Archives for the Month of October 2006 on CSO Blog
Are You Thinking of Starting Your Own Law Practice?
At some point in your legal career, whether now or in the future, you may want to consider the option of starting your own law practice. This option is especially appealing to entrepreneurial students/lawyers who prefer to be their own boss. As with any business, there are many factors that need to be considered before opening the doors to potential clients.
If you would like to explore this possibility, the CSO has an excellent resource titled "How to Start and Build a Law Practice" by Jay Foonberg. This book is published in conjunction with the Law Practice Management Section of the American Bar Association.
Writing Competitions
Participating in and distinguishing yourself through writing competitions is an excellent way to improve your writing skills and make yourself more marketable to employers (and win prize money!). There are countless legal writing competitions during the year. The CSO receives information about many writing competitions and keeps it in a Writing Competitions binder in the CSO Library. In addition, the University of Richmond T.C. Williams School of Law has posted a catalogue of legal essay contests at law.richmond.edu/essaycontests/default.htm. Log onto that site or flip through the binder in the CSO to find a writing competition to fit your interests.
From the World of Employer Development: The Importance of Your Writing Sample
This week while meeting with employers in Pittsburgh, the topic of writing samples came up on more than one occasion. Unfortunately, the general view on writing samples that are being submitted by law students is that the quality is not where they should be. These writing samples are littered with grammatical errors, poor sentence construction and poor legal analysis. In fact, the attorneys who I spoke with were flat out annoyed with the quality of writing samples that they are getting.
So what does this mean for you? Well, first of all make sure that you have edited and re-edited your work. Have someone proofread your samples. Don’t rely on a high Core grade to determine that you don’t need to edit your work. Simply put, your writing sample is an important factor is securing employment. If you put the proper amount of time and energy into your writing sample, you will hopefully stand out against other candidates and get that job that you want. If you need help with your writing sample or just need someone to read it, make an appointment to speak with the Career Counselors here in the CSO!
1L CSO Orientation
Wondering about the opportunities available for your 1L summer? Thinking about how to get a job in the city of your choice? Want to learn about the resources to use in your job search?
Then don’t miss the CSO Orientation Sessions!
Starting Wednesday, November 1, the CSO will hold MANDATORY 1L Orientation sessions. Please review the schedule below as each firm is assigned to a specific day and time.
Information covered will include:
•Opportunities available to 1Ls
•Resources to use when looking for a job
•Fellowships and stipends
•Symplicity training
Here is the schedule:
Wednesday, Nov. 1
12:00 -1:00 pm, Room A57: Advocates (Firms E, F, G, H)
4:30 - 5:30 pm, Room A57: Barristers (Firms M, N, O, P)
Thursday, Nov. 2
10:30 - 11:30 am, Room A58: Advocates (Firms A, B, C, D)
12:00 -1:00 pm, Room A57: Barristers (Firms I, J, K, L)
Friday, Nov. 3
9:15 – 10:15 am, Room A59: Counselors (Firms U, V, W, X)
12:15 -1:15 pm, Room A57: Counselors (Firms Q, R, S, T)
For those students scheduled at noon, please feel free to bring your lunch to the session. Dessert will be provided. Not scheduled at noon? Not to worry - we will have snacks at all the other sessions!
And as a thank you for your cooperation with scheduling, we will be raffling off door prizes at the end of each orientation session. Be sure to attend your assigned session to be entered!
Questions? Feel free to contact Kelli Curtis in the CSO!
GLBT Resource Available From NALP
The National Association for Law Placement (NALP) has created a number of resources to help GLBT students in their job searches. Resources include:
- To Be Out or Not to Be Out, a pamphlet available in the CSO Library which provides advice to GLBT students concerning how to be out on a resume and to look for GLBT-friendly employers.
- Resources and Organizations for Building Relationships with the GLBT Community and the GLBT Contact List, both of which are intended to help students connect with attorneys by identifying GLBT state and professional associations or taskforces, and are available at www.nalp.org in the Resource Center/GLBT Resources section.
