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NALP & PSJD

PSJD is housed at, and administered by, NALP—a nonprofit member association composed of over 2,500 legal career professionals in both the law school and legal employer communities. NALP members work at public and private law schools, law firms, and government and public interest law offices. NALP is dedicated to facilitating legal career counseling and planning, recruitment and retention, and the professional development of law students and lawyers.

What brings NALP members together is a common belief in three fundamental things. First, all law students and lawyers should benefit from a fair and ethical hiring process. Second, law students and lawyers are more successful when supported by professional development and legal professionals. Third, a diverse and inclusive legal profession best serves clients and our communities. That’s why NALP members work together every day to collect and publish accurate legal employment data and information, and champion education and standards for recruiting, professional and career development, and diversity and inclusion. For more than forty years, NALP has played an essential role in the success of our members and the lawyers and law students they serve.

Central to NALP’s mission is a strong commitment to facilitating legal careers in public service. Since 2003, PSJD (which was called PSLawNet until 2012) has been at the core of NALP’s efforts to connect public-service minded law students and attorneys with career opportunities. NALP and its member law schools support PSJD so that it remains a free resource for public service employers to share information about their missions and employment opportunities for law students and lawyers.

In addition to PSJD, NALP promotes public service careers through several key initiatives. Among them are:

The Public Service Attorney Salary Report

Every two years, NALP surveys public service employers (local and state prosecutors, public defenders, civil legal services, and issue-oriented public interest organizations), gathering data about their salaries and compensation structures. The resulting report, issued biennally until 2014 and now issued quadrennially, has become a national touchstone for organizations to set their salary scales, advocate for higher public service salaries, and protect and expand LRAP programs. The 2014 Report is available through NALP's online bookstore. The 2018 Report is available as an interactive online resource and a downloadable PDF to PSJD subscribers as well as for individual purchase.

NALP's Annual Public Service Conference

Each year, NALP's Public Service Section gathers virtually for a one day conference (well, two half-days) – typically at the beginning of December. The Public Service Conference provides a unique opportunity for NALP members and guests to discuss trends in public service recruitment, retention, and professional development. To learn more, contact Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives, at [email protected].

The PSJD Pro Bono Publico Award

Each year, NALP confers its PSJD Pro Bono Publico Award on a second- or third-year law student at one of PSJD's subscriber schools. (You can find some information about our most recent award recipient here.) Our hope is that this award will call attention to the significant contributions that law students who perform pro bono work make to under-served populations, the public interest community, and legal education. Each subscriber school may submit up to two nominees for the award; the nomination deadline is typically in early fall.

Free Listings for Public Service Employers in NALP's Directory of Legal Employers

The NALP Directory of Legal Employers is one of the most widely-used recruitment tools in the legal profession. Published both in print and online, it includes key information for over 1,800 legal employers, including practice areas, organization demographics, hiring criteria, starting salaries, hours, benefits, and other valuable data. Nonprofit and government employers are featured in the NALP Directory at no charge. To learn more, contact Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives, at [email protected].

Reduced NALP Membership Rates for Nonprofit Public Service Employers & Bar Associations

Learn more at NALP's Membership Page.