Welcome back! Today, we’re talking with Ashley Matthews, Program Manager for Law School Engagement and Advocacy at Equal Justice Works, about preparing for a career in public interest work. Public interest is a competitive field to break into, and it comes with its own unique set of challenges. If you’ve decided you want to pursue a career in public interest law, this episode is a must-listen!

In this episode, we discuss:

• The challenges facing people who seek a career in public interest law
• Options for managing student loan debt for people in public interest careers
• Competitiveness in the public interest field
• What public interest employers are looking for
• Programs offered by Equal Justice Works for law students, recent grads, and more experienced lawyers
• The current controversy over validity of student loan forgiveness program approval letters
• The future of loan forgiveness and assistance programs
• Which law schools have LRAPs, and how to start one at your law school

Resources:

• Podcast Episode 38: Can You Really Afford Law School? (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-38-can-you-really-afford-law-school/)
• Equal Justice Works Fellowships (http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/post-grad/equal-justice-works-fellowships)
• Equal Justice Works Rural Summer Legal Corps Program (https://rurallegalcorps.org/)
• Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps JD (http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/law-school/americorpsjd)
• Podcast Episode 92: Top 1L Questions: The Money Edition (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-92-top-1l-questions-money-edition/)
• Podcast Episode 96: How to Rapidly Pay Off Law School Debt (with Guest Financial Panther) (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-96-how-to-rapidly-pay-off-law-school-debt-with-guest-financial-panther/)
• Equal Justice Works Free Student Debt Webinars (http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/webinars)
• Cowley, Stacy. “Student Loan Forgiveness Program Approval Letters May Be Invalid, Education Dept. Says.” N.Y. Times, Mar. 30, 2017. (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/30/business/student-loan-forgiveness-program-lawsuit.html)
• John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program (http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/resources/student-debt-relief/John-R-Justice-Student-Loan-Repayment-Program)
• Law School LRAPs (http://equaljusticeworks.org/schoollraps)
• How to Get to Know Your Professors in Law School (http://thegirlsguidetolawschool.com/05/how-to-get-to-know-your-professors-in-law-school/)
• Equal Justice Works 2017 Conference and Career Fair (http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/law-school/conference-and-careerfair)
• Equal Justice Works on Twitter (https://twitter.com/ejw_students)

Episode Transcript: Download the Transcript  (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Episode-101-Preparing-for-a-career-in-public-interest-with-EJW.pdf)

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes  (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/law-school-toolbox-podcast/id1027603976) (or your listening platform of choice). And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact). If you're concerned about the bar exam, check out our sister site, the Bar Exam Toolbox (http://barexamtoolbox.com/).

Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee