Career Toolkit: Employment Sectors
Academia
| Type of Resource | Resource | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Blog | What to Do in Law School If You Want to Be a Law Professor One Day | At every law school, most of your classmates are not going to be legal academics. They are going to be lawyers. And law school alone will not be enough to turn you from a person interested in law into a future law professor. Plus, you’ll always have the option of working as a lawyer if academia doesn’t work out. So we should think of your law school choices as opening and closing doors. University of Chicago Law School Professors William Baude and Adam Chilton offer some choices to keep your door to academia open. |
| Site | Academia: Career Possibilities | Most often when law students first consider a career in academia, they think of being a tenured professor. If that’s your goal, you’ll want to review the following sections for more detailed information and advice on that path, including credentials, building your CV, and getting hired. |
| Blog | Preparing for a Career in Law Teaching | There are many paths to a career in academia. While some people know they want to become law professors before entering law school, many others do not decide to explore this possibility until they are already enrolled. Still others decide to become law teachers only after they have spent some time in practice. In this website, we explore pathways to teaching careers at the many schools that do expect candidates to produce scholarship in order to demonstrate scholarly potential. At points, we note variance in expectations among schools, and also offer advice about the special forms of preparation expected of applicants seeking appointment as clinical professors. |
| Article | Introduction to the Legal Academy | The overwhelming majority of law students both at Georgetown and elsewhere enter law school intending to become lawyers. A growing number of our students, however, decide at some point during or after law school that they might want to become a law professor, either after or instead of practicing law, for at least a part of their professional lives. Most of these students or graduates reach this conclusion simply because they enjoyed the law school experience more than they thought they would. They excelled on their law journal, both as a writer and an editor. They enjoyed seminars, and want to do more intensive legal scholarship. They find the classroom experience exciting, and hope to engage it more fully, as a teacher rather than a student. They loved participating in a clinic, and want to create similar experiences for future students. They find law to be an interesting field of study. For whatever reasons, some law students and graduates begin to seriously contemplate the possibility of teaching law at some point in their careers. If you find yourself in this group, then this page, written by Georgetown Law Professor Robin West, is designed for you. |
| Guide | Entering the Law Teaching Market | The work of a law professor combines research, writing, and teaching, infused with a strong dose of autonomy. For those in clinical teaching it adds the rewards of direct client services. This combination creates a highly appealing mix for many people, including many YLS graduates. In fact, YLS graduates represent a meaningful percentage of all law faculty. This means that YLS alumni are law professors in every conceivable subject at institutions in every area of the globe. In our surveys of our alumni, law professors consistently report a high degree of satisfaction in their work. Yet law teaching is not for everyone. In this guide, the Yale Law School Career Development Office tries to help you evaluate whether this world fits you, explain the law teaching market, and provide some concrete advice on how to enter it. |
| Video (60 mins) | Paths to Legal Academia | Have you ever thought about becoming a law professor? How do you know if you’re well suited for it? What kinds of professorships are available and how does one become a candidate for them? As law schools become more diverse environments, the need for more inclusive law faculties increases as well. Don’t count yourself out before you learn more about it. Join the American Constitution Society National and the American Constitution Society’s Yale Law School Student Chapter for a conversation about the various paths to legal academia, the bumps along the way to look out for, and what you can do to prepare yourself. |
| Book | Unequal Profession: Race and Gender in Legal Academia | Comparing the professional and personal experiences of women of color professors with white women, white men, and men of color faculty from assistant professor through dean emeritus, Unequal Profession explores how the race and gender of individual legal academics affects not only their individual and collective experience, but also legal education as a whole. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative empirical data, Professor of Law Meera E. Deo reveals how race and gender intersect to create profound implications for women of color law faculty members, presenting unique challenges as well as opportunities to improve educational and professional outcomes in legal education. Deo shares the powerful stories of law faculty who find themselves confronting intersectional discrimination and implicit bias in the form of silencing, mansplaining, and the presumption of incompetence, to name a few. Through hiring, teaching, colleague interaction, and tenure and promotion, Deo brings the experiences of diverse faculty to life and proposes a number of mechanisms to increase diversity within legal academia and to improve the experience of all faculty members. |
| Podcast | Transitioning from Law Firm Partner to Tenure-Track Academia | Liz Brown was a patent litigation partner at a prominent intellectual property law firm when she took a career after her daughter was born. She used her time off to evaluate what career success meant to her at this new juncture. An invitation to teach one class as an adjunct professor of business law at Bentley University ultimately led to a tenure-track position. In her “free time,” Liz also wrote and published her book, ‘Life After Law: Finding Work You Love with the J.D. You Have,” and advises other attorneys looking for alternate careers to traditional law practice. The podcast is also available on Apple and Spotify. |
