Government Careers

There are many reasons government jobs are a great way to start a career. 

Government jobs are fantastic opportunities to gain experience and responsibility very early in your career. Government attorneys often get to take on their own case loads and handle significant responsibility long before entry-level attorneys in the private sector.  In addition, the federal government is the nation’s largest employer and it hires attorneys regularly.  You can always find a good fit in the government because there is an enormous variety of legal work to be done and nearly every practice area has a government counterpart (see the US Department of Justice’s practice area page, which includes over 50 practice areas alone!).  If you are interested in public service, there is no better place to work than the government.  The federal government pays the best salaries for public interest work, and the work can be very meaningful.  And by working for the government, you can take advantage of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness and the Federal Student Loan Repayment Program.

Lewis & Clark Law School students have had repeated success securing employment, both in the federal government, and in Oregon and other states.  Recent graduates have found employment with the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Internal Revenue Service, the Oregon Department of Justice and more.

Lewis & Clark Law School offers an array of resources to students and alumni looking for attorney positions in the federal government, including one-on-one advising and materials review by the Career Services’ staff.

For more information, please schedule an appointment with Career Services (either by using the Appointments feature on Career Connect, by emailing lscs@lclark.edu, or calling 503.768.6608).

Required Reading

Federal Government Job Resources

State and Local Government Job Resources

  • Oregon DOJ Honors Program: The Oregon Department of Justice has its own Honors Program, which is a prestigious opportunity for students who are interested in staying in Oregon.
  • Washington Attorney General’s Honors Program: The Washington Attorney General’s Office has its own Honors Program.
  • PSJD.org : Click on the state you are interested in for links to job boards and state and local government employment.
  • Oregon Jobs: Find state and local government jobs throughout Oregon. Sign up for a “Job Category Interest Card” to receive alerts for jobs in your areas of interest.
  • Government Jobs: Search for state and local government jobs in many states across the country.