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Public Interest Scholarships- Want to practice Corporate Law

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 4:41 am
by jking12956
I haven't really seen this question asked before maybe because its unethical but I was wondering if it is at all possible to take a public Interest scholarship at a T1 school and end up practicing corporate law. I'm wondering because a big part of me in the public interest field specifically environmental protection, hoever the money in coporate law and I would like to keep my options open. I know that Boston UNiversity offers Public Interest Scholarships with a "moral obligation" to repay loans if you don't go the public interest route, but what does that mean in reality? With all that being said, I guess my questions are:
1.) Is it possible to practice corporate law after taking a public interest scholarship or are there ramifications? (Specifically any policies of schools in T1).
2.) Has anybody received a public interest scholarship and gone this route?
3.) Is it possible to summer as a 2L at a coporate law firm if you are on a public interest scholarship?

Re: Public Interest Scholarships- Want to practice Corporate Law

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 7:45 am
by cavalier1138
Most schools attach a stipulation to their PI scholarships that forces you to do PI for a set amount of time or pay back the entire amount of the scholarship. So yes, you need to be committed. And also, just don't be a dick. Those scholarship funds are for people with a commitment to service, not a passing interest.

Re: Public Interest Scholarships- Want to practice Corporate Law

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 8:09 am
by jking12956
Yeah I mean ideally I would like to do both, I'm a finance major so corporate law interests me but I would also want to do something meaningful with my degree. I just don't like that by taking a scholarship you are limiting yourself into one aspect of law. Like, I want to be able to explore different fields within law after I graduate and I want to be able to afford law school. If anybody knows specifics of certain public interest scholarships please comment! Much appreciated.

Re: Public Interest Scholarships- Want to practice Corporate Law

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 8:36 am
by Bildungsroman
Why would anyone help you with this?

Re: Public Interest Scholarships- Want to practice Corporate Law

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 8:42 am
by jking12956
Bildungsroman wrote:Why would anyone help you with this?
Oh because I'm being honest about my intentions and just looking for more information. LOL okay whatever don't help me

Re: Public Interest Scholarships- Want to practice Corporate Law

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 8:56 am
by cavalier1138
If you don't know for sure that you want to do PI work, then don't apply for PI scholarships. This really shouldn't be hard to grasp.

Re: Public Interest Scholarships- Want to practice Corporate Law

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 9:02 am
by mukol
If you're interested in environmental law and would consider applying for PI scholarships knowing you don't want to do PI, then I highly recommend you look at Vermont for law school. USNWR says they have a great environmental law program.

Re: Public Interest Scholarships- Want to practice Corporate Law

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 9:09 am
by Nebby
jking12956 wrote:I haven't really seen this question asked before maybe because its unethical but I was wondering if it is at all possible to take a public Interest scholarship at a T1 school and end up practicing corporate law. I'm wondering because a big part of me in the public interest field specifically environmental protection, hoever the money in coporate law and I would like to keep my options open. I know that Boston UNiversity offers Public Interest Scholarships with a "moral obligation" to repay loans if you don't go the public interest route, but what does that mean in reality? With all that being said, I guess my questions are:
1.) Is it possible to practice corporate law after taking a public interest scholarship or are there ramifications? (Specifically any policies of schools in T1).
2.) Has anybody received a public interest scholarship and gone this route?
3.) Is it possible to summer as a 2L at a coporate law firm if you are on a public interest scholarship?
I have a feeling your biggest problem would be getting into a law school that can get you the "corporate law" job you want

Re: Public Interest Scholarships- Want to practice Corporate Law

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 10:08 am
by jdmonkey
I don't see how these conflict. It says you can do government service. You could work for the SEC, Treasury Dept., OCC, etc. and then start applying for corporate law jobs. You would need to take the same classes to make yourself competitive for these gov't positions as those wanting to go into corporate law. In the U.S. finance makes up 4% of the jobs, but is 25% of the economy, so you could write about wanting to enforce the provision of Dodd-Frank that says that all banks have to create living wills so that they can close shop w/o a systemic impact to economy. Eric Holder admitted that one of the reasons HSBC wasn't charged for money laundering to drug traffickers and terrorists was that there was fear about a systemic risk to the economy (because the bank couldn't pass its stress test), so you could write about how enforcing Dodd-Frank could lead to Wall St. accountability. Because right now the big banks are untouchable, and they have only gotten bigger and harder to wind down since Dodd-Frank was passed. Financial regulation is a public interest