- The Annotated Resource Bibliography available at www.nalp.org. This resource includes a list of GLBT organizations that hire law clerks for internships and suggests other online resources.
- The NALP Directory of Legal Employers, available at www.nalpdirectory.com, includes demographics on out attorneys and nondiscrimination policies for various employers.
Anatomy of a Strong Writing Sample
Writing samples are an important part of your application for many legal employers. It is generally fair to say that a strong writing sample may not yield an interview for an average candidate but a weak writing sample can destroy the chances for an interview of an otherwise stellar candidate.
To make sure your writing sample is as strong as possible, we recommend that you follow these guidelines:
- Spell check and review your writing sample for any grammatical errors. Just because you received an "A" on a paper does not mean that it is without errors. Double check it before sending it off.
- Limit your writing sample to a reasonable length. An ideal length for many employers is 6 to 10 pages. If your sample is too long, consider redacting it to showcase your best writing and legal analysis.
- If at all possible, submit a writing sample that is relevant to the employer. For example, if you have written something on securities law and you are applying to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, this would be an obvious choice. Barring that, you should also think about the skills required for the position you are applying for, such as organization, objectivity or persuasiveness, and select a sample that reflects those characteristics.
To 3Ls: Florida Public Defender Career Fair
The Law Office of Julianne M. Holt, Public Defender of Hillsborough County (Tampa), 13th Judicial Circuit, is hosting a Career Fair on Saturday, January 6, 2007. All interested applicants should visit their website at www.pd13.state.fl.us to apply on-line of fax their resume and cover letter to 813-277-0841. Candidate interviews will be scheduled for Saturday, January 6, 2007. Please submit your application by December 1, 2006. Office of the Public Defender, 13th Judicial Circuit, 700 East Twiggs Street, Tampa, FL 33602. This event is open to third-year law students, recent law school graduates, and licensed attorneys admitted to the Florida Bar or the Bar in another state.
NYC Law Department Annual Diversity Reception
The New York City Law Department's Annual Diversity Reception for law students will be held on Monday, October 30, 2006, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the New York County Lawyers' Association at 14 Vesey Street. Each year, the Law Department invites law students and recent graduates to attend the panel discussion on careers at the Law Department, followed by a brief cocktail reception.
Corporation Counsel Michael Cardozo will introduce this year's key note speaker, former Mayor David Dinkins.
To RSVP, students should either e-mail recruitment@law.nyc.gov or call (212) 788-1687.
Not sure if you want to practice?: Alternative Careers
For those of you not interested in practicing law following graduation, there are numerous options for you to consider. Whether you actively practice law following graduation, or decide to utilize the skills acquired while in school for another purpose, there are numerous careers and opportunities for those with a law degree. In fact, by examining the possibility of following a different career path than most, you may find yourself in a job that better suits your skills and interests.
Many of the skills you are learning in law school (analytical skills, advocacy, writing, research, counseling etc) are applicable to different careers and industries. While there are some unique challenges that you must be aware of before you pursue an alternative career, being prepared before commencing a job search is the best way to anticipate any potential hurdles and utilize them to your advantage.
The CSO has numerous resources which focus on Alternative Careers and if this is something that interests you or if you have any questions about alternative careers, please speak with someone here at the CSO!
Symplicity Training!
Effective November 1, 2006 we will be using different software for interview programs and job postings. We are switching from eAttorney to Symplicity.
In order to access the new software, all 2Ls & 3Ls must attend a Symplicity training session. There are 14 sessions scheduled and each session will last just 30 minutes.
There is no need to sign up in advance – just show up to the session that is most convenient for you! Here is the schedule:
Wednesday, October 25
12:00-12:30, Room A59
4:00-4:30, Room 157
Thursday, October 26
10:30-11:00, Room A59
12:00-12:30, Room A59
4:00-4:30, Room A59
5:00-5:30, Room A59
Friday, October 27
10:00-10:30, Room A58
12:00-12:30, Room A58
Monday, October 30
10:00-10:30, Room A59
12:00-12:30, Room 157
Tuesday, October 31
10:00-10:30, Room A59
12:00-12:30, Room A59
4:00-4:30, Room A59
5:00-5:30, Room A59
Attention 1Ls: You will learn Symplicity at the beginning of November. Stay tuned for details!
