Public interest law is one of the most important areas in which one can work. With this type of work, issues that are particularly notable socially are addressed, such as poverty, child welfare, and public advocacy within a variety of areas.
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Among the most visible and important of these types of jobs are public interest law jobs. When one seeks public interest law employment, public interest law internships, or public interest legal internships, one is seeking to work for the greater good. Often, public interest lawyers represent groups who focus on specific issues. If you wish to get a public interest law internship, you can do so in a number of ways. What’s more, the work you do for such a job will depend on the particular area you work in and may be specific to the lawyer or law firm, too.
Many public interest law employment firms or lawyers have only a skeleton staff’s worth of workers who actually get paid. Because of this, public interest legal internships may be very, very important to an organization's function. Therefore, with public interest law internships, you may get to do much more than you might in another type of firm. In fact, you may be handling many of the duties lawyers would normally handle, as long as the firm doesn't require that you have graduated or passed the bar already.
Many public interest organizations focus on policy objectives or on specific clients they represent. For example, the eradication of illegal drug abuse is one such focus, as is providing prenatal care to women who could not otherwise afford it.
Because the causes these groups support are often not within the public's basic focus or even personal values, they operate somewhat "on the edge" until they get established. Because of this, in turn, they often need legal representation to help them get the focus they need for changes in laws and the like so that these ideas actually do become part of the public consciousness and eventually are accepted as a right.
Those who work in public interest law jobs perform a variety of duties. They may help people by representing them "pro bono" (that is, for free), helping them draw up documents like contracts or wills if they can't afford expensive representation. They may also represent clients who have been targeted for prosecution because they feel that the cause the person is being prosecuted for is particularly valuable, and that the prosecution is particularly unfair.
As a legal intern, you may assist lawyers with clerical duties like typing up depositions so that they can focus on the actual legal assistance that cannot be done by someone who does not have the proper credentials. With a full degree, lawyers who work for public interest groups usually get salaries or are paid by the government or by the nonprofit organization they work for. They may also work as consultants for organizations like the NAACP or environmental associations like Greenpeace.
Public interest work doesn't stop with so-called "grassroots" organizations, though. In fact, public interest jobs may deal with the federal government or may deal with the government at a local or state level. In these cases, the lawyers involved can work as magistrate judges, draft regulations to help implement laws as needed, or prosecute or defend criminals. If you have a particular area of interest, such as the environment, working as a public interest lawyer may be right for you. Alternatively, you can also get related associate positions such as that of a paralegal, whereby you can still participate without having to go to law school or pass the bar. Nonetheless, many of these positions, too, do require the proper educational background.
Training and Education
Public interest law jobs do require that you have the proper education. Getting an internship in a public interest law firm or similar organization during your time in law school is one way to gain the experience that's needed to eventually become a public interest lawyer. For this, many law firms actually come to law schools and advertise for student help, especially during the summer.
When you’re in law school, you may decide to specialize in certain courses in your third year, such as public service law, which will give you an edge in the field you want to pursue.
Applying For and Getting Public Interest Law Jobs
It will give you a significant advantage over other candidates if you have already worked in public interest law in an internship or other volunteer position while in law school. In fact, sometimes graduating students can expect to be employed by those firms they have previously worked for in internships. Even if this does not turn out to be the case, recommendations from your previous employer can help you land a job in public interest law with another firm or organization. If the public interest law job you desire is offered by the government, whether on the federal, state, or local level, it's likely that you'll need to take a civil service exam in addition to graduating from law school and passing the bar.
Getting Your First Job
You may start out in public interest law as a law clerk to more experienced lawyers. Judges as well are among those who employ law clerks or research assistants. As your career continues, you may become part of a team of lawyers who work for the public interest in a variety of areas, including environmental law. Environmental law is of significant interest right now because of the impact of global warming. In fact, many firms specialize in a particular area of public interest law. Of course, as your career continues, you will also be required to keep abreast of changes in laws as they occur.
Compensation
In general, public interest law jobs pay less than private practice jobs do. On average, public interest lawyers earn about $15,000 per year less than do lawyers in private practice across all sectors. That said, serving the public good is a significant motivation for many and can transcend monetary gain.
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