The application for 2015 Equal Justice Works Fellowships is now open! Applications will be accepted through September 17, 2014. Please visit their website to learn more.

EJW is also hosting a free webinar next Wednesday, July 16, to learn more about the Equal Justice Works Fellowship Program and get application tips from the experts on our Fellowships Team. Immediately following the July 16 session, there will be a bonus webinar discussing medical-legal partnership projects, featuring Ellen Lawton of the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership.

Wednesday, July 16, 2 p.m. EDT:

• Webinar: Creating a Successful Application for an Equal Justice Works Fellowship
  Will cover how to prepare and complete a successful application. This presentation is intended for law students and recent graduates interested in pursuing a public interest legal career, as well as law school professionals who advise students on fellowship and other public interest career opportunities.

• Bonus Webinar: Building a Successful Medical Legal Partnership Project
  Ellen Lawton of the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership at GWU’s Department of Health Policy will offer suggestions and resources for engaging healthcare partners, understanding the legal and healthcare landscape, and building sustainable strategies into your project.

Register for both webinars on our website.

The Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia invites you to discover the PATH to becoming a public defender on Saturday, August 2, 2014.  If you are considering a career in criminal defense, this panel is for you.  This comprehensive program will give you a roadmap for achieving your goals, with frank discussions and insider tips not found anywhere else.  And the event is FREE.  Visit www.pdsdc.org for more information and to register.

Hosted by The George Washington University Law School, 2000 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 20052.

The Public Sector & Public Interest Attorney Salary Report is now available in the NALP bookstore!  It is THE definitive report on salaries in the public sector.  You can see median, average and middle ranges of salaries for employers by type, region, and years of experience.  There is also some great information about salary and benefits in the federal government.  If you are considering a career in the public sector, this is information you must have.

The Washington Council of Lawyers (WCL) will be offering their Fellowships 101: An Introduction to Postgraduate Public Interest Fellowships on Wednesday, July 9, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm at Georgetown University Law Center.

Information about how to register can be found on their website, www.wclawyers.org, or the direct link to the registration page is here:  http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e9bhzrgv5393ae5e&llr=eca9oegab.

This is an amazing and informative program.  If you think you want to apply to a post-graduate fellowship in your 3L year and you’ll be in DC this summer, you need to check it out!!!

by Ashley Matthews, PSJD Fellow

This is my fourth and final blog post in a series about my job-hunting adventures. You all may know me as the 2012-2014 PSJD Fellow, in which position I manage PSJD’s website and social media accounts.

Aside from the regular stress of looking for a job, I – like many other public interest law grads who scour PSJD for job vacancies – have to combat a dearth of available positions, an abundance of unpaid postgraduate opportunities, student loans, the bar exam, and a majorly competitive job market.

I’m writing this public diary so other recent law graduates know they are not alone. Looking for a job, facing rejection, and dealing with stress and anxiety can be disconcerting and isolating. So if I touch on something that has happened to you or someone you know, feel free to leave a comment! We’ll get through this together.

Entry #4: On Alternative Careers, Bucking Tradition & Following Your Passion

Since my last entry, things have been pretty busy around the PSJD office. As usual, my first priority was always making sure the site stays up-to-date with the latest public interest jobs and resources. I’ve learned a lot during my time here, but the whole reason I started this mini-series is because (cue tears) I can’t stay a PSJD Fellow forever! It’s temporary by nature and I knew it was time to start looking for the next step in my career journey.

I ended up not taking the bar in February, but this wasn’t that big of a deal to me (cue shocked gasp). I’ve always considered myself a journalist who snuck into law school, and knew that becoming a practicing attorney was not necessarily time-sensitive for what I want to do with my law degree. However, I still plan on taking the bar exam in order to do pro bono work, and I will still consider it a huge accomplishment when I finally do take it!

This brings me to the focus of this blog entry: I got “the job”! This is my last week as a PSJD Fellow, but I am staying in the public interest law community. My next position involves raising public and congressional awareness about access to justice for vulnerable communities in need of civil legal services. I’m very passionate about this work, and excited to get started!

“The dream job” means different things to all of us recent law graduates, but there is one thing I’d like readers to take away from this post: follow your passion, and don’t be scared to buck tradition. Every career trajectory is different. As law schools continue to diversify curricula and take on more multidisciplinary approaches to legal education, law students can start thinking about fresh and innovative ways to use their law degrees that may or may not involve direct legal services. If you can find an employer who understands the best way to use your unique skill set – which can include anything in addition to your legal knowledge – it could be a match made in non-litigating heaven.