So You Want to Practice Public Interest Law?
According to The Official Guide to Legal Specialties: An Insider’s Guide to Every Major Practice Area, by Lisa L. Abrams, J.D., the following skills are most important to public interest lawyers:
• Passion for public service
• Strong interpersonal communication skills
• Oral advocacy skills
• Patience
• Tenacity and resourcefulness
• Foreign language skills
• Ability to cope with crises
• Organizational and time management skills
• Sense of humor
And public interest lawyers recommend that law students take the following classes and get the following types of experience if they want to pursue public interest law:
• A wide range of classes, including family, immigration, contracts, civil procedure, real estate, tax, evidence, bankruptcy, wills and trusts, and criminal law – as well as classes that focus on your areas of interest
• Public interest internships
• Leadership in the school’s public interest organizations
• Community service
• Network with public interest lawyers
• Become familiar with the salary ranges in the public interest sector
The Public Interest Law chapter of The Official Guide to Legal Specialties can be found on pages 347-366, and this terrific book is available in our resource room!
So You Are Interested in Practicing Labor & Employment Law?
The traditional practice of labor law focuses on the interactions between workers and employers, especially in a unionized setting. Employment law practice includes advocating the client's interest (whether the employee or employer) in cases where civil rights violations are alleged.
According to The Official Guide to Legal Specialties: An Insider’s Guide to Every Major Practice Area, by Lisa L. Abrams, J.D., the following skills are most important to labor & employment lawyers:
• Excellent writing skills
• Effective interpersonal communication skills
• Comfort working with difficult people
• Oral advocacy skills
• Tenacity
Labor & employment lawyers recommend that law students take the following classes and get the following types of experience if they want to pursue this area of law:
• Labor & employment classes
• Trial advocacy classes and moot court
• Undergraduate classes in speech and communication
• Law journals & other writing competitions
• Intern/clerk in the field
• Work as a judicial law clerk or extern
• Participate in bar association activities with the labor & employment law section
• Join any related student groups
• Keep up on relevant cases and issues
The Labor & Employment Law chapter of The Official Guide to Legal Specialties can be found on pages 291-305, and is available in our resource room!
Columbus: It's more than just the home of OSU
If coming to Case is your first experience in Ohio, you have undoubtedly heard of the prowess that is Ohio State Football. However, what you may not be aware of is how Columbus, the home of everything buckeye, has changed over the last few years. On top of being the capital of Ohio, Columbus is now the “youngest” city in the state. The arena district, with its shops, bars and restaurants, and loft style apartments have attracted many people from other parts of the country to the Columbus area. With this influx of population to the area, employers are staring to open up offices in the area as well. I spoke with many legal employers in Columbus last week, and they were all looking to expand. These employers foresee growth in the next 1-3 years, and they all are impressed with the candidates that come out of Case. One employer (a small firm which focuses on issues surrounding employment law) is thinking about expanding because their business is booming. They desperately want to hire a Case student as a clerk, and groom that clerk to become an Attorney after graduation. I met with a number of government offices who are interested in hearing from Case students with regards to clerk positions for next summer and beyond.
I know that many of you may overlook Columbus when it comes to a job search, especially if you are not from Ohio originally, however it is worth a look. I know I was pleasantly surprised. If you have any questions about Columbus employers or anything else regarding your job search, please contact one of the Career Counselors here at the CSO!
So you want to practice family law?
According to The Official Guide to Legal Specialties: An Insider’s Guide to Every Major Practice Area, by Lisa L. Abrams, J.D., the following skills are most important to family lawyers:
• The ability to empathize with the problems of others
• The ability to remain objective
• Counseling skills
• Patience
• Negotiation skills
• The ability to think on one’s feet
And family lawyers recommend that law students take the following classes and get the following types of experience if they want to pursue family law:
• Family law and business law classes
• Develop strong writing skills
• Trial advocacy
• Clerk for a family law attorney or firm
• Clinical experience
• Network with family law attorneys
Don’t Miss Public Interest Week!
