COMMUNITY VOICES 04/12/2009
 

LOS ANGELES PUBLIC INTEREST LAW JOURNAL

1 L.A. PUB. INT. L.J. 338

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LETTER TO A YOUNG PUBLIC INTEREST ATTORNEY*
Sid Wolinsky

Re: 9 Wrong Reasons Not To Be A Public Interest Lawyer

          I am 72 years old. I have been practicing law for 47 years. Because I am a public interest lawyer, I am so excited about my legal work that I cannot wait to get to the office every morning. While I have watched many of my friends in private practice become depressed, be overcome with ennui, or long for retirement, I find my public interest law practice deeply satisfying and meaningful. To me, the work is not only joyful, but represents as high a professional calling as any man or woman could ever wish for. Hence, you will understand why I am astonished to see bright and even idealistic law graduates continue to succumb to the fading blandishments of corporate and large firm practice.

          By listening to the musings of law students, I have identified nine of the most commonly used excuses for not pursuing a public interest career. They are largely a combination of myths and misinformation, infused with an unhealthy dose of corporate firm propaganda. This letter is a modest effort to set the record straight.

* For complete letter, please download the PDF.
 

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    Author

    Director of Litigation and co-founder of Disability Rights Advocates, headquartered in downtown Berkeley, CA. Mr. Wolinsky is a graduate of Yale Law School and Princeton University, and has been a partner in a Beverly Hills entertainment industry law firm. He has been a lecturer of law at Hastings, Boalt, Davis, and Santa Clara Law Schools. He was a co-founder of Public Advocates, Inc. (in San Francisco) and was the first Director of Litigation of San Francisco Neighborhood Legal Assistance Foundation.