Public Interest Drift Revised: Tracing the Sources of Social Change Commitment among Black Harvard Law Students

Authors

Jenee Desmond-Harris

Abstract

Although "public interest drift"-the phenomenon of law students' interest in public interest careers decreasing over the course of legal education-has been studied extensively, author Jene Desmond- Harris argues that rates among black law students deserve a specially tailored analysis because of the black community's longstanding faith in the law and lawyers as instruments of social change. Through a study of current black Harvard Law students, admitted students, and alumni, she investigates the interactions between the Harvard Law School experience and the development of black law students' attitudes about pursuing careers aimed at affecting social change. Incorporating her own research with that of others, Desmond-Harris creates and outlines a theory of why law schools should admit students dedicated to pursuing social change careers, and work to cultivate such commitment in those who look to legal education to guide them toward careers that reflect their values.

Recommended Citation

Jenee Desmond-Harris, Public Interest Drift Revised: Tracing the Sources of Social Change Commitment among Black Harvard Law Students, 4 Hastings Race & Poverty L.J. 335 (2007).
Available at: https://repository.uclawsf.edu/hastings_race_poverty_law_journal/vol4/iss2/3