Before I embarrass myself about "public interest" Forum

[Kulax22]

OK so I did make a similar post in the "law school" section, but I am hoping Admissions is the better place for it?

- I am about to submit my app to a final school which emphasizes public interest law. Does education law count? Does family law count? I don't know the field well enough to say, but I don't want to rave about my desire to be a "public interest family lawyer" and then realize no such thing exists.

[kumba84]

Education law would probably be considered public interest law (ok, I know nothing about education law, but I assume most positions are with government and nonprofits?). Basically, public interest law involves working for underserved populations/interests (disadvantaged social and economic groups, the environment, civil liberties, etc.). Public service is a subset of that, where you are employed by the government.

However, if you're asking what public interest law is right before you're submitting your applications, do you really want to be a public interest lawyer? I wouldn't suggest writing about a desire to practice public interest law just because a particular school emphasizes it.

[Anonymous Loser]

The exact boundaries of what can be considered "public interest" are a bit hard to define, but as a general rule of thumb, consider who is signing your paycheck. The practice area itself is likely not determinative.

Examples:

Family Law #1: You are representing a client in a custody dispute. He's paying you $600 an hour out of his own pocket. Not public interest.

Family Law #2: You are representing a client in a custody dispute. You were appointed to this case by the state judiciary, and are being paid by a non-profit legal defense fund. This is public interest.

Environmental Law #1: You are representing a client who is adversely affected by recent changes to BLM regulations. A large mining conglomerate is paying you $2.3 million to argue that cyanide-leaching does not create unnecessary or undue harm to federal lands. Not public interest.

Environmental Law #1: You are representing a client who is adversely affected by recent changes to BLM regulations. U.S. Fish & Wildlife is paying you to argue that recently enacted hard rock mining regulations violate FLPMA. This is public interest.

[articulably suspect]

OK so I did make a similar post in the "law school" section, but I am hoping Admissions is the better place for it?

- I am about to submit my app to a final school which emphasizes public interest law. Does education law count? Does family law count? I don't know the field well enough to say, but I don't want to rave about my desire to be a "public interest family lawyer" and then realize no such thing exists.

What is public interest law? I can't define it, but I know it when I see it.

I'm confused, are you trying to convince adcoms at said school that you are interested in public interest law and just want an example to use?

[Kulax22]

Thanks everyone.

I see myself doing family law (possibly education law) and hopefully representing "underprivileged" in the widest sense of the word people. Of course that might change.

To clarify I am asking because I could not find a definitive answer whether family law or education law was public interest. I guess that's because it depends whether you yourself make it such.

[deadlinguo]

The exact boundaries of what can be considered "public interest" are a bit hard to define, but as a general rule of thumb, consider who is signing your paycheck. The practice area itself is likely not determinative.

Examples:

Family Law #1: You are representing a client in a custody dispute. He's paying you $600 an hour out of his own pocket. Not public interest.

Family Law #2: You are representing a client in a custody dispute. You were appointed to this case by the state judiciary, and are being paid by a non-profit legal defense fund. This is public interest.

Environmental Law #1: You are representing a client who is adversely affected by recent changes to BLM regulations. A large mining conglomerate is paying you $2.3 million to argue that cyanide-leaching does not create unnecessary or undue harm to federal lands. Not public interest.

Environmental Law #1: You are representing a client who is adversely affected by recent changes to BLM regulations. U.S. Fish & Wildlife is paying you to argue that recently enacted hard rock mining regulations violate FLPMA. This is public interest.

What if you're part of a group of lawyers handling a class action lawsuit for the plaintiffs without charging them, but you'll get a large portion of the payout from the defendant if you win?

[Leeroy Jenkins]

What if you're part of a group of lawyers handling a class action lawsuit for the plaintiffs without charging them, but you'll get a large portion of the payout from the defendant if you win?

Um.

No.

[Anonymous Loser]

Yeah, I can't really imagine a situation where a contingent fee arrangement is going to be utilized in something I'd consider public interest.

[reasonable_man]

The exact boundaries of what can be considered "public interest" are a bit hard to define, but as a general rule of thumb, consider who is signing your paycheck. The practice area itself is likely not determinative.

Examples:

Family Law #1: You are representing a client in a custody dispute. He's paying you $600 an hour out of his own pocket. Not public interest.

Family Law #2: You are representing a client in a custody dispute. You were appointed to this case by the state judiciary, and are being paid by a non-profit legal defense fund. This is public interest.

Environmental Law #1: You are representing a client who is adversely affected by recent changes to BLM regulations. A large mining conglomerate is paying you $2.3 million to argue that cyanide-leaching does not create unnecessary or undue harm to federal lands. Not public interest.

Environmental Law #1: You are representing a client who is adversely affected by recent changes to BLM regulations. U.S. Fish & Wildlife is paying you to argue that recently enacted hard rock mining regulations violate FLPMA. This is public interest.

What if you're part of a group of lawyers handling a class action lawsuit for the plaintiffs without charging them, but you'll get a large portion of the payout from the defendant if you win?

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH

ohhh that was good.

In response to your question, this is called adopting the business model of nearly every personal injury lawyer to ever try a case in the US.

[reasonable_man]

The exact boundaries of what can be considered "public interest" are a bit hard to define, but as a general rule of thumb, consider who is signing your paycheck. The practice area itself is likely not determinative.

Examples:

Family Law #1: You are representing a client in a custody dispute. He's paying you $600 an hour out of his own pocket. Not public interest.

Family Law #2: You are representing a client in a custody dispute. You were appointed to this case by the state judiciary, and are being paid by a non-profit legal defense fund. This is public interest.

Environmental Law #1: You are representing a client who is adversely affected by recent changes to BLM regulations. A large mining conglomerate is paying you $2.3 million to argue that cyanide-leaching does not create unnecessary or undue harm to federal lands. Not public interest.

