Archives for the Month of September 2006 on CSO Blog
Inside the Minds of Employers: Retention
In order to give everyone a little perspective into the minds of potential legal employers, I spoke with an alumnus in San Francisco who works for a mid-sized “lifestyle” firm this week and asked him what his firm looks for when they bring someone new into their office. He said that most applicants overlook the fact that the major concern for law firms is retention. To a certain extent, applicants, either for clerk or attorney positions, are looked at similar to investments. Hiring committees know that it is going to take a new attorney a few years until they start becoming profitable. The firm needs to believe that you are going to stay at the firm for awhile, not just to get a couple of years of experience so they can run off and go somewhere else. Of course this happens, and will continue to happen, but when writing cover letters or interviewing with firms, this is something that you should be aware of. This alumnus moved to San Francisco from Cleveland without a job, said that students need to have a firm answer to the question of why you want to relocate. While it is not impossible to get a job in a city if you have no ties to the region, it definitely helps.
American Bar Association's Law Student Mentoring Certificate Program
Interested in learning more about a specific practice area? Want to know what is like to practice law on a day to day basis? Looking for networking opportunities?
Then check out the ABA's Law Student Mentoring Certificate Program. This program, organized by the ABA General Practice, Small Firm & Solo Division, will introduce you to the practical aspects of being a lawyer through various activities and interaction with your mentor.
The great thing about this mentor program is it's flexibilty. You are able to pick your own mentor and tailor the program’s criteria to your interests. You can also complete the program at your own pace, so long as you complete all the required materials by the deadline date.
Who is Eligible?
As a law student you are eligible to participate in the program, so long as you are a member of the ABA and GP|Solo Division. The ABA’s annual dues for law students is $20.00. Membership to GP|Solo is free.
What will I need to do?
Certificate requirements include attending bar association events, talking with your mentor about rainmaking and client devlopment, and attending court activities, ADR meetings, or other legal proceedings.
Who can Serve as a Mentor?
You are free to choose any licensed attorney practicing any legal area in any legal setting to serve as a mentor, regardless of the attorney’s membership status with the ABA or GP|Solo.
Getting Started!
Click here to read FAQ's about the program, view the requirements, and register for the program.
Don't Miss the Community Reception!
Get into the fall spirit! Enjoy a fall themed community reception hosted by the CSO on Thursday, September 28, from 3:15 - 4:30pm featuring all of your cider mill/ apple orchard favorites! Mix, mingle and snack on cider and donuts. We look forward to seeing you there!
If you are going to be in Florida on October 6...
Robert Wesley, Public Defender for Florida's Ninth Judicial Circuit, invites second- and third-year students, certified legal interns and members of the Florida Bar to the Orange County Courthouse Complex to discover firsthand the benefits of pursuing a career in public services.
At their fall series of open-house events, visitors have the opportunity to tour Orange County, Florida's state-of-the-art courthouse facility and speak with hiring officials from the Public Defender's Office.
The first open house will be on Friday, October 6 beginning at 10:00am at the Law Offices of the Public Defender in the Orange County Courthouse Complex, 435 North Orange Avenue, Suite 400, Orlando, FL 32801. If you wish to attend this event or future open houses contact Angie Sharkey at asharkey@circuit9.org or 407-836-4751.
The Perils of Interview Thank You Notes
We heard from an alumnus recently who had some advice to offer about thank you notes. The message? A thank you note with any sort of error will likely be more of a detriment than benefit. If you send them, triple-check for errors. He said he’s seen thank-you notes with spelling errors, name errors, and even notes with the wrong name of the law firm. For example, he has seen thank-you notes sent to attorneys at his firm after callbacks thanking them for the opportunity to interview at another firm! The result? These people did not get call-backs or offers.
Most employers still expect thank you notes, so review them several times before you send them out, and ask the CSO, friends, and family to take a look as well.
