmental litigation focused, this two-year fellowship for HLS puts a lot of weight on the writing sample as evidence of strong research and legal analytical skills. Fellows are expected to indicate their preference for NRDC in NY, CA, DC, or IL and sit for the bar in that state before beginning the fellowship. The cover letter is usually a couple of pages and recommendations are scrutinized. Interviews often discuss the writing sample and complex or special litigation experience. Sign up for advising with Judy Murciano by making a Fellowship appointment. 

This two-year fellowship conducts high impact litigation and advocacy through four main projects: Access to Justice in the civil court system such as forced arbitration or limits on collective action; Debtors’ Prison to combat criminalization of poverty; Students’ Civil Rights Project to end discrimination and seek systemic change in school settings; Environmental Enforcement to hold corporations accountable for enforcing environmental state and federal laws. Emphasis on strong research and writing skills, experience with litigation, and agility working across civil rights issue areas with diverse individuals and teams under time pressure. 

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.

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!