The Government and Public Service Placements allow students to gain experience in public service in a variety of settings including state government, federal government, local government and not-for-profit organizations. Included are legislative placements that allow students to help develop policy and law, government agency placements that allow students to work in a variety of regulatory and statutory fields, local government placements that allow students to experience the inner-workings of government at the local level, and not-for-profit agency placements that allow students to become involved with various areas of law and policy in a public, but non-governmental, setting. Each placement offers particular, specific and unique opportunities to obtain hands-on experience and to network with government and non-government attorneys. Students are required to participate in the weekly classroom session of the Government and Public Service class.
There are two government law classes offered. Once class incorporates issues from environmental and energy law as part of government law practice. The other class incorporates issues and examples from health law. Students in environmental and health law placements are asked to select the class section accordingly. Students in all other government, public service, or science & technology placements may select either class.
Depending on the particular placement location, students will be assigned to work with attorneys on various legal tasks which may include cases in litigation and other environmental advocacy initiatives, including legislation. Subject areas may include toxic waste litigation, prosecuting environmental crimes, air and water pollution and Article 78 practice (e.g., defending in court administrative determinations of the Department of Environmental Conservation, the Adirondack Park Agency and other state agencies).