Skip to content

Harvard Law School shield

Harvard Law School

Main Menu

Search

Resources
Resources
Resources
Resources
- For Faculty
- Media Relations
Resources
Resources
Resources
Resources
Resources
- Sign Up for the Harvard Law Today Newsletter
- Sign Up for News@Law

Events Calendar
About HLS
Department Directory & Campus Resources
Staff Dashboard
Make a Gift

The OPIA Blog

Explore

1L Announcements
1L E-Advising
2L Announcements
2L E-Advising
3L Announcements
3L E-Advising
LL.M. Announcements

Opportunities at the Arizona Governor's Office!

Sean Berens, Senior Counsel of the General Counsel to Governor Katie Hobbs, will be at HLS on February 9 to conduct interviews for summer internships as well as offer general advising/informational interviews for any interested students. Students interested in the opportunity can apply/request an appointment by submitting their resume by February 7.

Keep These Dates in Mind as You Plan Your Summer

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

Sign Up Now to Meet With Our Spring Term Wasserstein Fellows - Appointments Still Available

Appointments are still available with some of our spring term Wasserstein Fellows. Read about them and sign-up for an appointment:

Maryum Jordan '14 - Climate Justice Attorney, EarthRights International - 2/6 - 2/8

Gerry Hebert - President/Founding Partner, J. Gerald Heber, PC - 2/21

Your 1L Public Interest Job Search: Internship Search Check-In

If you have questions or concerns about your summer job search, please make an appointment or visit our daily drop-in office hours. Advisers are available to help with whatever job search questions you may be facing.

Reminder! PSVF Org-Based Deadline Approaching

The deadline for the Public Service Venture Fund (PSVF) Organization-Based Fellowship is Monday, February 6, 2023, at 5:00 pm. Review the application instructions to make sure you're on track.

Exploring Public Interest Resources at HLS: Networking

Networking is an essential part of getting to know the world of public interest law. But sometimes, it can feel intimidating to approach a potential contact, or hard to know where to plug in and get started. Review this Q&A to help make networking a smoother part of your professional journey.

Exploring Public Interest Resources at HLS: Communicating with Employers

One of the toughest parts of a public interest job search is managing the timeline. The lack of a unified, consistent hiring timeline by public interest employers and the fact that every individual’s situation differs can complicate the search process. Consider the following tips about communicating with employers as you navigate interviews and offers.

Learn About the Virtual Spring Interview Program – Bidding opens on January 12!

OCS and OPIA will be hosting a virtual Spring Interview Program (SIP) featuring both private and public sector employers recruiting for summer and postgraduate positions. Bidding will take place in January, with virtual interviews being held in early February. Watch our emails for more information on the program, including participating employers, when you return from break.

LL.M. E-Advising Series: Preparing for the Harvard Public Service Venture Fund (PSVF) Applications

Follow these key tips for PSVF Organization-Based Fellowship applications.

3L E-Advising Series: Preparing for the Harvard Public Service Venture Fund (PSVF) Applications

Follow these key tips for PSVF Organization-Based Fellowship applications and learn about the PSVF Seed Grant.

Heyman Summer Internship Now Accepting Applications

Deadline: Thursday, February 16, 2023, at 5:00 pm
The Heyman Summer Internship is designed to encourage law students to spend one or more of their law school summers in federal government. Harvard Law School 1Ls or 2Ls who have secured or are pursuing federal government summer internships are eligible to apply in late winter each year. Heyman Summer Interns participate in networking and programming with Heyman Fellows and other federal officials.

Public Interest Resources at HLS: Job Search FAQs and Professionalism Guide

Review some of the most common 1L job search questions in our Job Search FAQs, including how to navigate interviews, offers, and other communication with employers.

Exploring Public Interest Resources at HLS: Interviews

Interviews take on particular significance with public interest employers, as they seek to learn how committed you are to their mission and how well you would fit in with their office. The following resources can help you prepare to put your best foot forward in interviews with public interest employers.

Open Federal Budget Policy Class with Rep. Jim Cooper

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.

Exploring Public Interest Resources at HLS: Career Options in Public International Law

Interested in learning more about public international law work? The following resources can help you begin your exploration.

1L Job Search E-Advising Series: Which Employers Hire Soon After December 1?

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 December 1, employers’ hiring timelines after that date can vary significantly. Here are some examples of employers with early deadlines.

Exploring Public Interest Resources at HLS: Career Options in Nonprofit Work

If you’re interested in learning more about legal nonprofit work, check out the following resources.

Exploring Public Interest Resources at HLS: Career Options in Private Public Interest Law Firms

Private public interest law firms (PPILFs) are involved in many of the same issues addressed by not-for-profit public interest legal organizations and government agencies – but in a law firm setting. Interested in learning more about PPILFs? The following resources can help you begin your exploration.

Exploring Public Interest Resources at HLS: Career Options in Criminal Law

Interested in learning more about criminal law internships and careers? The following OPIA resources can help you begin your exploration.

Exploring Public Interest Resources at HLS: Resumes and Cover Letters

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.

Exploring Public Interest Resources at HLS: Career Options in Government

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

1L Job Search E-Advising Series: Further Guidelines on 1L Advising

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.

