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 Policy

There 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 Alumni

Through 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 Opportunities

Opportunities 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 Resources

On 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.

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What's New?

From Pre-Med to Public Policy: Reflections from a CAIR Philadelphia Intern

Fadila Traore, COL ’26, North Caldwell, NJ

Working as a policy analyst for the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) office in Philadelphia was an incredibly rewarding experience that helped solidify my confidence in exploring new career paths after leaving the …

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Empowering Gen-Z Voters

Chukwubuikem Madu, WH ’26, Houston, TX

This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to collaborate with several non-profit organizations dedicated to increasing political literacy among Gen-Z voters. Recognizing the unique challenges faced by young voters, such as misinformation and a …

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International Cooperation: The Life Cycles of IOs

Ashti Tiwari, COL ’27, Corning, NY

This summer in Philadelphia, I had the opportunity to work with Professor Julia Gray on her research on International Organizations (IOs) from the Ground Up: Understanding Global Cooperation through Data. With resources compiled from …

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Career Resources

Vault Guides

The Vault Guide to the Top 100 Law Firms is the most comprehensive, candid guide on the nation’s most prestigious …

Lawyers provide legal advice and representation to companies and individuals regarding hundreds of issues, such as civil rights, criminal offenses, …

The Vault Guides to Jobs series provides essential information about key careers and industries, with an emphasis on preparing for …

The Vault Guide to the Top Midsize Texas Law Firms is an in-depth, candid guide on the most prestigious midsize …

Practice Perspectives: Vault’s Guide to Legal Practice Areas is the insider’s guide to what it’s really like to practice at …

Location

Phone
(215) 898-7531
Address

Penn Career Services
3935 Walnut Street, Suite 300
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Service Hours

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Tuesday 9am-5pm
Wednesday 9am-5pm
Thursday 9am-5pm
Friday 9am-5pm