Are you interested in public interest? Do you often hear that public interest organizations hire later than firms?
There is quite a bit of truth to the statement that public interest organizations hire their summer interns later than firms, but at the same time there are some amazing public interest jobs that hire earlier. I say that from experience. I interned at Access Living in Chicago for my post 1L Summer (2019) and I secured that internship back in the early days of January. I have already secured my internship for next summer (2020). I will be interning at Disability Rights Advocates in Berkeley, CA, an internship I am very excited for. I came into law school to pursue a career in disability rights law, and my internships this past summer and next summer are right in line with my goals. They are both amazing organizations at the forefront of disability rights law.
Everyone’s experience will be different when applying for public interest jobs, but hopefully the steps below can be helpful as you work to secure your summer internships.
First, if you are not involved in the Public Service Advisory Board (PSAB), get involved. It is a great way to talk with other students pursuing public interest jobs and to get advice. People in PSAB have gone through the same process you will go through and can be immensely helpful. There are many people in PSAB who have helped me.
Second, talk with the Career Center, tell them that you are pursuing public interest and seek advice. I cannot suggest this enough. I have spoken often with Claire O’Brien about my goals. At the beginning of my post 1L summer, Claire and I talked about where I would like to intern for my post 2L Summer. We compiled a list of places I would be interested in and Claire checked to see which places would be open to accepting applications at that time. Without Claire’s assistance, I would not have my internship for next summer lined up. It’s a once in a lifetime internship opportunity. Claire encouraged me to apply early.
Third, go to public interest fairs and events as often as you can and network! In the beginning of my 1L year, I went to the Public Interest Law Opportunities for Law Students (St. Louis) Event. It is an event co-sponsored by the Washington University School of Law and Saint Louis University School of Law. It was a great way to learn more about public interest careers.
Finally, cold call and email places you are interested in. Whether there is an application open online or not, send an email and say you are interested in interning there. Demonstrating interest means a lot in the public interest field!
Please feel free to email me (bschoenkin@wustl.edu) with any questions you might have. Also make sure to contact the Career Center as well. They are there to help!