By: Steve Grumm

Are you participating in public service career fairs this fall, or at least contemplating it?  Here’s some wisdom on making the most of career-fair opportunities from this month’s NALP Bulletin:

Public service job fairs are an excellent opportunity for students to interview and learn about potential employment opportunities. However, given the ease of the job fair application process, many students will submit their materials without much forethought. This large number of applicants increases competition for positions and face time with employers. For example, over 1,200 students from 200 law schools are expected to participate in next month’s Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair. Last year the event attracted approximately 117 employers from 27 states looking to fill about 140 positions—that’s tough competition!

Here are some tips and strategies to aid students in making the most of any public service job fair….

Read the full article, written by career counselors Ginna Galbraith (South Texas College of Law) and Samantha Kasmarek (Syracuse College of Law).

And don’t forget PSJD’s interviewing and networking resourcs, available on our Career Central page.

By: Steve Grumm

Just a heads-up on some 2012 analyses/opinions stemming from data about Millenials’ public service employment preferences.  Here’s a blog post from Government Executive:

 Zoe Grotophorst, an analyst with the Government Business Council (GBC), took [traits describing Millenials] and compared them against the Office of Personnel Management’s 2011 Employee Viewpoint Survey (EVS) resultsto compile a list of the federal agencies most compatible with what new grads are looking for in an employer. For instance, agencies that reported high levels of supervisor attention, feedback and recognition as well as work-life balance scored higher than those that didn’t. The only eight agencies that scored a 50 percent or higher are listed below:

1. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
2. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
3. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
4. Department of Commerce (DOC)

…

Read the full Gov’t. Exec.  post for the complete list and a link to the underlying report.

For many recent law graduates, the six-month grace period for student loan repayment is getting closer and closer. If you’re looking for guidance on educational debt management, Equal Justice Works is hosting a series of webinars on managing loan repayment while pursuing a career in public service.

The first webinar, titled “How to Pay Your Bills AND Your Student Loans: Utilizing Income-Based Repayment,”  is Thursday, September 13. For the full schedule, check out the message below from Equal Justice Works!

Educational debt has become a crippling burden for far too many, and especially for those who want to pursue careers in public service. Equal Justice Works provides in depth information on loan repayment assistance programs and relief programs like Income-Based Repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness to help everyone pursue the career of their dreams.

As part of this continuing work, we’ve created a free manual that details how these programs work and covers the basics of student loans and repayment options. Click here to download your free copy.

 As always, our weekly U.S. News blog the Student Loan Range was full of in-depth and timely information. Among other things, we took a look at the report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s report on private student loans, reviewed law professor Brian Tamanaha’s controversial new book Failing Law Schools and warned students about campus debit cards.

 Every month, our free, live webinars also provide a comprehensive overview of the debt relief options available for students and graduates – including Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Income-Based Repayment – and provide viewers with the opportunity to ask questions. Click here to view a schedule of our webinars and to register for an upcoming session.

 Our current sessions include:

How to Pay Your Bills AND Your Student Loans: Utilizing Income-Based Repayment

Thursday, September 13, 3-4 p.m. EDT

Saddled with high student debt? This webinar reviews Income-Based Repayment, a powerful provision of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act that allows anyone with high debt relative to their income to reduce their federal student loan payments.

This interactive webinar will teach you:

• How to understand your federal loans
• How Income-Based Repayment works and if it is right for you
• How to sign up for Income-Based Repayment

 Get Your Educational Loans Forgiven: Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Thursday, September 20, 3-4 p.m. EDT

For recent graduates with jobs in government or at a nonprofit, this webinar explains how to make sure you immediately begin fulfilling requirements to qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness so that your educational debt will be forgiven as soon as possible.

You will learn about:

• The importance of having the right kind of Federal Loans
• What you need to do to qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness
• How long it will take to have your educational debt forgiven

 Drowning in Debt? Learn How Government and Nonprofit Workers Can Earn Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Thursday, September 27, 3-4 p.m. EDT

A must attend for anyone with educational debt planning to work or currently working for the government or a nonprofit, this webinar explains how you can benefit from the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, the most significant law affecting public service in a generation.

This webinar will teach you how to:

• Understand your federal loans
• Manage your monthly payments using income-driven repayment plans like Income-Based Repayment plan
•  How to qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness

[Editor’s note: “Expert Opinion” is a weekly feature which offers insight , opinion, and career advice from attorneys in a broad array of public interest positions.  This week’s post is an interview with Alejandro Reyes that was conducted by PSJD’s Summer Publications Coordinator, Maria Hibbard.  In the interest of full disclosure, Alejandro has bought your PSJD blog editor some great Thai lunches over the years.  Next one’s on me.  Thanks for sharing your experience and wisdom, Alejandro!] 

