Taking the Public Service Path
Service to Others After Law School
Whether students want to practice public interest law as a career or want to make pro bono work an integral part of their private practice, they will need to develop a set of skills while in law school that will enable them to be effective public interest or pro bono advocates. This section outlines some strategies and tips which students will find helpful. Note: although some of these issues apply less to those students entering private practice, the pro bono-centered lawyer will still need to acquire the appropriate client and practical skills to be an effective advocate, so much of this section will be relevant to the pro bono-centered lawyer as well.
Lawyers have a professional responsibility to engage in service to others. USC Law's long tradition of service to others reflects the spirit embodied by Model Rule of Professional Responsibility. As a result, USC Law encourages all law students to develop an ethic of service to others while in law school through the Office of Public Service.
Planning For a Career in Public Interest Law or a Pro Bono-Centered Practice
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First Steps: Career Services Office and Office of Public Interest
All first year students meet individually with a career counselor through the USC Law Career Services Office (CSO) for an initial career counseling appointment. From this point on, CSO will be available to each student for advice and counseling. The Director of Career Services Priya Sridharan is especially knowledgeable about public interest careers and opportunities and is greatly responsible for creating the public interest resources available to students interested in public interest law, either as a career or for a summer opportunity. To access CSO’s resources, please see the CSO Public Interest website here.
Another valuable resource at the Law School is the Office of Public Service (OPS) and its staff. As coordinator for externships, OPS has plenty of information on public interest organizations, both locally and nationally. Additionally, the OPS houses student evaluations of externship placements, both in digital as well as hard-copy format, which can be used by students to get background information on the kind of work that those public interest organizations do. Finally, the OPS staff has plenty of differing experience with public interest and volunteer work, they can be a valuable resource for all students. See the OPS profiles for more information about the OPS staff. -
Exploring Public Interest
If you think you are interested in public service, but have never worked in public service and know few people who have, a great way to confirm your interest is to volunteer. This is a great way to gain contacts and experience and to explore the opportunities available to you. Another benefit of volunteering is the flexibility to choose organizations or projects that interest you and fit into your schedule. If you are unsure whether you wish to pursue a public service career, a volunteer position can be a simple, low-pressure way to help you decide.
The following are some ways in which you can explore public interest.- The USC Law Public Interest Law Foundation
The USC Law Public Interest Law Foundation, or "PILF," is the primary student-run organization involved in the provision of public interest and pro bono opportunities, and any student interested in such opportunities should become familiar with PILF during her or his first year. PILF offers ample volunteer opportunities with Los Angeles-area public interest and advocacy organizations, and it also offers substantial leadership opportunities for those students interested in impacting the public interest and pro bono activities at USC Law.
To get started, contact the current PILF student leadership or stop by the PILF office (Room 6 on the lower level floor of USC Law). - Other USC Law Student Organizations Involved in Service
There are numerous other USC Law student organizations involved in public interest or pro bono work, and the student interested in a public interest or pro bono career should find an organization that matches her or his interests and then get in touch with that organization. For a list of all student organizations at USC Law, click here. - Academic Externships
The OPS oversees and coordinates all the academic externship opportunities. Externships are a great way to work in public service for a semester or summer (while earning academic credit) in order to find out both whether public interest is a career interest as well as what type of substantive law one could practice in a public interest career. See the OPS externships website for more information. - USC Law Clinical Program
USC Law offers a robust Clinical Program that features five dynamic public interest Clinics: the Children's Legal Issues Clinic; the Employer Legal Advice Clinic; the Immigration Clinic; the Intellectual Property and Technology Law Clinic; the Post-Conviction Justice Project, the Small Business Clinic, and the Mediation Clinic. Interested law students may participate in a Clinic for academic credit during the regular academic year or may apply to be employed as Summer Clinical Fellows. For a full description of each Clinic and information on participating in the Clinics,click here.
- The USC Law Public Interest Law Foundation
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Financing a Public Interest Career
One of the thorniest issues to deal with as an aspiring public interest lawyer or pro bono-centered lawyer is law school debt. Because pay in the public interest sector is considerably lower than in the private sector, substantial law school debt - understandably so - dissuades some law students from pursuing a public interest path, even if those students might otherwise find public interest careers very fulfilling.
Fortunately, there are strategies for dealing with this difficult issue, and the Office of Public Service and the Careers Services Office can point you in the right direction. Click here for some basic information on how to finance a public interest career, including information on USC Law's Loan Repayment Assistance Program - a program that can ultimately save a graduate tens of thousands of dollars in loan repayment costs.
