Public Interest Careers

Minnesota Law is deeply committed to training and supporting students as they explore public interest careers. This commitment inspires many of our graduates each year to pursue meaningful careers in public service. Our support includes: 

  • Financial Support – Opportunities such as the Robina Public Interest Scholars Program; summer funding for unpaid public interest work; conference and job fair funding; postgraduate fellowship funding; and the Loan Repayment Assistance Program of Minnesota (LRAP MN).
  • Resource Support - A dedicated Assistant Director of Public Interest provides personalized counseling for students and alumni on public service career paths, organizes public interest events and career panels throughout the year, builds relationships with public interest employers, and manages summer and postgraduate funding programs.
  • Skill Development – Hands-on training through Minnesota Law Clinics, the Saeks Public Interest Residency Program, Experiential Learning, and numerous pro bono opportunities that help students gain practical experience while making an impact in the community.

Public Interest Facts & Stats

Summer Opportunities

In 2025, 51% of current 2Ls and 32% of current 3Ls worked at government agencies or nonprofit organizations during the summer.

Public Interest Fellowships

From 2014 - 2025, 20 graduates have been awarded prestigious postgraduate fellowships from Equal Justice Works.

Entry Level Careers in Public Service 

42% of our employed graduates from the class of 2024 started directly in public interest careers and judicial clerkships, serving in nonprofit, government, and international organizations. Graduates started public interest jobs across the country, including in Washington D.C., New York, California, Illinois, and Minnesota, among other states. Read more about judicial clerkship employment.

More information on annual NALP and ABA reporting for government and nonprofit positions is available in the Career Facts & Statistics reports under Where Grads Go.

School-Funded Fellowships

Robina Postgraduate Fellowships

Robina Postgraduate Fellowships are provided in recognition of the need for greater funding for recent graduates who want to pursue public interest work. This highly competitive fellowship program provides funding for fellows to work full-time, for one year, in a legal or policy role at a nonprofit or government agency.  Organizations where Robina fellows have worked include:

  • American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas
  • American Red Cross, International Humanitarian Law Unit
  • Center for Reproductive Rights
  • Children of Incarcerated Caregivers
  • Earthjustice
  • Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago
  • National Immigrant Justice Center
  • Public Counsel
  • UNHCR, The UN Refugee Agency
  • DC Volunteer Lawyers Project
  • Guernica Centre for International Justice
  • Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law

Bridge Fellowships

Bridge Fellowships support recent graduates on their paths to public service. Bridge Fellowships provide short-term funding for graduates to work at government agencies and nonprofit organizations—locally, nationally, and internationally—while they search for permanent employment. All fellows work closely with their career counselors to secure quality placements and transition to permanent work.