Do you know any/are you a motivated undergrad looking to gain exposure to public interest law this summer? This is a GREAT opportunities for undergraduates to learn more about different areas of public interest legal work, take on a wide variety of projects to help support the office, and build on their research, writing and project management skills. The internship also consists of a lunch speaker series where local legal practitioners, faculty and staff come to HLS to discuss their career paths and the different areas of public interest law they might work in. OPIA is a small, close-knit office, so we also have a summer bbq at the Assistant Dean’s house, a community service outing, and other great experiences along the way. Come join us this summer!
The Bernard Koteen Office of Public Interest Advising at Harvard Law School seeks between 4-5 undergraduates to work as Public Interest Fellows for the upcoming summer. The office, staffed by experienced attorneys, counsels hundreds of law students and alumni interested in pursuing public service work. The job offers great exposure to the legal profession, particularly for someone contemplating a career in public interest law. We are seeking students with a background or strong interest in public service as well as prior experience working in an office environment. Our summer fellows take part in a brown bag lunch series exploring several aspects of public interest law and have the opportunity to participate in community service activities.
Applications are being accepted and must be received by March 4th, 2016. Hiring will be done on a rolling basis so students are encouraged to submit their applications early.
Project assignments will likely include (but are not limited to) the following:
• Help revise public service career specialty guides, such as a human trafficking guide, and national security law guide. • Organize panels and events, and assist with planning for visiting Fellows. • Conduct interviews with current HLS students and alumni to highlight and spotlight their public interest experiences and career paths. • Maintain our public interest job search database, posting job opportunities and cleaning up data. • Assist with internet research projects and synthesizing of information for internal and/or external use. • Perform general office duties, such as fielding phone calls and emails from alumni and employers, photocopying, data entry, website updates, and project and publication support.
Qualifications: Strong attention to detail, excellent organizational and writing skills are required, along with the ability to self-start on projects and prioritize effectively. Must be a team player. Enthusiasm, a sense of humor, and a demonstrated interest in public service work are a must! Familiarity with Microsoft Office, PC computer platforms, and databases is extremely important. Knowledge of Word Press would be very helpful. The summer fellowships are paid positions: $12/hr, 35 hrs/week for ten weeks of work (more if the student’s schedule allows). Please include your GPA on your resume. Applicants are also encouraged to list all employment experience.
We do not hire first year students or students entering or enrolled in law school for summer internships. If we receive an outstanding application from a first year, we will encourage you to reapply for a subsequent summer. We will consider qualified rising juniors and the majority of our summer fellows have completed at least three years of their undergraduate programs.
To Apply: please send a resume and cover letter as soon possible, and no later than March 4th, 2016. Send materials to Micah Nemiroff at mnemiroff at law.harvard.edu.