OPIA

Join OPIA for a community discussion with Wasserstein Fellow Richard Saenz, as he discusses his career in the LGBTQ+ movement as an advocate for the rights of incarcerated people. Richard will share how litigation, policy advocacy, and community organizing can be powerful tools to challenge anti-LGBTQ+ bias in the criminal legal system. Learn how Richard centers the lives and stories of his clients—including when movement priorities have left them out—and how, as an openly gay, Latino, and the first in his family to go to law school, Richard’s life experiences have shaped his career as a public interest lawyer. Lunch provided. Please RSVP below!

While “the arc of the moral universe bends towards justice,” the journey there is rarely easy, and there are many losses along the way. Join OPIA for a community discussion with Wasserstein Fellow Michele Hall, a former public defender and an attorney at Brown, Goldstein & Levy working primarily in criminal defense and appellate practice, on how to confront losing in public interest practice. Michele will reflect on her experiences taking losses in the Supreme Court of Maryland and turning them into legislative change, reframing individual case losses and understanding how they can be systemic wins, and how to maintain hope and sustain career longevity despite the obstacles public interest lawyers face. Lunch provided. Please RSVP below!

Fellowships can be the gateway to new ideas and innovations and a critical component to a successful postgraduate public interest job search. Join OPIA's Director of Fellowships Judy Murciano for an overview of fellowships, grants, and scholarships that will support public interest work, study, research, and entrepreneurship in the U.S. and abroad. Lunch provided. Please RSVP!

Join OPIA for an overview of the 2L summer public interest job search. If you are a 2L planning to seek a public interest job and have not yet started your search, we particularly encourage you to attend! Lunch provided. Please RSVP.

Bring your lunch and questions to a conversation with Harmann Singh ‘19, who completed clerkships with Justice Sonia Sotomayor on the U.S. Supreme Court, Judge Andrew L. Carter Jr., of the Southern District of New York, and Judge Raymond J. Lohier, Jr., of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Between clerkships, Harmann worked at a litigation boutique where he helped defend the certification of the 2020 presidential election, represented criminal defendants in state court, investigated the NCAA for gender equity issues, and worked on complex commercial trials. Space is limited t0 34. RSVP if you plan to attend!

by Joan Ruttenberg
Director, Heyman Fellowship Program
Assistant Director for Government Advising, OPIA Introduction The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) hires law students and lawyers…

All students are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to speak with Wasserstein Fellows. 1Ls may meet with Wasserstein Fellows even before the September…

Engaging with HLS faculty makes for a more educational and enjoyable law school experience. More concretely, faculty recommendation letters are required in applications for certain types of jobs, including judicial clerkships and fellowships. Get insights from a panel about how best to cultivate substantive relationships with faculty. This program will be recorded and posted to the OCS website. Lunch will be provided to those who register before Wed, Sept 25th at 9am. Register here. Co-Sponsored by OCS, OPIA, and OCP.

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

Below is a feed of fellowships and entry-level jobs OPIA has received in order by deadline. This feed is updated regularly. Check back often! This…

An Introduction to Foundation Work Foundation philanthropy appeals to many law students interested in building and maintaining public interest programs. The prospect of learning about,…

Every lawyer, regardless of professional prominence or professional workload, has a responsibility to provide legal services to those unable to pay, and personal involvement in…

Have a quick question about the public interest job search? Join Catherine'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 Law students and lawyers possess a unique ability to improve educational outcomes for all students. When discussing education law, students often wish to know…

Special Considerations for International J.D.s International J.D. students pursuing public interest work face some structural constraints that their U.S. citizen classmates do not. It is…

Introduction The Conservative/Libertarian movement is best defined by this well-known exposition of the Constitution by James Madison in 1788: “The powers delegated by the proposed…

Introduction Legal services programs, often called “legal aid societies,” provide direct civil representation, for free or at a reduced cost, to low-income and elderly clients.

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 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 the public interest job search? Drop by OPIA's office for drop-in office hours. Please note that office hours are for quick questions only on a first-come, first-served basis.

Have a quick question about public interest fellowships? Join Judy'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.