Typically 25-30 percent of YLS graduates take public interest jobs as their first non-clerkship employment after graduation. Five years after graduation, approximately 30 percent are in public interest positions.
YLS students are very interested in working with government and non-profit organizations during the summers, terms, and after graduation. The great news is that often they can come to you with funding from the law school or from other entities.
YLS Support for Student Work with Public Interest Employers
A. Summer
YLS funds Summer Public Interest Fellowships (SPIF) that provide a weekly stipend for students who need support to take a public interest job over the summer. With the help of SPIF, YLS students take jobs all over the country and worldwide in the government and nonprofit sectors.
B. Post-Graduate
YLS also has several fellowship programs that fund a year of post-graduate work for students to work in the public interest sector. The majority of these fellowships require a sponsoring organization. Click here for more information on the YLS fellowships. In addition, many YLS students apply for other fellowships, such as those from the Skadden Foundation and Equal Justice Works, which require a sponsoring organization. CDO also has information on fellowships funded by the organizations themselves (such as the ACLU Fellowship).
C. Term-Time
The Lowenstein Human Rights Project accept projects from international public interest organizations and matches them with students to complete during the course of each term. For more information on the Lowenstein Project, click here.
D. PSJD
Through the law school's membership in PSJD, YLS students and alumni have access to the PSJD database, a searchable and current database of thousands of public interest organizations and opportunities for internships, fellowships, and post-graduate employment. CDO encourages all public interest employers to post their organization’s profile and openings on PSJD. This is a free service to employers and students at member schools.
CDO Services for Public Interest Employers
CDO maintains an online system for employers to advertise opportunities for our students. Please consider posting an opportunity on our website for summer work (paid or volunteer), post-graduate jobs, fellowships, sponsorships (either a YLS fellowship, or a Skadden, EJW, or other). All postings are free of charge. If you are interested in posting a job opportunity, click here.
Every year CDO hosts the Virtual Interview Program, Winter Interview Program and the Public Interest Interview Program to help our students find summer and post graduate work. The largest annual event, the Virtual Interview Program (VIP), brings private sector and public interest employers to interview upper class students. The Winter Interview Program (WIP) is an annual spring recruiting event for public interest and private sector employers to interview primarily 1Ls, but also 2Ls and 3Ls for summer and permanent positions. The Public Interest Interview Program (PIIP) is our recruiting event specific for public sector employers to interview primarily 2Ls for summer internship opportunities, but also 3Ls for permanent positions. Because of our summer funding program, public interest employers can interview YLS students even when they have no paid positions available, but are eager for volunteers. To learn more about registering for these interview programs, click here.