Public Interest/Public Sector (PIPS) Day Info Page
What is PI/PS Day?
PI/PS Day is the largest annual career fair for law students interested in public interest and public sector work in the bay area. OneJustice and eight Northern California law schools bring together more than 100 public interest employers and over 1,000 law students every year. PI/PS Day is the perfect opportunity to meet, learn about, and network with many different employers from the public interest and public sector.
PI/PS Day is sponsored by the fundraising efforts of eight Northern California law schools, including Santa Clara Law. The event is administered by OneJustice (formerly Public Interest Clearinghouse), a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco.
PI/PS Day in comprised of two portions:
Meet the Advocates
The 'Meet the Advocates' portion is like a large career fair where the employers will be behind tables and you will walk around and talk to all the different employers. You do not have to sign up for this portion and all you have to do is show up. (Make sure you get your name tag at the registration tables at the day of the event)
Hint: Some organizations prefer to attend Meet the Advocates because they can meet with a larger number of students at PI/PS Day to hire law students for summer, semester or permanent positions. Other organizations may not have known their hiring needs at the time of the PI/PS Day registration deadline so could have additional positions. Bottom-line: you never know until you ask! So take your resume and talk to organizations!
Formal Interviews
The formal interview is much like the On-Campus Interviews (OCIs) that happen on campus. You apply to specific organizations for specific jobs and if the employer chooses you for an interview, you will go in for a 30 min interview that day. The deadline to apply for these interviews in Mid to Late January. Please refer to the email sent to you by onejustice around Mid-December for further instructions on how to sign up.
When and where will the next PI/PS Day occur?
PI/PS Day is normally scheduled in Early February in San Francisco at UC Hastings College of the Law.
Timeline for 2013
- Thursday, December 13
- Students emailed log-in instructions. Students can browse positions, but not yet apply.
- Wednesday, January 2
- Student application period (interview bidding) opens.
- Friday, January 18 at 12 pm
- Student application period (interview bidding) closes.
- Friday, January 25
- Students receive interview schedules.
- Wednesday, January 30 at 5 pm
- Student interview cancellation deadline.
- Thursday, January 31
- Students and employers download final interview schedules.
- Saturday, February 2
- PIPS Day at Hastings
Where can I find more information?
Basic information is available here from OneJustice. OneJustice sends out emails to students around mid-December with a username and password to access the PI/PS Day system online.
The PI/PS Day FAQ can answer many additional questions you might have.
PILCS hosted an introduction to PI/PS Day in October 2012. Click here to download the event slides.
Come to PI/PS Day Orientation Part II on January 23, 2013.
How can I prepare for Formal Interviews?
Practice. Practice. Practice.
Make sure you sign up for the PIPS Day mock interview. More info TBA
If you can't or don't sign up for Mock Interviews, practice with a friend or family. At the least, practice answer interview questions out loud to yourself in the mirror.
Practice Interview Questions
Download and review the list of interview questions, prepare answers to these questions, and practice answer them.
Download and review additional interviewing tips and strategies if time permits.
Know how to answer the question
Prepare examples illustrating your skill set. Think about your own assets and skills prior to the interview. Take some time to identify examples that illustrate your strengths such as how you handle difficult situations that you can incorporate into your answers.
Overall, ask yourself: What impression do you want the employer to be left with? What do you want the employer to know about you and what you will bring to his or her office? Then, make sure that your examples and answers have accomplished these goals.
I missed the deadline to apply for formal interviews, should I still go?
Yes, you should still go! You can still participate in Meet the Advocates and get a wonderful opportunity to network with over 100 bay area organizations in the public interest and public sector field. You can also sign up for the formal interview waitlist to still try to obtain an interview.
Formal Interview Waitlist? What's that?
If someone cancels an interview or if additional slots become available, students will be able to sign up on a waitlist to obtain an interview slot; The available slots will be filled on a first come, first served.
The waitlist will open the day of the event; Registration tables will open at 8:15AM. These additional slots go fast so if you are intending to sign up for the waitlist, get their early. Expect lots of people and long lines! Add 1 hr to travel time to account for traffic, weather, getting lost, and all that other fun stuff.
How do I get there?
Taken from UC Hastings Website:
From the East Bay
By car: from the Bay Bridge, exit right at Civic Center (after you pass the 5th Street exit). Stay in one of the two right lanes. Merge onto Harrison and make a right turn onto 9th Street. Cross Market on 9th Street in one of the right hand lanes, marked "Larkin Street," which will intersect both McAllister Street and Golden Gate Avenue. There is parking in the Hastings Garage on the corner of Larkin and Golden Gate.
AC Transit: take the appropriate bus to the Transbay Terminal, then walk one block north to Market Street to take local transit ("MUNI"). The F line (historic street cars) stops at Civic Center; McAllister Street is 1 block north, on your right. The #5 Muni bus will stop in front of 200 McAllister Street.
BART: all Bay Area Rapid Transit trains going to Daly City/Colma or SFO/Millbrae have a Civic Center stop. McAllister Street is one block north of the Civic Center Station.
From the North Bay
By car: from the Golden Gate Bridge take Lombard Street to Van Ness Avenue. Turn right onto Van Ness and continue to McAllister Street. Turn left onto McAllister, go two blocks, turn left onto Larkin to access the Hastings Parking Garage at the corner of Larkin and Golden Gate.
Public Transportation: Golden Gate Transit buses provide service between several destinations in the North Bay and the Civic Center area. Take a Golden Gate Transit to Golden Gate Bridge Southern Approach; transfer to any Civic Center Bus. Get off at Hyde and McAllister Street.
For complete information and current fares, contact Golden Gate Transit online or call 415.923.2000.
MUNI: The F, J, K, L, M, N, S and T lines stop at Civic Center. McAllister Street is 1 block north, on your right. The #5 Muni bus stops in front of 200 McAllister Street. The current muni fare is $2.00 in exact change, including a 90-minute transfer.
From the South Bay
By car: Take 101 North, stay in second lane from your left, and follow signs to Bay Bridge. Exit 9th Street/Civic Center. Cross Market on 9th Street in one of the righthand lanes marked "Larkin Street" which will intersect both McAllister Street and Golden Gate Avenue.There is parking in the Hastings Garage at the corner of Larkin and Golden Gate.
Using CalTrain to the Cal Train Station in China Basin/Mission Bay: Upon getting off the train, take either the N or the T to the Civic Center stop and walk north to McAllister Street. The current fare for the N-Judah is $2.00 in exact change, including a 90-minute transfer.
Parking in the Civic Center Area
The Hastings Parking Garage is at the corner of Larkin and Golden Gate.
