PUBLIC INTEREST
SETTINGS AND PRACTICE AREAS
For purposes of this site, "public interest" (also
referred to as "public sector" or "public service")
is defined broadly to include employment in legal services and
law reform organizations, as well as in government agencies at
all levels. Public interest practice further encompasses charities,
educational and public international organizations, private public
interest law firms and private law firms performing pro bono work.
Outlined below are the different types of public interest settings
and practice areas.
PUBLIC INTEREST
SETTINGS
A. Nonprofit Public Interest Organizations – Client Oriented / Legal Aid
Client-oriented nonprofit public interest organizations provide legal assistance to people who could otherwise not afford representation. Legal assistance providers often referred to as legal service organizations or legal aid societies usually handle matters involving government benefits, housing, family law, consumer law, and employment issues. Some organizations specialize in particular areas such as the elderly, or immigration law. Lawyers in legal assistance programs have significant client contact through client counseling, negotiations, and assistance with legal documents, research, and representation. Examples of this kind of organization include the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago, Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation, Aids Legal Council of Chicago, and Michigan Migrant Legal Assistance Project.
B. Nonprofit Public Interest Organization – Policy Oriented
Policy-oriented organizations often conduct impact litigation -- taking cases with the intention of creating legal policy and precedents that will affect large numbers of people on a particular issue. Often such offices supplement impact litigation with other forms of advocacy including lobbying, grassroots organizing, and community-based education. Examples of such organizations include The American Civil Liberties Union, The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund.
C. Public Defenders
Public defenders provide free criminal defense for the accused who cannot afford legal representation. They represent defendants charged with felonies and misdemeanors, as well as juveniles charged with delinquency. They exist on the state and federal levels. Although public defenders are usually government employees, in some states or cities the work is contracted out to private nonprofit organizations. Federal Defender offices operate in conjunction with U.S. District Courts. In addition to the Cook County Public Defender, all counties in the Chicago metropolitan area have governmental, attorney-staffed public defender offices. The State Appellate Defender handles appeals in the Illinois system, through several regional offices and a Capital Litigation Division. Public defenders gain extensive trial experience.
D. Prosecuting Attorneys
District or state attorneys prosecute people accused of violating
state or local criminal laws, while US Attorneys prosecute people
accused of violating federal criminal statutes. Like public defenders,
prosecuting attorneys engage in significant pretrial and trial
activities and gain extensive trial experience. Prosecuting attorney
offices include the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, the
Office of the Illinois Attorney General, the US Attorney's Office,
and the United States Department of Justice.
E. State and Federal Government (Executive / Administrative Agencies)
State and Federal Government Agencies (Executive / Administrative agencies) employ lawyers as in-house counsel to develop
regulations, monitor compliance, draft and research legislation,
and participate in administrative hearings. Opportunities for
lawyers interested in this type of employment are available at
both the state and federal levels. The Federal Trade Commission,
Environmental Protection Agency, and the Illinois Department of
Education are all examples of executive agencies.
The Department of Justice represents the federal government in
court on a broad range of matters and is responsible for the prosecution
of federal crimes. The state counterpart to the Department of
Justice is the Attorney General's Office. In addition to representing
the state government in court, many Attorney General offices assume
regulatory and law enforcement responsibilities in a variety of
areas, including criminal law, consumer protection, health insurance,
and environmental protection.
On the local level, law departments are called City or County
Attorney's or Corporation Counsel, and they represent city councils,
county boards, mayors and other municipal employees, handling
such diverse legal matters as economic development projects, labor
relations, and civil rights cases. The City of Chicago Department
of Law is an example.
F. Legislatures
Many opportunities exist for attorneys on Capitol Hill and in
state legislatures, as legislative assistants on individual members'
personal staffs and as staff attorneys for Senate and House committees.
These lawyers help draft legislation, render legal advice regarding
proposed legislation, and investigate matters of interest to the
legislator or committee. For most committee positions, previous
relevant employment is required. Many legislative committees and
offices hire summer interns and externs.
G. Courts
Judicial clerkships and staff attorney positions exist at state
and federal levels. Clerkships can be for a specific duration
-- typically one or two years -- or for an indefinite time period
as a permanent position. Judicial clerks analyze briefs or memoranda,
perform additional legal research, write memoranda, and consult
with judges on various issues. Judges also hire law students for
short-term employment as interns and externs to assist in research
and drafting judicial opinions.
G. International Public Interest Work
Public international law is one of the fastest growing fields
within the public sector. The US Government hires attorneys to
work on international issues in many of its agencies such as the
State Department and the Department of Commerce. Many lawyers
are also employed at the United Nations, the World Bank, the Organization
of American States, and other quasi-governmental organizations.
Finally, there are thousands of nonprofits, based both in the
US and abroad that focus on international issues. Examples include Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the Heartland Alliance.
H. Private Public Interest Law Firms
A small but growing number of private practice firms practice
public interest law. These private firms either emphasize, or
exclusively practice, public interest legal work serving particular
groups, such as union members, or specialize in issue-oriented
work, such as civil rights litigation, tenant advocacy, school
law, or representing "whistleblowers." They may support
the work through contingent fees, statutory attorney's fees, or
contracts with government or nonprofit entities.
I. Law Firms Performing Pro Bono Work
Several prominent law firms promote firm-wide pro bono programs
in which lawyers are asked to handle a certain number of pro bono
cases. These programs differ among the law firms but frequently
include the following: Associate Service, where a law firm releases
associates to work full-time for a period of time at a nonprofit
legal service provider; Matching Projects, where law firms agree
to be matched with agencies serving poor people; and Legal Clinics,
where law firms have established their own legal clinic programs,
staffed and administered exclusively by the attorneys and other
employees of the firm.
PUBLIC
INTEREST PRACTICE AREAS
Each of the practice settings listed above
concentrates in one or more areas of substantive law. Many public
interest employers are drawn to public interest work based on
the particular practice area focus. For this reason, it is helpful
to assess your areas of interest as a way to begin the search process
for public interest employment. Listed below are examples of practice
area specialties available in the field of public interest law.
Administrative Law
AIDS / HIV
Animal Rights
Arts
Bankruptcy and Consumer Debt
Children / Youth
Civil Rights / Civil Liberties
Community Economic Development
Constitutional
Consumer Law
Criminal Law
Death Penalty / Prisoners' Rights
Disability Law
Education
Elder Law
Employment / Labor
Environmental / Energy
Family Law
Gay / Lesbian / Transgender Rights
Government / Regulatory Affairs
Health / Medical
Homeless / Housing Law
Immigration Law
International Human Rights Law
Judicial Clerking / Staff Attorney
Legal Aid
Legislative Policy and Analysis
Litigation
Migrant Workers
Military JAG / Civilian Attorney
Municipal Law
Native Americans
Poverty
Public Benefits / Welfare Reform
Reproductive Rights
Religious / Faith based
Tax
Women
Zoning and Land Use
Information in this site highlights points from Harvard Law
School's "Serving the Public: A Job Search Guide 2003 - 2004"
and "The Public Service Employer Directory 1998 -1999"
both available in the Career Services Office.
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