Recap: Public Interest Job Search Program at NCCU Law
By: Steve Grumm
I dislike writing about myself, and I dislike pictures of myself even more. But I had a great time meeting with North Carolina Central University School of Law students last week, and my friend Phil Guzman at NCCU put up a blog post to offer the key points of my presentation. Thanks, Phil, photo notwithstanding.
As Phil notes, it’s important for job-hunting law students to remember that bad job-market news is what makes news. Media are not nearly as likely to cover the hiring of 10 public defenders as they are to cover the laying-off of 10 defenders. What does this mean? It means that job-seekers shouldn’t feel too disheartened if they encounter these bad-news items. The job market is tough these days – no doubt. But nonprofit and government law offices are hiring, and we are posting jobs on PSJD every day.
And while it’s tough to wade through bad news, following the news that affects public interest law offices is very important. Why? By following funding-related and other developments, job seekers will know where the jobs are. Jobs follow funding. So, for instance, state attorneys general throughout the U.S. have been channeling millions of dollars to civil legal aid providers so that they can serve clients with housing problems. This funding comes from a huge national class-action settlement pertaining to fraudulent foreclosure practices; almost every state AG was engaged in this settlement. So if I’m looking for a legal aid job, or if I’m looking to propose an Equal Justice Works or Skadden fellowships, I’m looking hard at the housing arena. (An easy way to keep up with national news is to look at my weekly Public Interest News Bulletin, published every Friday).
Phil also touched on the value of professional networking. That would require a much longer blog post from me. Suffice to say, check out our networking (thanks for sharing, Harvard Law) and other job-search resources on PSJD’s Career Central page.