Many students enter law school to advocate for underserved individuals and communities, and positively impact society through public service. Those laudable goals are achieved by pursuing opportunities in public interest. Public interest law, broadly defined, encompasses a broad spectrum of legal activities including civil legal services, public defense, impact litigation, issue-specific advocacy, and the formation and management of public policy. Though most public interest lawyers work in the nonprofit and government realms, practice settings also include private public interest law firms, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and more. Positions may include long-term postgraduate positions as well as limited duration postgraduate developmental fellowships. 

In many respects, the public interest job search is akin to any other legal job search. However, there are some stark differences as well as subtle nuances of which you should be aware in order to mount a successful search. A public interest job search often requires a strong commitment, and a willingness to learn and adopt different strategies and approaches. To help guide your search, the Office of Career Success provides specialized counseling and a variety of services, programs, events, and resources for public interest students and alumni. 

Additional public interest resources for Wayne Law students are available on our Canvas page. 

Public interest employers 

Wayne Law students are eager to work with nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies during the summer, academic year, and after graduation. The Office of Career Success wants to help you connect with our students. 

Services for public interest employers & interested students  

12twenty 

The office maintains 12twenty, an online database for employers to advertise available opportunities to Wayne Law students and graduates. We invite public interest employers to submit positions for students throughout the year as well as postgraduate positions including fellowships and fellowship host invitations. Learn more about posting a position here. 

Pro bono participation 

Public interest employers are also welcome to recruit student volunteers for short-term pro bono projects and ongoing volunteer opportunities by participating in the Wayne Law Student Pro Bono & Public Interest Program. The program encourages Wayne Law students to devote a minimum of fifty (50) hours of pro bono legal services during their law school careers. 

Wayne Law Public Interest Career Fair 

The office also hosts an annual Public Interest Career Fair during the winter term. The fair brings representatives of dozens of nonprofits, legal services, and governmental organizations to the Law School to share information and engage in table talk with Wayne Law students. Email lawcareers@wayne.edu to learn more and register your interest in participating. 

Post-graduate fellowships

Postgraduate fellowships are one-year or two-year fully funded often developmental positions working in or with non-profit or governmental organizations, or within academia. They allow new lawyers to expand their professional networks, gain exposure, and acquire experience in a wide variety of legal and policy interests ranging from internet privacy to criminal justice reform. Postgraduate legal fellowships tend to offer salaries and benefits comparable to traditional full- time, long-term public interest staff attorney positions, entry level governmental graduate degree holders or law school clinical faculty. Some also offer student loan debt relief.

They typically take one of three forms. Perhaps the most widely recognized postgraduatefellowships are project-based in which a third-party funds the fellow who devises and executes a public interest project with a self-selected host organization. They could also be organization-based in which a host organization funds the fellow who functions largely as a staff attorney. Academic or clinical fellows often manage law students and clinics, and engage in teaching and/or research in a law school setting.

Wayne Law graduates have successfully earned postgraduate fellowships including the competitive Equal Justice Works, Skadden, and Presidential Management Fellowships. However, a wide variety of fellowships exist. To learn more about fellowships in general and identify postgraduate fellowship opportunities, visit Equal Justice Works, the Public Service Jobs Directory,and ProFellow.

The Office of Career Success also offers individual counseling and assistance in preparing to apply for postgraduate fellowships, crafting fellowship application materials, and interviewing for fellowships. Contact lawcareers@wayne.edu to meet with your assigned advisor.