Pros
I really enjoyed starting my legal career at Protect/Promote PT. I had just completed my first year of law school and wanted to go home to my home town for the summer. Though I was living out of state, they took a chance on me that was beneficial for all parties. The Executive Director was always kind to me and provided for a very flexible schedule, which was much needed since i had two summer internships. Almost immediately upon starting, I was given opportunities to work with outside counsel and felt like my work was truly valued by everyone. I ended up continuing to work with Promote/Protect PT during my last two years of law school until I had to stop all employment to study for the bar exam. The Executive Director has, to this day, graciously continued to provide references for me. I also enjoyed attending community events and learned a lot about government and non-profit law.
Cons
The job can be challenging and frustrating at times, but for me, it was always because we were challenging a government authority. But people who want accountability are often faced with this experience. If the the community was properly being taken care of (and not taken advantage of by oil companies), Protect/Promote PT may not exist. Any type of community organization will often face similar challenges.