Many prospective law students are drawn to a career in public interest, motivated by the idea of improving people’s lives and making the world a better place. However, public interest employers do not follow traditional law recruiting cycles, which can create uncertainty for students looking for practical ways to identify and act on a public interest-related career path. We sat down with Beth Cruz, Assistant Dean and Martha Craig Daughtrey Director for Public Interest, to learn more about how Vanderbilt Law students launch careers in this space.
Career Paths in Public Interest
During orientation, Assistant Dean Cruz teaches a session called Practicing Law for the Greater Good, which covers the many possibilities in public interest and beyond. Some of the opportunities include working with non-profits that directly serve the poor, finding a role in a government or public service organization, or even working at a traditional firm and performing pro bono work on the side. She checks in with students a month later to see if they are still set on a career in public interest or considering a different path.
“What distinguishes Vanderbilt Law is the strong community of public interest students and institutional resources supporting them and guiding them through career choices,” she said. “We’re going to tell you all about how you can practice law for the greater good, anywhere you go. And then you’re going to use your autonomy to go and make the choice that best fits your values and goals. Our community, the students, and our office are going to provide you the resources to guide you through the decision.”
Clinics and Classes for Public Interest Law Students
Vanderbilt Law offers multiple courses that help students prepare for the public interest sector, covering subjects such as equality, access to justice, and human rights. The George Barrett Social Justice Program and Criminal Justice Program sponsor public interest-specific short courses and events featuring guest speakers from the field.
The Public Interest Office also places a heavy emphasis on legal clinic and practicum experience, where students assume the role of a public lawyer under the mentorship of an accomplished faculty member. “One critical thing for public interest students is getting [hands-on] skills. It’s even more critical than if you’re going to a firm,” Assistant Dean Cruz explained. “In public interest positions, you have to be ready to hit the ground running. You’re going to go into public interest jobs and on day one, you may be going to court. So, you have to learn those skills, and anything clinical or experiential is really helpful.”
Public Interest Internships and Stipends
Recruiting for traditional law firms begins in October, so 1L students must quickly decide if they are going to pursue an opportunity in corporate law or wait to recruit for public interest roles in the new year. Assistant Dean Cruz highly encourages new students to use the flexibility and freedom of their 1L summer to explore public interest if they have interest in that field. Students can always use their 2L summer to cultivate relationships at an organization where they hope to land full-time after graduation, in public interest or corporate law.
Hands-on experiences in public interest are essential. As Cruz explains, “Public interest organizations look for smart, competent attorneys and want to know, ‘do you care about the population we serve? Are you going to treat them with respect, and do you care about our mission?’”
Many public interest internships and externships are unpaid, but financial assistance is available. Each year, 70-100 Vanderbilt Law students receive stipends to support their work in unpaid legal positions. The Garrison Public Interest Fellows program provides at least three Vanderbilt students full fellowships to support a summer experience working in unpaid positions at either a non-profit or governmental agency.
Recruiting Support and Job Opportunities for Public Interest Graduates
Law students can explore multiple paths in public interest after graduation. Some apply to fellowships to gain more experience and set up an opportunity for permanent employment, such as those offered by Skadden and Equal Justice Works (EJW). Each year, EJW coordinates the largest national public interest career fair, which connects law students with dozens of public interest employers and helps them build valuable connections for just-in-time recruiting.
When public interest-minded students feel nervous about waiting for openings while their peers accept offers from traditional firms, Cruz reminds them of the power of networking with potential employers. “Lawyers want to be helpful, especially in the public interest space. Call them, email them, have coffee with them, and that will help you. A lot of the magic happens that way,” she said.
“Vanderbilt is a great school,” she added. “We have great alumni, and we’re going to make a way for this to come together. It might take a little bit longer, but we’re going to do everything we can on our end to give you the resources and support you need to build a meaningful career in public interest.”