An Interview with Alejandro Reyes….

Alejandro Reyes is counsel at the Laywers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in Washington, D.C., where as a member of the Legal Mobilization Project he works on civil rights issues related to fair housing, voting, and immigrant rights. After hearing him speak on a panel at the Washington Council of Lawyers’ annual Summer Forum, I sat down to talk with him more about his path to becoming a public interest lawyer.  After graduating from the Howard University School of Law, he went on to complete an Equal Justice Works fellowship with Gulfcoast Legal Services and then worked as an attorney with Florida Legal Services.

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Can you give us a brief outline of how you advanced to the job you are in today? Was this position what you originally planned on doing, or was your career trajectory part of an evolving process?

No career is a straight line–although I started law school wanting to be a public interest lawyer, and specifically an immigration lawyer. I was teaching ESL classes in D.C., and one of the main problems that I saw among the individuals I worked with was that they were paying huge sums of money to firms to solve their immigration issues, even when they didn’t have cases. That’s when I started thinking about going to law school and getting more serious about the process. In law school, I did two summer internships that were immigration related and one civil rights policy internship, and they really solidified my interests. When I was getting close to graduating law school, I was pretty sure I wanted to pursue a fellowship–specifically an Equal Justice Works fellowship–and I started talking to my internship host at the time (Gulfcoast Legal Services) about the possibility of being a fellowship sponsor.

How did your contacts with previous employers, professors, and colleagues influence your job search, if any?

Talking to my supervisor at Gulfcoast Legal Services and others that I met through the organization helped define what my fellowship project would look like. Even though they had just secured another immigration-focused Equal Justice Works fellow and didn’t think they could sponsor another one, I was eventually introduced to the idea of doing a fellowship proposal based on farm worker and migrant rights.  Even though it was not what I was originally focused on, it was related, and it allowed me to do a fellowship at an organization where I wanted to be.

Generally, if you try hard enough, and you care about your work, you will succeed in public interest. The most important part, though, is to have advocates who have seen your work product, who care about you, and want you to succeed. Someone once told me to “walk away with powerful advocates” at every chance you get–so you need to find ways to have meaningful, continuing contact with your previous supervisors, professors or colleagues. Since the public interest law world is so small, you can’t do it alone–you need the support of others.

What experiences or internships did you complete in law school that helped prepare you for your work today?

Although I came to law school knowing what I wanted to do, I was inspired by studying the work of Thurgood Marshall and Charles Hamilton Houston in school. My internships in law school during both the summer and the school year shaped me more than anything else, though–there I was able to really see the work that I wanted to do in action and develop relationships. Going to law school, passing the bar, etc. were just requirements that were part of the path for me. 

Would you change your preparation for this position in any way if you had the chance?

If I had the chance to go back, I wish I would have known how important it is to build quality professional relationships. The advantage of reaching out to someone who works in an area in which you want to work is that they’ve done this before, and they therefore have years of experience in the area, so that they know how things work.

I also wish I would have better understood how legal services funding works. Where the funding is coming from, and how much is there, can really affect your ability to do your job–determine if your job even exists. Because of this funding uncertainty, there really is a lack of job security that is not there in private practice or in the federal government. You have to have very good reasons for going into this type of work–otherwise, there’s too many unknowns.

What advice would you offer to law students seeking a position in your area of practice?

There’s many schools of thought on this: the first says that you should develop a practice-specific resume, focusing intensely on one area so that you are the clearly the best candidate for a job. The second says that you should diversify and gain a wide variety of experiences. I’ve seen that a person who diversifies has to be a lot better at articulating a compelling story as to their motivations and goals, especially in interviews–otherwise, the individual who has focused on one area may come across as the better candidate.

 [Ed. note: Alejandro mentions the importance of professional networking as well as the value that his Equal Justice Works fellowship had in helping him carve out a career path.  Don’t miss PSJD’s resources on professional networking and postgraduate fellowships.  And email us at psjd@nalp.org with suggestions on how we can be most helpful to you.]

by: Ashley Matthews

Note: Click on the screenshot for a larger view.

During the job hunt, promising opportunities can easily get lost in the sea of available job openings. PSJD.org lets you to keep tabs – literally – on favorite finds during your job search, so you can access them at any time.

Your Favorites can be found on your personal homepage, under the heading “My Account”.

Just click on “My Favorites” to see your job listings, dream employers, saved searches, and most helpful resources.

If you see an employer that stands out among your search results, simply click the plus sign under the “Favorite” column. The color will change from gray to green, and it will immediately appear under “Favorite Employers”. If that employer has current job openings, there will be a green star next to the name of the organization.