| Podcast | The Life of a Law Professor | When you think of a law professor you probably imagine whiteboards, textbooks, and a red pen, but the life of a law professor is often not confined to the classroom. In this episode of the ABA Law Student Podcast, host Caitlin Peterson talks to University of Toledo Professor Benjamin Davis about his experience as a law professor including the process of research, the important experiences he gained through his ABA membership, and what makes his job so fun. He also shares advice to law students about how to foster a relationship with a professor and the advantages of such a relationship. |
| Video (53 mins) | So You Want to Become a Law Professor? | UVA Law professors and members of the Academic Placement Committee Kimberly J. Robinson and Richard C. Schragger discuss careers in teaching law and answer questions about the path to becoming a law professor. |
| Site | The Association of American Law Schools: Advancing Excellence in Legal Education | Founded in 1900, the mission of the Association of American Law (AALS) is to uphold and advance excellence in legal education. In support of this mission, AALS promotes the core values of excellence in teaching and scholarship, academic freedom, and diversity, including diversity of backgrounds and viewpoints, while seeking to improve the legal profession, to foster justice, and to serve its many communities–local, national and international. AALS serves as a voice on behalf of legal education. The association’s website features the latest news and issues related to legal education and showcases outstanding faculty and innovative programs at AALS member schools. AALS also connects the legal community and public on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. |
| Podcast | The Legal Academy | The Legal Academy is a show about law professors hosted by Professor Orin Kerr of the University of California, Berkeley Law School. It covers legal scholarship, the hiring market, teaching, and everything else that law professors care about. Every week features an interview with a leading law professor. The podcast is available on YouTube, Apple, and Spotify. |
| Podcast | The History of Women Law School Professors | In the latest episode of The Jabot, Kathryn Rubino interviews Patricia Cain, the editor of Paving the Way: The First American Women Law Professors. The book, written by Herma Hill Kay, details the lives of the first 14 female law professors. Patricia also discuss the twists and turns of her life and career: from going to law school, being part of a circus troupe, to starting a career in the legal academia. Patricia highlights her experiences not only as a teacher but also her experiences in law school. She also shares the best lessons she learned, especially for those who want to start a life in legal academia. |
Federal Government
| Type of Resource | Resource | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Article | How to Get an Attorney Job with the Federal Government | |
| Website | Careers in Federal Government | As PSJD notes, at first glance, seeking and applying for federal jobs can be quite overwhelming. The site offers resources to help you find a federal government position, titles and terminology for federal hiring and security clearances and citizenship requirements. PSJD is also a great resource for finding federal government jobs, applying for jobs, resume writing, narrative statements, and understanding changes to the federal hiring process. |
| PowerPoint | Finding and Applying for Jobs in the Federal Government | Check out “Finding and Applying for Jobs in the Federal Government,” a PowerPoint presentation by the United States Office of Personnel Management. Alternatively, you can view the PowerPoint’s author deliver a presentation at Georgetown Law at https://player.vimeo.com/video/139591230. |
| Video | Administrative Law Job Opportunities for Young Lawyers | Learn from the ABA Administrative Law Section about opportunities for lawyers to find administrative law jobs with the federal government. Panelists discuss how to find job openings, how to tailor your application to a job opening, and how to best present yourself in an interview. The panel focuses on young lawyers and recent graduates but is applicable to attorneys of all experience levels. Panelists include Sonya Y. Pass, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Senior Legal Counsel to the General Counsel and Sam Wice, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Special Counsel. |
| Book | Landing a Federal Legal Job: Finding Success in the U.S. Government Job Market | This book, written by lawyer Richard L. Hermann, is designed to give you the edge in pursuing a U.S. government attorney or law-related position over your competitors, but also to provide a solid understanding of the U.S. government’s legal employment opportunities and hiring processes so that you can make an intelligent decision about whether you want to work for―and where you want to work within―this giant legal system. |
| Website | Career Guide: Legal | This site provides a listing of the top agencies with legal employees. |
| Website | Federal Government Careers | Berkeley Law offers both general and agency-specific resources on federal government careers. |
| Website | Government Careers | The Lewis & Clark Law School put together its own “How to Get a Federal Attorney Position” guide and also offers federal government resources. |
| Podcast | Fed Access | From how to win government jobs and contracts, to effectively managing your government career, learning about interesting federal agencies, workers and jobs, and best utilizing government services, host Derrick Dortch explores the world of federal government and provides you the access needed to succeed. |
| Podcast | Public Service Careers- Careers in Federal Government | Throughout the academic year, the Rappaport Center for Law and Public Service offers a wide spectrum of career development programs and informational sessions relating to public service. Programs have included Careers in Government, Applying for Federal Government Jobs, Becoming a Prosecutor, How to Have a Successful Summer, Federal Loan Forgiveness, Department of Justice Information Session, and Charting Your Public Service Career. |
