Public Interest Careers

Whether looking for a summer clerkship or a post graduate position, there are some differences in how you approach a public interest job search as compared with a traditional legal job.  Major differences include what employers are looking for, the kinds of jobs available, where to look for work, and the need to find funding for student summer positions.

What Employers Look For

Good grades and law review open doors everywhere, but public interest employers are more interested in your connection to the community and your commitment to the cause.  Lewis & Clark students can build those qualities through our Public Interest Law Program. The Program features a robust Pro Bono Program and numerous Clinics, as well as support for summer opportunities through PILP Awards, Lezak Social Justice Fellowships and the NW Public Service Career Fairs.  Students may focus their time at Lewis & Clark by earning a Public Interest Certificate.  Students should utilize the Director of Public Interest Law, who is a member of Career Services and who is dedicated to helping those seeking public interest and public service careers.

Our alumni can apply to the LRAP for help with loan payments, and can continue to work with the Director of Public Interest Law as their careers evolve.

Fellowships

Fellowships are post graduate positions unique to public interest work, but not all fellowships are exactly alike.  Common to all fellowships is the fact that they are for a limited period, typically one or two years. These positions typically accept applications in the fall of a student’s third year, and can be the only way to get an entry-level position at large nonprofits and NGOs. 

Some fellowships require a cover letter and resume, just like a traditional employer. Other fellowships are project based.  Students are required to develop their own work project, find an organization that will host them, and then apply to a third party for funding.  It takes time and care to develop the project and sell it to a funder, but successful applicants get to create their own dream jobs.  Planning should start well in advance.  If you have a plan to help save the world, even just a small portion of it, project based fellowships may be for you.

Read more about these and other kinds of fellowships in our Post Graduate Public Interest Fellowship Manual.  Search for jobs like fellowships, project sponsors, and hosts on PSJD.org (registration is free for Lewis & Clark students and alumni), and visit Equal Justice Works, one of the largest project funders.

Finding public interest work

Many public interest employers post jobs with Lewis & Clark, but there are other places to look as well.  For students looking for summer work, most employers do not post and prefer that you contact them about opportunities.  Here are some ideas for finding a public interest position:

• Ask for a copy of the Public Service and Public Interest Directory from the Career & Professional Development Center, which contains listings and descriptions of public interest employers in Oregon and Washington.
• Check PSJD.org, a national database of job postings for public service employers.
• Talk with Career Services’ counselors about your areas of interest.
• Volunteer through the Pro Bono Program.  Volunteering for an organization can lead to ongoing work.
• Apply for jobs and volunteer opportunities through the NW Public Service Career Fairs held in February.  Portland, Seattle, and national public service offices recruit here and in Seattle.  Registration for the Fairs, and job application materials, are due in January.
• Review state or local Bar Association websites for  pro bono opportunities.  The Oregon State Bar lists pro bono opportunities for attorneys; organizations may also accept student volunteers or clerks.
• Ask other students what public interest organizations they have clerked for.
• Help PILP.  The Public Interest Law Project engages in fundraising activities to help students fund their summer public interest work.  PILP has a list of prior hosts.
• Review the Externship page of the Career Services’ website.  Employers who have accepted unpaid externs may take a law clerk.
• Attend panels and programs that include public interest attorneys. Introduce yourself and ask about any opportunities with their organization or with other employers in the same field.
• Go to the Equal Justice Works Career Fair. In October, Equal Justice Works holds a career fair in the DC area. Nonprofits and governmental offices search for school-year and summer externs and clerks. Applications are due in September.