PSLawNet: A Clearinghouse Where Public Interest Organizations Can Connect With Law Firm Public Interest Placement Programs

In the midst of the current economic upheaval, some law firms have deferred the arrival of their incoming associate class and are providing stipends for them to work for a period of time in the public interest. Some firms are offering similar public interest opportunities to under-worked associates as well.  PSLawNet is serving as a clearinghouse for public interest organizations to advertise themselves as host organizations.  This service is free both for public interest organizations and for NALP member law firms searching the listings.

What is PSLawNet? 

PSLawNet, operated by NALP, is the leading public interest law job database, subscribed to by nearly every law school in North America, giving those schools’ alumni and current students free access to job listings.

How Does a Public Interest Organization Advertise Itself as a Potential Host for Firm Associates?

• Public interest organizations may create an employer profile on PSLawNet and post job announcements at no charge.  Begin by going to the homepage – www.pslawnet.org – and selecting “New User?-Employers” on the right side of the screen.  IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are not sure whether your organization already has an employer profile on PSLawNet, contact us (email and phone below) before creating one.  PSLawNet contains over 11,000 profiles, and it is likely that your organization is already profiled even if you are unaware of it.  We can provide login information for your profile if it already exists.
• As soon as you log in to PSLawNet, a “User Options” menu will appear on the left side of the screen.  Within that menu, click on “Add Opportunity.”  This will take you to a job-posting template.
• IMPORTANT: On the job-posting template, the first field you must complete is called “Job Type.”  From this drop-down menu, select “Law Firm Associate Host.”  This is the job type that law firms and associates will be using to search for host placements.
• If you would like we will post your job announcement for you.  Please email it to us at pslawnet@nalp.org.
• For further reference, please see our illustrated tutorial about how to post an announcement for deferred/outplaced associates. 

How do Firms/Associates Know to Search on PSLawNet? 

Many national organizations from the public interest and law firm communities are advertising PSLawNet as a clearinghouse for information and opportunity postings.

Sample Letters of Agreement between Law Firms and Public Interest Organizations

• Sample: Letter of Agreement - Secondment of Deferred Law Grad
• Sample: Letter of Agreement - Associate Out-placement Program
• Sample: MOU - Severance from Law Firm Employment - One-year Public Interest Placement

Questions? 

Please contact us at pslawnet@nalp.org or at 202.296.0076.

Remember to use PSLawNet for all of your public interest job postings, including attorney positions, postgraduate fellowships, and law student positions.