PI Pioneers
In 2022, this Harvard Law graduate made history as the first Black woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, bringing with her a background in public defense and a commitment to equal justice.
Ketanji Brown Jackson
Lawyers from this legal organization argued Brown v. Board of Education before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1954.
NAACP Legal Defense Fund
This area of law often involves representing tenants in eviction proceedings and ensuring access to safe, affordable housing.
Housing law
Fill in the blank: ___________________ was the first law school program to reduce the loan repayment burden for graduates working in government, the public sector, academic jobs, or law-related jobs in the private sector, and remains one of the most comprehensive programs of its kind.
Low Income Protection Plan (LIPP)
This Harvard Law organization provides free representation in criminal show-cause hearings and assists individuals who wish to seal their Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) in the state of Massachusetts.
Harvard Defenders
This civil rights lawyer argued Brown v. Board of Education and later served as the first Black Supreme Court Justice.
Thurgood Marshall
This national organization is known for defending civil liberties and has argued cases on free speech, privacy, and LGBTQ+ rights since 1920.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
This lawyer is appointed by the government to represent individuals who cannot afford to hire a private attorney.
Public Defender
This program provides funds to HLS students who choose to pursue public interest positions during the summer.
Summer Public Interest Funding (SPIF) program
This clinic, open only to 3Ls, allows Harvard students to represent indigent adult and juvenile clients facing misdemeanor and felony charges in the Boston criminal courts.
Criminal Justice Institute (CJI)
Known as the “Man Who Killed Jim Crow,” this pioneer was a prominent civil rights attorney who played a pivotal role in dismantling segregation and was instrumental in the legal strategy leading to Brown v. Board of Education. He was also a former Dean of Howard University Law School.
Charles Hamilton Houston
This organization, founded by Bryan Stevenson, is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.
Equal Justice Initiative (EJI)
These lawyers provide legal services to individuals who cannot afford to hire a lawyer for their civil legal matters. These lawyers typically work for non-profit organizations.
Legal Aid Attorneys
Whether you're a 1L or recent graduate, this organization provides numerous Fellowships and other opportunities to jumpstart your public interest law career.
Equal Justice Works
This research and advocacy center seeks to reimagine civil rights and racial justice for the 21st century.
The Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race & Justice at Harvard Law School
This pioneer was a prominent civil rights attorney, scholar, and Harvard Law School professor. He was known for his work on racial justice and criminal defense, and he founded the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice.
Charles J. Ogletree
This organization was founded in 1971 to ensure that the promise of the civil rights movement became a reality for all. This organization is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people. This organization also tracks extremist groups across the U.S.
Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)
These lawyers work to promote global justice. They may bring cases before international courts like the International Criminal Court, representing victims of war crimes, torture, or state repression.
Human Rights Lawyers
To apply for Equal Justice Works or Skadden Fellowships, candidates must do this.
Secure a sponsorship with a host organization
Daily Double: An intensive and immersive educational program for second- and third-year students wishing to gain deep expertise in youth advocacy. The goal of the program is to prepare law students for careers as leaders and change-makers in system transformation efforts on behalf of young people.
Youth Advocacy & Policy Lab Fellowship
This civil rights pioneer broke racial and gender barriers as a lawyer, a New York state senator, and the first Black woman appointed as a federal judge. She was also the first Black woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court.
Constance Baker Motley
Founded in 1971 on the belief that everyone has the right to a healthy environment, this organization provides free legal representation to communities and environmental groups to fight for a healthy environment and protect the planet. The organization’s 200+ full-time lawyers rank among the nation’s foremost legal strategists for the environment.
Earthjustice
Law graduates interested in combining public service and federal employment can apply to this DOJ program that places new lawyers in entry-level honors positions.
Attorney General's Honors Program
Harvard Law School graduates working in public interest or private sector positions are eligible for loan repayment assistance through the two loan repayment assistance programs administered by the LIPP office. Name the programs.
1) The Traditional LIPP program and 2) The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program
Part of Harvard Law School, this clinical program and law firm is located in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood and provides free legal services in estate planning, family law, LGBTQ+ advocacy, housing, disability benefits, and veterans' issues to low-income individuals and families.
The WilmerHale Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School (LSC)