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(From left to right: Nicole Vikan, Barbara Moulton, Kim Matthews, Charles Curry, Holly Eaton, Lauren Dubin) Created in 1996, the Office of Public Interest and Community Service (OPICS) is the hub of the public interest community at Georgetown. In addition to serving as a general resource center, OPICS is the primary career office for students interested in exploring public interest and government legal opportunities. The office also coordinates the Law Center’s extensive pro bono program, which encourages and facilitates pro bono legal service by students and other members of the Law Center community. Through our myriad services and activities, OPICS seeks to foster in all law students a commitment to service that will continue through their legal careers.
OPICS’ three professional career advisors meet with more than 600 students and a growing number of alumni each year. The advisors assist with overall public interest career planning, provide information on internships and post-graduate employment, review resumes and cover letters, conduct mock interviews, and assist with post-graduate fellowship and government honor applications. The office’s career-related programming includes two major job fairs each year: the Government Interview Program, held annually in September, and the Public Interest and Government Interview Program, conducted jointly with George Washington University Law School and held each year in February. We present a variety of workshops, information sessions and other programs each year. These include a brown bag luncheon series on public interest career choices, interview preparation, fellowship, and summer funding workshops, and debt management and loan repayment information sessions. One of our most popular programs for first-year students is the Alumni Network Program, which brings Georgetown alumni working in public interest organizations and government agencies to campus for a variety of different programs and provides contact information for a national network of Georgetown graduates working in the public sector. OPICS coordinates the Law Center’s Pro Bono Pledge, which challenges each student to perform 75 hours of law-related pro bono service before he or she graduates. Those who complete the Pledge receive a certificate signed by the Dean and special recognition at graduation. During the 2005-2006 academic year, students signed up for the Pledge collectively performed more than 10,883 hours of pro bono service at organizations such as DC Legal Aid Society, Legal Counsel for the Elderly, and the DC Employment Justice Center. Of particular note to prospective students is our 1L Pro Bono Service Project, which places first-year students in law-related volunteer positions with legal services organizations in the DC metropolitan area. Students provide assistance with client intake, basic legal research, and other matters appropriate for beginning law students. More than 100 students sign up for the 1L Pro Bono Project each year. Our Staff:
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