| Digital Magazine | GovExec | Government Executive is government’s business news daily and the premier digital destination for senior leaders in the federal government’s departments and agencies. Its readers are the high-ranking civilian and military officials who are responsible for defending the nation and carrying out the laws that define the government’s role in our economy and society. |
| Podcast | Navigating the Federal Job Hiring Maze | Join Kathryn Kraemer Troutman, Federal Career Coach, the founder and president of The Resume Place, Inc., a service business located in Baltimore, MD, specializing in writing and designing professional federal and private-sector resumes, as well as coaching and education in the federal hiring process. For the past 30 years, Troutman has managed her Professional Writing and Consulting Practice, Publishing and Federal Career Training business, and with her team of 20 Certified Federal Resume Writers, The Resume Place advises and writes more than 300 federal resumes per month for military, private industry and federal clients world-wide. |
| Radio Station | Federal News Network | Federal News Network is the key source of breaking news, information and analysis for the people who support the missions of federal agencies. Federal News Network addresses federal agency managers, policy makers and contractors. Its mission is to help federal managers meet their mission. News coverage is non-partisan, non-political and designed to help executives more clearly understand and make better decisions about issues affecting their agencies and their companies. Federal News Network broadcasts on 1500 AM throughout the Greater Metropolitan Washington area. FederalNewsNework.com distributes government-to-government and business-to-government news and information worldwide. Federal News Network features the talents of some of the most respected federal journalists in the community. The Federal Drive with Tom Temin airs weekdays from 6-10 a.m. and 3-7 p.m. Our reporters, Jason Miller, Jared Serbu, Nicole Ogrysko, Scott Maucione , Jory Heckman and Senior Correspondent Mike Causey, make Federal News Network an up-to-the-minute source of news and information. |
| Podcast | Government Jobs and Public Service Careers | If you want a job that lets you make a difference in the world you’ll likely consider a career in public service. Government jobs–at the local, state or federal level–can offer you the opportunity to address issues that matter, such as education, the environment, and homelessness. You can find positions suited to every interest and skill, from art history to zoology. And the work itself can be gratifying. But getting government jobs can be challenging. The application process usually requires patience and persistence. And managing a career in public service requires thoughtful planning. Mac Prichard speaks with Kirsten Wyatt, co-founder and executive director of Emerging Local Government Leaders. Kirsten is passionate about helping talented professionals enter the public service sector and shares her tips for anyone looking to get a job in government. |
| Podcasts | 10 Great Podcasts for Government Employees | Some of these podcast will make you better at your job. Some will inform you about current events and policy. Some are just fascinatingly educational. |
| Website | GovLoop | GovLoop connects government to improve government, aiming to inspire public sector professionals to better service by acting as the knowledge network for government. GovLoop serves a community of more than 300,000 government leaders by helping them to foster collaboration, learn from each other, solve problems and advance in their government careers, through a variety of mechanisms, including: in-depth editorial reporting and research about topics at the intersection of management and technology; news coverage of issues and events that are pertinent to the government community; weekly online trainings and self-paced courses; speaking engagements; leadership programs, and more. GovLoop also works with top industry partners, such as ESRI, HP, Microsoft and IBM, to provide resources and tools, such as infographics, market trend reports and educational events for public-sector professionals. |
| Job Board | USAJobs | USAJOBS connects job seekers with federal employment opportunities across the United States and around the world. As the Federal Government’s official employment site, USAJOBS helps the right people find the right jobs. |
| Job Board | PSJD | PSJD is a unique online clearinghouse for law students and lawyers to connect with public interest job listings and career-building resources. Created in 1989 at NYU Law, PSJD has been maintained by the National Association for Law Placement (NALP) as one of its Public Service Initiatives since 2003. As a collaborative project among over 200 American and Canadian law schools, PSJD is a free resource for law students and alumni of our subscriber schools to search among thousands of public interest job opportunities and employer profiles. Public service employer organizations may also post job opportunities for free. In addition to its database, PSJD offers an online library of educational and career-building resources for those interested in pursuing a career in public service. These resources are publicly available to all website visitors. |
| Website | American Bar Association Government and Public Sector Lawyers Divisions | GPSLD provides publications, programming, and services designed for the unique needs of government lawyers; advocates for policies that benefit public lawyers; promotes professionalism; and recognizes excellence within the public sector. |
| Website | Understanding Government Background Checks | Yale Law School breaks down each step of the background check process. |
In-House & Corporate Counsel
| Type of Resource | Resource | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Blog | InhouseBlog | InhouseBlog is a news site focusing on corporate counsel and law department issues. It also includes job postings, guides, events, and blogs. |
| Job Board | GoInhouse | The GoInhouse job board focuses solely on in-house counsel positions. It is owned and operated by Law Department Solutions LLC, which also operates InhouseBlog, a news site focusing on corporate counsel and law department issues. Since 2009, the GoInhouse job board has generated millions of pageviews by candidates looking for everything from general counsel jobs to corporate counsel positions. The niche focus helps GoInHouse deliver results – and feature in-house counsel jobs from companies in the Fortune 100 to the latest start-ups looking for their first in-house attorney. |