NALP likes to call this phenomenon the “JD advantage.” It basically describes a situation where a law graduate nabs a position that highly values her legal training, and may even consider it necessary. The job description, however, does not usually require bar passage or an active law license.

This is great news for all the public interest law students, recent law graduates, and attorneys who are not fully committed to practicing law. We all know how competitively tight the legal job market can be, so opening yourself up to a wider array of career opportunities definitely doesn’t hurt. If you are absolutely dedicated to practicing, then by all means follow that passion! But if, like me, you are just as happy doing other types of work, don’t be scared to get out there and do just that. You can still use your skills you learned in law school to give back to marginalized or vulnerable communities.

Santa Clara Law has a great resource on their site all about non-lawyer jobs for lawyers. NALP also has advice from law graduates who chose not to practice law. PSJD posts JD-advantage jobs, which are usually housed in the “Law Related” and “Non-Legal” job categories.

The PSJD Fellowship is a JD-advantage position, and I received a lot of support in pursuing an alternative legal career path. My passion is using innovative communication strategies to increase access to justice. I am happily and shamelessly following that passion, even in the face of negative perceptions about my decision not to practice.

If you’re struggling with the decision of whether to practice law, I encourage you to think about what sets you apart and how you can uniquely contribute to the communities you wish to serve. As I get ready for this new step in my professional life, I am even more satisfied with everything that has led to this point – including law school!

As always, feel free to comment below or shoot us an email at psjd@nalp.org if you want to talk more about JD-advantage careers.

Even with unemployment still running high, the Federal Government is having difficulty hiring qualified employees.  In particular, the Federal Government is actively recruiting and hiring persons with disabilities.  If  you are such a person seeking federal employment, here is some specific guidance.

The Federal Government has a special (excepted) hiring authority for persons with disabilities called Schedule A.  You are eligible for Schedule A if you are a person with severe physical disability, a psychiatric disability or an intellectual disability.  You can find out more, including sample Schedule A letters and a training video on applying for Schedule A jobs, on OPM’s website.

Additionally, most Federal agencies have a Selective Placement Program Coordinator (SPPC) who helps management recruit, hire and accommodate people with disabilities. SPPC’s have many roles and responsibilities, including helping people with disabilities get information about current job opportunities, types of jobs in the agency and how these jobs are filled, and reasonable accommodation.  There is a nationwide SPPC Directory to help you get started.  Also, check out the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s LEAD (Leadership for the Employment of Americans with Disabilities) initiative to address the declining number of employees with targeted disabilities in the federal workforce. The goal for this initiative is to significantly increase the population of individuals with severe disabilities employed by the federal government.

The Federal Government has made hiring candidates with disabilities a priority.  If you are eligible, take advantage of their recruiting resources.  Federal agencies can be a great place to work.

Have you searched postgraduate fellowships on PSJD and wished you could see them on a calendar?  We’ve listened to your requests, and are excited to announce the Calendar is here!  Check out it and all the other great postgraduate fellowship resources in the Resource Center on PSJD.  Stay tuned for How-To’s on this convenient new resource coming later today!

by Ashley Matthews, PSJD Fellow

This is the third blog post in a series about my job-hunting adventures (and misadventures). You all may know me as the 2012-2014 PSJD Fellow, in which position I manage PSJD’s website and social media accounts. I love this job, but unfortunately my Fellowship is almost halfway over. Aside from the regular stress of looking for a job, I – like many other public interest law grads who scour PSJD for job vacancies – have to combat a dearth of available positions, an abundance of unpaid postgraduate opportunities, student loans, the bar exam, and a majorly competitive job market.

I’m writing this public diary so other recent law graduates know they are not alone. Looking for a job, facing rejection, and dealing with stress and anxiety can be disconcerting and isolating. So if I touch on something that has happened to you or someone you know, feel free to leave a comment! We’ll get through this together. So, without further ado…  

Entry #3: How do I find the time to look for a job?

This past Monday, I officially started prepping for the bar exam. It’s been everything I thought it would be: time-consuming, a tad bit stressful, and, at times, more than a little boring.

Since I’m working full-time while studying for the bar exam, I chose to take an online bar prep course to meet the needs of my lifestyle. Between viewing my classes online and flash-carding like nobody’s business, I usually spend roughly 4-6 hours a day on bar prep alone. The hours of 9am and 5pm belong almost exclusively to PSJD (no complaints here!). By the time my day is over, I am mentally exhausted.

And then, right before I shut my eyes, I remember that I still need to find a job. As I drift off to sleep, I know it’s too late to pop open my laptop and go job hunting. The mere thought gives me a headache.

This first week of working full-time, studying for the bar and job searching has opened my eyes once again to the importance of time-management. I haven’t felt pulled in this many directions since law school.

