Public Interest & Government Law

One of the strongest academic areas at UMass Law, a concentration in public interest & government law will prepare students for a career that includes work in local, state, or federal government (e.g., state attorney general's offices; legislative counsel; district attorney; public defender) or at a not-for-profit organization engaged in the practice of law to benefit the public interest across a range of legal fields (e.g., constitutional law, environmental law, health law, labor and employment law, Native American law).

UMass Law offers several opportunities to gain experience in this area. One of our law clinics is with the Mashpee Wampanoag Legal Services Office in Hyannis, serving low-income litigants in the Tribal Court located in Mashpee, MA, as well as tribal members seeking legal assistance with civil legal issues, including family law, landlord-tenant law, and government benefits law.

Students may also enroll in UMass Law's Human Rights at Home Clinic, through which students represent survivors of domestic violence, veterans, those who are or have been incarcerated, and others whose fundamental needs are unmet.

Students in the Housing and Eviction Defense Clinic will represent indigent clients who are facing eviction or have other tenant legal concerns.

The Public Interest Law Fellowship (PILF) offers a comprehensive, integrated program designed to train students for careers in public service. Up to 25 fellowships are awarded to entering students each year in a highly competitive application process. The fellowship includes a 50% scholarship for both tuition and fees in exchange for a commitment to practice public interest law for four years upon graduation.

Examples of courses in this area include, but are not limited to: administrative law,  affordable housing law, constitutional law, domestic violence law, employment discrimination, environmental law, health law, law and religion, and special education law.