How To Land That Unicorn Public Interest Job – Or Any Public Interest Job

 

Finding and securing a job – whether for a summer or for after graduation – is one of the most important aspects of law school and also one of the most stressful.  Public interest employers do not make that easier for law students looking for public interest careers.  While many of the “big law” firms have fairly well-defined hiring numbers, timelines, and practices that include on-campus interviewing and reimbursement for travel to call backs, public interest does not work that way.  And competition for public interest jobs – especially those “unicorn” jobs that many of us went to law school dreaming of – like jobs at the ACLU or NRDC – is fierce.  After the 2016 election, more money is flowing to public interest groups, which means more opportunities for new public interest lawyers.  But more lawyers are also flooding the public interest market, looking to channel their skills directly into activism.

Knowing some tricks and tips to help you get on top of the public interest job market can help you stay competitive in the hiring process and land that unicorn job.

For example, do you know how to find organizations that are hiring in your interest area?  Many public interest organizations don’t have updated websites, but it is very important to know what types of work they do and do not do, do you know how to find that information?  When you don’t have much relevant experience, do you know how to convince public interest employers to take a chance on you anyway?  Did you know that using common phrases like “impact litigation,” “poor people,” and “lobbying” in your cover letter or interview could get you rejected, and do you know how to avoid these language pitfalls?

Join me for a virtual chat on Tuesday, February 27, 2018 at 12:15pm CST for some of these tips – the chat will be interactive so please bring any questions you may have about landing a public interest job.  I am happy to talk about the specific areas I have experience in as well: public interest litigation, big and small; legislative advocacy; administrative advocacy; and the areas of women’s rights and public programs.

Join the chat in CCD’s Workroom or log on anywhere HERE