| Website | Association of Corporate Counsel | ACC is a global legal association that promotes the common professional and business interests of in-house counsel who work for corporations, associations, and other organizations through information, education, networking, and advocacy. |
| Journal | Corporate Counsel Business Journal | For more than 25 years, general counsel and other members of the in-house legal community have relied on Corporate Counsel Business Journal for leading-edge information tailored to their specific needs. CCBJ’s model, focused on service, not profits, proved potent. It is built on the common ground shared by multiple constituencies: the world’s leading corporate law departments; outside counsel from elite law firms; innovative companies with products and services designed to help corporate law departments serve their clients more efficiently and effectively; and various individuals and groups, including educators, businesspeople, bar associations, legal foundations, and civil justice reform advocates, with agendas shared by GCs and their in-house teams. Unlike other publications catering to the in-house bar, CCBJ cuts through the noise, eschewing glitz and gossip, to deliver timely, in-depth content with a laser focus on serving the interests of its partners. |
| News Site | General Counsel News | GeneralCounselNews provides news, content and announcements to its core audience of general counsel, executives, other in-house attorneys and private practice attorneys throughout the United States. Its Knowledge Hub of free downloadable content, which is separated by topic, includes white papers, webinars, product guides, case studies, industry analysis, and much more, provided by experts and vendors within the legal industry. |
| Website | Today’s General Counsel | Today’s General Counsel is a multi-platform source of content curated daily, webinars, a monthly magazine with content submitted by practitioners, e-mail newsletters and co-branded email blasts for the legal department, c-suites, risk and compliance managers in corporations. |
| Article | On the Inside Looking Out: Thoughts on the Pros and Cons of Life as In-house Counsel | Under Construction decided to find out whether the realities of life on the inside are as utopian as imagined. With the help of a (not entirely scientific) survey of the Forum’s Division 11 members and one-on-one interviews with distinguished in-house practitioners, they found out that the answer mirrors inside counsel’s least favorite research conclusion: it depends. They asked some foundational questions in order to see if there were any commonalities on the road to an in-house position, and some self-interested questions to see what outside counsel can do to improve the lives of in-house clients. |
| Book | The Corporate Counsel Survival Guide | Making the decision to pursue an in-house counsel position can be a daunting experience, in part because in-house positions are so different from working in a firm and can vary by company and industry. This is a must-read book for any lawyer considering an in-house position, offering valuable advice for a wide audience, from law students and recent law school graduates to current in-house counsel and those who are contemplating going in-house or considering a career change. Written by William E. Kruse, Regulatory Compliance Officer and in-house legal counsel at Gallup, The Corporate Counsel Survival Guide offers helpful insights into the unique aspects of serving as in-house counsel and provides a foundation for anyone who wants to learn more about in-house counsel life. But beyond the book’s wise counsel, the author’s witty and clever words make his advice fun to read and easy to follow. As he puts it in the Preface, this is a book that passes “on valuable advice for new in-house counsel that won’t bore anyone to death in the process.” |
| Website | American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division In-House Counsel Group | The ABA’s Young Lawyers Division is the national home for the new attorney, providing members tools to navigate the early years of a career, opportunities to build a national network of peers and mentors, and vital resources to help members grow personally and professionally. The In-House Counsel Group within YLD features articles and news relating to in-house counsel topics. |
| Website | Yale Law School In-House Legal Practice and Careers Page | Learn about in-house work, considerations for entering in-house practice, opportunities to consider, the post-graduate transition to in-house opportunities, and types of in-house practice settings. |
| Journal | American Bar Association Journal | ABAJournal.com is the website of the flagship magazine of the American Bar Association. The Journal includes articles relating to in-house counsel topics. |
| Association | Minority Corporate Counsel Association | The Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) is committed to advancing the hiring, retention and promotion of diverse lawyers in law departments and law firms by providing research, best practices, professional development and training; and through pipeline initiatives. |
| Guide | Becoming In-house Counsel: A Guide for Law Students and Recent Graduates | This guide from the Association of Corporate Counsel provides law students and recent graduates with information about the role of in-house counsel and how to pursue a career in that field. |
| Article | What I Wish I’d Known: Moving In-House | For the new in-house counsel freshly arrived from a top-tier law firm, the future looks bright. Equipped with analytical skills hewn from a rigorous academic and practical training, the eagle eyes of a seasoned risk-spotter, and the quick wits of a problem-destroyer, new corporate counsel could be forgiven for thinking that the time is nigh to relax into the kinder work-life balance that company life promises. But that first in-house role brings challenges that take many by surprise. New in-housers need to develop a different set of skills to manage the demands of having the client sitting outside the door. |
| Podcast | In-House Outliers | In-House Outliers is a legal podcast which will be interviewing those who have taken an unconventional path and challenged conventional notions on how in-house #legalops should operate today. |
Judiciary
