Topic: OPIA Blog

Thanks to the generosity of the Harvard Law Review, HLS is able to offer an annual $65,000 fellowship to cover a year of work at a nonprofit or government agency.

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.

The PSVF Seed Grant is designed to enable HLS 3Ls or alumni, who otherwise would have difficulty in attracting funding, to start a nonprofit to address unmet needs. Learn about application criteria, eligibility, and the timeline.

OPIA administers a number of portable postgraduate fellowships; these make it a bit easier for you to land or create the job of your dreams. In the coming weeks, we will be explaining each fellowship to you in greater detail.

Although the vast majority of public interest employers will not begin to consider applications for 2L summer internships until the fall, we wanted to alert you to a few earlier deadlines we are currently aware of.

Legal externs assist attorneys and investigative staff in investigating and bringing enforcement actions against member brokerage firms and associated individuals (typically, stockbrokers).

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 Justice, offer formal internship programs.

Read how the 2L job search differs from the 1L job search in timeline, application strategy, networking, splitting summers, and application materials.

Because your 2L summer tends to be more important from a strategic standpoint than your 1L summer, one of the best things you can do before you begin your 2L public interest job search in earnest is to reflect on both your interests and your personal career goals.

Our goal is to help you find a great public interest job and avoid the common mistakes that can derail your job search. Take a look at our list of common job search mistakes and don’t let them happen to you!

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.

Government Honors Programs are the most common pathway for 3Ls and certain recent graduates to enter government service.

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.

Searching for post-graduate job opportunities can feel daunting if you don’t know where to begin. Learn about the four primary ways to search for entry-level job opportunities.

Once you hone in on the jobs for which you are interested in applying, it is important to start preparing your job search materials in advance. The typical application will include a resume, cover letter, and writing sample. Some employers will also ask for a transcript and references or recommendations. Follow our advice to help you submit materials that get you the interview.

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.

While the public sector is extremely varied, most employers are looking for a core set of skills that you may already have or will develop during law school. Continue to work on these skills throughout your 3L year and meet with an OPIA advisor to discuss them and your personal path to a public interest job.

The first step in any job search is answering the question, “How do I decide what kinds of jobs to pursue?” A successful job search starts with identifying positions that are a good match for your preferences, experience, and skill set.

A federal judge has struck down a decision by the Trump administration to add a question about citizenship to the 2020 U.S. Census, setting up what’s expected to be a drawn-out appeal process from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Just in case you missed this post in December, make sure to read our advice on communicating with employers throughout the potentially difficult public interest hiring timeline to make it easier for you to manage your timeline and make your decision.