OPIA Events Overview

The OPIA Events Calendar lists all of our upcoming public interest events.

Legal Landscapes Series 

From September through November, OPIA and the Office of Career Services co-sponsor a Legal Landscapes series (formerly the Practice Perspectives series), at which attorneys from diverse legal fields share their experiences. You may view the list of anticipated panelists as well as last year's Practice Perspectives panels.

Other Panels and Workshops

Informational panels on public interest and public sector careers are held regularly by OPIA. These informative and dynamic sessions allow students to meet public interest practitioners and faculty with public service experience and to talk with potential employers on an informal basis about career options.

Resume and Interviewing Workshops

Throughout the fall semester, OPIA holds public interest resume, cover letter, and interviewing workshops in conjunction with OCS. Dates for these workshops are posted on the OPIA Events Calendar. You can have your resume reviewed by dropping it in the Resume Drop Off box in our office at Pound Hall, Room 329, or by calling us at (617) 495-3108 (for 1Ls, after November 1st). Before we edit your resume, though, we ask that you first format your resume according to the advice and examples in the Job Search Guide (also available here). We will try to review your resume and return it with our edits within a week, and if you would like, we will reserve time to go over suggestions with you.

Public Interest Employers On-Campus Interviewing

Dozens of public interest employers interview at HLS throughout the academic year. 

Many public interest and government employers interview much later in the year, and notices of these other on-campus employer interviews can be found in OPIA emails and from the Office of Career Services. In addition, more employers will interview students at the annual Public Interest Job Fairs, hosted by the Massachusetts Law School Consortium. Because the majority of public interest organizations simply cannot afford the expense of sending an attorney to conduct interviews on campus, most of the employers who are hiring request that students contact them directly.

Public Interest Job Fairs 

Employer Job Fairs

On January 21-22, 2010, Suffolk Law School will host the spring government and public interest recruiting program on behalf of the Massachusetts Law School Consortium. This event is open to all students and will be primarily for summer positions.  Bidding is now open for the Spring Government/Public Interest Job Fair!

Information about the employers participating in the Mass Law Consortium Spring Job Fair is now available to you on Symplicity. You may log on and bid at https://law-massconsortia-csm.symplicity.com/.

• Log on using your e-mail address as your username and your HUID as your password.
• When you enter the site, click on OCI and enter your profile information.
• Once you have done so, you will see a drop down menu listing current recruiting events. Select "Gov./PI Program – January 2010" The list of public interest employers will appear.
• You can then select "Apply" on the right and submit your information.
• Please note that bidding ends on Thursday, December 3rd at noon.

Email kbermingham@law.harvard.edu or mnemiroff@law.harvard.edu if you have any trouble logging on.  

Detailed information about the employers can also be found here. Please note that there are two groups of employers: interviewing employers and send direct employers. Only the interviewing employers will be present in the job fair at Suffolk. These are the only employers that you can bid on.    The send-direct employers are located at the bottom with instructions on how to apply. 

Please be sure to read the interviewing policy on the Symplicity site. Once you have scheduled an interview, you are expected to honor that interview.

Equal Justice Works Job Fair

This is the largest public interest law related job fair in the country. Each year it brings over 200 employers to the greater Washington, DC area. The 2009 job fair, along with a conference about public interest career topics, will be October 24 - 25 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC.  More information about the job fair schedule is available at the Equal Justice Works website.

Student-to-Student Job Fair

Because so few employers come to campus or even attend job fairs, each year OPIA hosts a Student Job Fair. Through this event, second and third year students are able to share information about the public interest and government employers that they worked for over the summer(s), including the inside scoop on what it is like to intern there. This year's fair will be held on November 2, 2009 at 7 pm in Ropes Gray. 

Employer Information Meetings

Throughout the year, OPIA hosts periodic informational meetings with public interest and government employers. These meetings provide an important opportunity for students to talk directly with potential employers. Look for announcements in the Public Interest Newsletter and on our bulletin boards. Scheduled visits include the  Food and Drug Administration, Department of Justice, National Security Division and many others. Contact OPIA for locations and other details.

