students talking

Public Interest Law

Every year, the Yale Law School community brings energy and vision to work for the public good. In a typical academic year, 60% of students participate in public interest activities1, through clinics2 and student organizations3, and students can also choose from an array of public interest-related courses(link is external)4.

The YLS community’s commitment to public interest continues beyond the academic year, as approximately three-quarters of the first-year class and one quarter of the second-year class take jobs in the public interest5, many of which are funded by Summer Public Interest Fellowships6

After graduation, the Law School provides financial support for public interest work7 in the form of loan forgiveness and specialized fellowships. Ten years after graduating, 46% of graduates have held public interest jobs.

Explore Public Interest Law

SFALP clinic
About Public Interest Law

Yale Law School has a strong tradition of service in the public interest. The work of our clinics, centers, voluntary student groups, and a rich array of public interest-related courses offer students a nearly endless number of opportunities to bring their energy and vision to work for the public good.

Part of The Tsai Leadership Program, the Ludwig Program in Public Sector Leadership8 helps prepare students for careers in areas such as government, nonprofits, and other institutions focused on serving the public.

Public Interest Law Faculty9

Course Offerings(link is external)10

students in courtyard
Public Interest Activities

Law School centers, clinics, and student organizations enable YLS students to perform public service in activities ranging from legal research and writing to outreach in the New Haven public schools.

After graduation, Yale Law School offers significantly more postgraduate public interest fellowships than any other law school in the country. Both externally and internally funded fellowships enable our graduates to jumpstart their careers while serving the legal needs of underserved members of our society.

Public Interest Activities

Public Interest Fellowships11

Financial Support for Public Interest12

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Public Interest Career Services

Public Interest Career Services are available through the Career Development Office, which offers specialized counseling, as well as a wide array of services, programs, events, and resources for public interest-minded students and alumni in all stages of their career development.

Public Interest Programs & Resources13

Career Services

Events & Programs

Other Resources for Students

About Public Interest Employers

Information for Public Interest Employers

YLS Website Feed
YLS Website Feed

Launching Careers in Service

Read about how Yale Law School-funded fellowships offer essential support for aspiring public interest lawyers.

Oct
27

The Walter E. Meyer Professor of Property and Urban Law Inaugural Lecture — David N. Schleicher

4:30PM - 6:00PM
The Walter E. Meyer Professor of Property and Urban Law Inaugural Lecture — David N. Schleicher

These relationships that you form while on campus will be some of the most important relationships that you will have for the rest of your life. And they will be with some of the most remarkable people you will ever meet in your life. So don’t take that for granted.”