The OPIA Blog

While law schools continue to provide rigorous academic and intellectual training, some are starting to supplement this with more practical instruction. Several law schools have started Visiting Assistant Professorship programs in which practicing attorneys join as full-time faculty. By giving these attorneys a chance to concentrate on their scholarship and teaching, law schools hope to mentor promising newcomers with private sector, government and nonprofit experience and introduce them to academia.

In a reversal of past department policies, Attorney General Michael Mukasey allowed the Department of Justice Pride group, which represents gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gendered…

With the provisional accreditation of two new North Carolina institutions last week, the United States became the first country in the world to host 200…

In an arena long dominated by conservative judges and thinkers, liberals have started to make the case for a more progressive interpretation of the Constitution.

Writing candidly about her career, a lawyer describes the joys and struggles of choosing to work in the public interest. As an attorney helping low…

With the growing call for pro bono work in major private law firms, some companies are beginning to offer a new approach. Ronnie Abrams is part of this growing trend and perhaps an example of what's to come.

Western Mass Legal Services has been providing help for poor families, the elderly, and simply those with no one else to turn to for a…

Following the trend of a recently revealed loan forgiveness program, Harvard Law School is announcing a tuition waiver incentive for third-year students who pledge to…

A recent study from Harvard Law School's Program on the Legal Profession, working with the American Bar Association, has found that big law firms are steadily hemorrhaging nearly 50% of their young associates - and most are leaving of their own accord.

A new article in The New York Times discusses research on the decision-making process we all go through. Citing the work of Dr. Dan Ariely,…

A new initiative is spearheading the fight to protect our veterans. The Veterans Rights Project, led by Rachel Natelson of New York's Urban Justice Center, seeks to address the plight of our soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Ms. Natelson wants to fight "the unjust and abuse-ridden claims application process, the lack of accountability for recruiting irregularities and sexual harassment and the persistence of the ill-conceived 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy."

For a minority of law school graduates, the legal profession isn’t quite what they’re looking for. Those such as Jason Luros graduate from law school…

Seton Hall Law School along with the Brazilian Voice, a Portuguese-language newspaper, have sued the Department of Homeland Security over documents which the two groups…

As frustration with the legal profession grows, many young associates are becoming increasingly worn out. In response, many firms have started to change the way…

A recent USA Today article describes the legal tangle that has been left in the wake of the sub-prime mortgage scandal. With foreclosure rates reaching…

Sean Carter was a lawyer. He studied at Harvard with Barack Obama and comfortably worked as in-house counsel for a California mortgage company. Then he…

Tania Shah is one of a growing number of individuals hired by law firms to handle unified efforts at diversity and inclusion, environmental sustainability, pro…

In its continuing series about inmates exonerated by DNA evidence, The New York Times profiles Jeffrey Mark Deskovic. Convicted at age 17 of the murder and rape of a high school classmate in New York, he was released in 2006, his conviction overturned. Now 34, he is struggling after prison, trying to put his life back together and doing what he can to stay afloat.

In a recent series of articles, The New York Times takes an in-depth look at 115 former inmates across the country, most of whom were…

William P. Quigley, Professor of Law at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law has written an eloquent essay entitled "Letter to a Law Student Interested In Social Justice." In the letter, Professor Quigley assesses the status of social justice law in modern society.

In her recent blog post, Kate Sinding, now a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council, recounts a dilemma faced by many graduating law students. Citing an episode of "How I Met Your Mother," Kate discusses a difficult choice faced by one of the characters: take a high-paying job in a private law firm or work for a nonprofit.