Archives for the Month of February 2007 on CSO Blog
Etiquette & CSO-Sponsored Panels
If you decide to attend a workshop, please plan to stay for the full hour UNLESS you really have somewhere else you need to be (and if that is the case, sit by the door so your exit is not disruptive). The fact that students are walking out is especially troubling during the attorney panels. Securing speakers for panel discussions is difficult and very time-consuming (we contact two, three or four times as many potential speakers as actually say “yes” and unfortunately they often have to cancel at the last minute) and while the attorneys enjoy participating in these events it takes at least a couple of hours out of their day. It is disrespectful and disruptive to see people walk out, and some speakers may decide not to volunteer their valuable time again. Thank you!
Piercings & Interviews
Because we want you to succeed in your interviews and get the jobs you truly want, we thought we should pass along a bit of advice regarding piercings because it does come up on occasion. Piercings other than ear piercings should be removed for interviews. Many students have non-ear lobe, nose, tongue and perhaps other piercings that might be easily seen by an interviewer. If this is the case, you are well-served to remove them. While more and more of your friends may have them, most employers do not want to see them, at least when they are interviewing you. Once you get the job, you can assert your individuality by showing your piercings if you feel it would be appropriate in the particular work environment. And if you wear earrings, be sure to keep them small and simple. Piercings, tattoos, etc. may be commonplace for the younger generation, but keep in mind that they aren't for older generations! Also, interviewers aren't just thinking about you appearing in their office among other co-workers; they are picturing you with other attorneys, clients, judges, etc.
Government Information Fair
Interested in working for the government?? The University of Akron School of Law will be hosting a Government Information Fair on March 8th, 2007 from 2:30 pm - 6:00 pm at the U. of Akron Law School Atrium. All Case law students are invited to attend this event. Participants thus far include:
Community Legal Services
Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office
Ninth District Court of Appeals
Summit County Executive Office
Summit County Fiscal Office
Summit County Legal Defender's Office
Summit County Probate Court
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs
U.S. Marine Corps - JAG
U.S. Secret Service
This information fair is designed to acquaint students with the wide array of career options available throughout the public sector. This will be a great networking opportunity! To register, please stop by the CSO and add your name to the list. Parking maps and parking permits are avilable for interested students.
CSO Telephone Room
As a follow-up to the all of the great phone interview advice, please keep in mind that the CSO has a phone room available for students to use to call employers.
We know that cell phone reception in the law school can be spotty at times and the last thing you want to do is drop a call with an employer. So, take advantage of this quiet space to call employers to schedule interviews, conduct phone interviews, and make follow-up phone calls.
The phone room is available during normal business hours (8:30 am - 5:00 pm Monday - Friday) and can be reserved for a specific day and time by just stopping into the CSO. If you need to make a quick call you can also just stop in to see if the phone room is available.
Preparing for Telephone Interviews
Employers use telephone interviews as a way of identifying and recruiting candidates for employment. Phone interviews are often used to screen candidates in order to narrow the pool of applicants who will be invited for in-person interviews. They are also used as way to minimize the expenses involved in interviewing out-of-town candidates.
While you are actively job searching, it is important to be prepared for a phone interview on a moment’s notice. You never know when a recruiter or a networking contact might call and ask if you have a few minutes to talk.
Prepare for a phone interview just as you would for a regular interview. Compile a list of your strengths and weaknesses, as well as a list of answers to typical interview questions.
• Dress for the interview. Some even suggest dressing just as you would in a face-to-face interview as it will improve your confidence and poise.
• Keep your resume in clear view, on top of your desk, or tape it to the wall near the phone, so it is at your fingertips when you need to answer questions.
• Have a short list of your accomplishments available to review.
• Have a pen and paper handy for note taking.
• Take the call in a place where you will not be interrupted.
• Clear the room - evict the kids and the pets. Turn off the stereo and the TV. Close the door. Consider reserving the CSO phone room.
• Avoid using a cell phone for the call. If you must use the cell phone, make sure you are some place where you have good cell reception -- the last thing you want is a "dropped call" during an important interview; make sure your cell phone is fully charged.
• Print the word "SMILE" on a sticky or piece of paper and set it in front of you next to your resume -- it will remind you to smile and a smile comes through in your voice; smiling will project a positive image to the listener and will change the tone of your voice.
• Do not smoke, chew gum, eat, or drink.
• Do keep a glass of water handy, in case you need to wet your mouth.
• Speak slowly and enunciate clearly. It may help to open your mouth a bit wider while you are speaking.
