OPIA

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? 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.

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.

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.

Join Wasserstein Fellow Angelica Salceda as she shares insights on building a public interest career in regions with great needs but limited legal resources. Angelica will discuss how to grow professionally even when you’re one of the few attorneys in the region, strategies to balance local demands while continuing to develop legal expertise, and how to leverage available resources to bridge the gap. She’ll also cover ways to navigate unique joys and challenges of place-based practice. Lunch provided. Please RSVP below! Open to the HLS community.

Join Wasserstein Fellow Sapna Khatri to learn how to view reproductive justice through a wide-angle lens, recognizing that issues such as economic justice, racial equity, and environmental justice are all interconnected in the pursuit of reproductive justice. Using her own career as an example, Sapna hopes to provide students with insight navigating legal pathways and developing skills that can enhance one’s ability to advocate effectively for reproductive justice, regardless of where they practice. This session will both provide an overview of integrating reproductive justice into various aspects of legal practice, while also offering practical advice to aspiring advocates on identifying and pursuing opportunities that make a meaningful impact in the field. Lunch provided. RSVP below. Open to the HLS community.

Law school is full of conventional wisdom—including that as a 1L you need to pick an area of the law in which to specialize and that appellate litigation is the pinnacle of the profession. Join OPIA for a conversation with Wasserstein Fellow Bradley Girard, Senior Counsel at Democracy Forward, on why you should ignore that conventional wisdom. Bradley is a public-interest appellate generalist who has litigated cases involving the First Amendment, Title VII, habeas corpus, police violence, bankruptcy, and much more. As a first-generation law student, Bradley didn't know what to focus on—he didn't even know what lawyers actually did. Bradley will share how he figured out that impact and appellate work was his path, and will offer you advice on getting there if that's what you want. But he will also talk about how conventional wisdom obscures that different approaches to the law and career paths are just as important. Lunch provided. Please RSVP below! Open to the HLS community.

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.

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…

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? 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.

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…