Law, Technology & the Arts Opportunities
Here at Case we are fortunate to have the Center for Law, Technology, and the Arts. The Center brings top-notch professors, outstanding course offerings, and interesting speakers and programs. In addition to taking advantage of all the Center has to offer, students are encouraged to consider an internship in the field.
For students interested in Law & Technology, job opportunities often revolve around the patent side of intellectual property, either through patent prosecution or patent litigation with a law firm. A large number of firms with intellectual property practices participate in our interview programs here at Case. In addition, we facilitate participation of our students in the Patent Law Interview Program hosted by Loyola Law School every August. For students looking for non-firm opportunities, we have also had students work at the Case Technology Transfer Office and the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.
Students who are interested in pursuing Law & the Arts opportunities will want to consider an internship with an arts organization. Past student internships have included Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (various cities), 3 Arts Entertainment (Los Angeles), the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Cleveland), and NBC-Universal's Legal Department (Los Angeles).
The CSO has several resources to help locate opportunities in this area. These include the Law, Technology & the Arts Binder and the Patent Law Binder in the CSO resource room. Also, be sure to check the resources listed on the CSO website and blackboard course.
Maintaining the Right Internet Profile
Do you blog or maintain a page on MySpace, Facebook, Friendster or your own website? You need to be certain that the Internet profile you are maintaining is the right profile for employers. The articles below discuss the fact that employers are reviewing the online presence of potential job candidates before making offers.
Open to the public; Job candidates with cyber lives leave little to employers' imaginations
- Crain's Cleveland Business, August 21, 2006
Me, MySpace, and I; Employers scrutinizing workers' web alter egos
- The Daily News of Los Angeles, August 20, 2006
Job hunting? Get real about your virtual identity
- Monster Blog, June 13, 2006
Diary of a somebody: It is easy, and very popular, to start an online journal, but always remember that employers could be reading your blog, too
- The Guardian, July 1, 2006
Don't let them dig out digital dirt on you
- Financial Express, July 22, 2006
Introducing Health Law Week
Interested in health law? Want to hear what it is like to practice health law? Hoping to work as a law clerk in health law? Interested in meeting practicing health law attorneys?
Then don’t miss Health Law Week
Starting Monday, September 25th, the CSO will host a week of events focused on health law. Attend as many events as you like - each event is open to all classes (including 1Ls)! Check out the schedule of events below!
Monday, September 25
Health Law Resources Table – Learn about the resources available for your health law job search!
Upper Rotunda, 12:00 -1:00 pm
Tuesday, September 26
Health Law Career Panel – Hear health law attorneys discuss their practice in the health law field.
Room A57, 12:00 -1:00 pm
Wednesday, September 27
Oliver C. Schroeder, Jr. Scholar-in-Residence Lecture “The Role of Science in Health Policy Decision-making: The Case of Emergency Contraception" presented by the Law-Medicine Center. Students are encouraged to attend both the lecture and the reception being held afterward. Don’t miss this opportunity to network with the health law practitioners who will likely be in attendance.
A59, 4:30- 5:30 pm
Thursday, September 28
Student Health Law Panel – Learn how your classmates found their summer positions in health law, the types of employers they worked for, and the types of assignments that they work on.
Room A57, 12:00 -1:00 pm
Don't Overlook Akron
For those who are conducting a job search in the Cleveland area, I have one piece of advice: don’t overlook Akron. Earlier this week, I went down to Akron to meet with a number of employers and I was pleasantly surprised. During rush hour, it only took me 35 minutes to get to downtown Akron; it can take longer to get down Cedar Hill on some days. A number of the attorneys I met with live in the Cleveland area, and find that the commute to Akron is more enjoyable than trying to get downtown on Chester Ave. Akron has traditionally been overlooked by our students, however, a number of opportunities for both current students and graduates exist. All of the firms that I spoke with were eager to hear from Case students; I was given a number of complements with regards to the quality of candidates that come out of this school. If you have any questions about Akron, or anything else regarding your job search, please speak with one of the Career Counselors here at the CSO!
