In 1990, Harvard Law School Dean Robert Clark made the fateful decision to fire the only career counselor devoted to helping students land public interest jobs. The move was intended to rein in costs, but it didn’t go over well with students. They protested until Clark relented and restored the funding.

Flash forward 21 years: Harvard’s Office of Public Interest Advising is thriving, with the equivalent of eight full-time counselors and a steady stream of students seeking career advice.