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Kelli Dunn Howard On Landing a Public Interest Job [by Teresa Talerico] As a Legal Aid attorney in Austin, TX, Kelli Dunn Howard spends her days championing the rights of low-income tenants and the disabled. She can’t imagine doing anything else.
“I went to law school solely for the purpose
Apply for post-graduate public interest
of going into civil rights law, public interest
grants and fellowship programs. Equal Jus-
Remember: you’re not in it for the big bucks.
law, whatever you want to call it,” Ms. How-
tice Works, formerly the National Association
“The lack of money is always going to be
ard said. “I always wanted to have a career
for Public Interest Law (www.equaljustice-
there,” Ms. Howard said. “You have to ac-
that somehow involved social services, fight-
works.org), is an excellent resource for
cept that as a reality. You may not have a
ing for people’s rights.”
these, many of which require that you de-
secretary, and your friends have their own
velop and head your own project. Ms. Howard
secretary. You may have a computer from
Public interest law can be a deeply rewarding
recommends researching fellowships in the
1984. Those are things that could happen to
opportunity to make a difference, whether
second year of law school and applying for
you, and you’ve just got to work with it. There
it’s working for the American Civil Liber-
them in the third year.
are very few material perks.”
Nevertheless, it’s a competitive field that is
“Because the funding is so difficult to come
Ms. Howard noted that there are loan-for-
not as financially lucrative as others. Break-
by, it’s worth your time to go through the
giveness programs available to help public
ing into public interest law can require doing
fellowship process,” she said. “It looks very
interest attorneys with student loan debt.
volunteer work in law school, tracking down
good on your resume. You can show you’ve
grant money, and recognizing that it’s not
been in charge of something at the age of 25,
“The non-monetary reward is that you love
about slaying giant dragons of injustice every
right when you graduate from law school,
your job,” she said. “I don’t do this for the
single day.
which is not something a lot of people can
money; I do this because I love it. My mentor
say.”
throughout undergrad and law school likes
ties Union or a local environmental group.
to quote Fredrick Douglass, who said that ‘in
Ms. Howard, a staff attorney for Texas RioGrande Legal Aid and a graduate of the
EJW also has a career fair every year in
the struggle for justice, the only reward is
University of Texas School of Law, offered
Washington, DC.
the opportunity to be in the struggle.’ If you have that in mind, you’ll go far.”
some advice for those interested in public interest careers.
Demonstrate your dedication to public inter-
Start early. If your law school has a public in-
volunteering at a domestic violence center,
terest association, join it. Visit your school’s
clerking for Legal Aid or taking relevant
“When you start out, you might have a more
public interest career center if there is one.
classes.
lofty view of what civil rights work is,” Ms.
est work. That could mean anything from
Don’t underestimate the work you’re doing.
Howard said. “You don’t realize that a lot of
Make contacts in the community where you want to work. Connect with other students
“Now that I’m on the hiring side, I know what
things that might seem a bit mundane are
who share your interests.
we look for is people who’ve got a resume
actually about civil rights. Like consumer
that shows they’ve already been working in
law. You might help someone who’s been
“That can be very important at a school like
public interest,” Ms. Howard said. “We want
given a bad loan on their mobile home: the
UT, where I’d say fewer students are inter-
to know they’re committed to doing this
interest rate is out of control; they can’t
ested in public interest than, say, at a school
because we’re not doing it for the money. We
make the payments. Maybe this person has
like Berkeley,” Ms. Howard said. “You really
want you to be here because you really want
been taken advantage of because the person
want to have that group of people that are
to help the clients and you’re really passion-
only speaks Spanish. That’s a good example
like minded.”
ate about it. I can say that’s true for a lot of
of a civil rights case. It’s not happening at the
public interest employers.”
Hague War Crimes Tribunal. It’s happening
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