To favorite that job as well, just click the plus sign under the “Favorite” column.

To add searches to your Favorites, click “Save this Search,” located above your results. A dialogue box will appear, with a request to create a Search Title.

After creating an easily recognizable name, this search can be found at any time under “Favorite Searches”.

PSJD.org’s Resource Center is a great place to look for information to aid your public interest job search. Divided into six categories for easy browsing, the library contains calendars, fellowship guides, information on funding opportunities, and more.

Let’s say you find “Project-based Fellowships: Tips From Those Who Know” to be particularly helpful while browsing the library. Just click the small gray banner symbol above the title, located directly next to “Printer Friendly Version”.

When you go to your Favorites page, the resource will be listed under “Favorite Resources”.

With all this information at your fingertips on your ‘My Favorites’ page, it would be a good idea to compile your favorites into a Jobs Spreadsheet. Check out this spreadsheet, created by last year’s PSJD Fellow Kristen Pavón, for guidance on keeping track of your job search using Microsoft Excel. Don’t forget to also set up email alerts to automatically keep track of job openings that may interest you.

Happy job hunting!

Hot off the presses is our 2012-13 Federal Legal Employment Opportunities Guide!  (It goes by the unfortunate acronym FLEOG; that’s why we tend to write it all out.)  The Guide offers a broad-based review of different career opportunities and paths to employment for law students and graduates who are interested in federal legal careers.  The Guide is a distillation of the key content from PSJD’s more extensive Federal Govenment Careers page.  We hope you find both the guide and online content useful. 

By: Steve Grumm

The ABA’s An Employer and Employee Guide to Public Service Loan Forgiveness, authored by student-debt experts (and public interest lawyers) Kelly Carmody and Heather Jarvis,  is now available.  The Guide contains the information needed to help public service attorneys and other employees with high educational debt take the steps to have their debt forgiven after ten years as a public service worker. Executive Directors  and HR staff are encouraged to take the steps listed on the first page of the Guide.  Those with high educational debt are encouraged to review the Guide and use the tools to put their federal loans in a position to be forgiven.

By: Steve Grumm

Two important Department of Justice application deadlines are today:

• The Attorney General’s Honors Program: the Attorney General’s Honors Program is Justice’s competitive, centralized recruitment program that is the only way for new attorneys (i.e., third-year law students and students who enter judicial clerkships, graduate law programs, or qualifying fellowships within 9 months of law school graduation) to enter Justice in an attorney position.
• The Summer Law Intern Program (SLIP) – law students who have completed at least one full semester of legal study by the application deadline are eligible to apply. Most successful applicants intern the summer between their second and third year of law school; however, graduating law students who will enter a judicial clerkship or a full-time graduate law program may intern following graduation.  Part-time law students are also eligible to apply. All applicants should review eligibility rules. 

ICAR seeks a bright and dedicated law student to work as an intern on a number of campaigns that address corporate accountability and human rights concerns.  

ICAR is a coalition of leading human rights organizations that harnesses the power of the human rights community to identify and promote robust frameworks for corporate accountability, strengthen current measures and defend existing laws, policies and legal precedents.

The intern will assist with various ICAR workstreams, including but not limited to:  creating and promoting international standards of human rights due diligence, promoting corporate accountability and transparency in labor and mineral supply chains, and working toward standards of liability for private military and security companies.  The intern must be able to attend meetings in Washington D.C. with our organizational partners and government stakeholders.

View the job listing on PSJD (login required).

[Editor’s Note: we are re-launching our Expert Opinion blog series!  Every Thursday the PSJD Blog will feature a post containing career advice and other information from a variety of leaders in the public interest community.]

Ten Tips For Nailing Prosecutor/Public Defender Interviews

By: Chris Teague*

This gentleman knows from whence he speaks.

At the 2012 NALP Annual Education Conference in Austin, TX, I moderated a program titled “Hypothetically Speaking: Preparing Students for Prosecutor and Public Defender Interviews.”  The panel featured Rory Stein (the Miami Public Defender), Jeremy Sylestine ( of the Travis County, Texas District Attorney’s Office), and Rachel Peckerman (of NYU School of Law’s Public Interest Law Center) and offered excellent advice on how to approach interview hypotheticals. The panelists stressed that applicants should be prepared to articulate clearly why they want to work as a DA/PD.  They also offered many tips for handling hypos.  Here are my top 10, along with a list of frequently-encountered themes: 

General Tips

1. Be wary of answering questions by stating that you would check with your supervisor.  Hypos are designed to see how you react when confronted with very difficult fact patterns.  While your gut reaction may be to immediately consult your supervisor for help, it is important that you avoid the urge to “pass the buck” and instead deal with the difficult situation head-on.  If you believe the circumstances warrant the involvement of your supervisor, it may be OK to say so, but make sure your answer doesn’t end there.  Elaborate on this response and give your own assessment of the facts.   
2. Show your work.  Even if your answer is wrong (keep in mind that some hypotheticals don’t have one correct answer), make sure to talk through your analysis.  The interviewer will likely give you credit for demonstrating a logical approach or asking thoughtful questions, even if you ultimately arrive at the wrong answer. 

