OPIA

Many people go to law school because they want to do meaningful work that benefits society, and it can be overwhelming trying to find the perfect job to do that. Join OPIA for a community discussion with Wasserstein fellow Kenda McIntosh as she discusses her unconventional pathway into a career in indigent defense and how bringing her values into her work – from commercial real estate, to immigration, to public defense - has created opportunities and opened doors she could have never planned for. Kenda will discuss the rewards and challenges of serving marginalized communities and offer practical advice on how to make the most out of the first few years of your legal career, no matter what you end up doing. Lunch provided. Please RSVP below. Open to the HLS community.

Advancing a federal anti-poverty policy agenda is not a walk in the park. Come learn from Wasserstein Fellow Michael Santos on how he collaborates with grassroots organizers and blends his experience providing direct legal services and advocating for policy changes at the federal level to help create the political will to protect, expand, and advance anti-poverty policies in Washington, DC. Michael will reflect on the skills he learned as a former eviction defense attorney and as an advocate working to increase access to justice for vulnerable communities living in poverty. Lunch provided. Please RSVP below. Open to the HLS community.

If you had told first-generation college student and Wasserstein Fellow Emily Barth that she would be an Assistant Attorney General back in law school, she would have eaten her shoe! Come hear about how Emily transitioned from a being committed public defender at the Public Defender Service to working for the D.C. Attorney General’s Office and learned to engage in community lawyering from both sides of the “v”. Emily will discuss the many ways to fight for your community, how to listen to your community, and the value of using the power of the government to advocate for the most marginalized. Lunch provided. Please RSVP below. Open to the HLS community.

Join Wasserstein Fellow Lina Biscaia for a community discussion on her career in international organizations, with a focus on the United Nations and the International Criminal Court. Over her 20+ year career, Lina has gone from practicing law in a small village in Portugal to working in war crimes investigations and prosecutions in a variety of settings including the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the former Yugoslavia. Lina will describe her career path, covering both the opportunities and challenges that one encounters when building a career in large international organizations, particularly in the international criminal law world. Lunch provided. Please RSVP below. Open to the HLS community.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Students and alumni are often curious about federal government service during Presidential transitions and as new administrations ramp up. While transitions are relatively brief and…

Interested in learning more about State Attorney General work? Bring your questions to a group advising session with Professor Peter Brann. Professor Brann will briefly discuss why to consider State AG work and offer advice to students interested in pursuing such opportunities. To learn more about the role of State AGs, check out StateAG.org. Bring your own lunch!

Prosecutors tend to be unpopular and often distrusted, unless popular culture agrees with who is being prosecuted (which isn’t how prosecutorial decisions work). Sometimes there is good reason for distrust, but despite that, it is hardly wise to paint with a broad brush and vilify or glorify an entire group of public servants. Join Wasserstein Fellow Fara Gold as she discusses why being a prosecutor means upholding the Constitution, wielding power fairly, and doing so with humanity. She will explain why she cringes when she reads about prosecutors who have "notched wins" or "scored convictions," because that isn’t how principled prosecutors talk about their careers. Fara will discuss this in the context of her own career first as a state prosecutor, then as a federal prosecutor for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division where she specialized in prosecuting law enforcement sexual misconduct, and now as an attorney with the Office on Violence Against Women where she focuses on policy and training to address gender-based violence. Lunch provided. Please RSVP below. Open to the HLS community.

1L International Job Search Strategy Date: 9/24/2025
Runtime: 48:18 Speaker: Jillian Tuck, Associate Director for J.D. and LL.M. Advising, Programs, and Community Building This event…

1L Domestic Job Search Strategy Date: 9/15/2025
Runtime: 44:36 Speaker: Elizabeth Shirey, Associate Director for J.D. Advising and Communications This presentation was designed to help…

Too many lawyers end up in jobs they don’t particularly enjoy. Not so for Wasserstein Fellow Kirby Thomas West, who is an attorney at the Institute for Justice, a libertarian public interest firm. Join OPIA for a community discussion with Kirby, where she will discuss her journey from BigLaw to public interest work, and how she found a job that is both rewarding and a lot of fun. Kirby will share what her day-to-day looks like as a public interest litigator, and why it’s a career path worth pursuing. Lunch provided. Please RSVP below! Open to the HLS community.

by Joan Ruttenberg
Director, Heyman Fellowship Program
Assistant Director for Government Advising, OPIA Introduction The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is the law firm for…

International JD Students have unique concerns when seeking summer, and ultimately post-graduate, employment. Bring your lunch and your questions to an informal meeting with OCS’s…

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.

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.

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.

Believe it or not, there is a role for lawyers in the work of international development beyond the general counsel’s office. Join Wasserstein Fellow David Bernstein ’88 for a community discussion about the career options for lawyers interested in working internationally to help strengthen and build democratic institutions in developing countries. David, recently retired after 20+ years at the World Bank, will discuss his career supporting democratic institutions, reforming judiciaries and combating corruption in countries across the globe while working for the U.S. State Department, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank. Lunch provided. RSVP below. Open to the HLS community.

It is easy to feel uncomfortable and melt away as microaggressions and majorative views overwhelm your confidence and make you feel "less than". Join Wasserstein Fellow Amrith Kaur Aakre in a discussion about the importance of advocating for yourself and others to combat systemic discrimination and create equal opportunity for advancement for all. Amrith, a first generation American, dedicated public servant, and civil rights litigator, will discuss her own work advocating for culturally competent laws, policies, and her own professional development while breaking barriers along the way. Lunch provided. RSVP below. Open to the HLS community.