NALP is pleased to release our first ever Public Interest Employment Market Snapshot Report.  The report is based on an online survey of public interest employers conducted in September.  The survey sought responses concerning:  (1) recent law student and law graduate hiring, (2) hiring expectations for the immediate future, and (3) employer advice for job applicants competing in today’s market.

The report’s quantitative data largely confirm what our own experiences and other forms of anecdotal evidence have shown us:  the economic recession had a serious, negative impact on public interest hiring, particularly in all areas outside of federal employment.  Further, in the wake of the recession, it will take time for many employers to achieve enough financial stability to bolster hiring. While not all of the news is positive, we hope that this modest-but-important first step toward a more data-driven understanding of the public interest employment market will be useful to public interest job seekers and employers.

Some useful data points on law student summer hiring trends and expectations include:

• Of the 128 respondents that did offer paid summer positions before the recession, 57% have reduced the number of paid positions offered.
• In Summer 2011, 72.0% of respondents anticipate offering the same number of unpaid positions and 11.5% expect to increase hiring levels for unpaid positions from Summer 2010 levels.

Key points on post-graduate hiring trends and expectations:

• At the time of the survey, 73.7% of respondents with civil legal services organizations, 78.3% of those with public defender offices, and 87.6% of those with nonprofit legal organizations reported hiring zero Class-of-2010 graduates.  The low hiring rates across low across various public interest employer types suggests continued freezes and reductions in hiring of permanent staff. (Advice for Class-of-2010 grads still seeking legal employment.)
• However, there is some good news on the horizon for Class-of-2011 graduates:  13.0% of respondents with public defenders, 9.7% of those with federal government agencies/offices, 9.5% of those with local prosecutors, and 8.3% of those with local government employers plan to hire more Class-of-2011 graduates than Class-of-2010 graduates.

In addition to the quantitative data, the report contains feedback from various types of public interest employers about what experiences/skills they wish to see from job seekers.  A few key insights include:

• Civil legal services providers look for a demonstrated passion for serving low-income communities and for direct experience interacting and working with low-income clients.  Civil legal service providers also highly value bilingual ability in their attorneys, especially knowledge of Spanish or of an Asian language.  (Check out our earlier post on Spanish immersion programs).
• Public defenders desire candidates with clinical and/or pro bono experience working with incarcerated and low-income clients.  According to one public defender,“previous experience in a PD’s office is always a plus for law students and a must for attorneys.”
• Nonprofit legal organizations look for a demonstrated passion about the organization’s mission and a diverse skill set that may include community outreach and exposure to nonprofit fundraising.

What were employers’ predictions for future “growth areas” in public interest practice?

Nicole Vikan is the Assistant Director for Public Interest and Government Careers at Georgetown Law Center’s Office of Public Interest and Community Service. Before moving to Washington DC, Nicole advised  students seeking employment in the private and public sectors as a member of Fordham Law School’s Career Planning Center and practiced law for five years as a criminal prosecutor at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.  Nicole’s NALP activities include service for the Public Service Section (Chair), LGBT Section, Newer Professionals Section (Vice Chair), and Bylaws Committee.  She has written numerous articles for the NALP Bulletin and participated on panels at the Annual Education Conferences.  Nicole received her J.D. from New York University and her B.A. from Carleton College.

Job Seekers from the Class of 2010 . . . You graduated in May 2010 and passed the Bar—congrats! But (as we all know) the job market is tight, and you’re still looking for a public interest job. What should you be doing as you look for that first legal position?

Volunteer. Find a pro bono position in a practice area of interest so you can meet professionals in the field, make a great impression for when the organization (or a similar employer) is ready to hire, and develop your legal skills.

Make ends meet. I know—this isn’t completely compatible with my first suggestion. But many organizations will be excited to have part-time volunteers, so you can work part-time in a non-legal position (bartending, holiday sales, LSAT tutoring, etc.) to pay the bills.  I understand that this can be a shot to the ego, and not what you expected when you began law school.  But you will get the job you want soon, and a few months from now you won’t care at all about what you did to stay afloat financially in those first few months out of school.

Handle your student loan debt. Yes, it’s painful to think about sometimes. But do not bury your head in the sand—defaulting on your loans could be a reason for prospective employers to reject your application. If necessary, find out your options for deferment on the Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid site. Learn about debt repayment options – including the Income Based Repayment (IBR) program – on the Equal Justice Works Student Debt Relief page and PSLawNet’s own Financing a Public Interest Career site so you know how different jobs will impact you.

Keep in touch. Write polite, friendly email updates to former supervisors, professors, and mentors to share your good news about the Bar Exam—and to tell them you’re looking for a job. Don’t ask them point-blank if they can hire you; instead, let them know what type of work you hope to find, provide an updated resume so they can see what skills you have developed, and ask them to please keep you in mind if they learn of a position that might be appropriate for you. Ask them if they know people in your field of interest who you can contact.

Which brings me to my next point: Meet more people in the field. Yes, that means NETWORK. Using your undergrad and law school connections, suggestions from family, friends, and professors, and online searching, make a list of two dozen people at various career stages in your practice area and location of interest. Write to at least two of those people each week to request informational interviews: Tell them why their background interests you and ask if you can meet for coffee to learn more about their work. Again, do not ask for a job, but do attach your resume.

Make a To Do list, with a timetable, so you make sure to send job applications and do personal outreach (i.e., networking) on a regular basis. Find affordable ways to reward your efforts—a long walk with friends, an item off the dollar menu at your favorite fast food restaurant, or a new library book, for example.

Take care of yourself and remember that you graduated into one of the toughest legal job markets in history. You shouldn’t despair and give up; instead, remind yourself that you are indeed a talented attorney, and in this economy it will take more persistence, patience, and effort to find that first job—but you can do it!

Visit PSLawNet for more job search fundamentals.