Entry-level public interest jobs are scarce and can be highly competitive as a result. Unlike medium and large law firms, nonprofit organizations and government agencies usually do not hire a class of new associates each year. Also unlike law firms, they do not have a coordinated hiring schedule and often do not have the funds to send a recruiter to law school campuses to conduct interviews. Add the fact that many areas of the country have few public interest jobs and you can see why students need special services to help them find their ideal public interest job.

In recent years, law schools have recognized the importance of dedicated career services for students interested in public interest careers, even if these students are a relatively small percentage of the student body. The following sections will highlight some resources to look for.

Some schools have an entire office devoted to supporting students and alumni seeking public interest careers. Others have full-time or part-time public interest career counselors in the school's career services office. Still others give one or more counselors in the career services office the responsibility of assisting public interest students as part of their general counselor duties. Any of these scenarios can be effective as long as all or some of the counselor’s time is truly dedicated to public interest students.

Public interest career counselors not only counsel public interest students, they also develop programs and acquire resources needed by students and alumni to engage in a productive job search. These counselors also network with other public interest career counselors across the country and develop expertise in how to best position their students for the best jobs.

Most law schools hold an on-campus job interview program each fall. These programs are dominated by law firms seeking both full-time associates and summer associates who may then become full-time associates. This period can be extremely stressful as students go head-to-head for the best jobs. Because public interest employers do not have the funds to ride circuit to all the law school on-campus interview programs, public interest students often find themselves anxious because they are not participating in these interviews and may question their ability to find a public interest job. Law schools must be creative in connecting their students with public interest employers.

Equal Justice Works conducts the largest national public interest job fair each October in Washington, D.C. Find out if the career services office at your prospective law schools provides assistance to students wanting to attend this job fair.

There are also several collaborative regional public interest job fairs. Information about your school’s participation in these fairs can be found in The E-Guide. The E-Guide also has information on schools that have leveraged resources to hold on-campus public interest interview programs.

Determine if your prospective law schools hold annual programs on topics of importance to students exploring public interest careers. Annual programs ensure that you will be able to participate when you attend the school. Programs that are not annual may just be a one-time product of an energetic student and not available by the time you attend the school. If a program is not offered annually, ask how responsive a particular career services office is to student requests for programming.

You should also look beyond the career services office for organizations and programs relevant to your career path. Many schools have, for example, a very active public interest student group that regularly holds events for public interest students.

For many, an in-the-trenches internship with a nonprofit organization or government office is among the most inspiring and valuable experiences during law school, regardless of future career goals. It is a chance to experience what it is like to work in a public interest law setting and to see the difference lawyers can make in solving societal and community problems.

In addition to offering skills development, these opportunities are invaluable to later career planning. Such experience can bolster resumes, contribute to the “network” essential to job seekers and provide insight into potential career paths or areas of pro bono practice.

Most law schools have an institutionally funded or student-funded grant program that awards stipends to students working in nonprofit organizations or sometimes government law offices for a summer. Some schools also take advantage of the federal work-study program to provide students with funding for public interest positions during the school year or the summer. A few schools even guarantee funding.

Since most public sector employers are unable to offer paid positions, school funding is often what makes students financially able to accept a public interest position. Over the last 20 years, students and law schools have raised tens of millions of dollars for summer grants. When looking at summer programs offered by law schools, you will want to find out how much funding is available for summer fellowships or grants and on average how many students receive funding each summer. At some schools, nearly all students are funded, but that may mean the grant amounts are smaller. Conversely, at other schools, the number of students funded may be smaller but the grant amounts are larger. You may also want to find out if the law school’s public interest group or career services office has a list of employers offering public interest summer positions as well as whether they offer assistance with fellowship or grant applications.

It is also important to find out how a summer fellowship or grant program defines “public interest law.” Depending on the level of funding available, programs may define “public interest” broadly and include work in governmental organizations such as public defender’s or prosecutor’s offices while others who define it more narrowly may not fund individuals working with government organizations. It is also important to learn about the specific eligibility and participation requirements and restrictions for summer-funded fellowships or public interest summer grants available through the law school. Some schools give priority to students who have demonstrated their commitment to public interest law – others have a goal of exposing as many students as possible to public service work regardless of future career plans.

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