Faculty Memorandum
Government Lawyering, Public Interest, and Law Reform
Updated September 2011
Students who anticipate entering public interest practice or doing law reform work as part of a private practice may wish to consider the MPAP Dual Degree program which offers a J.D./Masters of Public Affairs & Politics in conjunction with the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy in New Brunswick (formerly known as the Eagleton Program). This program offers law students an opportunity to get a Masters in public policy and a law degree with three and a half years of study. The Bloustein School in New Brunswick is a renowned center for the study of politics and legal and social change, and provides excellent preparation to anyone interested in public interest practice or government lawyering.
More information about the Bloustein School is available here. Several recent graduates of this program have won prestigious national and local public interest fellowships to allow them to do specialized family-law related projects while working as attorneys for non-profit public interest organizations.
Another specialized option connected to the Eagleton Institute of Politics in New Brunswick is the Henry J. Raimondo Legislative Fellows Program, for second or third year students interested in learning about and participating in state government with a specific focus on the New Jersey Legislature. If you are interested in either program, you will need to apply in the spring of your first or second year of law school and spend the following year full-time at Eagleton. Additional information on both programs is available at www.eagleton.rutgers.edu.
Students interested in law reform and public policy should also consider taking one or more of the following courses:
Legislation
Problems in Civil Liberties Law
New Jersey Constitutional Law
Poverty Law
Race, Racism and the Law
Seminar: Social Welfare Law and Policy
Sex Discrimination and the Law
State Constitutional Law
Women and the Law in 20th Century America