Government, Law, & Public Policy

Welcome to the Government, Law, and Public Policy Community!

The following sampling of tools and resources should be combined with your own research. We suggest you use targeted keyword searches to find representative employers and opportunities, explore professional associations, join LinkedIn groups, and browse additional job board postings. Remember to also search LinkedIN and MyPenn (formerly QuakerNet) to connect with Penn alumni in fields related to your interests. Additionally, the sample jobs and employers are only a small selection of what’s posted in Handshake – log in to see much more!

We also suggest using the Career Exploration section of our website for more information or researching by major.

Explore Careers in Government, Law, & Public PolicyThere are a lot of career paths to consider when pursuing a role in government, law or public policy and you may also discover a bit of overlap among those fields. Some examples of roles within these industries are policy analyst, paralegal, politician or campaign worker, lobbyist or attorney, to name a few.  Many of these roles are fantastic opportunities to gain experience and responsibility very early in your career.
Connect with Employers and AlumniThrough networking you can making connections and build relationships with professionals who can help you to learn what it’s like to work in a particular role, field, or industry. You can use Penn’s alumni database, MyPenn (formerly QuakerNet) as well as LinkedIN to find and connect with alumni who work in industries that are interesting to you. Read more about how to make connections. 
Finding OpportunitiesOpportunities in government, law and public policy can be found in a variety of places, from larger job boards, to industry-specific niche job boards, to the career page of company websites. When you’re on a larger job board like Handshake, make sure you’re using filters and keywords to hone in on opportunities that are relevant to the types of roles you are seeking. We’ve also curated a list of industry-specific job resources related to government, law and public policy that can help you launch your search.
Find ResourcesOn this page, we’ve compiled many resources to help you prepare for a career in government, law, or public policy. Of particular interest should be the Tom Manatos Job List and professional organizations such as Idealist.

What's New?

Coming Together to Support the Nation’s STEM Pipeline

News & Articles
Published on October 4, 2022

Check out this post from the Carpe Careers blog published on the Inside Higher Ed website – written by PhD/postdoc career advisors for PhD students and postdocs:

By Joseph Barber

The Most Fulfilling Work I’ve Done So Far at Penn

News & Articles
Published on October 3, 2022

Brinn Gammer, COL ’24, Hazleton, PA

In my sophomore year, I switched from being prospectively pre-med to pre-law.

It sounds like quite the jump, but it wasn’t as unexpected as it may seem. I’ve always been interested in psychiatry and …

By Career Services

The in-person BioSciences Career Fair is today

News & Articles
Published on September 29, 2022

Make the most of the BioSciences Career Fairs by setting aside some time today (in-person) and tomorrow (virtual) to focus on your professional and career development.

If you are looking to explore career options in fields that value a STEM …

By Joseph Barber

Networking Tips for International Students

News & Articles
Published on September 15, 2022

Like many other international students, I was very focused on the academic part of student life when I arrived in the U.S. In my junior year of college, I suddenly felt this job-seeking urgency. I was only a couple of …

By Nan Liu Barnes - Vault

Tackling the Climate Crisis with PennEnvironment

News & Articles
Published on September 12, 2022

Amanda Sweeney, COL ’24, Philadelphia, PA

My summer as an intern with PennEnvironment could not have been more worthwhile. As my first internship in college outside of Penn, I was nervous at first. However, I met a lot of inspiring …

By Career Services

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HandshakeShare This: Share Handshake on TwitterShare Handshake on LinkedinShare Handshake on Facebook
Handshake is Career Services’ powerful platform for University of Pennsylvania students, postdocs and alumni served by our office.  Handshake uses …

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GoGovernment.orgShare This: Share GoGovernment.org on TwitterShare GoGovernment.org on LinkedinShare GoGovernment.org on Facebook
This site is designed to be your guide as you consider, apply, and secure federal employment.

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IdealistShare This: Share Idealist on TwitterShare Idealist on LinkedinShare Idealist on Facebook
Idealist is all about connecting idealists – people who want to do good – with opportunities for action and collaboration. With more …

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PoliCornerShare This: Share PoliCorner on TwitterShare PoliCorner on LinkedinShare PoliCorner on Facebook
PoliCorner.org is a free political internship and jobs platform connecting Penn students with 2,000+ political and public service internships and career …

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Policy Research (Includes Think Tanks)Share This: Share Policy Research (Includes Think Tanks) on TwitterShare Policy Research (Includes Think Tanks) on LinkedinShare Policy Research (Includes Think Tanks) on Facebook
This is a list of jobs, internships, fellowships, professional associations and sample employers focused on policy research.

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Partnership for Public ServiceShare This: Share Partnership for Public Service on TwitterShare Partnership for Public Service on LinkedinShare Partnership for Public Service on Facebook
The Partnership for Public Service presents strategies agencies can use in California and nationwide to recruit and hire a new …

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