The journey of getting a J.D. is fraught with uncertainty, but there is a particular lasting uncertainty that many public-interest law students feel as they navigate their way through school. Specifically, public-interest students can find themselves at the end of a three-year J.D. program unclear on where their next journey lies.

One may find it unfortunate that the public interest sector does not have a defined linear track like the big-law business lays out for law students. It can feel daunting to constantly search for your next summer experience each school year without the certainty that you will be offered long-term employment.

This feeling of instability can be alienating. It seems like your big-law peers have a path mapped out for their careers through solidified job offers they secure sometimes after only one year of law school. In truth, this uncertainty calculation is likely one of the many factors that weighs heavily against pursuing a purely public-interest track throughout law school. However, I would like to reframe this concern for my fellow public-interest students in a light that makes you feel some sense of excitement over your choice to pursue a public-interest career. 

I know it is daunting to continuously be looking for new summer opportunities or externships. As I previously wrote about on this very blog, if there was a specific reason you found yourself in law school, continuing to let that reason guide your choices will land you in the right place. I do not mean to oversimplify the complexities of job security, or the comparisons we make to our peers that can pull us away from our original intentions. I also want to qualify my advice by clarifying that it applies to all law students, public-interest minded or not.

Some of your peers who feel a sense of security over securing a post-graduate job so early on in law school, are going to find themselves switching their employer, or maybe even their chosen career path, multiple times before their career is over. That is going to be the reality for all (at least the majority) of us future lawyers. So, varying your experiences now while you are a student, even if they do not come with a built-in return offer, may be the best way to use this time to explore what ignites you. At the end of law school, we will all have J.D.’s and play a valuable role in change making through whatever form of practice you find yourself in. You do not have to figure everything out in this moment, because you likely won’t have your entire career figured out 10 years after you graduate!If you are reading this as a current law student, you are already more than capable of achieving the career you want because you made it this far. You should not have it all figured out – I certainly do not! And on a practical note, you will get a job. It may not be secured as you submit your last 1L final, or your last 2L final. But do not let yourself believe you will work hard for three years to get a doctorate-level degree and then somehow be left deserted in a world that needs public-interest lawyers. Ultimately, the unpredictability of a public-interest career can be a strength rather than a weakness. You have the ability to shape your career around your passions, take on diverse experiences, and advocate for social justice. While our paths as public-interest students may not be linear, no one’s is, and the work you will one day carry out will be more meaningful than you can comprehend at this moment.

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Haley Cole is a second-year student at BC Law. Contact her at colehc@bc.edu.