The Profession of Law
A profession refers to a group pursuing a learned art as a common calling in the spirit of public service, no less a public service because it may incidentally be a means of livelihood, yet pursued as a learned art in the spirit of public service is its primary purpose. Roscoe Pound (1953)
The Office for Public Service & The Career Planning Center
The Office for Public Service together with the Career Planning Center at Marquette University Law School encourage your interest in public service careers. A law degree opens many doors to exciting work in the public and non-profit sectors. Our offices will assist you in identifying opportunities that match your interests. Whether you are interested in working with government, the Independent sector, internationally or locally, we are ready to provide personal assistance in your career search.
Marquette Law School offers a Guide to Careers in Public Interest Law, as well as maintaining many resources on public service careers. Links to some of these resources can be found on this page, including links below to web sites at other law schools that support public interest career centers.
Begin your research at the National Association for Law Placement's worldwide public service career network: PSLawnet. Please contact the Office of Public Service or the Career Planning Center for further assistance in advancing your career interest in public service.
Additional Links to Public Interest Career Resources are found below:
- Georgetown Law School OPICS job site
- Harvard Law School Office of Public Interest Advising
- NYU Law School Public Interest Career site
- Brown University Swearer Center for Public Service Career site
Public Interest Career Fairs
Marquette Law School invites you to explore public service opportunities through national, regional and local career fairs. These events provide an excellent opportunity for law students to meet with public interest firms and practitioners, learn about job opportunities and explore a variety of public interest sectors.
Equal Justice Works is the premier public interest career fair in the United States. Each fall, more than 1,200 like-minded students travel to Washington, D.C. to attend the Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair. The Conference and Career Fair offers students an opportunity to search for volunteer opportunities, summer positions and postgraduate opportunities in the public interest sector.
Marquette Law School sponsors students who are interested in attending by providing funding and registration. Students must register in advance if they wish to attend this conference. Students may also submit their resumes on-line and request interviews with public interest firms. Registration and attendance is coordinated by the Career Planning Center. Each Law School has an individual log-in for this conference. Contact Assistant Dean Paul Katzman for more information.
The Midwest Public Interest Law Career Conference (MPILCC), sponsored by the Chicago Area Law School Consortium, is a job fair for students interested in employment and volunteer opportunities in the public sector. The Conference attracts over 50 employers for on-site interviews, table talk and for resume collections. MPILCC is open to first, second and third year law students from law schools in ten midwestern states including Wisconsin.
This year's Conference will be held at Northwestern Law School on Saturday, February 3, 2007. Information is available online at MPILCC. Student registration opens on Friday, November 17, 2006 and ends at noon on Thursday, December 7, 2006. Registration is coordinated through the Career Planning Center.
Milwaukee Non-Profit Career Fair
The Idealist.org Milwaukee Nonprofit Career Fair was hosted on April 25, 2006 by Amnesty International at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Career Development Center. The fair was cosponsored by Public Allies and the Helen Bader Institute for Nonprofit Management at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
The career fair will consisted of 1) An informal networking period for nonprofit recruiters and representatives from local colleges and university offices of Career Services; 2) The fair itself, where job seekers can distribute resumes and speak with organizations about current and future employment, internship and volunteer opportunities; 3) A series of free information sessions offering career advice for nonprofit job seekers.
National Career Fair for Law Students and Attorneys with Disabilities
Marquette Non-profit and Public Interest Career Fair
Each fall Marquette University sponsors a Marquette career fair which includes recruiters from government and non-profit agencies.
In the future, Marquette Law School's Office of Public Service and Career Planning Center will work together to sponsor a public interest career fair for law students.
Information regarding future public service and non-profit career fairs will be listed on this web page.