Fulbright International Scholarship, Internal Deadline: October 1, 2022

Besides the three letters of recommendation for a Fulbright (preferably 2 of the 3 from HLS Faculty), you will need a Letter of Affiliation from the host country (faculty/NGO), a language form from someone who has taught the host’s official language, and a Campus Evaluation (discuss with Judy Murciano in a fellowship advising appointment or during drop-in office hours). Submit your drafts for review well in advance of the internal deadline.

1L Job Search E-Advising Series: Extracurriculars

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.

Independence Foundation Fellowship, Deadline: September 19, 2022

Independence Foundation Fellows provide free, direct legal services in the Greater Philadelphia area. Consult your host organization about whether they are eligible for this fellowship in a given year.

1L Job Search E-Advising Series: What Can I Do Before I Receive 1L Advising?

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.

1L Job Search E-Advising Series: What Can I Do Before I Receive 1L Advising?

We look forward to getting to know you in the coming months and to helping you learn more about public interest career opportunities. Although you cannot receive formal career advising until October 15, you can still take affirmative steps now to begin your career exploration.

Equal Justice Works (EJW) Fellowship, Deadline: September 13, 2022

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.

2L Summer Job Search E-Advising Series: Early Deadlines

Although the vast majority of public interest employers will not begin to consider applications for 2L summer internships until the fall, we wanted to alert…

3L Job Search E-Advising Series: Early Deadlines

Although the vast majority of public interest employers will not begin to consider applications for post-graduate employment until the fall, we wanted to alert you to a few earlier deadlines of which we are currently aware of.

The Rising 2L Job Search E-Advising Series: The Government Job Search

Some of you may be considering government work for your 2L summer. Most federal, and some state and local, agencies, including the U.S. Department of…

The 2L Job Search E-Advising Series: 5 Key Ways Your 2L Summer Job Search Is Different from Your 1L Summer Job Search

Check out our summer job FAQs for answers to more commonly asked questions about the summer public interest job search. Timeline Your 2L summer job search…

The Entry-Level Job Search E-Advising Series: Common Mistakes

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.

The 2L Job Search E-Advising Series: Reflecting on Your Summer Experience

As you are likely just starting your summer position, we know that it feels early to start thinking about your next one. But, for many…

1L Job Search Advising Series: Is the Early Interview Program (EIP) Right for Me?

Are you beginning to think about your 2L summer and weighing the decision of whether to work in the private sector or the public sector? We in OPIA want every HLS student to feel empowered to make career choices that are the best for their individual interests and circumstances – whether those choices involve work in the public or private sectors.

Important Graduation Announcements and Ways to Keep in Touch!

Congratulations, graduates! We have loved working with you. We are inspired by your hard work and tenacity; by your outrage at the injustices and inadequacies that…

Rising 2L Job Search E-Advising Series: 2L Job Search E-Advising Kick Off

As you take a breath between the end of finals period and the beginning of your summer job, now is a great time to start…

The Entry-level Job Search E-advising Series: Networking

Speaking with attorneys practicing in your areas of interest (i.e., networking) is a critical component of a successful post-graduate job search. If you have been slow to make career connections in your city and/or field of interest, now is the time to kick things into gear, even if you're working remotely this summer.

Rising 2L and Entry-Level Job Search E-Advising Series: How to Make the Most of Your Summer Internship

To prepare you to get the most out of your summer internship, read our suggestions for navigating some common summer internship challenges students face, particularly around communicating with your supervisor or the intern coordinator to make a clear request for what you need.

Plaintiffs' Firm and Private Public Interest Law Firm Recruitment

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.

International Travel Requirements

All HLS students who are receiving SPIF funding and will traveling abroad this summer, including international students returning to their home countries, must fulfill several pre-travel requirements prior to departing the U.S. If you have any questions, email International Legal Studies.

We want to hear from you! Complete OPIA's year-end survey

OPIA's end-of-year survey is a key opportunity to tell us what's working well in OPIA -- and what isn't! We will use your thoughts to inform our planning for future years. All responses to the survey are anonymous.

The Entry-Level Job Search E-Advising Series: Common Mistakes

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

Entry-Level Job Search E-advising Series: How to Find Job Opportunities

Searching for post-graduate job opportunities can feel daunting if you don’t know where to begin. Learn about the four primary ways to search for entry-level job opportunities.

1L E-Advising Series: Choosing Clinics, Courses, and Extracurriculars for 2L Year

We are often asked by students interested in public service work about how to weigh their wide-ranging academic options while in law school. The advice…

Entry-Level Job Search E-Advising Series: What Employers Are Looking For

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. Additional qualities that employers value in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic are increased flexibility and comfort with remote or hybrid work.

Previous
1
2
3
…
9
Next

Harvard Law School home

Harvard Law School provides unparalleled opportunities to study law with extraordinary colleagues in a rigorous, vibrant, and collaborative environment.

Explore

Harvard Law Today News
Course Catalog
Faculty Directory
Law Library
Alumni
Work at HLS

Resources

Events Calendar
Campus Map and Directions
Department Directory
Media Relations
Make a Gift to HLS
Emergency Information
Consumer Information (ABA Required Disclosures)

1585 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02138

Harvard University

Accessibility
Digital Accessibility
Trademark Notice
Privacy and Copyright

Follow

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Youtube