Public Interest Law
"Public interest law" is the practice of law pursued on behalf of both individuals and causes that are not typically served by the for-profit-bar. Public interest lawyers can serve the public by working for civil legal services organizations, non-profit organizations, public defense organizations, prosecutors offices, government agencies, lobbying for non-profit organizations, and more.
Public interest work is not confined to any one political ideology. It is work undertaken to advance concepts of justice, fairness and protection of the public, rather than for purposes of commercial or personal gain.
Important Documents
Statistics
Lewis & Clark Law School graduates go on to practice public interest law at a rate far above the national average. In 2007, we were the school with the 5th highest percentage of graduates entering public interest law careers. Lewis & Clark Law School graduates enter public interest careers at a rate that is more than three times the national average. Combining graduates who enter government work with our public interest graduates, more than one third of Lewis & Clark Law School's graduates entered public service careers. For more information on how our public interest programing compares to other schools, check out the Equal Justice Works E-Guide to Public Service at America's Law Schools.
More Information
For more general public interest information, follow the links to the left. For information on Lewis & Clark Law School's public interest law programs, follow the links in the bar above.
The Lewis & Clark Law School Career Services Office has a Public Interest Law Coordinator dedicated to supporting Lewis & Clark students and alumni who want to practice public interest law. For more information and/or one-on-one career strategizing, please contact the Coordinator at wcpenn@lclark.edu or (503) 768-6890.
