Entering law school with a focus on public interest can be a daunting process, especially at a school where the majority of students end up going into Big Law. You may have started school with the conviction that public interest was your calling – but what does it mean to engage in that kind of work?
The diversity of paths within the public interest field can provide some comfort, but it can be overwhelming to navigate law school without a clear understanding of what this work really entails. It’s challenging to stay steadfast in your public interest passions when the first year of law school emphasizes concrete doctrinal teachings and does not elaborate on the abstract idea of what it is to be a lawyer. If you’ve found yourself questioning your goals or feeling lost on how to explore the broad field of public interest work, I want to offer some advice.
First, stay open to every opportunity. You may come to law school knowing you want to litigate at a class action plaintiff-side employment firm on housing access, or you may know only that you have been personally affected by the criminal justice system – and you want to change it. No matter the level of specificity your interest takes, I encourage you to explore all the opportunities law school provides. Utilize your 1L summer to work an internship in a field you want to know more about; try a school clinic that speaks to your interest; go to that Big Law event to decide whether it really isn’t for you. Lean on the people in your community who do what you’re interested in. That means professors, deans, attorneys, and current students. Can you envision yourself doing what they do on a daily basis? Would those experiences fulfill you?
Next, listen to your gut. If you go to that tax law event because you read this article and decided to give it a chance, and you don’t feel the slightest bit interested in tax law, good! You have a better sense of what you don’t want to do. Follow that gut feeling. Every event that leaves you feeling disinterested helps you zero in on the event, internship, or conversation with a professor that’s really going to pique your interest.
Acknowledge one of the biggest hurdles in pursuing a public interest career: finances. Having the privilege to attend an undergraduate program – followed by a law school program – is costly. Becoming a lawyer presents financial barriers that can bar people from ever being able to apply to law school, much less finance it. A public interest career can be fulfilling, but what do you do when you have financial obligations to yourself or others? I want to emphasize this concern is real, and sometimes you’ll have to assess legal careers based on pay. However, there are systems out there to help public interest-minded people! Don’t sleep on scholarships – and I’m not just referring to scholarships within your school. The internet is filled with organizations wanting to fund law students who do the good work that you want to do. Look into employers with loan forgiveness programs, like government jobs, as well as your school’s loan forgiveness program (BC Law’s LRAP happens to be one of the most generous in the country). Consider prioritizing pro bono work while you work at a corporate-based job. And maybe take that corporate job if you need to, with the reminder that the public interest work will still be there when you’re ready. Your community will always need advocates.
Finally, remember your why. Remember what drove you to be here. It may not be the only thing you enjoy by the time you leave law school, and you certainly can have a change of heart about that initial passion. But, if you convince yourself your reasons for being in law school aren’t prestigious or lucrative enough, just to find yourself doing work you don’t feel passionate about, what was the struggle of law school for?
Haley Cole is a first-year student at BC Law. Contact her at colehc@bc.edu.
BC Law: Impact 