Negotiating with Small & Medium Firms
When one receives an offer for an associate position with any employer, the first consideration is salary. With small- and mid-size firms, it is important to keep in mind that salary is just one part of the overall picture, and there are many additional issues to inquire about – and possibly try to negotiate. Here are some of the considerations:
1. Benefits – health, dental, vision; life; disability (short- and long-term); retirement; domestic partner coverage
2. Professional development – annual attorney licensing; bar association memberships; CLEs (all of these are very expensive!)
3. Leave – vacation, sick, and maternity/paternity
4. Miscellaneous – parking, relocation, equipment (laptop, cell, etc.)
5. Bar review – bar review course, exam, and maybe even a stipend while you study
In addition, there are issues relating to salary to consider. Will you be earning a straight salary, or will you have a base salary plus a percentage of business or billables (the latter could be more beneficial to you, depending on a number of factors)? Bonus? When is salary reviewed, and will there at the very minimum be a cost-of-living increase?
Keep in mind that the above are all considerations, and before you try to negotiate you need to determine your priorities in the short-term and long-term. As in any negotiation, there is give and take, and it is unlikely that you will receive every benefit imaginable and you must be reasonable in your requests/demands. (Many students wonder if an offer can be rescinded if they try to negotiate more money or benefits. This is a risk, but we’ve only heard of it happening with our students a couple of times.)
If you have questions, please talk to a CSO counselor. We can help you assess what to ask for, and what is a reasonable salary for a particular type and size of employer in a given market.
Women in the Law
There are several events going on this fall focusing on women in the law. If this is an issue that interests you, why not take the opportunity to participate in one or more of these upcoming events.
- Notre Dame College is presenting its annual Women's Leadership Forum on Women in the Law on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 from 7:00-9:00pm. The event will feature Kathleen Burke, Jones Day; Rosemary Grdina Gold, private practice; Dena Kobasic, Thompson Hine; and Margaret Wong, Margaret Wong & Associates. This event is free and will take place at the Notre Dame College Performing Arts Center, 4545 College Road, South Euclid.
- The Cleveland Bar Assocation's Women in the Law Section meets monthly to discuss relevant issues. Meetings are open to student members of the Cleveland Bar Assocation with a minimal charge for lunch. The next meeting will be October 4 at noon at the Cleveland Bar Association. To register click here http://www.clevelandbar.org/EventDetail.aspx?Event=100406WIL.
- The Cleveland Bar Association and the YWCA are hosting a series of programs designed to develop and enhance women's leadership skills within the law firm environment and in the community at large. Upcoming events include:
- Raising your Leadership Profile through Community Service, Friday, September 29, 2006
- Enhancing your Personal Leadership Brand, Friday, October 27, 2006
- Negotiating your Leadership Future, A View From the Top: Leadership Succession Planning for Lawyers, Friday, November 17, 2006
- A View from the Top: Leadership Succession Planning for Lawyers, Friday, January 19, 2007
- How Powerful Women Get Their Way, Friday, March 2, 2007
To register for any of these events, go to http://www.clevelandbar.org/EventDetail.aspx?Event=WIL092206.
What To Do When An Employer Calls
It is interviewing season, and you are bound to get calls from potential employers wanting to schedule interviews, follow-up after an in-person interview, or better yet, make you an offer of employment! Don't be caught off-guard!
Here are some suggestions that will help you be better prepared for employer telephone calls.
- Check your voice-mail message. Is it professional?
- If you share a phone with family, friends, and/or roommates, remind them that you are expecting employers to call and ask them to take a message for you.
- Have pen and paper ready before answering. Get contact names, correct spellings, e-mail addresses, driving directions, and note the day/time of the interview.
- Have your resume, cover letter, transcripts, and writing sample handy so you can talk about them.
- If an employer leaves a message, call him or her back the same day!
