Public Interest Careers

University of Minnesota Law School students and alumni have embarked on a wide variety of public interest careers. Each summer, our students find summer positions in the public interest in the legal aid and advocacy organizations in Minnesota and throughout the nation. Our graduates have become VISTA/AmeriCorp attorneys, Equal Justice Works fellows, Skadden fellows, and staff attorneys.

Getting Started

Each member of the Career Center team is experienced in working with law students and alumni interested in pursuing public interest careers. Recommended resources include Equal Justice Works, PSLawNet, and the Minnesota Justice Foundation. Additional resources reserved for our students are available here.

Volunteer

Whether you want more exposure to a particular field of law, a larger network of contacts in the legal community or more personal experience, volunteering can be an integral part of your job search. The Minnesota Justice Foundation offers volunteer placements in nearly every area of the law, with commitment levels ranging from a one-day clinic to 20 hours per week.

Fellowships and Funding

A number of programs offer students and graduates working in the public interest the opportunity to gain financial support for a public interest internship or loan repayment.

Law Students

With summer fellowship and clerkship opportunities, students receive a stipend for a position at a public service organization during their 1L or 2L summer. Fellowship grants for our students are from a wide variety of programs and range from $1,000 to $6,500 per summer. Students may also earn funding for summer placements or school-year in the public interest through work study funding.

Our students have found fellowship opportunities/funding through PSLawNet, the Equal Justice Works Summer Corp program, the Minnesota Justice Foundation, the MJF student board Public Interest Clerkship (PIC) grants, Upper Midwest Human Rights Fellowships, and many other options.

Post-Graduate Fellowships & Funding

Postgraduate fellowships through international, national, and other programs specific to the University of Minnesota Law School offer a wide variety of opportunities for our recent graduates and alumni. Information about a wide variety of post-graduate fellowships can be found through PSLawNet and through the Career Center resources. Most recently, the Law School funded short-term post-graduate Robina fellowships for over 20 graduates in class of 2009. Our graduates find additional support for public interest careers through federal loan repayment assistance programs and the Loan Repayment Assistance Program of Minnesota (LRAP), which helps make public interest careers possible by assisting recent graduates with loan repayment. LRAP is supported by donations from the area law schools, firms, attorneys, and the annual Race for Justice.