Considering a career in Public Interest? Be sure to check out the following events:
Monday, October 16
Public Interest Career Panel – Hear attorneys discuss their practice in the public interest field.
Room A57, 12:00 -1:00 pm ***Lunch will be served***
Tuesday, October 17
Public Interest Resources Table – Learn about the resources available for your public interest job search.
Upper Rotunda, 12:00 -1:00 pm
Wednesday, October 18
Student Public Interest Panel – Learn how your classmates found their summer positions in public interest, the types of employers they worked for, and the types of assignments they worked on.
Room A57, 12:00 -1:00 pm ***Lunch will be served***
Thursday - Friday, October 19- 20
Equal Justice Works Conference & Career Fair - located at the University of Maryland (easily accessible to Washington, D.C.)
Check out http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/careerfair or see a CSO counselor for more information.
The Value of Informational Interviewing
If you want to practice in a place to which you have few or no connections, networking is critical and informational interviewing is one way to build a network. In an informational interview you are gathering information, not interviewing for a job.
First, you need to develop a list of people to contact for informational interviews. Consider alumni (the CSO can help with this), friends, faculty, college alumni, and former employers. Next, send a letter or email requesting an informational interview (we can help with this too), and follow up with a phone call if you don’t hear back.
Then, you need to prepare for the interview. It is essential for you to prepare questions in advance. In addition, you need to be ready to discuss your goals and interests. In addition to gathering information about practice in a particular location or in a certain area of practice, it is possible that the person you meet with will be in a position to help you – suggest others to talk with, think of you when an opening comes up at their place of employment, even forward your resume to a few people they know.
Examples of questions for you to ask include: tell me about your job, what do you like and dislike about it, what sort of training/experience does your position require, what is the employment outlook in this geographic area and for “x” area of law, what path did you take to get here, do you know of others I might talk to, do you know of employers that may be in a position to hire a law clerk/new attorney, what advice do you have for me as I search for a job?
Be sure to send a thank you after the informational interview and to stay in touch with that person.
We know many of you are skeptical, but the majority of job openings are never advertised, so informational interviewing and networking often leads to employment!
Interested in Exploring Alternative Career Paths? Take Advantage of Our Self-Assessment Tools!
If you are wondering how exactly you want to use your law degree after you graduate from Case, you may want to start by utilizing some self-assessment tools.
As a law student you have access to two personality type indicators. The first is the Kiersey Temperament Sorter-II (KTS-II) that can be taken free on-line http://www.advisorteam.com/temperament_sorter/register.asp. In addition, we administer the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) by appointment in the Career Services Office.
Once you know your personality type, we have an excellent resource called "Do What You Are" by Paul Tieger & Barbara Barron-Tieger. This book can help you identify career choices that may be especially interesting to you.
Into the Mind of Employers: Ties
In an attempt to give you all some perspective into the mindset of employers, I present to you this little anecdote. While meeting with a number of employers in San Francisco last week, I spoke with a recruiting coordinator at a large firm and we spent time discussing the reasons why they look at ties to the region when reviewing candidates for employment. While some of what she said may be obvious for some of you, it is important information that is worth repeating:
"When we review candidates, one of the major factors that we consider is whether a particular candidate has some kind of tie to this region. We know this is a desirable region to live in and as with other firms; retention is an important aspect of what we need to consider. Based on what it costs for us to train an incoming associate before they become profitable for the firm, we feel that our odds are better if someone comes to work in our office if they have family in this area. It is not enough to say that your girlfriend lives here. A tie needs to be permanent."
Now I know what a lot of you are thinking: but I don’t have a tie to (insert the city that you want to live in following graduation), what can I do? For answers to that, speak to one of the career counselors here at the CSO.