- Avoid distractions and focus on the caller.
Job Searching Beyond the Fall Interview Program
Whether you have been participating in the Fall Interview Program or not, you will not want to miss the Job Searching Beyond the Fall Interview Program Workshop!
There are a lot of opportunities available throughout the year and through various avenues!
Hear 3L students discuss how they found their summer position outside the traditional Fall Interview Program, including through their own initiative, job postings, the Spring Interview Program, networking, targeted mailing, etc.
Get tips and advice on conducting local and long distance job searches, networking, targeted mailings, and much more!
When: Tuesday, September 19th
Where: 12:00 noon, Room A57
Pizza will be served!!!
The CSO looks forward to seeing everyone there!
The Salary Calculator
For those who are having a tough time wrapping your heads around what a given salary is “worth” when relocating, homefair.com has created a relocation calculator which should give you a better understanding of your salary. This information can help you in potential negotiations with firms outside of Cleveland. Just as an example, let’s say you are making $75,000 in Cleveland and you are thinking about relocating. If you move to New York City and want to live in Manhattan, you would have to make $98,152 to maintain the same type of lifestyle. How about Washington D.C.: $95,695. However, if you are considering relocating to Charlotte, North Carolina, you would have to make $74,423. Below are some figures comparing what you would need to make in various cities to equal the salaries of $50,000, $75,000 and $100,000 in Cleveland. While these figures can not provide for every lifestyle variable, they do provide a basic understanding for the value of a potential salary. Want to try it for yourself?
http://www.homefair.com/homefair/calc/salcalc
Continue reading "The Salary Calculator"
Interested in IP Law? Then Attend the IP Career Fair/ Networking Event!
The Student Intellectual Property Law Association and the CSO are hosting an Intellectual Property Career Fair/ Networking Event this Friday, Sept. 15 from 4:00 pm until 6:00 pm in the Upper Rotunda of the Law School.
Anyone interested in a career in Intellectual Property is invited to attend. You will have an opportunity to meet with six firms in the Northeast Ohio area that have Intellectual Property practices. This is a great opportunity to network with representatives of these firms! Learn about each firm, what practicing in this field of the law entails and each attorney’s IP career path.
Please keep in mind that this is not an interviewing session and that the primary purpose of this event is to provide as many students as possible with an interest in Intellectual Property an opportunity to speak with the firms that are present.
The participating firms include:
• Amin, Turocy, & Calvin
• Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff
• Driggs, Hogg & Fry
• Hahn Loeser
• Tarolli, Sundheim, Covell & Tummino
• Thompson Hine
If you have any questions about the event feel free to contact Kelli in the CSO! We look forward to seeing you on Friday!
The Bar Exam -- Applications and Admissions
If you are a third-year law student, now is the time to be thinking about which state’s bar exam you will be taking next year. And no matter what year you are in, there are things you should know about bar exam applications and admissions now!
There are two primary elements to admission to a state bar – competence (established by completing undergraduate and law school degrees and passing the bar exam and professional responsibility exam) and character and fitness review. Problem areas in the character and fitness review element – which can result in delay or denial of an application for admission – include unlawful conduct, academic misconduct, neglect of financial responsibilities, evidence of mental or emotional instability, and evidence of drug or alcohol dependency. This is not to say that if your history includes any of the above you will not be able to sit for a bar exam or be admitted to a state’s bar. However, you need to be prepared for questions and to disclose information relating to these issues on your bar exam application and in character and fitness interviews. While your law school application may have included questions about some of the above, there will be much more scrutiny given by the bar exam authorities.
Something else to keep in mind is that the bar exam application process is very time-intensive. You may be asked for detailed information about your driving history from any states in which you have lived, lists of residences for ten or so years (and as students this can be hard to remember!), and references for all of your past employers. In other words, you can’t complete your application in one night!
It is also critical that you meet all application deadlines – late applications are not accepted. If you miss a deadline, you may have to wait until the next bar exam, and since they are only offered twice a year – in February and July – this can have a major impact on your career.
