Public Works

Antitrust Practice: Janet D. Steiger Fellowship Project

The Janet D. Steiger Fellowship Project offers law students an opportunity to work with consumer protection and antitrust departments of state Offices of Attorneys General in twenty states, including the Commonwealth of Virginia.  The paid eight-week fellowship for first- and second-years was initiated in 2004 by the ABA Section of Antitrust Law to honor Janet Steiger, former chair of the FTC.  Applications must be received by February 5, 2010.  To read more about the opportunity and to download an application, click here.

Albemarle County Attorney's Office: Internship Opportunity

The Albemarle County Attorney's Office is seeking a part-time law clerk for the 2009-2010 school year.  The law clerk will research complex and timely issues in education and local government law and may have an opportunity to gain experience in other areas based upon the law clerk's interest and availability.  The application deadline is October 30, 2009. 

The 2009 Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair

 

The Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair is the largest annual gathering of public interest and government employers in the nation and will be held this year on Saturday and Sunday October 24 and 25 in Washington, D.C., at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. Over 150 public service/interest employers will be available to conduct prescheduled interviews for hundreds of internship and permanent positions throughout the country. 

The conference will provide a venue where participants can learn about various careers in the public interest.  The Table Talk sessions provide an informal opportunity for law students to introduce themselves to participating employers and possibly to conduct impromptu interviews. For additional information about the conference and career fair, please see the 2008 program book, conference sessions, and a list of past employers here.

The registration fee for attendees is covered by the annual membership that the Mortimer Caplin Public Service Center maintains.  However, students are responsible for travel and lodging costs.

Ryan Coonerty '01, Mayor of Santa Cruz

Please join us for a presentation with Ryan Coonerty, Mayor of Santa Cruz, California and Virginia Law Alum ('01) on Thursday, September 25 at 12:30 pm, in WB121.

Ryan Coonerty (UVa Law, '01) is the Mayor of Santa Cruz, California (link to YouTube).  In his term, he has successfully brought together labor union members, social service providers, environmentalists, and local businesspeople to promote innovative strategies to improve the quality of life in Santa Cruz.  Some of his efforts have received national attention, including creating an Ayuda Linea (Help Line) for day laborers to report incidents of abuse and investing the City's reserve funds locally to spur the local economy.  Recently, he completely a successful legal settlement with the University of California Santa Cruz that will result in tens of million of dollars in infrastructure improvements and authored the Clean Oceans, Rivers and Beaches ballot measure.

Prior to returning to California, he served as Legislative Counsel to two national commissions, including Presidents Carter and Ford's National Commission on Federal Election Reform and Markle Foundation Task Force on National Security in the Information Age.

Currently, he teaches law at UC Santa Cruz and is co-founder of NextSpace Coworking and Innovation.  He is also the author of a book from National Geographic, entitled Etched in Stone -- Enduring Words from Our National Monuments.

Coonerty will discuss his succesful run for office and the importance of serving the public interest.

Washington, D.C., Office of the Attorney General Honors Program (3Ls / Law Clerks)

The Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia offers graduating law school students, graduating LL.M. students and judicial law clerks a unique opportunity to join the 7th-largest attorney general's office in the United States. The Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia (“OAG”) performs the legal functions of a local district attorney’s office as well as those of a state attorney general’s office. OAG’s nearly 400 attorneys work as criminal prosecutors, civil litigators, or as lawyers in one of the general counsels' offices located in each of the 28 agencies under the Mayor’s authority. The OAG's organizational chart is available here.

The Honors Program provides a special opportunity for entry-level attorneys to apply through a separate hiring process focused on exceptionally talented, recent graduates. Eligible candidates must be third-year law students, LL.M. candidates, or current judicial law clerks. Successful candidates are required to make a two-year commitment to OAG.

OAG will select 3-5 Honors attorneys each year. During their first 9-12 months of service, Honors attorneys will be assigned to matters handled by the Civil Litigation Division, the Office of the Solicitor General, and the Legal Counsel Division to hone legal writing and analysis skills. After approximately one year, Honors attorneys will be assigned, based on the attorney's preference and subject to the needs of the office, to a section within one the following Divisions: Child Support Services Division, Civil Litigation Division, Commercial Division, Family Services Division, Legal Counsel Division, Personnel, Labor and Employment Division, Public Advocacy Division, Public Safety Division, and the Office of the Solicitor General.

Applications will be accepted beginning October 1 of each year. The application period will close on February 1 of each year. Interviews will begin December 1, and selections will be made on a rolling basis after December 1. Final decisions will be announced by March 15.

To learn more about the Honors Program and how to apply, select from the following:

• Key Dates
• Selection, Interview and Offer Process
• How to Apply
• Application Form