rightgolefts

Any thoughts on using a policy memo that you already wrote? Ie if your job has you writing similar memos using one that you found to be particularly effective?

Disclaimer: below I oversimplify what a public defender career track is and what a public defender does. I in no way mean to disparage the profession. I believe that public defenders make a very positive impact on a lot of people's lives. I'm just looking into making an impact in a different way. As far as career trajectory, leadership and making a greater impact; my job is really kind of unique. Forward progression consists pretty much of exclusively handling more trials and more serious cases. You do that until you are handling homicides, and then you just handle serious cases until you retire. Some would argue that maybe going from the trial level up to appellate level is a sort of upward climb but many would disagree. There isn't really the opportunity for me to like start a project and lead it within the bounds of my non-profit. There are boards that I could be a member of that try to influence policy makers, I was actually a student member of one. None of the people on those boards had any policy education though. I'm guessing that hitting these boards/committees is going to be kind of a must. Would doing something different like joining and working with a local rotary club or something be helpful? The desire to make a greater/wider impact is the main reason why I am looking into these programs. I feel like someone with the quant background gained by these degrees would be in a greater position to get necessary funding from the folks that pull the purse strings (simply having the degree on my resume would probably help here). My view is that getting more funding and being an effective manager would allow me to create a greater impact than I would even if I was the world's best trial lawyer. I also think that having my ground level perspective would put me in a good position to know the kinds of policy changes that would really help if I were to be in a policy making (or recommending) position. Changing the policy that created mandatory minimums is what I'm looking to do as opposed to helping an individual navigate a system with those mandatory minimums. Maybe I'm just being naive and maybe I don't understand the value of these graduate programs, but that's why I'm on this forum! I'll go ahead and just list the career paths I would like for the degree to put me on: - A position at a think tank or as some other kind of policy analysis job in DC trying to push criminal justice reform (I could really use some direction on what the actual opportunities are like here, maybe lobbying?) - Manage a legal non-profit - Manage another sort of non-profit with a social justice mission - Work in state or local government - And, although it totally breaks with the narrative, I'd be interested in transitioning into IR/diplomacy work potentially. After spending all of my undergrad in Europe, I've kept up an armchair interest in foreign affairs. I really appreciate anyone taking the time to read all of this and help me out. Any further tips on how to make this happen or if I am way off base in thinking an MPA/MPP program will open up these career paths too me would be really appreciated! Thanks!!!

The discussion between ben414 and went_away is sort of the chief reason I came on here looking for advice! During undergrad I did not get any of the internships/work experience that would have made me competitive for one of these programs. Lucky for me, law school gave me the opportunities and the funding to be able to jump in head first into the public sector world. I think I just said that I was in the public sector above. To be more specific, I'm a public defender. I work for a non-profit that has a contract to provide criminal defense for those who can't afford to hire a lawyer. I would think that a few years of doing this sort of work would make me competitive for an MPA/MPP program but I'm not sure. Would this qualify as good/relevant work experience? Law school admissions is really pretty numbers based, I don't know if that makes it more or less difficult to gain admission to a top program, I do know that it definitely makes it easier to figure out what your chances of getting into a top program are. My first impression is that work experience is much more important than GRE and GPA, but I'm guessing that you still need to have a pretty great GPA and GRE for the top programs regardless of work experience. At went_away: One of the things that interested me in these programs was the fact that it seemed like a lot of the people in management or in policy positions didn't actually have the degrees. Especially those that started in law. On the management side of things I can tell you that all of the non-profits I interned for or worked for had seasoned lawyers at the helm. Great people and great lawyers, but it seems like someone with specialized management training at the helm might be able to avoid some of the issues that I see. On that note, I guess I'm also wondering about the intrinsic value of these programs. If I'm just trying to be a better manager would it be worth it to try and get into an executive MPA at Baruch? Or is the bulk of what you are paying for with the program the network and potential career advancement? I'm not sure how applicable this is to the policy side of things but my thoughts on the MPP were that I'd probably need the degree/network to get me access to the institutes that I would be interested in working for. You mentioned WWS, HKS and SIPA. Is Wagner on the radar? What about Goldman? Thanks a ton everyone!

Did Ivy for law school. Assuming that would help a little bit with applications to these places? My grades in the applicable classes were pretty good but my overall GPA wasn't super hot. Then again that's compared to my classmates, if my gpa was viewed in a vacuum it would probably look decent. I wasn't top of the class or anything. Went to a pretty reputable undergrad in the UK (not oxbridge). I got decent grades but nothing to speak of. My quant background is really thin. Would it be worth it to try to take some night classes at a community college before I apply? Are the people you know in policy positions in DC? Thanks!

Hi All, First time poster, what a great and helpful website! I am currently a litigation attorney in the public sector. I'm hoping to apply in the next application cycle but I was wondering if any of you had any thoughts on how this type of work experience would be viewed by top MPA/MPP programs. It seems like this is a different trajectory into these programs than most. My goal in getting the degree would be to get the training to enter a management position in a legal non-profit or work on the policy side of criminal justice reform (currently working on the ground level in criminal justice, not seeing a lot of reform...) I see a number of attorneys transition into these roles without the MPA or MPP degree but I feel like having the education would be pretty important in order to be the most effective in these positions. Thanks!