| Type of Resource | Resource | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Website | American Bar Association Judicial Section | The Judicial Division (JD) is the ABA’s home to judges, lawyers, tribal members, court administrators, academics and students interested in the courts and the justice system. |
| Website | American Bar Association Resources | Learn how courts work with access to resources on legal procedures, steps in a trial, the human side of being a judge, and mediation. |
| Website | United States Courts Careers | Learn about the federal judiciary, including who works for the judiciary, benefits and compensation, and search judiciary jobs. |
| Website | Judicial Clerkships and Internships | The GWU Career Center assists students and alumni who are interested in pursuing judicial internships and post-graduate judicial clerkships. This page includes resources relating to state and federal opportunities. |
| Website | OSCAR | OSCAR, the Online System for Clerkship Application and Review, is a web-based system for federal law clerk and appellate staff attorney recruitment. OSCAR’s extensive set of features allows users to easily manage every aspect of the hiring process. Using OSCAR, applicants can easily apply to federal clerkships (chambers, pro se, death penalty, and bankruptcy appellate panel) and staff attorney positions; law school administrators and recommenders can help students, graduates, and law professionals advance their careers; and judges, chambers staff, and staff attorney offices can find the candidates most suited to their needs. |
| Website | U.S. Supreme Court Jobs | Learn about career opportunities, including internships and fellowships, at the Supreme Court. |
| Website | Employment Opportunities at the DC Courts | The DC Courts offer exciting careers in court administration. The court system enjoys a national reputation for excellence, and DC Courts employees have opportunities to work in innovative programs designed to enhance service to the community. The DC Courts provide staff training and professional development opportunities to foster the highest level of service to the public. |
| Video | So You Want to Be a Judge on the District of Columbia Courts? | Sponsored by the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission, this public forum provides information about the judicial application, nomination, and appointment process for the District of Columbia Courts, including the qualifications for judicial office. The panel consists of the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan, District Judge, United States District Court for the District of Columbia, the Honorable Joshua A. Deahl, Associate Judge, District of Columbia Court of Appeals; the Honorable Kelly A. Higashi, Associate Judge, Superior Court of the District of Columbia; and Addy Schmitt, Member, Miller & Chevalier, and Member, District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission. |
| Path to the Bench: DC Judges on What to Expect | Advice from judges for those interested in becoming a judge, but hesitant to apply. | |
| Video | Demystifying the Judicial Clerkship Application Process and Experience: Part I | Securing a federal clerkship can be a daunting task for even the best law students. Law students interested in clerking should not miss this rare opportunity to hear candid advice from prominent federal judges. |
| Video | Demystifying the Judicial Clerkship Application Process and Experience: Part II | Interested in clerking in a federal specialty court like Bankruptcy, Administrative Law, or Tax Court? Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear candid advice from prominent federal judges on how to secure a clerkship. |
| Video | A Day in the Life of a Federal Law Clerk | Law students and lawyers are encouraged to pursue federal clerkships; however, no one explains exactly what a job or career as a federal law clerk entails. Expanding on the program “Demystifying the Judicial Clerkship Application Process and Experience,” our panel of federal law clerks and a federal judge share their insights and discuss the day-to-day responsibilities and experiences of a federal law clerk. Law students and lawyers interested in pursuing a federal clerkship will hear candid advice from federal law clerks and a federal judge about what the day-to-day responsibilities and obligations of a federal law clerk entail; what kinds of challenges one might experience as a federal law clerk; what skills and benefits one might experience as a federal law clerk; how one should develop his or her legal skills to prepare for a federal clerkship; and what practical information one needs to know about becoming a successful federal law clerk. |
| Podcasts | Gavel Talks | Gavel Talks is an audio and video library, exploring best practices and judicial advice on topics of professional development for judges, lawyers and law students. |
| Podcast | Judgment Calls | Judgment Calls is a podcast hosted by David F. Levi, director of the Bolch Judicial Institute, former dean of Duke Law, and former Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. In Judgment Calls, Levi interviews judges about their work, their lives, and the challenges and opportunities they see in their courts. |
| Podcast | Judge Wilhelmina Wright is the first African American woman to serve on the Minnesota Supreme Court. In this episode of the ABA Law Student Podcast, host Caitlin Peterson talks to Judge Wilhelmina Wright, who shares advice with young, aspiring judges about building confidence, taking responsibility, and overcoming barriers in their careers. She also shares what it was like growing up with the lingering effects of segregation and the support she found in her community. | |
| Website | National Association for Women Judges | Since its formation in 1979, the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) has inspired and led the American judiciary in achieving fairness and equality for vulnerable populations. NAWJ’s mission is to promote the judicial role of protecting the rights of individuals under the rule of law through strong, committed, diverse judicial leadership; fairness and equality in the courts; and equal access to justice. |
| Podcast | Women in International Justice | |
| Guide | Opportunities with International Tribunals and Foreign Courts | Since its formation in 1979, the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) has inspired and led the American judiciary in achieving fairness and equality for vulnerable populations. NAWJ’s mission is to promote the judicial role of protecting the rights of individuals under the rule of law through strong, committed, diverse judicial leadership; fairness and equality in the courts; and equal access to justice. |
