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Tips To Keep In Mind When Searching For a Public Interest Job

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  6. Tips To Keep In Mind When Searching For a Public Interest Job

published July 30, 2013

By Author - LawCrossing
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( 3 votes, average: 4 out of 5)
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  1. SOLICIT ADVICE FROM SEVERAL SOURCES.

    When deciding where to apply, talk to other students, consult with career counselors, read student reviews from past years as well as public interest guidebooks, and try to get a sense of which organizations would be the best fit for you and would most suit your interests. Also, there are several public interest job fairs that you should consider attending as a way to network and make contact with a broad range of employers. Sometimes attendance at these fairs can lead directly to an offer.
     
  2. SEND OUT LOTS OF RESUMES AND COVER LETTERS, AND BE ENTHUSIASTIC.

    Should you decide that you want to pursue public interest work, be prepared to send out many cover letters and resumes. Adapt your cover letters and resume highlighting your relevant experiences. Even if you have had no experience in an organization's practice area, don't be shy. Just be sure to show your enthusiasm for public interest work and the basis for your interest. Indicate in your cover letter whether you have an independent source of funding; public interest organizations will generally welcome you with open arms if you come with your own funding. Also, indicate whether and when you would be available for an office interview or phone interview. Remember, though, to keep cover letters short and concise; no matter how interesting you think it is, employers don't have time to read your whole life story.
     
  3. REMEMBER THAT PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE.

    A final but important point to keep in mind as you apply for public interest jobs: Don't be discouraged if you don't hear from public interest organizations right away. Many organizations are understaffed and overburdened, and they may not respond as efficiently as you were hoping to the flood of applicants they receive each year. Be patient, but also be persistent. Follow-up phone calls appropriately timed usually cannot hurt. Don't give up on organizations just because you have not heard from them. Better to call than to make any assumptions about their interest in you- chances are, they haven't seen your resume yet; a phone call for the purpose of inquiring about the status of your application can bring it to their attention. And, if you will be in a particular city where you applied for jobs around the holiday time or thereafter, be sure to let them know that you will be available for an in-person interview or an office visit.

I came to law school after spending two years teaching in an urban public school system. Entering law school, my goal was to become a children's advocate. Come December of my first year, I applied to at least a dozen organizations around the country specializing in representing children. Handed the ideal job at a wonderful office in San Francisco-Legal Services for Children- that exclusively represents children in such matters as abuse, neglect, guardianship, and special education cases. I enjoyed every minute of my summer internship. My tasks were varied: legal research and writing, client interviews, home visits, courtroom preparation, and screening intake calls. What I remember most about the summer, however, were the people-both the lawyers and social workers who worked in the office and the clients whom they represented. The attorneys and social workers were some of the most dedicated and competent people I had ever met, and several served as wonderful mentors to me. The contact with the child clients and their families was constant, whether by in-person visits or by phone, and this was undoubtedly the most rewarding aspect of the job. The clients had very immediate needs, and they appreciated our efforts on their behalf. The smiles on their faces when we stopped by for a visit at their foster home or their expressions of gratitude when we helped them achieve their objectives made the job so worthwhile. Throughout the summer, I saw firsthand how a lawyer could help a child navigate his or her way through the legal system and bring some order to the chaos in their lives. Enjoying the work as much as I did also confirmed for me-at a time of doubt-that there was at least one area of the law by which I truly felt inspired. -DEBORAH KOVEN, YALE LAW SCHOOL

See 6 Things Attorneys and Law Students Need to Remove from Their Resumes ASAP If They Want to Get Jobs with the Most Prestigious Law Firms for more information.

PROS AND CONS OF PUBLIC INTEREST WORK

Pros:
  • You will be helping people in need, so it's the kind of work you can feel really good about.
     
  • Countless opportunities exist to pursue the area of the law that most interests you, whether it's advocating on behalf of homeless people, immigrants, domestic violence victims, abused children, prisoners, migrant farm workers, or criminal defendants; the list goes on and on.
     
  • You will have lots of client contact and "human" interaction.
     
  • There are opportunities to work on important impact litigation cases that can affect the lives of many people or to represent individual clients and to advocate on their behalf.
     
  • Opportunities exist to work with diverse clientele and potentially to use foreign language skills.
     
  • You will work with some of the most interesting, bright, enthusiastic, creative, and dedicated attorneys you will ever meet-attorneys who are usually motivated more by the cause they represent than money.
     
  • The potential exists for a lot of responsibility, especially since many of the organizations have limited resources and welcome the assistance of summer interns. You may find yourself handling many aspects of a case, conducting client interviews, drafting legal documents, and helping to develop legal strategies.
     
  • This work presents excellent training opportunities with respect to advocacy skills, legal writing, and legal analysis.
     
  • You will have opportunities to observe courtroom proceedings, appear in court under attorney supervision, and help represent clients in administrative hearings.
     
  • You will have opportunities for networking with other talented people in the field.
     
  • Generally speaking, the hours will be more manageable than firm jobs.
     
  • At last, you will have that once in a lifetime opportunity to impact the life of someone less advantaged. You may not be able to save the world, but you can try to help solve some very real and important problems.
     
  • Funding may be limited. Many public interest offices welcome volunteers or pay only a minimal salary. You may be required to find independent sources of funding (check with your school about school funding/fellowships) or to forgo a salary in exchange for an interesting legal experience.
     
  • While limited resources mean that you will get to do more as an intern, it also means that you may not have access to some resources, such as a full-service law library, online computer services, and office personnel. You may have to be creative in finding resources or learn to work without them.
     
  • The recruiting/application process can be slow and inefficient and may require an extra degree of patience and persistence on your part. You must be proactive in finding opportunities-they will not necessarily come to you.
     
  • Because most public interest organizations do not know what their needs or funding will be in the future, it is unlikely that a summer internship will lead to an immediate offer for permanent employment or even a future offer.
     
  • The work may not be as glamorous as that with a firm. No free lunches or Broadway shows.

  1. Legal Jobs
  2. Legal Articles
  3. Law Students
  4. Law Student Job Search Resources
  5. Finding Law Student Jobs
  6. Tips To Keep In Mind When Searching For a Public Interest Job

published July 30, 2013

By Author - LawCrossing
( 3 votes, average: 4 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.

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