It is the practice of law under one of the three federal branches of government and their respective agencies, for any of the state or local governments and their affiliated agencies, judicial clerkships, and may also include government related or sponsored work, such as public defenders, state legal aid programs, guardian ad litems, and state protection and advocacy agencies.
Heiros Gamos Guide to Government Law
Many people choose to work for the government for many reasons. For some it is the desire to serve in their community or nation. For some, it is a balanced approach to life in which they prefer to have a set schedule, many paid holidays, and excellent benefits, rather than billable hours and 80 hour work weeks. For others, it can provide a jumping off point for the work they really want to do, but are unable to start in their preferred field. For some, it might be a debt forgiveness/repayment program. There are nearly as many reasons to work for the government as there are people, but there are just a few listed above.
The Federal government has coordinated an effort to make job searching within the federal government somewhat more simplified. USAJobs.com is the primary federal government job search site, but others may have some different jobs, so a thorough search is recommended.
State governments have their own way of coordinating employment efforts, but more information can be found under the Fifty States Government Resources for each state's hiring information.
Other hiring processes vary with the type of employment and your local law school Career Services Office can provide you with more information based on your specific interests.
