Public Interest Job Market Report

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Class of 2010 law graduates have had a rough go in the public service legal employment market.  NALP (The National Association for Legal Career Professionals) prepared and released its fall 2010 Public Interest Employment Market Snapshot Report providing data regarding recent law student and law graduate hiring from their recent survey of public interest law offices including civil legal services, federal government, local prosecutors, local public defenders, and other nonprofit legal organizations.

The data reflect continued hiring reductions and freezes.  Less than one quarter of responding civil legal services organizations, public defender offices, and nonprofit legal organizations reported hiring any new graduates.  Less than half of Federal government and local prosecutor offices hired new grads.  Also, about half of the responding public interest employers hired no new experienced attorneys during 2010.  Paid summer positions remain scarce, but at least public interest employers have not reduced the number of unpaid summer positions.

The report also details public interest employer’s hiring expectations for the immediate future and provides employer advice for job applicants competing in today’s market.

-Heather