If you are one of the many students in GPSi that is considering going to law school…you are not alone! And you’re right to be seeking ways to gain exposure to the field so you can be sure that law school is a good fit for you. It is a significant investment of time and resources and often, the policy and advocacy jobs that students are interested in do NOT require a law degree. Lots of students take a gap year to take a break from school, make some money, and/or gain some additional experience.
To hear our most frequently dispensed advice on law school, listen to our podcast on the topic!
Thinking About Law School
Here are some national organizations that may interest you:
- National Women’s Law Center
- Southern Poverty Law Center
- American Civil Liberties Union (there is an ACLU office in every state)
- Brennan Center for Justice
- Innocence Project
- Human Rights Watch
- National Immigrant Justice Center
- Vera Institute of Justice
Locally, there are also lots of good options to consider:
- ArchCity Defenders
- Gateway Human Trafficking
- Legal Services of Eastern Missouri
- Action St. Louis
- Forward through Ferguson
- Missouri Jobs with Justice
- Freedom Community Center
- WashU Law School’s Immigration Law Clinic
If you are looking to build a legal nonprofit/social impact list, check out Idealist’s organization page. Search by city and sort by issue area (legal assistance is a good one). Work For Good has a legal section, too.
Lastly, lawyers are all over. Talk to them. Ask them how/why they decided to go to law school, what their day looks like and if they’d be willing to let you follow them around for a day. See if they need interns at their firm.
The other place to look is in the government. There are lawyers at all levels – and they tend to be time and resource-constrained. (This means they’re always interested in the assistance of motivated undergrads!)
There are a number of ways to volunteer with the St. Louis Domestic Violence Court. Consider the city/county prosecuting attorneys’ offices and the Attorney General’s office at the state level. We’ve had a number of students do post-grad work as paralegals with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. Check out all the internships and opportunities available! (Also see this alumni chat.) At the federal level, the Antitrust Division at the Department of Justice has a cool post-grad paralegal program that is open to non-law school students. (See this alumni chat.)
Be sure to sign up for the weekly newsletter from the PreLaw Advising office! This will ensure you getting all the latest updates around the LSAT and changing application considerations. The website also hosts a PreLaw Handbook and a wealth of information about timelines, test prep and prelaw advising.
- Law Firm List – this list includes law firms specializing in government relations and civil rights, as well as fellowships for students
- Firsthand – use your WashU email to get free access (click on guides and then drop down to law for a law firm list based on region).
- ACLU Careers
- American Bar Association Internships
- Dept of Justice – Opportunities for Law Students
- Public Service Legal Careers – PSJD