OPIA

Have a quick question about the public interest job search? Come to OPIA for drop-in office hours. Please note that drop-in office hours are for quick questions only on a first-come, first-served basis.

Professional job search documents are the foundation for every successful LL.M. job search. Attend this session to learn the basics about how to draft a…

Join Wasserstein Fellow Kassandra Gonzalez for a conversation on defending the rights of immigrants at a time of uncertainty and fear for immigrant communities across the nation. Kassandra will discuss her recent cases challenging civil rights violations of immigrants in Texas -- including filing Habeas Corpus petitions to prevent her clients' removals to El Salvador’s CECOT prison and Guantanamo Bay, wrongful death actions for the deaths of children detained by Customs and Border Protection, and others. She will explore what it means to be a litigator in a time of democratic erosion and offer practical insight for students interested in immigrants' civil rights. Lunch provided. Please RSVP below! Open to the HLS community.

Want to learn more about movement lawyering? Join Wasserstein Fellow Azadeh Shahshahani as she speaks about her work in the U.S. South and support for social movements in the Global South as a movement lawyer. Azadeh will delve into the theory of change behind movement lawyering, what movement lawyering looks like in practice, and how to prepare yourself for a career as a movement lawyer during your time in law school. Lunch provided. Please RSVP below! Open to the HLS community.

Increasingly, public interest law requires multi-pronged advocacy strategies, inside and outside the courts. Join OPIA for a discussion with Wasserstein Fellow Scott Levy on how to pair policy advocacy, impact litigation, community organizing, data and research, and communications with direct client representation to effect meaningful change. Scott will discuss his many years working in a public defenders office, the challenges of engaging in broad policy work while still representing clients in court, and how lawyers need to develop a set of interdisciplinary tools to be effective advocates and coalition partners. Lunch provided. Please RSVP below! Open to the HLS community.

Are you interested in a career in international human rights but wondering what it looks like in today’s challenging global context? Join Wasserstein Fellow Angelita Baeyens, VP for International Advocacy and Litigation at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, as she reflects on the rewarding and often challenging realities of being an international human rights lawyer. Angelita will discuss how to navigate complexities, how to think about impact, what legal tools are effective in the current political climate, and how to build a sustainable career in this practice area. Lunch provided. Please RSVP below! Open to the HLS community.

Unions represent the strongest institutionalized force for the working class that can counteract the influence of Corporate America. As such, the role of labor lawyers has never been more important. Join OPIA to learn from Wasserstein Fellow Jonah J. Lalas, who went from union organizer to law student to now a partner at Altshuler Berzon LLP’s newly-opened Southern California office. A child of Filipino immigrants, Jonah will talk about his path to becoming a labor lawyer and discuss his work representing nurses, writers, hotel workers, linemen, and incarcerated workers. He will also offer practical tips on how to position yourself to land a place in this exciting, fulfilling, and constantly-evolving practice that continues to provide critical support to the ongoing struggle for economic justice. Lunch provided. Please RSVP below! Open to the HLS community.

Law students often worry about identifying which substantive areas of law they are most interested in, but it's just as important to think about the method of lawyering that you want to use to further the public interest. Join Wasserstein Fellow Adam Pulver, an attorney at Public Citizen Litigation Group focusing on administrative law litigation and appellate and Supreme Court work, as he discusses his career as a public interest lawyer focused on litigation in various settings, working in substantive areas ranging from police misconduct and prisoners' rights to administrative law and consumer class actions Adam will discuss the differences litigating in various practice settings; the differences in direct representation, class action practice, and impact litigation; and the differences between trial and appellate work. He will also share the ups and downs of litigating in a hostile judicial environment, and how litigation itself can be your specialty. Lunch provided. Please RSVP below! Open to the HLS community.

This event is designed to help 1L students navigate international summer employment options in the public sector. OPIA, the International Legal Studies Program, and the Human Rights Program will review essential topics to help you get started on your search. Lunch will be provided.

Have a quick question about the public interest job search? Join Joan's Zoom meeting room during her virtual office hours. Please note that virtual office hours are for quick questions only on a first-come, first-served basis.

Have a quick question about public interest fellowships? Come to OPIA for drop-in office hours. Please note that drop-in office hours are for quick questions only on a first-come, first-served basis.

This event is designed to help 1L students navigate domestic summer employment options in the public sector. We will review essential topics to help you get started on your search. Lunch provided. Please RSVP.

The Bernard Koteen Office of Public Interest Advising (OPIA) invites you to learn more about public service at HLS and beyond, and how to think about and integrate public service while you are here at HLS. Food will be served!

Are you an LL.M interested in public interest lawyering? Join OPIA for an information session on the LL.M post-graduate public interest job search. We will provide an overview of public interest employment opportunities (and challenges) for LL.M’s to help you better strategize your job search. Lunch provided. Please RSVP.

As you begin your law school journey, it’s important to understand how your legal education connects to the wide range of career paths available to…

Date: 7/26/2025
Runtime: 49:00 Speaker: Jillian Tuck, Associate Director for J.D. and LL.M. Advising, Programs, and Community Building OPIA staff discuss factors to consider when…

If you are contemplating a job change and are considering public interest options, OPIA is here to help! Our Public Interest Road Map For Alumni…

Join OPIA for an overview of the 2L summer public interest job search. Topics will include: differences between 1L and 2L public interest job searches, strategic considerations, how to find and land jobs, shifting timelines, and more. If you are a rising 2L planning to seek a public interest job next summer, we particularly encourage you to attend!

Are you a rising 3L or current clerk that plans to apply for entry-level roles at public defender offices beginning in fall 2026? Want to know what to expect and how to put your best foot forward? If so, please plan to attend a virtual roundtable on July 21st at 8pm ET. On hand will be a group of alumni who successfully navigated the public defender application and interview process and can offer advice on everything from application strategy to weighing offer decisions. Catherine Pattanayak, Assistant Dean for Public Service, will moderate and there will be time for participants to ask questions, as well.

Have a quick question about the public interest job search? Join Grayce's Zoom meeting room during her virtual drop-in office hours. Please note that virtual office hours are for quick questions only on a first-come, first-served basis.

Introduction There is a wide range of exciting legal and policy positions available in state and local government. State and local government is a great…