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.

What's New?

My Summer as a PORES Research Fellow

Ljuben Atov, COL ’26, Skopje, N. Macedonia

This summer was unique, a great learning opportunity, and lots of fun. I was a summer research fellow at the Penn Program on Opinion Research and Election Studies, where I had the opportunity …

By Career Services
Career Services
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Careers in Government Alumni Panel (Spring 2026)

Interested in a career in government, policy, or public affairs? Join us for a virtual panel featuring Penn alumni who are building impactful careers across the public and private sectors. Hear from Alisia Lin (Agency for Health Care Administration), Megha …

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Resources to Find Government and Political Jobs

This resource outlines websites featuring positions within government agencies or the political realm.

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Career Resources

Vault Guides

Practice Perspectives is the insider’s guide to what it’s really like to practice at the nation’s top law firms. This …

The Vault Guide to the Top 100 Law Firms rankings. Use this guide to identify your target law firms, get …

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

The Vault Guide to the First Year of Law School offers advice for new law students on surviving law school, …

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

Location

Phone
(215) 898-7531
Address

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

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Wednesday 9am-5pm
Thursday 9am-5pm
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