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Finding a Meaningful Career in Public Interest Law: What You Need to Know

published March 26, 2023

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( 16 votes, average: 4.1 out of 5)
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Summary

Public interest law is a broad category of legal practice that aims to help those who are unable to obtain legal representation or access to the legal system due to their financial or social situation. It encompasses a wide range of legal specialties, from civil rights to environmental protection, and can involve both litigation and non-litigation forms of advocacy.

Public interest lawyers are typically motivated by a desire to make the world a better place, rather than by the traditional economic incentives associated with more traditional legal practice. As such, they often work for NGOs and legal aid organisations, volunteer their services, or dedicate their careers to pro bono work.

Public interest lawyers address many of the same legal issues as traditional attorneys, such as education, health care, housing, employment, immigrants' rights, and environmental protection. In addition, they may focus on more specialized areas, such as human rights, poverty, constitutional rights, or international law.

Public interest lawyers work to ensure that laws are applied fairly and equitably, and that the legal system works to benefit those who are most vulnerable. They challenge power structures, pressure governments to change laws, and represent individuals who are disadvantaged or otherwise denied access to the justice system.

The role of public interest lawyers continues to grow and evolve as society grapples with increasingly complex legal issues. However, the nature of public interest law also presents certain challenges to those pursuing this type of career. It can be difficult to gain experience, as many public interest organizations lack the resources to offer internships or paying jobs. Additionally, public interest lawyers need to be especially wary of “burn out”, as their work can be emotionally taxing and the rewards may not always be immediate.

For those willing to commit to a public interest career, however, the rewards can be immense. Individuals in this field can take pride in seeing their efforts make a real difference in people's lives, while also helping ensure that laws are applied fairly and equitably around the world.
Public interest law is a type of legal practice that aims to help those who are disadvantaged or lack access to the legal system due to economic or social reasons. It covers a wide range of specialties, such as civil rights, environmental protection, and pro bono work, and involves both litigation and non-litigation forms of advocacy. Public interest lawyers work to make sure that laws are applied fairly and equitably, challenge power structures, and represent those who are disadvantaged or otherwise denied access to justice. However, certain challenges can make it difficult to pursue a career in this field, such as limited resources for internships or paying jobs, and the potential for burn out. Despite these challenges, those committed to a public interest vocation can take satisfaction from making a real difference in people's lives and ensuring that laws are applied fairly.
 

Public Interest: An Important Vocation for the Acquiring of Legal Skills

Public interest legal work is becoming an increasingly important and sought after vocation. Legal professionals with an interest in serving the public sector are finding that they can acquire knowledge and experience in the process. Public interest lawyers are growing in numbers, especially in areas such as civil rights, social justice, international law, and environmental protection.
 

Advantages of Working in a Public Interest Firm

Public interest lawyers can experience many advantages to working at a firm devoted to public interest law. By doing so, they acquire a wealth of knowledge and experience that is invaluable to the field. Furthermore, attorneys who work in public interest organizations are often seen as being at the forefront of social progress and change. Thus, the work of public interest lawyers can be extremely rewarding for those who dedicate their careers to it.
 

The Benefits of Public Interest Law to Society

Public interest law is widely recognized as having an important role to play in the modern world. Public interest law is often involved in cases that deal with issues of civil rights, the environment, human rights, and the advancement of social justice. Thus, public interest law can be a powerful force for good in society and provides a vital service to the public.
 

Public Interest Law's Growing Popularity

Due to the important role that public interest law can play, it has become an increasingly popular field of practice. Many individuals have become attracted to the notion of making a difference in their community through the practice of public interest law. As a result, there is a growing demand for qualified public interest attorneys.

<<After graduating from Princeton in 2001, Cannistra deferred Harvard Law for a year to go to Oxford University on a Rotary Ambassadorial Fellowship and study for her master's degree in Education. M.A. in hand, she returned to the United States and started at Harvard Law, already knowing that she wanted to pursue a career in public interest law focusing on educational issues and law.

"I've always wanted to do public interest law," says Cannistra, who is one of 45 second- and third-year Harvard Law students currently working at the Bureau. Harvard Legal Aid's practice areas do not include educational issues, so Cannistra has been working on housing cases for indigent clients. Since she has put in so many hours there—20 per week, on top of her regular class load—Cannistra has been able to specialize in her pro bono work by assisting elderly clients in need of legal help with housing problems.

Cases on housing law, family law, and benefits law are the types that are accepted at the Legal Aid Bureau. The students there do not handle criminal cases, personal injury cases, or bankruptcy and workers compensation issues. They also do not represent other students, unless those students are on welfare.

Harvard Legal Aid has six staff attorneys who supervise the student work part time. One of these supervisors also does administration of the program part time. The law students do everything from answering the phones, office work, legal work, and case-intake decisions.

While the work at Harvard Legal Aid fulfills the pro bono service requirement, the application process for the positions there does not go through the Pro Bono Service office. Students are required to apply for positions directly to the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau in the spring of their first year, and they must commit to two years of working there if they are accepted.

Cannistra's work often involves elderly clients facing eviction from their homes. She often argues for clients' rights under the Massachusetts Fair Housing Act, arguing a reasonable-accommodation defense for landlords to allow her clients to become better tenants before trying to kick them out.

One case Cannistra worked on last year stands out in her mind. An elderly woman who could hardly walk and was "disheveled" had lived in her apartment for years. The neighbors complained to the landlord that the woman was disturbing the peace, and the landlord wanted to evict her.

Cannistra argued the legal points of the issue, including arguments that her client's problems were related to her disability. The client was given a probationary period in which to change her behavior and avoid eviction.

Cannistra also contacted Boston Elder Services on behalf of her client. The elderly woman then received Meals on Wheels, got into a physical therapy program, had a companion come to cook meals and help to clean the apartment, and had a counselor come in so she could talk about her problems. Because of the progress the client made after receiving these services, she passed her probationary period and can stay in her apartment. "I like the social service part of the work," says Cannistra.

At Harvard Law, there are "lots of opportunities to be involved," says Cannistra. She credits the favorable public-service atmosphere in part to the new Dean, Elena Kagan, who became the first woman to be Dean of Harvard Law School in July of 2003. Kagan has spent much of her career in public service, including a clerkship with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and a stint in the Clinton White House, helping to shape national domestic policy.

The new pro bono service requirement "gives a broader, public-interest feel to the school," Cannistra says. In addition to the positions at Harvard Legal Aid, there are many direct-service organizations where students can volunteer. In her first year, Cannistra joined a campus group working as mediators in small claims court. Other students volunteer to write briefs for the Recording Artists Project or advocate for international human rights.

Cannistra also values having a school of education at Harvard to help her stay directly connected to that field. This semester, she is a Teaching Fellow for the class, "Schools and the Law."

When she leaves Harvard Law, Cannistra will go to work at the Washington, DC, firm Hogan & Hartson for one year. The firm has an education practice group, and Cannistra says she hopes to have the chance to work in that area of the firm or possibly in litigation. Then she will move on to clerk for Judge Faith Hochberg in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, Newark.

For Cannistra, the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau has been "a place to call home for a few years," she says.

published March 26, 2023

( 16 votes, average: 4.1 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.