Public Interest/Government...?? Need some ideas Forum

[ket310]

I'm 0L who is currently in military service. I originally was shooting biglaw ONLY, did not have anything else in my mind. But after committing myself to service of the United States, living as a soldier made me realize I perhaps would have more personal satisfaction in public interest/government jobs. It is sense of feeling that you are doing something good for your country and actually being appreciated by other people. Plus, post 2008, getting into biglaw has become a lot more difficult, so I have to think other options anyway.

I looked into few public services and found that perhaps DA's office or government agencies (such as DOJ) would make me a lot more satisfied. I wouldn't have huge debt because of post 9-11 GI Bill which covers $18K/yr of my tuition and living expenses (location dependent, for example, NYC, -> I get $3100 a month, DC -> $2200 a month, Ann Arbor -> $1100). If I'm lucky, I might have to pay nothing (If I get into Michigan, I don't have to pay a dime because they give veterans full scholarship). These factors make my goal into doing PI/Government a lot more possible in financial terms.

But I only know district attorney's office and government agencies (DOJ, CIA, etc). What else can I do in PI that I actually make difference to people around me? I'm not really into environmental though... I just wonder if anybody who actually works in PI or thinks about it give me some advice on the type of work you might do and the satisfaction you get. Thank you.

[eric922]

I'm 0L who is currently in military service. I originally was shooting biglaw ONLY, did not have anything else in my mind. But after committing myself to service of the United States, living as a soldier made me realize I perhaps would have more personal satisfaction in public interest/government jobs. It is sense of feeling that you are doing something good for your country and actually being appreciated by other people. Plus, post 2008, getting into biglaw has become a lot more difficult, so I have to think other options anyway.

I looked into few public services and found that perhaps DA's office or government agencies (such as DOJ) would make me a lot more satisfied. I wouldn't have huge debt because of post 9-11 GI Bill which covers $18K/yr of my tuition and living expenses (location dependent, for example, NYC, -> I get $3100 a month, DC -> $2200 a month, Ann Arbor -> $1100). If I'm lucky, I might have to pay nothing (If I get into Michigan, I don't have to pay a dime because they give veterans full scholarship). These factors make my goal into doing PI/Government a lot more possible in financial terms.

But I only know district attorney's office and government agencies (DOJ, CIA, etc). What else can I do in PI that I actually make difference to people around me? I'm not really into environmental though... I just wonder if anybody who actually works in PI or thinks about it give me some advice on the type of work you might do and the satisfaction you get. Thank you.

You mentioned being a DA so you probably aren't interested in this, but you could look into being a public defender. That's another PI job that you can make a difference with. Also legal aid clinics come to mind, though they aren't strictly government, but it's something you might want to look into.