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Each year, the Rappaport Fellows Program in Law and Public Policy hires law students from Boston area law schools for summer internships in state or local government offices with an emphasis on public policy and issues relevant to the Greater Boston region. The 10-week program includes a generous stipend as well as a mentoring program and weekly seminar series. Stephanie Rogers, a third-year day student, was the 2012 Rappaport Fellow from New England Law | Boston. As part of our blog series highlighting student work Stephanie writes about her experience working as a Fellow at the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation.
Once I confirmed my placement at the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCA), I knew I would enjoy the work, but I had no idea how diverse my experience would be, or just how much I would learn over the summer. During just my first week, I was exposed to veterans’ issues, insurance topics, antitrust law, conflicts in the Department of Professional Licensure (DPL), problems with for-profit schools, and the general inner workings of the OCA office. As a Fellow, I not only sat in on regular staff meetings and meetings with OCA’s under-agencies, but also a hearing at city hall about for-profit schools, a pitch from a private company OCA sought to hire to update its website, an OCA press conference to release results of a major survey, and a day-long conference about consumer credit issues.
One of the pieces of advice about how to get the most out of your Rappaport experience was to attend as many meetings as possible. I began doing this right away by attending five meetings and a hearing during my first week in the office. At one of those first meetings, I discovered that the DPL would be assuming oversight of occupational schools beginning August 1st, per a recently passed statute with the backing of Governor Patrick. I had several projects on my plate already, but I requested and was granted permission to work with the DPL on this transition. I had no idea I would be able to contribute to an initiative I found so important, and it remains my favorite part of my Fellowship experience.
I got more out of the Rappaport Fellowship than I ever thought possible. Not only did I gain legal knowledge, but I also learned how to interact in a government office, both a small one with a tight-knit staff when at the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, and a large one with several smaller departments interacting when at the Department of Professional Licensure. I also had a glimpse into the life of a government lawyer at several angles, from chief counsel to hearing officer. I am very thankful to all responsible for my acceptance into the program and for giving me this opportunity. Government works, and I am anxious to begin my career within it.
- Stephanie Rogers, Class of 2013
Want to learn more about the Rappaport Fellows Program? Stephanie Rogers and Gregory I. Massing, Esq., Executive Director of the Rappaport Center for Law and Public Service, will speak more about the program and the application process on Thursday, November, 15th , 4:30pm – 5:30pm in Room 505. To RSVP, please email rappaportcenter@suffolk.edu.
Presented by the ABA’s Standing Committee on Pro Bono & Public Service and the Center for Pro Bono, the Celebration focuses on the nation’s increased need for pro bono services and equal access to justice. In addition to a number of local events scheduled this month featuring pro bono trainings and activities with area organizations, there are also upcoming student-sponsored programs highlighting pro bono and public service work. On Thursday, October 25th, 4:30pm - 6:00pm the Women's Law Caucus and the Career Services Office are co-sponsoring a speed networking night featuring work in domestic violence advocacy. The event will feature practitioners from domestic violence advocacy organizations as well as attorneys who have incorporated pro bono domestic violence work into their private practice. And on Monday, October 29th, 4:30pm - 6:30pm the Public Interest Law Association is presenting a panel on public interest sector careers featuring representatives from Greater Boston Legal Services, the Legal Advocacy and Resource Center, the National Consumer Law Center, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
New England Law | Boston provides opportunities for students to participate in public service and pro bono activities throughout the school year. The Center for Law and Social Responsibility (CLSR) sponsors pro bono and public service activities through which faculty, students and alumni support socially responsible goals. Center projects include work in criminal justice, immigration law, environmental advocacy, and women's and children's rights. To stay up to date on the CLSR’s activities and other public interest programs, visit their homepage to view their calendar of upcoming events.
Students whose public service legal work is unpaid and without credit may be eligible to obtain transcript recognition through the Public Service Transcript Notation Program, approved by the Public Service Project at the Center for Law and Social Responsibility. The approved work is legal work that meets the definition of MA Rule 6.1 (Voluntary Pro Bono Publico Service). Once students complete 25 hours of the approved work, they may submit a hard copy of the completed verification form to Professor Engler in the Clinic Office.
For more information on how to get involved, our Pro Bono Guide provides information on pro bono opportunities at New England Law | Boston as well as a list of public interest organizations in Massachusetts. Students are encouraged to pursue pro bono work as a way to obtain academic credit and gain real world experience while also making a positive contribution to the community at large.
Students looking for funding for their unpaid summer internship have a number of options. Equal Justice Works (EJW) has extended their deadline for their Summer Corps program to noon on Tuesday, April 10, 2012. Summer Corps is an AmeriCorps-funded program that provides students with a $1,175 education award voucher for working in a public interest position that provides direct legal services to low income clients. More information on how to apply is available on EJW's website.