• Stand up. It gets your blood flowing, improves your posture, and improves your response time. Some people also feel like they think better on their feet.
• Use the person's title (Mr. or Ms. and their last name.) Only use a first name if they ask you to do so.
• Do not interrupt the interviewer.
• If there are multiple interviewers, try to keep track of who is asking the question. When one interviewer asks you a question, clarify who asked the question so you can direct your response to that person (see more tips regarding multiple interviewers below).
• Practice with a friend - it is hard to know how your voice comes across on the phone. Are you a low-talker? Do you talk too fast? Is it easy to understand you?
• Have questions prepared for the interviewer(s).
• Take your time – it is perfectly acceptable to take a moment or two to collect your thoughts.
• Give short answers.
• Remember your goal is to set up a face-to-face interview. After you thank the interviewer, ask if it would be possible to meet in person.
• Follow up with a thank you letter.
1L Summer Job Search Panel
Working on finding a job for your 1L summer? Don't miss this opportunity to hear first hand from 2Ls about their summer job search and the different summer opportunities available. If you are a 1L and would like to learn more about how 2Ls found their 1L summer positions and the type of work that they did be sure to attend!
Co-sponsored by the SBA and the CSO
Wednesday, February 28
Room A57, 12:00pm - 1:00 pm
Lunch will be served!
Public Service Salary Information
As promised, here is some information for those of you interested in public service employment. This data comes from the 2006 Public Sector & Public Interest Salary Report, published by NALP and available in the CSO Resource Library. The following are nationwide median salaries for attorneys with one year or less years of experience:
Civil legal services organizations: $36,000
Public defenders: $43,300
Local prosecuting attorneys: $43,915
State attorneys general: $44,949
Public interest organizations: $40,000
Most federal jobs for lawyers fall under the General Schedule (GS) pay scale. Law school graduates usually start at GS-11 or GS-12, depending on whether the applicant is entering an honors program or has experience from a clerkship; the range for GS-11 or GS-12 would be somewhere between $52,000 and $71,000. For the 200g General Schedule table and locality pay tables go to http://www.opm.gov/oca/06tables/indexGS.asp.
The good news is that there is help out there for your student loans! Many law schools, including Case School of Law, offer Loan Repayment Assistance Programs. Some legal aid organizations provide loan repayment assistance. And federal employees can receive up to $10,000 per year in student loan repayments and up to $60,000 total. To learn about specific agencies that offer loan repayments, go to http://www.opm.gov/oca/pay/studentloan/index.asp.
Alternative Careers Panel
Don't miss this opportunity to hear licensed attorneys discuss their alternative career paths. Listen as our speakers discuss their work and the types of things you can be doing if you are interested in pursuing alternative careers. Speakers will represent such alternative careers as planned giving and fundraising, the FBI, higher education administration, diversity initiatives and more!
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Room A57, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Please feel free to bring your lunch to this session
CSO's Recruitment Coordinator
The CSO is pleased to announce Brian Kornell's promotion to Recruitment Coordinator. Among Brian’s various duties, he will be coordinating the components of our interview programs, including early interview week, our off-campus programs, and our on-campus programs. In addition, Brian will now be your contact person for questions regarding Symplicity, ranging from log in issues to bidding concerns. Moving forward please direct your questions regarding Symplicity, interview programs, and the like to Brian. He can be contacted at brian.kornell@case.edu, 368-2455, or by stopping into the CSO!
Law-Medicine Center and Cox International Law Center Stipends
Law-Medicine Center Stipends
The Law-Medicine Center will offer up to $8,000 in 2007 to students who secure health law-related summer positions with public interest or government organizations that will not pay a significant salary or stipend. No student will receive more than $2,000. In addition, one more $2,000 stipend will be awarded to a Health Matrix journal editor who secures a health law-related summer position with a public interest or government organization that will not pay a significant salary or stipend. The 2006 summer recipients were employed with the following organizations: Vermont Medical Society in Montpelier, VT; Patients Not Patents in Washington, DC; and UNAIDS/WHO/AMI in Rangoon, Burma.