2L and 3L Sessions

Brainstorming and social get-togethers for 2Ls and 3Ls planning to pursue public interest work upon graduation or during the summer after second year have been scheduled throughout the year with the OPIA staff. Come and join us, munchies are on us! Here are the events scheduled for September:

• 3L Group Advising Session: Federal Government - Wednesday, September 2, 2009, 12pm
• 2L Strategy Dinner - Wednesday, September 2, 2009, 7:00pm
• 3L Group Advising Session: Civil Rights/Civil Liberties - Thursday, September 3, 2009, 12pm
• OPIA Brown Bag Lunch - Tuesday, September 8, 2009, 12pm
• 3L Strategy Dinner - Wednesday, September 9, 2009, 7pm
• Fellowships Overview - Thursday, September 10, 2009, 12pm 
• 3L Group Advising Session: Criminal Prosecution/Defense - Friday, September 11, 2009, 12pm
• 3L Group Advising Session: Children's Rights/Education - Monday, September 21, 2009, 12pm
• Public Interest Potluck at Jim Cavallaro's house - Thursday, September 24, 6:30 pm (Sign up at OPIA)       
• OPIA Brown Bag Lunch - Tuesday, September 29, 2009, 12pm 
• 2L Strategy Lunch - Tuesday, October 13, 2009, 12pm
• OPIA Brown Bag Lunch - Thursday, October 15, 2009, 12pm
• Public Interest Happy Hour - Monday, October 19, 2009, 5pm
• OPIA Brown Bag Lunch - Monday, October 26, 2009, 12pm
• OPIA Brown Bag Lunch - Friday, November 6, 2009, 12pm
• Public Interest Potluck at Assistant Dean Alexa Shabecoff's house - Friday, November 13, 2009, 6:30
• Public Interest Happy Hour - Thursday, November 19, 2009, 5pm
• OPIA Brown Bag Lunch - Tuesday, November 24, 2009, 12pm

1L Sessions

• OPIA Brown Bag Lunch - Tuesday, September 8, 2009, 12pm
• Public Service Orientation - Thursday, September 10, 2009, 7pm
• 1L Section Rep Lunch - Thursday, September 24, 2009, 6:30pm
• OPIA Brown Bag Lunch - Tuesday, September 29, 2009, 12pm 
• OPIA Brown Bag Lunch - Thursday, October 15, 2009, 12pm
• 1L Section Rep Lunch Meeting - Friday, October 16, 2009, 12pm
• OPIA Brown Bag Lunch - Monday, October 26, 2009, 12pm
• OPIA Brown Bag Lunch - Friday, November 6, 2009, 12pm
• 1L Section Rep Lunch Meeting - Monday, November 23, 2009, 12pm
• OPIA Brown Bag Lunch - Tuesday, November 24, 2009, 12pm
• Legal Landscapes Panels

Community Building

In order to help foster a sense of community among those who are public interest minded here at the law school, including faculty, students and staff, OPIA organizes or participates in several events designed to bring people together. These events include:

Public Service Orientation

For 1Ls this kicks off the year. Students can come to be inspired by our keynote speaker, HLS alum and MacArthur Genius award winner Bryan Stevenson, Dean Martha Minow, and our , Professor David Barron, now with the Office of the Legal Counsel in the Department of Justice.  Members of the OPIA staff review some of the public interest offerings here at HLS and introduce many of those from across the law school who care about public service and can help students throughout their 3 years here. Public Service Orientation will be on Thursday, September 10, 2009 at 7:00 pm in Austin North.

Section Reps Program

Each year, twenty to thirty first year volunteers serve as OPIA section representatives. These "section reps" publicize OPIA events, assist OPIA with projects, keep OPIA in touch with the needs of the first year class, and write the Cheap Living Guides, which are guides to inexpensive places to live, eat, shop, and find entertainment in cities popular among HLS students. This program is a great way for 1Ls to meet other 1Ls who care about public service.

Potlucks

OPIA hosts two potlucks each year at the home of an OPIA staff member. The fall potluck is for returning 2Ls and 3Ls and SJD students. The first potluck is scheduled for Thursday, September 24 at 6:30 pm at the Cambridge home of Professor Jim Cavallaro. 

Public Interest Auction

OPIA provides administrative oversight to this critical fundraiser, which provides essential funding to supplement HLS' Summer Funding Program, and also serves as the law schools preeminent social event. Over 300 students, faculty and staff pack the Ames Courtroom for this annual tradition. The Public Interest Auction is run entirely by 1Ls to raise money for summer public interest work by auctioning items donated by students, faculty, businesses, and celebrities. Last year's Auction Co-Chairs will be recruiting 1Ls to work on this year's Auction in the early fall; the Auction takes place in the spring.

3L Job Seekers Dinner

OPIA, often in conjunction with other programs, organizes a dinner for those 3Ls pursuing public service jobs upon graduation or after a clerkship to provide them with morale support and a network of others to call upon.

Kaufman Dinner

This champagne dinner at the Harvard Faculty Club takes place in the late Spring of every year and honors the Kaufman Fellows and all other 3Ls students planning to go into public service work upon graduation or after a clerkship.

Other programs, such as the Human Rights Program, and student groups, such as the Student Public Interest Network and student practice organizations, provide great vehicles for finding others with shared interests. In addition, OPIA always welcomes other suggestions for good community building events.

Also check out the HLS Community Events Calendar.