OPIA Blog

As a recent College graduate remarked in the New York Times, “We came to Harvard as freshmen to change the world, and we’re leaving to become investment bankers - why is this?” His question addresses the growing trend in which students from top schools are being funneled into high-paying corporate jobs and away from other fields, especially public service.

In response to students’ increasingly myopic focus on financial security, schools are starting to place a greater emphasis on alternate career paths. Some, including Harvard, have started to expand their public service fellowships and internships. In her address to seniors during commencement week, Dean Faust urged students to look for measures of success beyond financial compensation. This same call to public service has been echoed by Barack Obama, who warned Wellesley graduates last month that the pursuit of narrow self-interest betrays a “poverty of ambition.”

Even so, the appeal of Wall Street salaries and prestige remains strong, and applying to corporate jobs is still the automatic option for many students. They continue struggling to balance real-world concerns with high-minded ideals. To read more, click here.

While law schools continue to provide rigorous academic and intellectual training, some are starting to supplement this with more practical instruction. Several law schools have started Visiting Assistant Professorship programs in which practicing attorneys join as full-time faculty. By giving these attorneys a chance to concentrate on their scholarship and teaching, law schools hope to mentor promising newcomers with private sector, government and nonprofit experience and introduce them to academia.

Students also stand to benefit from VAP programs. Akiba Coviz, director of academic affairs at Harvard Law School explains, “Anytime someone has practiced out in the world it brings an additional level of value to the students.” These visiting professors are able to offer real-world insights and instruction in practical skills that can be lacking in a traditional legal education. For more on this story, click here.

The College Cost Reduction and Access Act, originally intended to cut down on the costs of college and university loans, also provides incentives to enter public service careers. The law’s Public Service Loan Forgiveness program offers debt forgiveness for federal student loans for those individuals entering a range of post-graduate career fields. Careers that qualify include those in public health, law enforcement and public-interest law. Those without federal loans can still qualify for the program by consolidating their debt through the government’s Direct Loan program. For more information, please click here.

The New York Law Journal reports that the number of summer interns working in government or at non-profit organizations is up this year. This “bumper crop” of public interest summer interns is partially a result of the increased funding for such work from many law schools, making it much easier to find and accept positions. Harvard Law School guarantees summer funding for all its students doing public service work through the SPIF program. The article, which quotes HLS students Christine M. Billy ‘08 and Kara Loewentheil ‘08, also notes that public interest jobs offer more responsibility than summer work at private firms. Full story here (free subscription required).

Even after graduation, we’d still like to send you news of current public interest opportunities. And of course hear any news from you! To subscribe, send your post-graduation email address to pia@law.harvard.edu and specify if you’ll be a clerk or young alum next year.