HLS home : students : opia : calendar :
OPIA

OPIA Events Overview

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

World of Law Series Picture

Practice Perspectives Series

In September through November, OPIA and the Office of Career Services co-sponsor a Practice Perspectives Series, at which attorneys from diverse legal fields share their experiences. You may view the list of speakers at this 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. A Public Interest Employer Packet with background information on all public interest and government employers scheduled to interview on campus during the regular fall interviewing season is available for 2Ls and 3Ls in September. There is also a small OCI program for 1LS in the spring.

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.

Job Fair 2001 Picture

Public Interest Job Fairs

Employer Job Fairs

In the Fall, public service employers interview second and third year students through the Massachusetts Law School Consortium Public Interest/Government Job Fair at BC Law School in Newton. A second public interest job fair for 1Ls, 2Ls and 3Ls is held at Suffolk Law School in January.

Employer information will be posted here and advertised to students when available. Bidding takes place through Symplicity.

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 2007 job fair, along with a conference about public interest career topics, was October 6 - 7 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC. OPIA pays registration for HLS students interested in attending. 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 19, 2007 at 7 pm.

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. For example, the Department of Justice will be coming to campus to discuss their post-graduate and summer honors programs on September 11, 2007 at 7:00 pm. 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!

1L Sessions

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:

Orientation Photo

Public Service Orientation

For 1Ls this kicks off the year. Students can be inspired by our keynote speaker, HLS alum and MacArthur Genius award winner Bryan Stevenson, Dean Elena Kagan, and our faculty speaker, Professor David Barron. We also talk about 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 was on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 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 date and location for the fall potluck is TBA.

auction bikePublic 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.

See photos from some of our past events!

Also check out the HLS Community Events Calendar.