Environmental Law #1: You are representing a client who is adversely affected by recent changes to BLM regulations. U.S. Fish & Wildlife is paying you to argue that recently enacted hard rock mining regulations violate FLPMA. This is public interest.

Wrong (as in not right).

[groundkontrol]

To me public interest is anything that doesn't directly relate to the private sector. It includes government work as well. So labor law, immigration law, public defense, human rights law, child advocacy law, etc. Most likely if there is a clinic on the subject, then it is related to "public interest" law in my opinion. So yes, I'd say that education law, and more so education advocacy--essentially closing the achievement gap and restructuring educational programs--counts as public interest law. Hope that helps.

[reasonable_man]

If I may, I'm going to step in and make this really easy.

If you work for the government, a special interest group or a not-for profit company/agency, you do 'public interest' work.

If you work at a law firm, no matter what your practice area, you do not work in 'public interest.'

[deadlinguo]

The exact boundaries of what can be considered "public interest" are a bit hard to define, but as a general rule of thumb, consider who is signing your paycheck. The practice area itself is likely not determinative.

Examples:

Family Law #1: You are representing a client in a custody dispute. He's paying you $600 an hour out of his own pocket. Not public interest.

Family Law #2: You are representing a client in a custody dispute. You were appointed to this case by the state judiciary, and are being paid by a non-profit legal defense fund. This is public interest.

Environmental Law #1: You are representing a client who is adversely affected by recent changes to BLM regulations. A large mining conglomerate is paying you $2.3 million to argue that cyanide-leaching does not create unnecessary or undue harm to federal lands. Not public interest.

Environmental Law #1: You are representing a client who is adversely affected by recent changes to BLM regulations. U.S. Fish & Wildlife is paying you to argue that recently enacted hard rock mining regulations violate FLPMA. This is public interest.

What if you're part of a group of lawyers handling a class action lawsuit for the plaintiffs without charging them, but you'll get a large portion of the payout from the defendant if you win?

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH

ohhh that was good.

In response to your question, this is called adopting the business model of nearly every personal injury lawyer to ever try a case in the US.

No shit, it's not a literal question. What I mean is that, a major class action lawsuit can lead to positive reforms in consumer protection law, which would benefit the public interest. These cases are important for keeping companies in check and consumers safe. No the lawyers aren't charitable, but I think you could argue that what they're doing is beneficial to the public.

I don't know if I'd consider that "public interest law" myself. Is it really as simple as "working for the govt" vs "working for a private firm"?

edit: This is an example of what I'm talking about btw: http://www.builderonline.com/legal-issu ... versy.aspx

[biggiemike000]

Kind of piggybacking off this talk of public interest law, I had a similar question. If one wanted to advocate/fight for stricter advertising regulations for nutrition and exercise supplements (because the current system allows too much deception) what aspect of law would that be? I'm assuming that if I felt that the nutrition education in schools needed to be improved that would be considered public interest?

[j.wellington]

Kind of piggybacking off this talk of public interest law, I had a similar question. If one wanted to advocate/fight for stricter advertising regulations for nutrition and exercise supplements (because the current system allows too much deception) what aspect of law would that be? I'm assuming that if I felt that the nutrition education in schools needed to be improved that would be considered public interest?

This would be advocacy, not necessarily public interest. It could be public interest if you were working for a public agency to enforce food and drug laws. As someone else said, it's largely a matter of where your paycheck comes from. Working in a legal capacity on behalf of a noble cause does not in itself, strictly speaking, qualify as public interest law.

[Anonymous Loser]

If I may, I'm going to step in and make this really easy.

If you work for the government, a special interest group or a not-for profit company/agency, you do 'public interest' work.

If you work at a law firm, no matter what your practice area, you do not work in 'public interest.'

This is exactly what I posted above, which you stated was "wrong."

[Renzo]

If I may, I'm going to step in and make this really easy.

If you work for the government, a special interest group or a not-for profit company/agency, you do 'public interest' work.

If you work at a law firm, no matter what your practice area, you do not work in 'public interest.'

This is exactly what I posted above, which you stated was "wrong."

I think the "wrong" part was that the boundaries are hard to define, not your examples.

The only "hard to define" part would be whether or not prosecutorial work counts. It counts as "public interest" in terms of LRAP/ loan forgiveness, but most lefties would bristle at the idea that locking up minorities and poor people is in the "public interest"

[Kulax22]

OK to further complicate matters:

What is the difference between public interest and public sector?

[Renzo]

OK to further complicate matters:

What is the difference between public interest and public sector?

Public sector means the government signs your paycheck.

[Kulax22]

Thanks Renzo.

EDIT So both are public interest, but public sector (=govt) and non profit (= part of private sector)? Do not-for-profits count?

[reasonable_man]

Thanks Renzo.

So public interest = public sector (=govt) and non profit (= part of private sector)? Do not-for-profits count?

You didn't cary the 1.

[kumba84]

So everyone seems to agree that "public interest" includes both government and nonprofit jobs. I emailed the career office for one of my top choices to ask for more detailed info on their recent grads' public interest employment yesterday. When I asked them to augment the list they sent me with government jobs, they responded that they did not include them since I had only asked for "public interest" careers. Is there some other word I don't know about that includes both? It seems like they're being sort of picky with their words.

[Renzo]

So everyone seems to agree that "public interest" includes both government and nonprofit jobs. I emailed the career office for one of my top choices to ask for more detailed info on their recent grads' public interest employment yesterday. When I asked them to augment the list they sent me with government jobs, they responded that they did not include them since I had only asked for "public interest" careers. Is there some other word I don't know about that includes both? It seems like they're being sort of picky with their words.

Sometimes career service people are silly this way.