Over the years I have been honored to mentor law students/lawyers. I'm surprised how many working class students, especially students of color, relate to me that they do not well in public interest law interviews. Aren't they students we want in our profession. Some thoughts.

For interviewers. In terms of evaluating resumes, think about who can afford to work in unpaid internships. Evaluate the experiences in terms of translatable skills: leadership, ideas. I have heard interviewers tell me: but she doesn't have lots of public interest experience.

Let me tell you working in dead-end, low-paid jobs in my early teens has prepared me to be a good labor and employment lawyer. Ask questions to get at their reflections on that experience and connections to law.

Students who went to elite colleges have the benefit of learning social justice vocabulary and language that many working class students do not have access to or are not exposed to. Instead of looking for buzz words listen to how students describe their work in their own words.

Explore your own class bias. What was your own background? Most attorneys come from middle class backgrounds, even attorneys of color, and it becomes difficult for working class students to relate because their lived experiences are different.

If you cover costs of interviews (travel etc) pay that/arrange that for the student. Asking a working class student to be reimbursed shows a lack of understanding of their experiences. I once was asked to charge a cost. Who has access to credit?

Examine each stage of your application process from resume, interview to even an offer for class bias. Your offer may be the first legal position she gets & has no one to discuss it with. Just saying, ask me questions does not help. She may not know WHAT questions to even ask.

And yes if you can, pay your law interns. Calculate that into your budget. Other than one judicial internship none of my internships were in nonprofit legal organizations because they were unpaid. Working class students often still support their families.

There is more I can say. I know others have studied this issue closely. Our movement loses out on wonderful candidates due to class bias. Their lived experiences plus top notch legal skills brings a critical perspective to lawyering and shifts our organizational work.