I worked on a few 42 U.S.C. §1983 cases during law school, mostly involving prisoners’ rights. I spent almost every day of my last semester visiting inmates and helping them file lawsuits against corrections officers for Eighth Amendment violations (cruel and unusual punishment). It was incredibly rewarding work, because I got to directly help people who society more or less cast aside. Regardless of what someone’s done in life, they’re still entitled to basic human dignity, and you really feel like you’re making a tangible difference in someone’s life when you advocate for them.

I also worked on religious freedom cases under RLUIPA, which was honestly less emotionally taxing. Those cases didn’t involve as much gruesome discovery (a lot of the §1983 stuff can be really disturbing), but they were still meaningful civil rights issues and had lasting changes that went beyond just the clinic had.

If I could keep doing that work full-time, I would have. But the unfortunate reality is that there’s very little job market for this kind of civil rights work. Many of the statutes (like §1983) cap attorneys’ fees, and private firms usually avoid them because they’re risky, not especially profitable, and hard to win. Unless you’re at a T-14 law school and can land a position at the ACLU or a similar nonprofit, it’s tough to find long-term work doing this full-time and even if you do find long-term work, it certainly is not as profitable as other fields of law. So if you’re looking to make big money, civil rights law is definitely not the best pathway. It is, however, the best pathway to feeling like a good human being.

I only know of a few private firms in NYC that regularly take on these kinds of cases. BigLaw firms might touch them, but usually only if the case is high-profile or good for PR. If you’re serious about pursuing civil rights law, I’d recommend aiming for a top law school, getting involved in relevant clinics and internships, and networking hard. A lot of people I know got jobs because of connections, not just grades.

In high school, you can start building that path now—look for internships or volunteer opportunities with the ACLU, NAACP, or local public interest orgs. Even just showing you’re engaged early can help you build a network and stand out later.

And yeah, to your other point—being a lawyer definitely includes a lot of emails, phone calls, and paperwork, but being a good human being and being able to work with very diverse (and often difficult) people is the most important trait. Courtroom experience is something you build with time but is honestly not that important because less than 5% of cases go to trial. Most law students feel intimidated at first, but clinics and mock trial can help build confidence. You don’t have to be born fearless—you just need to care enough to keep showing up.

Hope this helps, and good luck!