1L E-Advising

We are often asked by students interested in public service work about how to weigh their wide-ranging academic options while in law school. Our advice gives broad guidance on the choices you may be contemplating.

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.

Just in case you missed this post in December, make sure to read our advice on communicating with employers throughout the potentially difficult public interest hiring timeline to make it easier for you to manage your timeline and make your decision.

Advisors are available to help with whatever job search questions you may be facing. If you have special concerns about your summer job search, please make an appointment to discuss your search with OPIA.

OPIA has compiled a few key dates that may be useful as you plan your summer internships and other commitments, including the confirmed 2020 EIP dates.

Unsure about how to begin your summer job search? Contemplating listing your GPA or LSAT score on your resume? Wondering how to describe your non-legal experiences in your cover letter? Nervous about how to respond to e-mails and phone calls from employers? Review all of our Job Search FAQs, which answer some of the most common 1L job search questions.

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

Interested in learning more about private public interest law firms? The following resources can help you begin your exploration.

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

Attorneys general are independent state constitutional officers vested with extraordinarily broad criminal and civil responsibilities. Learn more about state AG work and resources available to you at HLS.

A strong resume and cover letter are essential to making a good first impression with a potential summer employer. 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? Begin your exploration here.

In an effort to help guide you in your public sector summer job search and beyond, we’d like to follow up with more details about the 1L advising process.

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

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 extracurricular activities before then.

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.

As a new professional, everything you do will impact your reputation. Put your best foot forward in your job search by following our professionalism tips.

To ensure that a decision to pursue law firm work is based on your own personal needs and interests rather than mythology, we’ve tackled some of the most common misconceptions about public interest law here.

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 15th, we know many of you will have to make choices before then, and the advice below is meant to offer broad guidance on those choices.