It’s always nice to spend time with like-minded individuals in your field to learn from one another, share battle stories, and get inspired. Each year, The Robert M. Cover Retreat provides just the opportunity for law students and practitioners working in or interested in public interest law. I attended this year’s retreat, and strongly urge any student in the New England Law | Boston community to attend for the following reasons.
First, you learn how broad the public interest field is. At the first dinner, everyone has the opportunity to stand, introduce themselves, and talk about their work in the public interest field. I learned that attorneys and students at the retreat are working in the follow fields: capital defense, civil rights (covering everything from voting to housing to education), human rights, criminal re-entry, international law, community economic development, refugee work, drug policy, veterans rights, LGBT issues, women’s rights, employment and labor issues including work with unions, environmental work, juvenile rights, education and much more.
Second, you meet accomplished practitioners and students. I drove up with Maya Rupert, one of the most impressive (and nicest!) attorneys I’ll ever meet. During our car ride we talked about everything from music to TV and, most importantly, Maya’s work as a federal policy director at the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Maya explained her efforts to coordinate with federal agencies and the Obama Administration to further the rights of the LGBT community. She enlightened me on the many issues facing the LGBT community from hospital visitation, to public housing access, to difficulties in finding senior housing. I also had the honor of sitting next to John Brittain, an accomplished civil rights attorney and speaker, during my first dinner. We talked about his work on desegregation and about the recent attack on women’s reproductive rights. I was so inspired by these two legal advocates that I made it a point to attend both of their workshops to learn more from them.
A third great feature of the retreat is that you get to meet others working in your own public interest field. Bill Eubanks of Meyer, Glitzenstein & Crystal is an expert in all aspects of environmental law, from NEPA, to the ESA, to the CAA, to the CWA. He was very informative during his workshop on what it takes to get your foot in the door for environmental public interest work. He was honest about the challenges, but not discouraging, and encouraged students to be comfortable with the path and choices they make when pursuing their goals. Further, I met students involved in environmental work ranging from sustainable community development, to fighting industrial agriculture, to alternative transportation in larger cities. I learned something new from every single one of them in a field that I thought I was already well acquainted with.
Fourth, you feel motivated and inspired after the retreat. The retreat provides encouragement for students interested in public interest work. A law student can feel isolated when he or she realizes that the private firm or corporate setting is not for them. Students can feel even more discouraged when they learn about the pay of most public interest law jobs. This retreat alleviates a lot of this. The retreat allows students to meet practitioners who are successful and thriving in their work, with no regrets or sacrifices. The retreat also holds informative panels on fellowship opportunities, how to apply and stand out in the job search, and how to repay your loans while working in the public interest field. It reminds a law student of two things: (1) they are not alone and (2) it is possible to work in this field and actually make a living.
And last but not least it is fun. At the conclusion of both days the retreat ends with time to socialize and relax. Everyone gets to sit back, listen to music, have a drink (or three), and talk about the issues that are important to them. At this retreat everyone is excited about your work and willing to share their thoughts and insight. The retreat provides a welcoming environment for public interest minded professionals to sit back and relax, get inspired, and leave energized.