NYU School of Law's Summer Living in New York Program
If you are planning to live in New York City next summer, and are
looking for a safe and convenient way to enjoy living in New York, be sure to check out New York University School of Law's Summer Living in New York program in Manhattan's Greenwich Village. Each year they make their residential facilities available to summer residents. Most are summer associates and interns with jobs in the city's legal and business communities, are recent law school graduates studying for the New York bar examination, or are NYU School of Law students staying through the summer. Others are in New York for work, study, or simply visiting the city.
The 2007 program will run for twelve weeks, from May 20 to August 11. The minimum stay is four consecutive weeks, maximum is 12 weeks. Accommodations are available for single adults and couples age 18 or over, and for families with children.
Law School housing includes two high-rise buildings and two low-rise buildings. All of their housing is apartment or apartment-style, from studio and 1-bedroom apartments to double and triple suites in which each resident has a private bedroom in a 2 or 3-bedroom unit, sharing the kitchen and bath with the other resident(s) of the suite.
Information about the Summer 2007 program will be available at http://www.law.nyu.edu/depts/housing/summerliving/ in early January 2007.
Wonder What It’s Like To Be A Government Attorney?
Be sure to attend “A Day in the Life of a Government Attorney” on Thursday, October 12 at noon in room A57! Attorneys working in federal, state, and local agencies in the Cleveland area will discuss life as a government attorney. Panelists will include attorneys from the Geauga County Prosecutor’s Office, the City of Cleveland Legal Department, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
For summer and postgraduate opportunities with government agencies, keep an eye on eAttorney, the websites of agencies of interest to you, and stop by the CSO to check out the resources available including the 2006-2007 Government Honors & Internship Handbook (also available via the Blackboard).
Thinking About Alternative Careers? Then Assess Your Transferable Skills
If you are thinking about pursuing alternative or non-traditional legal careers, you may be concerned about how – as a law student or law graduate – to market yourself to employers. One way to do this is by emphasizing transferable skills. Transferable skills are the skills and abilities you possess that you can utilize in a legal, non-traditional, or alternative career. The most important of these to consider are the ones you feel most positive about, enjoy the most and plan to utilize again. Many questions about your success in law school, your seriousness about the position you are applying for, and about how you and your candidacy will be presented to other members of the organization will need to be addressed early in the interviewing process. If you have not prepared for these questions by assessing your transferable skills and understanding the needs of the employer, you will not be perceived as a viable candidate for the position. The following are just a few examples of transferable skills, which you should utilize to your advantage:
• Ability to Analyze Facts
• Ability to Work in Teams or Groups
• Ability to Work with Little Supervision
• Awareness of Risks
• Counseling
• Familiarity with Legal Terminology
• Independent Thinking
• Negotiation Skills
• Persuasiveness
• Presentation Skills
• Research Skills
• Writing Ability
Video Conference Interviewing is Available at the Law School
Case School of Law has video conference capabilities that make it easy for you to conduct a video conference job interview. This can be a good alternative to a phone interview for an out-of-town employer.
If a potential employer is interested in conducting a video conference interview, you need to complete a Media Services Equipment Request Form at least 48 hours prior to the time the interview will be conducted. You can find the forms on the door of the Audio Visual Services Department, Room A36 (across the hall from the CSO). Room A36 is also where the interview will take place. Prior to completing the form, you will need to ask the employer you are interviewing with if they have IP-based video conference capabilites. If so, ask for the IP address. If not, ask for the name of a technical contact that our AV specialists can speak with. After completing the form, you will make a copy for the CSO, keep the white copy for yourself and turn the yellow copy in to the AV Department.
As always, feel free to make an appointment with a CSO counselor for interviewing tips before your interview.
Business Cards
Many students purchase business cards to hand out at networking events, alumni receptions, and the like. You don't have to do this, but it is an easy way for you to pass along your name and contact information. If you do want business cards, Case's printing services will print them for you. The cards contain the following information: The Case logo, the school(s) that you attend (e.g., School of Law, Weatherhead School of Management), your name, class year, home address, phone, email, and the school(s) website. The cost is as follows, payable by cash or check (payable to Case Printing):
100 cards = $20
250 cards = $30
500 cards = $40
Please drop by the CSO and ask for the form to order business cards.