Career Resources

We strongly encourage you to apply for any fellowship that may help you reach the work you are excited about. Because many fellowships require you to pursue a project with a host organization, however, and because some fellowships have very early deadlines, it is important to begin preparing NOW for your fellowship search.

Are you beginning to think about your 2L summer and weighing the decision of whether to work in the private sector or the public sector? We in OPIA want every HLS student to feel empowered to make career choices that are the best for their individual interests and circumstances – whether those choices involve work in the public or private sectors.

We know it may seem early to start thinking about your post-graduate job search as a 2L. However, your 2L spring is the best time to check out our 3L Guide to Entry-Level Post-Graduate Jobs, review our fellowship application calendar, start monitoring fellowship and entry-level job deadlines, and make an appointment with an OPIA adviser to position you for success in your search.

We are often asked by students interested in public service work about how to weigh their wide-ranging academic options while in law school. This advice is meant to offer broad guidance on the choices you may be contemplating. Please note that it is impossible to truly provide “one-size-fits-all” advice — if you have questions about particular options and how they might relate to your career plans, be sure to seek out an OPIA adviser. 

Networking is an essential part of getting to know the world of public interest law. But sometimes, it can feel intimidating to approach a potential contact, or hard to know where to plug in and get started. Review this Q&A to help make networking a smoother part of your professional journey.

One of the toughest parts of a public interest job search is managing the timeline. The lack of a unified, consistent hiring timeline by public interest employers and the fact that every individual’s situation differs can complicate the search process. Consider the following tips about communicating with employers as you navigate interviews and offers.

Review some of the most common 1L job search questions in our Job Search FAQs, including how to navigate interviews, offers, and other communication with employers. 

Interviews take on particular significance with public interest employers, as they seek to learn how committed you are to their mission and how well you would fit in with their office. The following resources can help you prepare to put your best foot forward in interviews with public interest employers.

Interested in learning more about public international law work? The following resources can help you begin your exploration.

As you make your game plan for applying for summer internships, you may be trying to strategize about which applications to submit earlier or later. Though 1Ls can apply to summer jobs on or after December 1, employers’ hiring timelines after that date can vary significantly. Here are some examples of employers with early deadlines.

If you’re interested in learning more about legal nonprofit work, check out the following resources.

Private public interest law firms (PPILFs) are involved in many of the same issues addressed by not-for-profit public interest legal organizations and government agencies – but in a law firm setting. Interested in learning more about PPILFs? The following resources can help you begin your exploration.

Interested in learning more about criminal law internships and careers? The following OPIA resources can help you begin your exploration.

A strong resume and cover letter are essential to making a good first impression with a potential summer employer and helping them start to get to know you. The following OPIA resources can help you perfect these documents and present your background and experiences in a way that employers will find compelling.

Interested in learning more about government careers? The following resources can help you begin your exploration.

In an effort to help guide you in your public sector summer job search and beyond, we've answered some common 1L questions about accessing OPIA advisers and services.

We know that many of you are considering whether – and to what extent – you’d like to become involved in the myriad student activities available to the law school community. We are often asked by students interested in public service work about the value of extracurricular involvement. While we cannot offer formal career counseling before October 15, we can help you make choices about extracurriculars before then. Broad guidance on those choices can be found below, but please note that it is impossible to truly provide “one-size-fits-all” advice. Feel free to come to our drop-in office hours to have a conversation tailored to your individual goals.

We look forward to getting to know you in the coming months and to helping you learn more about public interest career opportunities. Although formal career advising does not begin until October 15, you can still take affirmative steps now to begin your career exploration. Read this post to learn how.

We look forward to getting to know you in the coming months and to helping you learn more about public interest career opportunities. Although you cannot receive formal career advising until October 15, you can still take affirmative steps now to begin your career exploration.

Some of you may be considering government work for your 2L summer. Most federal, and some state and local, agencies, including the U.S. Department of…

Check out our summer job FAQs for answers to more commonly asked questions about the summer public interest job search. Timeline Your 2L summer job search…

As you are likely just starting your summer position, we know that it feels early to start thinking about your next one. But, for many…

Speaking with attorneys practicing in your areas of interest (i.e., networking) is a critical component of a successful post-graduate job search. If you have been slow to make career connections in your city and/or field of interest, now is the time to kick things into gear, even if you're working remotely this summer.

Learn about this exciting and prestigious two-year post-graduate/post-clerkship fellowship.

OPIA staff discuss factors to consider when choosing a 2L summer job.

To prepare you to get the most out of your summer internship, read our suggestions for navigating some common summer internship challenges students face, particularly around communicating with your supervisor or the intern coordinator to make a clear request for what you need.

A few plaintiffs’ firms and several litigation boutiques participate in EIP, but most plaintiffs’ firms and private public interest law firms (PPILFs) do not participate in campus recruiting programs like EIP or V-PIIP. Learn more about how the hiring processes differ with these types of firms.

Watch our panel of HLS alumni speak about their own journey from practicing at a law firm to a public interest career. Of varied backgrounds, our alums will share what they did to successfully make the transition and what they experienced along the way.

Watch this panel discussion with public-interest-minded current students as they reflect on their own decisions about whether to participate in EIP.

Explore the possibilities of gaining 2 years of support at the job of your dreams with an innovative project at a U.S.-based organization by hearing from the Equal Justice Works Foundation.

Learn about entry-level and post-clerkship job search topics like how to get started, what hiring mechanisms different types of employers use, and how to find job opportunities.

This short video shows how to update your resume, including giving tips on how to make space for your 1L summer job and ensure your resume is in a format EIP employers expect to see.

"I have never worried about the 'perfect path'."

"I could never have anticipated that I would end up doing what I do now."

"I had no problem getting interviews."

"Make space for an unplanned journey."

"There is no wrong path--only a wealth of choices."

"Your first job is not necessarily your final job!"

"I felt a bit insecure because my path didn't align with what I expected or what I saw others doing."

"I was concerned that my experience was too narrow."

"I expect to have more shifts in my career down the line."

"Very few paths are linear, and often the most fun experiences are those you weren't counting on."

"Embrace uncertainty and appreciate the unconventional path."

"I couldn't have predicted most of this."

"I could not have predicted where I would be now."

"You're not committing for life!"

Alene Anello, J.D ’16 Founder, Legal Impact for Chickens My life since law school has been an adventure! I have worked in both litigation and…