Lobbying & Politics
| Type of Resource | Resource | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Guide | Working on Capitol Hill | Yale Law School Career Development Office created a comprehensive guide on work on the hill, including political positions, non-political positions, and executive offices; resources; and personal narratives from alumni and students. |
| Association | The Advocacy Association | The Advocacy Association serves as the premiere, non-partisan organization for advocacy professionals throughout the country. It provides professionals with free or low-cost educational and networking events, as well as an arena for thought leadership and the development of resources to benefit our community. |
| Article | Recent JDs Offer Insider Tips on Thriving on Capitol Hill | At the Spring Conference of the ABA Young Lawyers Division, held May 2-4 in Washington, D.C., four congressional staffers shared their experiences using their law degrees on Capitol Hill. |
| Job Board | Jobs: TheHill | This is The Hill’s job board. |
| Website | Government Relations Careers | Georgetown University’s guide to government relations jobs in DC, including those in lobbying, politics, and government. |
| Book | Insiders Talk: How to Get and Keep Your First Lobbying Job | Why do I want to be a lobbyist? Do I really know what the job is all about? How do I get hired? This small book by Robert L. Guyer prepares aspiring lobbyists to deal with career-defining questions before investing all their dreams, time, and work it takes to find a job. |
| eBook | Guide To Careers in Government Relations, Communications and Advocacy | The Advocacy Asssociation’s second eBook is a collection of articles from top advocacy and lobbying professionals on a variety of topics related to digital and remote grassroots recruitment and mobilization specially tailored for the unprecedented circumstances prompted by the COVID-19 epidemic. Readers will gain fresh ideas and real world applications of Advocacy tactics that can be replicated for corporate, association, and non-profit organizations during COVID-19 and beyond |
| Guide | House Office of the Legislative Counsel Guide to Legislative Drafting | Welcome to the House Office of the Legislative Counsel Guide to Legislative Drafting. The purpose of this online guide is to provide an overview of the drafting style and conventions used by the House Office of the Legislative Counsel in order to facilitate communication and collaboration between the attorneys of the Office and their clients. |
Nonprofit & Legal Aid
| Type of Resource | Resource | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Website | Careers with Nonprofit Organizations | The vast majority of public interest law jobs are found in the nonprofit and government sectors. Within the nonprofit sector, the practice settings you can work in and the issues you can focus on lie along an extraordinarily broad spectrum. From lobbying to litigating, from work in a big city to work in remote regions abroad, from hands-on work with the impoverished to protecting civil liberties through appellate advocacy, there is a near-infinite amount of rewarding work to be found in the nonprofit sector. This websites includes a few examples of the types of work that public interest attorneys perform with nonprofit organizations, as well as thousands of nonprofit job postings. |
| Website | American Bar Association Legal Services Division | The Legal Services Division’s mission is to support and expand access to justice for all persons through the provision of, and appropriate funding for, legal assistance, counsel, and representation in the nation’s civil, criminal, and military justice systems. |
| Guide | A Guide to Pursuing Work in Legal Services/Legal Aid | This Harvard Law School guide describes life as a legal services lawyer, provides information on salary, hiring trends, and finding a position, and offers personal narratives from legal aid lawyers. |
| Blog | Nonprofit Law Blog | A compilation of articles, Tweets, and more relating to nonprofit law. |
| Publication | Lawyers Leading Nonprofits | Stanford Lawyer features a number of alumni who discuss their careers in nonprofits. |
| Council | National Council of Nonprofits | The National Council of Nonprofits is a trusted resource and proven advocate for America’s charitable nonprofits. Connecting the policy dots across all levels and branches of governments, the Council of Nonprofits keeps nonprofits informed and empowered to create a positive public policy environment that best supports nonprofits in advancing their missions. Working with and through the nation’s largest network of nonprofits – with 25,000-plus organizational members – it identifies emerging trends, shares proven practices, and promotes solutions that benefit charitable nonprofits and the communities they serve. |
| Network | Young Nonprofits Professionals Network | YNPNdc is a community of forward-thinking and inspired nonprofit professionals who are effecting change. It offers networking, professional development, mentorship, advocacy opportunities, and more. Membership is open to all. YNPNdc is an independent 501(c)(3) organization, affiliated with the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN), which serves more than 50,000 members and includes chapters in more than 40 cities. |
| Video | Is a Legal Aid Lawyer’s Work all Stress and Distress? | How can one delete the retinal images of child abuse after a case has ended? At what personal cost is that work undertaken? A lecture by Jo Delahunty QC, Gresham Professor of Law 6 June 2019. Over the course of her Professorship, Professor Delahunty has striven to talk openly about the way in which the Family Court deals with emotive and challenging issues such as sexual abuse, child death in infancy, child neglect and child exploitation. At what personal cost is that work undertaken? How can one delete the retinal images of abuse after the case has ended? |
Private Practice
