Public Interest Law Pathway

Public interest law includes a broad range of practice areas and employment opportunities. Public interest lawyers work in legal aid offices; at private law firms or as solo practitioners doing civil rights, fair housing, or employment discrimination; in government agencies such as the Public Defender’s office or Attorney General’s office; or as in-house counsel at nonprofits or advocacy organizations such as the ACLU, Advocates for Human Rights, Gender Justice, or the NAACP LDF; as well as many other places.Public interest law can include social justice advocacy, impact litigation, movement lawyering, and transformative lawyering. Public interest lawyers may do litigation, transactional work, or policymaking. They often represent and advocate for the rights and interests of individuals or groups that are underrepresented or marginalized in society through direct client representation or by influencing legislation, regulation, and public policy.

Organizations that serve the public interest often do not have the resources to train new attorneys. Students interested in public interest work should seek out as much professional skills training while in law school as they can.

The courses provided below focus on doing public interest work more generally in the civil context. For related pathways, see below.