Tips for Prosecutor Interviews

1. Remember that a prosecutor’s primary goal is to pursue justice.  While it is important to demonstrate your willingness to uphold the law and to request incarceration if warranted, some prosecutor’s offices will ask questions that test your ability to see the bigger picture.  Also keep in mind that prosecutors represent the state, not the victim.  The victim’s interests may not always be in line with the state’s. 
2. Don’t disregard the Constitution no matter how serious the crime.  A prosecutor should never condone the violation of a defendant’s Constitutional rights, even when doing so appears to be advantageous.  Always go with the ethical, Constitutionally-sound answer.  
3. Be on the lookout for exculpatory evidence.  This is a popular interview topic.  Some hypos may deal primarily with a prosecutor’s obligation to disclose exculpatory evidence.  But be aware that other hypos – ones that appear to address a completely different topic – may secondarily touch upon exculpatory evidence.  If a question mentions evidence that may be exculpatory, even if it seems like a minor part of the question, you should discuss that evidence in your answer.  
4. Demonstrate sensitivity with reluctant victims and witnesses at all times, even when their reluctance negatively impacts your case.  This does not mean that victims and witnesses should always control how you handle a case, but rather that their opinions and concerns should be addressed in an appropriate and considerate way. 

Some common themes you may encounter:

• Exculpatory evidence (Hint: If the interviewer gives you information that might weaken or impede your case, it might be exculpatory.)
• Handling a reluctant witness (Hint: Reluctant witnesses sometimes appear as a scared or recanting domestic violence victim, or as a victim with collateral concerns, such as immigration issues.)
• Role of the prosecutor (Hint: If the hypo concerns a victim with credibility issues or doubts about the case, a lying police officer, weak evidence, or a misidentification issue, part of your answer may want to demonstrate your understanding of the prosecutor’s role in pursuing justice.)
• Search and seizure issues (Hint: You may be asked to advise a police officer how to proceed with the investigation of a suspicious person who is suspected of carrying contraband.)

Tips for Public Defender Interviews

1. Always zealously advocate for your client.  Advocating for your client may negatively impact a victim or witness; that is OK.  Unlike prosecutors, public defenders must act in the best interest of their clients, not in the pursuit of justice. 
2. Caveat: While you are zealously advocating for your client, be sure that you do not violate the law or any ethical rules. 
3. Demonstrate that you are completely comfortable representing people who have committed crimes.  Some applicants focus on their interest in representing defendants who have been unjustly accused of a crime.  This is certainly a noble endeavor, but be aware that public defenders often must represent people who “did it.”  Regardless, all criminal defendants are innocent until proven guilty in the eyes of the law and deserve the best defense possible.
4. Recognize the importance of earning a client’s confidence.  You may be asked to role play a client intake interview or otherwise demonstrate your ability to communicate with a client and build trust.  Be prepared for the “client” in your role play to be withdrawn or possibly hostile.

Some common themes you may encounter:

• If your client has told you that he committed the crime, is it ethical for you to argue to a jury during closing argument that “the defendant is absolutely innocent of these charges”?  (Hint: A defendant is innocent until proven guilty.  An attorney can – and should – use the closing argument to present his or her interpretation of the evidence presented during the trial.)
• Clients changing his or her story (Hint: You may be asked how you would handle a client who initially denies the charges and subsequently admits guilt.)
• Strategy conflict with client (Hint: Be open to client input, but be ready to respond to a client who wants you to do something that you believe would be harmful to the case.

Visit PSJD’s Government Careers page for more resources on prosecution and public defense careers.  Good luck!

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*About Chris Teague:  Chris is Associate Director of Career Services at Boston College Law School, after a 10-year career as an Assistant District Attorney in boston and as a defense attorney.  He currently serves as the NALP Northeast Regional Representative and is a past Chair of NALP’s LGBT Section.  Chris is an active member of the Massachusetts Legal Recruitment Association (where he currently serves as Secretary) and the Massachusetts Law School Consortium, and he is a frequent speaker and author on a wide range of career- and technology-related topics.