| Type of Resource | Resource | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Website | Careers with Nonprofit Organizations | The vast majority of public interest law jobs are found in the nonprofit and government sectors. Within the nonprofit sector, the practice settings you can work in and the issues you can focus on lie along an extraordinarily broad spectrum. From lobbying to litigating, from work in a big city to work in remote regions abroad, from hands-on work with the impoverished to protecting civil liberties through appellate advocacy, there is a near-infinite amount of rewarding work to be found in the nonprofit sector. This websites includes a few examples of the types of work that public interest attorneys perform with nonprofit organizations, as well as thousands of nonprofit job postings. |
| Website | American Bar Association Legal Services Division | The Legal Services Division’s mission is to support and expand access to justice for all persons through the provision of, and appropriate funding for, legal assistance, counsel, and representation in the nation’s civil, criminal, and military justice systems. |
| Guide | A Guide to Pursuing Work in Legal Services/Legal Aid | This Harvard Law School guide describes life as a legal services lawyer, provides information on salary, hiring trends, and finding a position, and offers personal narratives from legal aid lawyers. |
| Video | Nonprofit Law Blog | A compilation of articles, Tweets, and more relating to nonprofit law. |
| Guide | Lawyers Leading Nonprofits | Stanford Lawyer features a number of alumni who discuss their careers in nonprofits. |
| Publication | National Council of Nonprofits | The National Council of Nonprofits is a trusted resource and proven advocate for America’s charitable nonprofits. Connecting the policy dots across all levels and branches of governments, the Council of Nonprofits keeps nonprofits informed and empowered to create a positive public policy environment that best supports nonprofits in advancing their missions. Working with and through the nation’s largest network of nonprofits – with 25,000-plus organizational members – it identifies emerging trends, shares proven practices, and promotes solutions that benefit charitable nonprofits and the communities they serve. |
| Publication | Young Nonprofits Professionals Network | YNPNdc is a community of forward-thinking and inspired nonprofit professionals who are effecting change. It offers networking, professional development, mentorship, advocacy opportunities, and more. Membership is open to all. YNPNdc is an independent 501(c)(3) organization, affiliated with the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN), which serves more than 50,000 members and includes chapters in more than 40 cities. |
| Website | Is a Legal Aid Lawyer’s Work all Stress and Distress? | How can one delete the retinal images of child abuse after a case has ended? At what personal cost is that work undertaken? A lecture by Jo Delahunty QC, Gresham Professor of Law 6 June 2019. Over the course of her Professorship, Professor Delahunty has striven to talk openly about the way in which the Family Court deals with emotive and challenging issues such as sexual abuse, child death in infancy, child neglect and child exploitation. At what personal cost is that work undertaken? How can one delete the retinal images of abuse after the case has ended? |
| Website | Careers with Nonprofit Organizations | The vast majority of public interest law jobs are found in the nonprofit and government sectors. Within the nonprofit sector, the practice settings you can work in and the issues you can focus on lie along an extraordinarily broad spectrum. From lobbying to litigating, from work in a big city to work in remote regions abroad, from hands-on work with the impoverished to protecting civil liberties through appellate advocacy, there is a near-infinite amount of rewarding work to be found in the nonprofit sector. This websites includes a few examples of the types of work that public interest attorneys perform with nonprofit organizations, as well as thousands of nonprofit job postings. |
| Book | American Bar Association Legal Services Division | The Legal Services Division’s mission is to support and expand access to justice for all persons through the provision of, and appropriate funding for, legal assistance, counsel, and representation in the nation’s civil, criminal, and military justice systems. |
| Article | A Guide to Pursuing Work in Legal Services/Legal Aid | This Harvard Law School guide describes life as a legal services lawyer, provides information on salary, hiring trends, and finding a position, and offers personal narratives from legal aid lawyers. |
| Book | Nonprofit Law Blog | A compilation of articles, Tweets, and more relating to nonprofit law. |
| Website | Lawyers Leading Nonprofits | Stanford Lawyer features a number of alumni who discuss their careers in nonprofits. |
| Book | National Council of Nonprofits | The National Council of Nonprofits is a trusted resource and proven advocate for America’s charitable nonprofits. Connecting the policy dots across all levels and branches of governments, the Council of Nonprofits keeps nonprofits informed and empowered to create a positive public policy environment that best supports nonprofits in advancing their missions. Working with and through the nation’s largest network of nonprofits – with 25,000-plus organizational members – it identifies emerging trends, shares proven practices, and promotes solutions that benefit charitable nonprofits and the communities they serve. |
| Podcast | Young Nonprofits Professionals Network | YNPNdc is a community of forward-thinking and inspired nonprofit professionals who are effecting change. It offers networking, professional development, mentorship, advocacy opportunities, and more. Membership is open to all. YNPNdc is an independent 501(c)(3) organization, affiliated with the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN), which serves more than 50,000 members and includes chapters in more than 40 cities. |
State & Local Government
| Type of Resource | Resource | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Website | State & Local Government Career Resources | Just like the federal government, state and local government attorneys handle a broad range of legal issues and are housed in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. Think of any area of our everyday lives that is subject to government regulation – government attorneys are at work to craft policy, draft laws and rules, advise elected and appointed officials, and represent the interests of citizens in court.
