You have successfully navigated the summer job search, and you begin your internship full of excitement and optimism. But what if, in the middle of your summer, you’re not having the experience you’d hoped for? Perhaps you’re not getting enough work, or enough supervision. Or, maybe you’re getting too much work, or are confused about how to approach a project, or are feeling overwhelmed. Here are some suggestions for addressing some common summer internship challenges students face.

Networking is a critical component of a successful post-graduate job search. Even if you are working remotely this summer, you can still take many steps toward establishing relationships that will help guide your decision-making and move you forward along your career path.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.