I’ve quickly realized that if getting the right job is a high priority for me, then I have to treat it like one.

Under this new time-crunch, I’ve created a weekly schedule that I try to stick to as much as possible. Now, sandwiched in between work, bar prep and necessary hobbies that help maintain my sanity, there’s about 30 minutes to an hour of job-searching a day.

I debated on looking for jobs only a couple of times a week, but I have learned the hard way that deadlines come and go very quickly. I use PSJD to add Employer Favorites or set up daily email alerts that send filtered jobs straight to my inbox every morning. (If you want to learn how to set up your own email alerts or add Favorites, email me at amatthews@nalp.org or check out this old blog post.) I also have a few go-to websites that I mentioned last week.

In terms of maximizing my job hunt, it also helps to have friends in high places. I’ve contacted a few old internship supervisors to let them know I’m looking for work. Previous connections may have internal leads on jobs that may not be circulating online. By the time most of us graduate, we have formed a pretty solid network of mentors, supervisors, colleagues and peers. These people may be our best bet to finding a job that is just right.

Be sure to check back next week for the next entry in the Diary of a Public Interest Law Job Seeker!

Ashley Matthews is the 2012-2014 PSJD Fellow. She is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Law and has a background in multimedia journalism, political science, and digital media management. She is very passionate about access to justice issues, global social entrepreneurship, and legally empowering low-income and marginalized communities.

by Ashley Matthews, PSJD Fellow

This is the second blog post in a series about my job-hunting adventures (and misadventures). You all may know me as the 2012-2014 PSJD Fellow, in which position I manage PSJD’s website and social media accounts.

I love this job, but unfortunately my Fellowship is almost halfway over. Aside from the regular stress of looking for a job, I – like many other public interest law grads who scour PSJD for job vacancies – have to combat a dearth of available positions, an abundance of unpaid postgraduate opportunities, student loans, the bar exam, and a majorly competitive job market.

I’m writing this public diary so other recent law graduates know they are not alone. Looking for a job, facing rejection, and dealing with stress and anxiety can be disconcerting and isolating. So if I touch on something that has happened to you or someone you know, feel free to leave a comment! We’ll get through this together.

So, without further ado…      

Entry #2: Where is my Dream Job?! On Passion, Persistence, and Not Settling

It’s no secret that the job market is pretty bad right now.

Trust me, I know from personal experience. Since my last post, I’ve been searching day and night for a legal job that is both suited to my unique skills and interests and  well-paying enough to maintain payment on law school loans and rent. (Not to mention other marginally important things, like food and water.)

At first, my internal dialogue while job-hunting sounds something like this: “Wow, I can just picture myself working [insert imaginary dream job here]. It’s going to be great! I’m going to use all the skills I learned while studying [insert undergraduate degree] AND my law school skills. I have so much experience in [insert areas of focus during law school internships], there’s no way I won’t find something that’s perfect for me.”

After about 72 hours of job hunting only to find an abundance of unpaid internships and fellowships, all that enthusiasm dries into a terse, “Does it pay?! No matter what type of law it is… I’ll take it!”

Deep down, I know that this premature logic is irrational and flawed for one main reason: I have to actually work whatever job I accept. Every day. And probably for a long time, if I don’t quit first. If I accept any job just because it pays, and not because I love what I do, I may find myself quickly regretting my haste. I’m one of those personality types that operates off of pure passion: if I love my work, I will always give it my all. If I don’t love my work, well… mediocrity is not beneath me. This is just me being honest, which I think is important to do while assessing your strengths and weaknesses while looking for new legal employment.

Accepting a job is a really big deal. In our desperation to find work, we may be tempted to jump at the first available opportunity. However, throughout this job-hunting journey, I am forcing myself to exercise caution, and make sure that I am applying to jobs that are well suited to who I am, both professionally and personally. I truly believe this will benefit me in the long run.

A long time ago, I committed myself to public interest law, so I know this is the field I want to stay in throughout my professional career. Finances may be a little rough at first, but there are all kinds of resources from PSJD, EJW and student loan expert Heather Jarvis to guide us through the financial turbulence.

