Access Restricted to Northwestern Law CommunityPublic Service
Northwestern Law has a long history of fostering a commitment to public service in its students and graduates, and we continue to increase the volunteer opportunities. In 2002, the Law School adopted a Public Service Strategy, designed to build an ethic of service and giving among all students, regardless of their career path. Acknowledging that not all students will choose public interest law as a career, the strategy broadly defines public service to include legal and non-legal work in community organizations, advocacy groups, legal service offices, government agencies, and a wide variety of non-profit organizations.
A goal of this strategy is that each law student performs a minimum of 40 hours of public service before graduation. The public service work must be performed during the academic year without compensation or academic credit.
Northwestern Law offers an array of public service opportunities in three main categories:
Curricular Offerings
The curricular aspects of public service at Northwestern Law include:
- A concentration in Law and Social Policy
- Work in the Bluhm Legal Clinic
- Externships with judges and attorneys in government and non-profit settings
Co-Curricular Opportunities
There are also many public service opportunities outside of the classroom:
- A day of service during Orientation Week and an alternative Spring Break service trip
- A Public Service Coordinator dedicated to assisting students to find meaningful opportunities
- A volunteer opportunities database and key partnerships with several non-profit agencies and a Chicago Public School
- Several public-service-focused student organizations, including the Public Interest Law Group (PILG), the Student Funded Public Interest Fellowships Program (SFPIF), and the Student Effort to Rejuvenate Volunteering (SERV)
- Many other student organizations also sponsor public service events throughout the year
Career Assistance
Students looking for summer or permanent public interest jobs receive assistance
from the Center for Career
Strategy and Advancement, including:
- A Public Interest Advisor dedicated to assisting students in their search
- A job database, links to public interest job sites, and funding for summer public interest jobs
- Public Service Fellowships for students with educational debt who work in the non-profit or government sectors after graduation
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