Because each state and local government organization abide by individual jurisdictions and separate hiring practices, it is best to research each entity for details on different types of organizations, hiring policies, etc. Listed on this site are resources to assist in finding detailed information on each State and Local government organization. |
| Website | American Bar Association Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division | GPSLD provides publications, programming, and services designed for the unique needs of government lawyers; advocates for policies that benefit public lawyers; promotes professionalism; and recognizes excellence within the public sector. |
| Website | American Bar Association Section of State and Local Government Law | The premier association for lawyers involved in urban, state, and local government law and policy, lawyers in private practice, academia, the judiciary and government turn to us to access the latest expert information on issues that relate to their practice, and share ideas and best practices with colleagues in dealing with government agencies. |
| Guide | Careers in State and Local Government | Harvard Law School’s guide to state and local government. There are a wide range of exciting legal and non-legal positions available in state and local government. State and local government is a great place to get experience right out of law school, but there is also the opportunity to create a lasting, noteworthy career. This guide highlights numerous Harvard Law School graduates who have been influential and innovative in their state or local community and will introduce you to opportunities in state and local government, as well as provide information that can aid you in your job search. |
| Video | A Brief Introduction to the World of State Attorneys General | In this video, Professor James E. Tierney, former Attorney General of Maine, provides an introduction to the office of state attorneys general. His remarks are directed to lawyers and non-lawyers interested in the history, culture, jurisdiction and operations of state attorneys general offices. |
| Association | National Association of Attorneys General | The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) is the nonpartisan national forum for America’s state and territory attorneys general. NAAG provides a community for attorneys general and their staff to collaboratively address issues important to their work, as well as training and resources to support attorneys general in protecting the rule of law and the United States Constitution. |
| Video | The Modern State Attorney General: Power, Influence, and Ethics | A discussion of the legal and ethical issues raised in a series of articles in the New York Times by Eric Lipton on the close ties between attorneys general and industry interests. With Terry Goddard, former attorney general of Arizona and current Senior Counsel with Dentons’ Public Policy and Regulation Practice, and James Tierney, former attorney general of Maine and current Director of the National State Attorneys General Program at Columbia Law School, moderated by Stanford Law Professor Nora Engstrom. |
| Podcast | The People’s Lawyer | The People’s Lawyer is a biweekly podcast from NAAG that explores the role of state and territory attorneys general as chief legal officers and their work protecting the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution. |
| Blog | Day in the Life: A Local Government Lawyer | Gemma Pesce, Senior Claims Handler, Chartered Legal Executive Lawyer, at Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council, speaks to the Legal Solutions UK & Ireland Blog about what it’s like to work as an in-house lawyer in local government. |
| Blog | An alternative to the bottom line: why law graduates should consider a career in local government | Connor Smith, Clifford Chance Lift Intern at F-LEX sat down with Nick O’Neill, Governance and Legal Practice Manager at Wirral Council to learn more about his legal career in local government. |
| Article | Local heroes: 4 reasons to consider an in-house career in local government | Local government is far more than just bin collections and council tax. Paige Ferris-Bedward, an in-house lawyer at Milton Keynes Council, has four key reasons why you shouldn’t overlook the sector for your in-house career. |
| Article | What skills will local government lawyers need in the 21st Century | Are you a public sector lawyer and wondering what skills you should be concentrating on in order to be a success in the 21st Century? Chelsey Newsom, Manager and legal recruitment expert gives us some insight into the skills her clients often look for in local government lawyers. She offers her advice on what skills clients should be looking for in candidates, what skills candidates should be developing and how local government can ensure they are attracting and retaining the best legal talent on the market. |
| Podcast | Local Gov Life | ICMA is a nonprofit dedicated to advancing professional local government management throughout the world. Local Gov Life is a mix of stories, insights, and advice from local government leaders. |
| Podcast | Gov Love | GovLove is a podcast about the people, policies and profession of local government. From Mayors and City Managers to interns and everyone in between, we interview the people making a difference in their communities to learn about the great work being done at the local level. GovLove is brought to you by Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL). |
Think Tanks & Policy
| Type of Resource | Resource | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Website | Careers in Public Policy | A career in public policy will require you to combine your legal skills with good administrative and management skills. Most positions involve less direct service and more program coordination and planning, developing public information materials and advocating for social change. Public policy is issue-driven and virtually every career field has policy-related roles. There are a variety of paths into public policy work. Advocacy organizations, labor unions, and lobbyists work to influence and change policy. Think tanks conduct research and analysis on policy issues. Elected officials are the policy-makers who require legislative support from agencies doing policy analysis. And public administrators implement policy decisions. This site includes resources to help you find a policy position. |
| Website | On Think Tanks | Articles, resources, interviews, videos, job directory, and more on think tanks. |
| Website | Think Tanks & Public Policy Careers | Think tank, policy, research and advocacy organizations have opportunities for almost any policy interest or professional skill set. This list from Georgetown University is designed to help you identify employers that best suit your political and policy interests. |
| Website | Think Tanks and Civil Society Program | The Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) of the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania conducts research on the role policy institutes play in governments and civil societies around the world. Often referred to as the “think tanks’ think tank,” TTCSP examines the evolving role and character of public policy research organizations. Over the last 25 years, TTCSP has developed and led a series of global initiatives that have helped bridge the gap between knowledge and policy in critical policy areas such as international peace and security, globalization and governance, international economics, environmental issues, information and society, poverty alleviation, and healthcare and global health. These international collaborative efforts are designed to establish regional and international networks of policy institutes and communities that improve policy making while strengthening democratic institutions and civil societies around the world. |
| Website | Think Tank Research | Guide to a career at a think tank. |
The Committee welcomes feedback from the WBA membership about the Toolkit at careertoolkit@wbadc.org. If you have suggestions for resources to include, please use “TOOLKIT RESOURCES” in your email subject line.