Originally published in Student Lawyer magazine, December 2004 (Vol. 33, No. 4). All rights reserved.

LIAISON NOTEBOOK

ABA Offers Students Resources on Government and Public Sector Law

Liaison Notebook includes reports of Law Student Division members who represent the Division in the ABA's practice-related sections, divisions, forums, and other entities. For information on how you can become a student liaison, visit www.abanet.org/lsd/elections and scroll down to "Liaisons."

by Chris Fortier

Are you interested in representing the public interest? Would you like a job where you aren’t a slave to the billable hour? If you’ve answered yes, I have good news. Students who pursue careers in the public sector have many resources at their disposal through the ABA Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division (GPSLD).

Searching for an internship or job? The Public Lawyer Career Center (follow the link from www.governmentlawyer.org) offers leads for GPSLD members. Listings are available for those wishing to pursue employment opportunities in the government or the judiciary. The site also provides articles about trends in public law offices.

Need career advice or mentoring? The GPSLD web site offers mentoring. Students can ask general career counseling questions of people in the heart of the action, from legal aid offices to state attorney general offices to the U.S. Supreme Court. The site also offers links to public law offices across the country, organized by state and county.

As a GPSLD member, you also can sign up for the law student members-only e-mail discussion list. Get e-mail from staff about the latest news and resources for law students searching for a first job or internship. In addition, you can post questions, discuss job-search strategies, and network with other students. Past postings have included articles about job searches, a survey ranking the best government agencies to work for, and internship announcements.

Want to share career advice while networking with professionals? The Law Student Career Panels program has recently expanded to bring more law students the advice they need to pursue a career representing the public interest. Please contact me if you or your student organization wants to pursue this project for your classmates.

The GPSLD membership and staff enthusiastically provide many resources for law students in their career search and advancement. Their advice and insight may make the difference in a difficult first job search. To join GPSLD (only $10 for ABA law student members) and for further information, visit www.governmentlawyer.org.

Chris Fortier (cfortier@asl.edu), a third-year student at Appalachian School of Law, is the ABA Law Student Division’s liaison to the Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division.

Return to top of page

Student Lawyer home page