So, this is the time to be checking the application deadlines and requirements for your state or states of interest, and marking your calendar with upcoming deadlines. Links to every state’s bar exam authority can be accessed through the law school intranet at http://www.lawhome.cwru.edu/students/bar_websites.asp.
(This blog entry is adapted from an article in the August 2006 NALP Bulletin entitled “Beyond the Bar Exam: Counseling Students About Bar Admissions,” by Deborah Daddio, Director of Career Services at Quinnipiac University School of Law, and Maria Rivera, Director of Career Services at the University of Connecticut School of Law.)
Health Law Opportunities
Do you have an interest in Health Law Careers? The practice of health care law can take many different and interesting forms. The Official Guide to Legal Specialties published by the National Association for Law Placement contains an excellent chapter on the practice of Health Care law that you are strongly encouraged to review. (There are copies of the book in the general career section in the Career Services Office Resource Room). According to the book, the majority of health care lawyers practice in law firms. Many large to midsized firms have a department specializing in health care law. In addition to law firms, Health Law attorneys work for a variety of other employers including government agencies, health systems, and non-profit organizations.
Another way to explore Health Law careers is through a series of Health Law career events hosted by the CSO throughout the week of September 25. Events will include a panel discussion, networking reception, and resource table. The CSO also maintains a series of Health Law binders to help you locate health law employers, alumni practicing health law, health law graduate programs, and other resources.
If you find your ideal Health Law employer but determine that they don't have funding to pay summer interns, don't despair! Keep in mind that Case's Law-Medicine Center provides summer stipends for unpaid or underpaid Health Law work. Past stipend recipients have worked at a variety of organizations including advocacy groups in Washington, DC and New York City, the Vermont Medical Society, UNAIDS, the World Health Organzation, and the Office of Legal Counsel of the Tennessee Department of Mental Health & Developmental Disabilities.
Come in to the CSO to explore this exciting area of the law. And don't forget one of our greatest resources here at Case, our Professors. We are lucky to have an outstanding Health Law faculty that can advise you in this area.
What is NALP?
In case you have not yet heard of NALP or have a vague idea as to what this organization is, we strongly suggest you visit www.nalp.org ASAP and become familar with the various resources available to you.
Note that "The National Association for Law Placement (NALP) was organized in 1971 to promote the exchange of information and cooperation between law schools and employers. In order to advance those interests, the Association has developed these "Principles and Standards for Law Placement and Recruitment Activities."
Here are additional links you may find useful:
* Career Paths
* Directory of Legal Employers
* Resource Center: Diversity | Forms | GLBT Resources
* Public Service Initiatives
This week in the world of Employer Development....
While in Los Angeles last week, I met with a 1985 graduate of the Law School who is a managing partner at a mid-sized litigation firm who gave me some advice that he wanted me to pass on to you:
In cities like Los Angeles, with such a high number of recent law school graduates practicing law, any experience working as an attorney is valuable-- even if that experience is not in the area of law where you ultimately see yourself. Attorneys with one to three years of experience are highly sought after. Once you reach the five to seven year plateau, you can pretty much write your own ticket. Even if you don’t get the perfect job in the area of the law that you want right after graduation, the most important thing is getting the experience. It will get a whole lot easier getting the ‘perfect job’ after just a few years.If you would like more information on this alumnus, (who is in the process of hiring clerks and permanent positions), please speak with a career counselor here at the CSO!
Looking for an opportunity in International Law?
Are you interested in securing a summer or permanent position in the international field? Case law students have had a lot of great experiences in international law with the help of the Cox International Law Center. The Cox Center offers stipends to students who secure international law related internships. Some of the experiences that students had this past summer include:
• The Association of Defense Counsel, International Criminal
Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, The Hague, The Netherlands
• Law firms in Greece and Brussels, Belgium
• The International Trade Centre, Geneva, Switzerland
• The International Consortium for Law & Development, Boston, MA
• The International Bar Association, London, UK
• International Criminal Court, The Hague, The Netherlands
• Amnesty International, Washington, D.C.
