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Helpful Job Search Sites | Maryland Public Interest Organizations and Government Agencies
Are you looking for a public interest internship or postgraduate job? We can be very helpful in identifying potential opportunities and helping you with your application materials. Schedule an appointment with a counselor on UB Law Connect.
Look for public interest opportunities posted on UB Law Connect’s OCI & Job Listings tab. You can browse employers in UB Law Connect and add a filter for “Public Interest” under Practice Area to identify possible placements.
There are many other job sites that you should monitor regularly and set job alerts on. Many opportunities are never posted. If you are interested in an agency, contact them to inquire about opportunities, even if you do not see a job posting.
Career Fairs
Equal Justice Works (EJW) Career Fair
This virtual career fair takes place in early October and is the largest public-interest career fair in the country. Many leading nonprofit organizations and government agencies do the bulk of their student hiring at this fair. Students must register and apply for prescheduled interviews in August and early September. Students who do not land interviews will also have the chance to speak informally with employers at virtual table talks.
Federal Government Resources
Maryland Public Interest Organizations and Government Agencies
MLSC – Funded Legal Services Providers - Descriptions & Websites
If you are looking to intern with a public interest organization but are not sure
what you want to do, this is a great place to begin. Maryland Legal Services Corporation
helps to fund many of Maryland's leading public-interest organizations, listed below.
Office of the Attorney General of Maryland
The Maryland Office of the Attorney General (OAG) offers law students a variety of
law clerk positions in a wide range of practice areas, including criminal investigations,
criminal appeals, health care, natural resources management and environmental enforcement,
antitrust and consumer protection, insurance, education, juvenile affairs, and transportation.
The OAG accepts volunteer law clerk applications during the summers and during the
academic year. Public service funding may be available.
Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Office of the Public Defender (OPD) hires law students and recent graduates to work
as law clerks across the state in pretrial, post-conviction and appellate matters.
Students may also work in specialized units that deal with youthful offenders, forensics,
mental health, and parents accused of abuse and neglect. Opportunities to engage in
legislative and decarceration work are also available. OPD accepts volunteer applications
for all semesters and for the summer. OPD pays a limited number of student law clerks,
and public service funding may be available.
Local State's Attorney's Offices
Baltimore City and each county State’s Attorney’s Office in Maryland offers student opportunities
to work in a variety of areas, including Major Investigations, Homicide, Juvenile,
Family Violence, and Victim and Witness Services. Each State’s Attorney Office is
distinct, and you must apply to each office separately.
City and County Law Departments
Working in the Baltimore City Law Department, or other county law departments in Maryland,
offers students opportunities to represent municipalities, its agencies, officials,
and employees, in civil litigation cases, contract disputes, real estate transactions,
collections, and any other matter involving the city or county. County Departments
of Law, and the Baltimore City Law Department, accept summer and school-term law clerks.
Other Helpful Job Search Sites
PSJD.org
PSJD.org is an online clearinghouse for law students and lawyers to connect with public
interest opportunities and information on public interest careers. In addition to
its employer database, PSJD offers an online library of educational and career-building
resources for those interested in pursuing a career in public service.
D.C. Consortium of Legal Services Providers
This listserv is an excellent source for Washington, D.C.-area public interest events
and opportunities.
Idealist
Idealist contains information about (primarily non-legal) public-interest careers
both domestically and abroad.
National Legal Aid and Defender Association
You can find a national directory of openings on the jobs page.
Nonprofit Career Network
A job board for those seeking non-legal employment with a nonprofit. You can also
search a directory of nonprofit organizations.
Roll Call Jobs
Roll Call is a great resource for students interested in public policy and lobbying.