And if it ever seems like I’m not finding enough job vacancies that match my specific interests, I just Google more and more job-search sites to widen the array of available opportunities. Here are my favorite job search sites for public interest law jobs:

1. PSJD.org – You should’ve known this would be first! As the PSJD Fellow, my full-time job is to look for public interest opportunities for law students and lawyers. If you don’t have time to pick through all the sites below, just register on PSJD and let me do the work for you.
2. Idealist.org – I’ve used this site since my undergrad years, and it never fails to offer a broad view of the social justice employment landscape. It also offers other law-related and non-legal positions, just in case you’re interested in widening the scope of your search.
3. NLADA.org – The National Legal Aid & Defender Association website has a great jobs section that posts civil rights and criminal law opportunities for public interest lawyers.
4. Indeed.com – This is a very, very general job search site, but they post a surprisingly good number of public interest law opportunities! The magic is in your search terms: make sure you are specific about the practice area you are looking for, and word your terms the way an employer would phrase them.
5. Your Law School – Don’t be shy. Contact your career services office and let them know you’re looking for work in a specific area. They may not know of a specific opportunity, but they will more than likely have a list of contacts who may have leads. Be nice and friendly and don’t forget to thank them, because it won’t get you any further in the job hunt to act excessively entitled. I know the job search gets rough, but remember: your career services office is there to help.

And with that, I continue looking not just for any legal job, but the right legal job for me. Don’t forget to check back next Tuesday for the third installment of my Job Seeker Diary.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

by Ashley Matthews, PSJD Fellow

This is the first blog post in a series about my job-hunting adventures (and misadventures). You all may know me as the 2012-2014 PSJD Fellow, in which position I manage PSJD’s website and social media accounts.

I love this job, but unfortunately my Fellowship is almost halfway over. Aside from the regular stress of looking for a job, I – like many other public interest law grads who scour PSJD for job vacancies – have to combat a dearth of available positions, an abundance of unpaid postgraduate opportunities, student loans, the bar exam, and a majorly competitive job market.

I’m writing this public diary so other recent law graduates know they are not alone. Looking for a job, facing rejection, and dealing with stress and anxiety can be disconcerting and isolating. So if I touch on something that has happened to you or someone you know, feel free to leave a comment! We’ll get through this together.

So, without further ado…

Entry #1: The First Rejection Letter

We’ve all been there.

You’re looking on a website (more than likely PSJD.org) and we see what looks like the perfect job. You read the job description, and each bulletpoint seems to describe you more and more. You’re already formulating your cover letter before you get to the application instructions.

But two weeks later, you still haven’t heard anything back. You twiddle your thumbs, you feverishly check your email. You tell yourself, “It’s okay – they were probably flooded with applications. I’ll hear from them soon.”

One month later, and the dread has numbed itself into a little ball of anxiety in the pit of your stomach. You sluggishly start looking at other jobs, but still hold out hope. And then, it happens. One morning, the potential dream employer’s email pops up in your inbox. Based on the non-descript subject line, you already know it contains bad news. You open up the email, and there it is: a cold, hard rejection letter staring you right in the face.

It happens to the best of us. No one is exempt from a rejection letter or two during their job-hunting career, but for some reason this doesn’t really take much of the sting away.

Earlier this month, I stared into my laptop at my very own little slice of reality. I had to take a couple of deep calming breaths. I needed to get myself together instead of replying with a snarky “It’s your loss!” e-mail before slinking off into the desert of legal unemployment and licking my wounds.

“Thank you for the opportunity,” I type. “If there’s anything I can ever help out with in terms of volunteering, let me know.”

A special note about public interest employers: It’s incredibly difficult to stay grumpy about rejection. The work that these organizations do is so important, I feel awful and selfish being angry about not getting hired. This is why I always offer to volunteer, even if not accepted for a certain position. It’s really about the clients, and  they are the ones who suffer by new attorneys swearing off public interest work just because of a rejection letter (or two… or three…). You gotta keep your eyes on the prize.

Anyway, after a couple of deep breaths, I wrote down a few principles I promised to stick by during my job-hunting adventures:

1. If it was easy, everyone would do it. And very rarely are things worth it when they’re easy. When we work harder for something (and in some cases, for a longer time), it will mean that much more when we finally get it – and we will. It’s only a matter of time.
2. Focus on the why and how. After a rejection letter, it’s very easy to sweep the entire ordeal under the rug and just pretend it never happened. Ignoring the rejection is a natural coping mechanism, but this was the best time to look at my cover letter or writing sample again – I may have missed something very important the first go round that, when fixed, could be helpful in landing the next job.
3. Don’t mope. This is the easiest thing to do after a rejection letter. Go grab some ice cream (or a glass of wine), talk to a good friend (or another glass of wine) and keep it moving (but no more wine!). After my first rejection letter, I just kept looking for more jobs – preferably more jobs just like the one I applied for but didn’t get. Job-hunting is a marathon, and we can’t get tired after rejection.

And with that, I say goodbye (for now) to that old rejected application and am now pointing my resume towards greener pastures.

The Diary of a Public Interest Law Job Seeker will be a weekly blog series. Check back next Tuesday for the next installment!