• U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C.
In addition, there will be numerous international opportunities posted on E-attorney. Websites like pslawnet.org are also great places to find jobs with non-profit and government agencies. The CSO has a number of great international related resources and you can see a complete list on the website and can access additional resources in the International Law section of the CSO Blackboard course. A few of the resources available in hard copy in the CSO include the Official Guide to Legal Specialties, Careers in International Law, the Opportunities in International Law Binder, and ABA International Internships. And don’t forget that your professors are invaluable resources when researching careers in the international field.
If you want to work in international law but are not sure where to start your job search come see us in the CSO! Sarah, Alyson, and Kelli are happy to meet with you to talk about your specific goals and the opportunities and resources mentioned above. (If you are a first year, we look forward to getting to know you and helping you reach your job goals after November 1st!)
Some Email Etiquette Advice
It seems that use of email to apply for jobs and communicate with employers has become the norm rather than the exception. This is good in a lot of ways. However, there are also many potential pitfalls when one is using email. Here are just a few issues to keep in mind:
• Check, double-check and triple-check punctuation, spelling, and grammar
• An increasing number of employers are complaining that summer associates, interns, and new attorneys are too informal in their communications, including emails. Whether you are applying to or have already landed the job, you are communicating with people who have the power to make decisions about your future! Of course your superiors and co-workers will expect varying levels of formality and informality – just be sure to err on the side of formality, because those who expect formality will be more likely to be offended by informality than the other way around!
• If your email address is unprofessional in any way, change it. (Examples we’ve seen include “dude” or “babe” as part of the address.)
• Utilize subject lines and clearly label your attachments – these help people know what they are about to open, and help when they file your email or attachment or need to search for it later in their Inbox.
• Read your emails at least twice before you send them, and if you have any doubt about the tone read it aloud.
• Remember that emails, unlike letters and phone messages, can be forwarded around the world! Last year the national legal community got to read a very long and nasty exchange between a graduate from Suffolk law and a Massachusetts employer (although after appearing on national television, the graduate allegedly received a number of job offers from other employers!).
Interview Success
With many 2L and 3L interviews going on right now, this is a great time to focus on interview basics. Here are five tips for interview success:
1. Prepare by learning about the employer. You should know enough about the employer to articulate why you are interested in working for them.
2. Prepare by learning about the interviewer. It will be easier to carry on a conversation with the interviewer if you know what college and law school he/she attended and what areas of law he/she focuses on.
3. Prepare by reviewing your resume. Be ready to discuss every aspect of your resume, including your college thesis and/or work projects that you completed years ago.
4. Bring extra copies of all relevant documents, including your resume, writing sample, transcript and list of references.
5. Arrive early to avoid any last minute issues.
If you want to brush up on your interview skills, Sarah, Alyson and Kelli are available for mock interviews.
Greetings from Nader Ali-Hassan, Director of Employer Development
Hello everyone. My name is Nader Ali-Hassan and this past June I started working in the CSO as the Director of Employer Development. For those who don’t know, the main focus of my job is to meet with employers in markets where our students are interested in pursing employment. I gather information about their offices and the work that they do, and I educate those employers about Case.
A couple of weeks ago I met with an alumnus, who is now a partner at boutique law firm in New York City. The firm’s practice exclusively deals with the regulatory issues concerning the wine, liquor and beer industry. While their headquarters are in New York, they also have offices in New Jersey, Washington D.C. and San Francisco. This alumnus loved his time at Case (he believes that Professor Coffey’s BA class, while tough, taught him how to be an attorney and recommends it for everyone), and is interested in speaking with students who want to practice in New York. If you want more information about this firm and anything else regarding your job search, contact a career counselor here in the CSO!