The Public Interest Law Association (PILA) is also accepting applications for their PILA Grant which provides funding for students working in public interest law over the summer. The grant application and information packet has been posted on PILA's TWEN site and is due at 5:00pm on Friday, April 13, 2012. They will also host an information session on Monday, April 9, 2012 at 5:00pm in Room 304. This session will have a representative from the Office of Financial Aid to explain the details of the grant.
Qualifying students may also consider applying for Federal Work Study. FWS allows students to work in law-related positions at a low cost to their employers. During the summer nonprofit employers are required to contribute only 33% of the student's gross earnings while for-profit employers contribute 58%. The remainder of the student's earnings are funded by the federal government. More information is available on the Financial Aid Office's website.
Additional summer funding resources may be found in the " Summer Funding Resources" section of PsLawNet. This section includes funding available in specific geographic regions as well as summer aid that may be applied in a variety of geographic locations. Because many deadlines fall in March and April, students who have not already begun to search for outside funding for their summer public interest internship are encouraged to do so as soon as possible.
The following is a blog post originally posted in February 2010.
For many law students looking for public interest work after graduation a fellowship can be the best way to gain an entry-level position with a nonprofit. While many public defender offices and legal services agencies hire new attorneys each year, many other public interest organizations do not. Fellowships typically last for one or two years and may not lead to permanent positions within the organization, however they provide new attorneys excellent training and exposure to a particular field which will make them better qualified for other positions within the public interest arena.
In general, fellowships fall into two categories: organization-based or project-based. An organization-based fellowship is sponsored by the organization for which the fellow is working. A project-based fellowship is sponsored by an outside organization and allows the fellow to work within a host organization on a specific project within a particular area of law or serving a particular community. PSLawNet provides an informative overview of public interest fellowships and is also the best resource for finding positions and sponsoring organizations.
For further information on applying for a post-graduate fellowship attend the CSO/PILA program Fellowship Application Tips, Wednesday, October 27th, 5:00pm - 6:00pm in the Cherry Room.
 The American Bar Association has added a new section to their website called Economic Recovery Resources to deal with the current economic downturn. The section provides advice and resources on a variety of topics including networking, professional development, stress management, and career transitioning. The ABA site also contains a useful guide on how to gain experience through pro bono opportunities. Locally, the Boston Bar Association's Health Law Section will hold a program on pro bono opportunities in the Boston area on Thursday, May 21st. For more information on the program, click here. Another new resource now on-line is PSLawNet's Government Careers section. According to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), one-third of the entire federal government workforce will leave in the next 5 years. The PSLawNet guide provides details on where the jobs are, the variety of practice areas available, and how to apply. The Government Careers section also includes information on the Federal Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP), security clearances, and citizenship requirements. Navigating federal job opportunities can seem overwhelming at first, however PSLawNet provides job seekers with a clear guide on where to begin. While the economic times may be challenging some great opportunities still exist. Pro bono work and unique government positions are two experiences job seekers should consider when seeking employment.
 "I would love to do public interest after graduation but I also need to pay off my student loans!" We often hear this lament in the Career Services Office from students who are interested in a public service career after graduation but do not think it is a possible avenue for them if they also want to be able to pay off their large amount of student loans. The Federal Student Loan Forgiveness Law: The College Cost Reduction Act of 2007 was created to address this problem so that pursuing a career in public service and being able to pay off student loans may no longer be mutually exclusive. The Act helps public service attorneys in two ways: 1. Lowers monthly student loan payments on federally guaranteed student loans (called Income Based Repayment or IBR)
2. Forgives remaining debt for public servants after 10 years of public service employment (called Loan Forgiveness for Public Service) Under IBR, annual loan payments may be no more than 15% of discretionary income. Under the Loan Forgiveness for Public Service, if a borrower makes 120 qualifying loan payments on a Federal Direct Loan (including Federal Direct Consolidation loans) while working full-time for 10 years in public service, the unpaid balance is forgiven by the federal government. Public service employment is defined as: - employment in a 501(c)(3) organization; or - employment in government (local,state, federal, and tribal; including military and employment in public schools and universities); or - service in a full-time AmeriCorps position; and - employment in a "public service organization" (including legal services). The Financial Aid Office will hold a Loan Repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness Seminar on Thursday, November 13th, Room 305, 3:00pm - 4:30pm where they will go into the guidelines and benefits of this new program in more detail. Interested students should RSVP by emailing finaid@nesl.edu. Additional information on the Federal Student Loan Forgiveness Law is also available on the Equal Justice Works site.
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