Nonprofit and Legal Services Organizations
wysiwyg
Nonprofit organizations are nongovernmental groups that specialize in the problems of particular populations or specific sets of issues. Types of advocacy can vary dramatically, depending on each organization’s substantive focus, whether it emphasizes advocacy for individual clients or a group of clients, and/or whether it advocates for or against changes in the law.
Client-oriented organizations concentrate primarily on representing individual clients within the organization’s area of specialization, while law reform organizations use broader strategies to protect legal rights that affect a group of people or to bring about social change.
Keep in mind that each nonprofit organization is unique in its approach to its work. Many nonprofits engage in multiple types of advocacy, and/or engage in both client-oriented and law reform work.
link-groups
Work Types
- Administrative Advocacy
- Administration/Management
- Trial Litigation
- Appellate Litigation
- Impact Litigation
- Client-based
- Community Lawyering
- Lobbying
- Legal Writing
- Policy
- Transactional
How Do I Get There?
Fellowships are a key mechanism for entry-level hiring at the vast majority of nonprofit organizations. Some legal services organizations and a limited number of policy organizations will occasionally hire 3Ls directly for junior positions.
Client-oriented organizations typically look for the following in candidates:
- Demonstrated commitment to the indigent and/or the organization’s target population
- Client-based skills, including cultural competency and ability to relate to clients
- Litigation skills, particularly experience in oral advocacy and/or in court experience
- Law school courses, clinical experiences, and extracurricular experiences focused on direct services/client-based work
- Direct service/client-based internships
- Writing skills
- Language skills (particularly Spanish)
Law reform organizations typically look for the following in candidates:
- Demonstrated commitment to public interest work generally, and the issues the organization works on specifically
- Internships focused on impact litigation or policy work
- Litigation skills
- Writing skills