Law students choose an area of expertise, earn their Juris Doctor, and go on to take the bar exam. Specialization and practice area begins when picking your law school courses and continues with internship and work experience.
What is Public Interest Law?
Public interest law is law in the service of human needs. It encapsulates many different practice areas but has one common goal: serving the people who need it most. Public interest attorneys learn to be advocates for their clients. They often serve historically marginalized, underrepresented, or low-income communities.
As a public interest attorney, you may work in a variety of capacities including:
- As a public defender,
- At a legal services organization providing free legal help to those who qualify,
- At a non-profit organization,
- For a government agency,
- At legal aid, or
- In public office.
Public interest attorneys might also work to enact change through policy work, aiming for long-lasting impact.
Public interest attorneys are a far cry from the popularized depiction of lawyers on TV. Public interest lawyers are people who are dedicated to a cause and want to fight the injustices that exist in our world.
For those interested in public interest law, Golden Gate University School of Law is the place to be. Our law school has a Social Justice and Public Interest career track, allowing you to gain meaningful experience in public interest law as you earn your degree.
The Social Justice and Public Interest Track
Enrolling in a specialization track in law school gives you the tools to prepare for your career and, especially in this case, aid with advocacy efforts. You have the opportunity to develop your social justice perspective alongside the necessary practical skills, empowering you to find comprehensive solutions to your client’s most challenging legal problems.
The social justice and public interest track builds a solid foundation through core classes. You can then customize your learning experience by choosing from electives, such as Gender Based Violence and International Human Rights. You can learn Alternative Dispute Resolution or focus on areas such as Criminal Justice or Family law.
Golden Gate University — The Perfect Fit
Golden Gate University’s specialization track is ideal for students who want to go into social justice and public interest law. Our mission is to produce graduates with the skill, judgment, and moral compass to become exceptional lawyers and socially responsible members of the global community. Through legal education at GGU, we want to create a stronger, more inclusive justice system.
When you choose GGU and our Social Justice and Public Interest career track, you benefit from a flexible JD program. By blending online coursework with on-campus sessions, our Flex students can earn an ABA-accredited law degree in less than four years, even while working full-time – meaning you can fit law school into your already established and busy life.
Is your career purpose to make space for change? Find out at GGU.
