Law and Social Change/Public Service

[Danielle]

Do you think lawyers can actually use the law to bring about positive social change?

Do you think law can be used for the public good and to serve the disadvantaged?

I am really interested in going into public interest law/human rights law but I am really struggling with whether or not studying law and being a lawyer will actually prove to be an useful tool in helping to bring about positive social change.

I keep hearing that studying law doesn't really help, that laws are meant to keep the status quo as it is while promoting a window-dressing of "fairness."

I don't want to spend 3 years studying something with ideals on the line then be disappointed at the end that it doesn't do much to concretely help those in need (people living in poverty, people who are discriminated, women and girls, people whose rights are being violated).

I also heard how extremely difficult it is to find jobs in the public interest/human rights field.

I would really appreciate everyone's thoughts and view on this. What do you think? Do you agree or disagree? 

[Ashley O]

Sure they can. There are plenty of lawyers working in areas as disparate as indigent rights and death penalty appeals who make a difference every day. And lots of law schools have free clinics where law students can assist the economically challenged, for example by providing assistance to someone dealing with an unfair landlord.

The problem is that those jobs don't pay well. And with the cost of law school being what it is, that can be an issue. Harvard forgives some of your debt if you go into public service, but that's not the case everywhere.

The legal system is one area where you can make a difference, but you have to decide to do it. Maybe you're the next Erin Brockovich (except with a degree)

[Trainwreck]

My Dad is an attorney and he has told me that what you want in the law, you will find. So, if you want big money and lots of work, it's out there. On the other hand, if you want to make deeper changes and help the less fortunate, there's multiple opportunities for that.

[Anne]

Lawyers can definitely effect good social change. The problem, as Ashley pointed out, is that effecting positive social change doesn't pay very well, and so the vast bulk of students choose a well-paying BigLaw job over a low-paying Legal Aid or similar job, simply because they need to make their law school loan payments.

However, there are TONS of avenues through which you can be more than a "suit." As Ashley also rightly pointed out, almost all (if not all) law schools offer clinics where students can work with disadvantaged, indigent, and vulnerable populations (I like pointing out Harvard's, since they have tons: http://www.law.harvard.edu/academics/clinical/clinics/index.html), and you can often extend the work that you do there into public interest work after graduation. There are also many internships and externships available while you're in school that can set you on that path.

My big thing, if you're really thinking about pursuing a career in public interest, would be to first focus on (a) applying to schools that have great fellowships/scholarships/grants for students with a public interest mindset, and (b) researching LRAPs (Loan Repayment Assistance Programs) at the schools you're interested in. LRAPs are programs that help students pay their law school loans if they go into a low-paying public interest/public service career. The better the LRAP, the more flexibility you will have. Typically, just searching "LRAP" on the school's website will bring up their information. I know George Washington Law in DC has a great one, as do Yale and Harvard. The ABA has a list of all the schools that have LRAPs, as well as state-funded LRAPs: http://apps.americanbar.org/legalservices/probono/lawschools/pi_lrap.html

Focus on figuring out how you'll pay for law school FIRST, so that you can relax and choose your career without having to make (too many) financial compromises.

I'm glad to give you more info on this, by the way. I'm VERY big on both public interest/public service, and thinking about financing law school BEFORE applying so that you can maximize your career choices.