by Kristian Smith, PSJD Summer Projects and Publications Coordinator

This article is part one of a two part series about alternative public interest work. Check back next week for Part Two: Private Public Interest Firms.

When many law students and new lawyers are beginning to plan for their careers, they usually have to make a choice between working at a law firm or practicing public interest work. While law firms and public interest work are typically viewed as mutually exclusive, there are many ways for law students and new lawyers to do public interest work while still gaining training and experience at a law firm.

Many large, traditional law firms now have opportunities for attorneys to work on public interest projects while still receiving the training and resources that come along with large firms. With OCI and summer associate hiring fast-approaching, this is something for law students to keep in mind when looking for jobs.

Erica Knievel Songer, an associate at Hogan Lovells, has had a unique experience as a law-firm associate who has been able to spend much of her time at the firm working solely on pro bono projects. Songer said that Hogan’s pro bono practice has a rotation process for junior and senior attorneys to work solely on public interest work for a year at a time.  She said that she has been able to work on many different types of cases – from housing to voting rights – and that her firm encourages all attorneys to practice pro bono work. She said that doing public interest work at a law firm, as opposed to a non-profit or legal services agency, provides a wealth of resources that make it easier to make a difference in the lives of others.

Though Hogan’s pro bono practice is unique to their firm, many law firms offer similar programs or the opportunity for attorneys to practice public interest work.  According to the American Bar Association’s most recent Supporting Justice Survey, 89% of attorneys did at least some pro bono work in 2012, while 16% did 100 hours or more. Most of the lawyers who did pro bono work were in private practice, as compared to corporate or government lawyers.

For example, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, a large global law-firm, offers a fellowship program where a recent law graduate works two years as a Fried Frank litigator and then two years at either the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund or the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund.  Other firms, such as Gibbons and Hunton & Williams, also offer fellowships at their firms that focus solely on public interest work. In addition, many law firms offer summer associate programs that allow law students to split their summers between work at the firm and at a public interest organization, allowing students to get a taste of both types of practices.

For law students who are interested in this type of non-traditional public interest work, Songer said to really do your research. While she advises students to check out firms’ websites and the American Lawyer’s annual pro bono rankings to get a general picture of the firm’s pro bono work, she said to take it a step further. “The best thing to do is talk to people [at the firm] to see how the statistics and information on the website translate into real life,” she said. Songer advised students to ask about the type of pro bono projects the attorneys work on and how much time they are able to spend on those projects.

She also advises students who are interested in public interest work not to be afraid to make their interest known. She said it is okay to ask about the firm’s public interest work during an interview, but she also said to be prepared to talk about any public interest experience you have on your resume- whether it is actual legal work or a volunteer experience. And even once you are a summer or new associate, Songer said to ask to work on pro bono projects as well as projects for paying clients (in fact, it seems many firms encourage this). For those law students looking to gain experience to help get a job in this type of setting, Songer advises doing journal work to improve writing skills and working in a law school clinic to gain experience representing clients.

Stay tuned next week for Alternative Public Interest Part II!