With the goal of helping students (and recent graduates) find public interest job search guides, below is a list of resources and guides that might be worth checking out or sharing with students.
American Bar Association: Public Interest Law Links
Provides links with initiatives and information on how to start a career in dozens of practice areas.
Harvard Law School Public Interest Links
Comprehensive list of links for job sites in the: general public interest, general nonprofits, federal government, state government, international public interest, international governmental organizations, and has separate pages for about a dozen specialty areas. Each section/topic area has dozens of links to guides and databases.
Open Legal Services
Provides affordable legal services to low and moderate income people, and provides a list of similar organizations nationwide to their own that offer legal services to individuals and other nonprofits on a sliding scale.
NALP
Professional association that advises students and schools. Includes a list of public service initiatives, as well as employment guides, conferences, and a new bulletin.
Federal Legal Employment Opportunities Guide (2012-2013)
Guide to find federal legal employment, by PSJD.
Equal Justice Works
The Equal Justice Network is an online meeting place, information source and connection mechanism for lawyers and other advocates committed to equal justice.
Careers in Public Interest Law, by the James L. Petigru Public Interest Law Society
Guide to careers in public interest law, finding clerkships and internships, and a resource guide.
Harvard Law: Public Interest Job Resources and Timeline for 3Ls
Includes career and application guides, fellowship information, and timelines for when and how to apply.
Harvard Law: Public Interest Job Resources and Timeline for 2Ls
Includes internship application guides, fellowship information, and timelines for when and how to apply.
Harvard Law: Public Interest Job Resources and Timeline for 1Ls
Includes internship application guides, fellowship information, and timelines for when and how to apply.
Harvard Law: Career & Application Guides
Links to career and application guides, by subject area. Includes guides for: fellowship and grant applications, administrative law, children’s rights, civil rights/ civil liberties, education law, environmental law, health law, immigration & refugee law, international development, intellectual property/cyber law, labor and employment, LGBT rights, national security, reproductive rights & justice, women’s rights.
Inside Miami Law: Public Interest Job Search Information
Includes links for public interest job resources, job fairs, summer opportunities, funding sources, and post-graduate fellowships. Provides an overview of public interest law and the different sectors available to students and lawyers.
Columbia Law: Social Justice Initiatives
Provides guides and links for public interest law. Includes practice-area specific guides.
Capital Defenders
A list compiled by Boalt Law School of law student internship opportunities (both summer and year-round) in offices around the country that are engaged in the defense of death row inmates or capitally charged defendants.
One World
Public interest law job search on a website similar to idealist.org. Better for jobs abroad.
Lewis & Clark Law: Public Interest Careers
Includes guides and resources for those seeking public interest law jobs.
NALP: Finding and Funding International Public Service Opportunities
Guide for students who are interested in public service abroad or public international law.
NYU Law: Public Defender Handbook
Handbook for those who want to be public defenders.
Chicago-Kent Law: Public Interest Resources and Links
Resources and links for public interest law. Includes Chicago-specific resources.
National Lawyers Guild
Social justice organization, provides information on fellowships and lists opportunities for students.
Public Interest Law Initiative
Resources for students and lawyers, to help establish careers in the public interest. Includes events, articles, resources, guides, and links to databases.
University of Georgia Law: Government and Public Interest Law
Resources for students, including Georgia-specific organizations
Loyola Law: Public Interest Job Search Resources
Resources for students, including resume and cover letter tips, job fairs, and funding and debt relief.
Washington College of Law: Office of Public Interest
Resources for students, some of which is password-protected.
PILnet: The Global Network for Public Interest Law
Global network with offices worldwide that provides tools, resources, and guides to public interest lawyers. Useful for guides about pro bono law in Europe and Asia.
-Thanks to my research assistant who compiled this list.
