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Bernard Koteen Office of Public Interest Advising (OPIA)

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Announcement

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

Announcements | September 25, 2017

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

  • OPIA’s 1L International Job Search Strategy Session on Thursday, October 6, at 12 pm in WCC 2009 is designed to help 1L students navigate international summer employment options in the public sector.
  • OPIA’s Legal Practice Settings: Public International Law videos of past events feature attorneys working for governmental, intergovernmental, and non-governmental organizations providing advice on how students can pursue summer, entry-level, and lateral opportunities.  
  • OPIA’s website provides an overview of public international law.  Also read OPIA’s Public International Law at a Glance, which explains some of the work settings, issue areas, and types of work most commonly found in international practice, and discusses both summer internship opportunities and entry-level hiring. Review a comprehensive list of international resources at HLS.
  • OPIA staff who advise 1Ls on international work:
    • Ginny Greiman (international development)
    • Alexa Shabecoff (human rights, international environmental law, international criminal law, and general international advising)
    • Catherine Pattanayak (international work within the federal government)
    • Joan Ruttenberg (international work within the federal government)
    • Priyanka Chirimar, HRP/OPIA Wasserstein Fellow-in-Residence (human rights, international criminal law, the United Nations, intergovernmental bodies, and international careers)
  • OPIA’s Career & Application Guides offer background information, “day in the life” narratives, and general career advice from practicing attorneys. Check out OPIA’s International Development Guide and Insider’s Guide to United Nations Jobs and Internships; in addition, many of the issue-specific guides discuss relevant international opportunities and include narratives from practicing international lawyers.  
  • PSJD, the National Association for Law Placement’s public interest careers website, offers an international resources page.
  • Supplemental summer funding for international work, available through the Chayes  and Human Rights Program summer fellowships; information on other supplemental funding sources is available through Student Financial Services.
  • Connect with Alumni practicing international law through HLS Connect. Students interested in government work with an international focus can also reach out to HLS Heyman Fellows practicing international law to learn more about their careers (the Heyman Fellowship offers financial support and a community of peers to young HLS graduates who have secured post-graduate positions in federal government).