A public interest law firm generally selects its clients based on how pressing the need appears for the firm’s services. They also select cases that are based on the cause the client represents. If this type of law firm believes strongly in what cause is being presented then they will often take the case. This client selection is a routine process, regardless of an individual client’s ability to pay for the legal services. Sliding scale fees, pro bono work, and contingency fee cases are the types of compensation that are most often seen in public interest law firms.
Public interest jobs typically involve legal intervention in the following areas: employment discrimination, civil rights, environmental law, and some criminal defense. Most of their cases are done because there is some level of real public interest involved. Many of their cases involve causes that have ramifications for other citizens on a large scale.
Often, these cases are not profitable for the attorneys, or for the law practices that volunteer to accept them. These legal firms may pursue tort law cases, such as medical malpractice, which are often extremely profitable. These types of cases will pay the firm’s expenses and cover the losses that they incur with some of their other activities. Public interest firms can represent individual plaintiffs but they will usually handle more of the class action lawsuits.
Whether a particular law firm can actually show that what it does qualifies it as a public interest legal firm is not always clear. Many law firms represent individuals or a class of plaintiffs on such matters as personal injury or product liability claims. This may not necessarily be public interest work, but sometimes the case may involve claims with broader social implications, as is seen in a case that involves a dangerously defective product.
Some may see this type of legal work as being public interest in nature as it involves underrepresented individuals seeking judicial recourse against more powerful opponents. However, many others may not view this as being true work that is done in the public’s interest. In short, the definition of jobs in public interest legal work is somewhat fluid in nature. Determining whether a law firm is truly a public interest firm requires a great deal of deliberate research into the firm’s clients and cases, as well as understanding its stated mission and overall philosophy.
Public interest law firms are often confused with public interest organizations. However, public interest law firms are not 501(c) organizations, as is the case with other public interest groups. Most of the other public interest organizations also rely on grant money and government funding to pay for their projects and workers.
Attorneys who are employed by public interest firms generally find a lot of satisfaction in dealing with the types of cases they handle. They also enjoy a great deal of freedom in the selection of the cases they can accept. In traditional legal firms, attorneys are more likely going to accept cases based on profitability factors, or because the firm’s largest clients asked them to pursue particular cases for them.
Public interest lawyers are often free to accept cases that they hope will advance causes or issues about which they are passionate. They also are aware that they will generally have press and greater visibility while handling some of these cases, which may be very controversial in nature.
Attorneys also know that many of the public interest firms are smaller than some other law firms. This means that even the junior attorneys will be able to exercise more responsibilities earlier in their careers than many of their peers who are doing other types of legal work.
Because public interest lawyers are driven more by ideals and causes, they may typically earn less than their counterparts in traditional law firms. To attract attorneys, many public interest firms align their salaries with those paid by the federal government, with offers for starting salaries of $50,000 a year. This annual income will vary with the size of the firm.
Like other law offices, public interest firms look for attorneys with solid academic backgrounds, as well as good writing and research skills. They also want candidates who can demonstrate commitment to the firm’s work and to the needs of clients. Because public interest law firms are smaller, and operate with less staff, they expect new associate attorneys to be motivated, enthusiastic self-starters who can handle many responsibilities with little training.
Many of these law firms hire interns and recent law school graduates, but not in the same numbers as larger law firms. They follow no specific guidelines for hiring law students who are about to graduate. Some firms will offer public interest jobs to senior law students in September that will allow these individuals to join the staff the following summer or fall. There are also other public interest law firms that will adhere to a more traditional fall hiring timeline.
For entry-level hiring, some public interest firms wait until they have a vacancy. Law students who are interested in careers in public interest law should identify which firm they would like to work with and apply in the fall of their senior year. These organizations welcome both new legal graduates and experienced graduates. One of the best ways to find out about openings for public interest jobs is to search the huge database of online postings at PublicInterestCrossing.
