When I was young, I knew I wanted to be a lawyer one day but I didn’t know what type of lawyer I would become. I knew I wanted to be a lawyer who could help protect communities like my own against bullies and unjust systems.
In retrospect, I can say my passions have always been in the “public interest” sector. When I was in high school, I started getting involved in social movements. I went to UCLA to rally to protect affirmative action programs and, at my high school, I made posters for protesters to use outside a popular clothing store that was using sweatshop labor. I later organized at my college campus for diversity programs to support the small number of students of color at the college, organized my campus community to march for immigrants’ rights in the Twin Cities, and interned with a non-profit organization to build up other non-profit organizations’ capacity to engage in democracy building work. I loved it all! I got a sense that I wouldn’t be rich (more on that in later blogs), but my heart was full and my brain was always firing off ideas with really creative people to solve problems.
Before going to law school, I wasn’t familiar with “public interest” lawyers. I can’t pinpoint when I put the pieces together but, when I figured out what public interest law was, I knew that was the area of law for me.
If it serves your passion, interests, values, and goals (including your financial goals!), I encourage you to consider public interest law. So what is it, and why you should you consider it?
What Is Public Interest Law?
Public interest law is a field dedicated to advocating for the rights and well-being of marginalized and underserved communities. It encompasses a wide range of legal work, including civil rights, environmental justice, consumer protection, and human rights. Attorneys in this area often work for nonprofit organizations, government agencies, or as pro bono lawyers employed in the private sector, addressing issues such as the criminalization of poverty, discrimination, and access to justice. The primary goal is to use the law as a tool for social change, ensuring that all individuals have fair and equitable access to legal representation and justice.
Meaningful Impact
Public interest law allows you to work on issues that directly affect people’s lives. Whether you’re advocating for civil rights, environmental justice, or access to healthcare, your work can create lasting change. This sense of purpose is often unmatched in other legal fields. Through direct services, you can provide someone or their family immediate relief. Through impact litigation, you can create systemic change by challenging unlawful policies or practices that impact a large group of people in similar ways, providing a sense of purpose that is often hard to find in other legal fields.
Diverse Opportunities
The field of public interest law is broad, encompassing everything from litigation to policy advocacy to community organizing. This diversity will allow you to use your law degree, skills, and background to practice law as a litigator or to change course and become policy counsel or a community organizer. You can specialize in areas that align with your passions, such as immigration law, criminal justice reform, or housing rights.
Personal Fulfillment
For many, the greatest reward of a career in public interest law is the personal fulfillment that comes from being in community with others to address an injustice. Whether you’re representing individual clients or advocating for systemic change, your work will have a positive impact on someone’s life. This sense of fulfillment can be a powerful motivator throughout your career.
Public interest law is a rewarding career path. It’s not without its challenges. If you want to see a post about the challenges, drop me a comment below and I’ll work on that. If you’re passionate about social justice and looking for a meaningful career, I encourage you to consider public interest law. If you’re in private practice and not at a private public interest firm, then I encourage you to explore public interest law opportunities with a nonprofit on a pro bono basis.
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