Application materials: resume; one-page description of the position and what you expect to accomplish; Summer Internship Budget (available in CSO Resource Room)
Application deadline: Friday, March 23, 2007 at 1:00pm in the CSO
Cox International Law Center Stipends
The Frederick K. Cox International Law Center offers stipends of up to $1,000 to $3,000 to Case students who secure international law-related summer internships. During the summer of 2006, students who received this stipend worked for: International Trade Centre in Geneva, Switzerland; Amnesty International in Washington, DC; U.S.-Canada Law Institute in Ottawa, Canada; Abrahams & Gross in Capetown, South Africa; Clyde & Co. in Shanghai, China; O’Connor & Company in Brussels, Belgium; Special Court for Sierra Leone in Freetown, Sierra Leone; Defense Counsel for the ICTY in the Hague, Netherlands; U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC, UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda; International Bar Association in London, England; and many more. (In 2006, the majority of awards were in the $1,000-2,000 range.)
Application materials: application (application form available in CSO Resource Room); resume; one-page statement of interest; Summer Internship Budget Worksheet (available in CSO Resources Room) and the amount (between $1,000-3,000) requested to support summer work
Application deadline: Friday, March 23, 2007 at 1:00pm in the CSO
17th Annual National Association of Environmental Law Societies (NAELS) Conference
“The Future of Environmental Protection"
March 15–18, 2007
Hosted by The George Washington University Law School Environmental Law Association (ELA).
The theme of this year's NAELS conference, "The Future of Environmental Protection," will encompass a variety of contemporary topics in environmental law, with a specific focus on legal issues relating to global climate change. This four-day conference will include panels, workshops, and presentations addressing a range of environmental legal issues, including: climate change, international environmental law, water law, the property-rights movement, and law student activism. Al Gore is the conference's featured speaker.
The conference also will feature a career fair as well as social functions which will provide opportunities to network with environmental lawyers, academics and law students from throughout the country. The NAELS conference will conclude on Sunday, March 18, with a lecture and a question and answer session with former Vice President Al Gore and a showing of the film “An Inconvenient Truth.” Join leading academics, government officials, practitioners, and students to consider the future of environmental law.
Attendance is open to students, academics, and practitioners. All conference events will be held on The George Washington University campus in downtown Washington, D.C. For a full conference schedule and additional information, including registration details and accommodations, please click here
If you are interested in attending the conference and would consider sharing travel expenses with other interested students, please contact Kelli Curtis in the CSO.
Phase III Bid Deadline
The next deadline for the Spring Interview Program is tomorrow (Tuesday) at 1pm. Please be sure to bid for all employers that interest you prior to that time. Please note, you will need to have all documents uploaded to Symplicity prior to bidding and it can take the system some time to process uploaded documents.
The following On Campus and Resume Collect employers are participating in Phase III:
Employer
Class year
Cuyahoga County Public Defender’s Office
1L & 2L
Margaret W. Wong & Associates
2L & 3L
Offutt, Fisher & Nord
1L
*Note, the Cuyahoga County Public Defender’s Office is a new addition to the On Campus list as of today. In addition, the Case Western Reserve University Office of General Counsel (2L, 3L) and Downes, Hurst and Fishel (2L) were recently added to Phases IV and V respectively.
In addition, be sure to review the postings under the Jobs tab for the employers participating through Resume Direct.
You are only eligible to bid for employers that are accepting applications for your class year. Your materials will not be submitted to an employer if you do not meet the class year requirement.
If you are experiencing any difficulties with your Symplicity account, please contact the CSO as soon as possible prior to the bid deadline.
When emailing application materials do you include your cover letter as an attachment or as the text of your email?
The short answer: attach your cover letter as a separate document.
The reason: a cover letter is a professional document, not an email. You don’t want an employer to think that you didn’t take the time to write a proper cover letter. The person who receives the email will ultimately print your materials and pass them out to the proper personnel. A hard copy of your email with things like email headers just looks unprofessional.
So, what do you put in the body of your email? Include enough information that the employer knows who you are, why you are writing, what you have attached, and how to contact you. While you can include this information in various ways, here is an example of a email that tells the employer everything they need to know:
Dear Mr. Doe,
I am a second year law student at Case Western Reserve University School of Law applying for a summer clerkship with your organization. Attached to this email are the cover letter and resume that you requested. Please contact me at the email or phone number below if you need additional information.
Sincerely,
2L Student
11075 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH 44106
216-368-6353
2L.student@case.edu
Be sure to include your contact information in the email so the employer doesn’t have to look through your resume and cover letter in order to contact you.
Mock Interview Program Reminder
REMINDER:
The annual Mock Interview Program will take place February 12th – 16th. If you would like to participate, please stop by the CSO and sign up no later than Monday, February 12th!
2007 Patent Law Interview Program
Loyola University Chicago School of Law is coordinating and hosting the 2007 Patent Law Interview Program. This is an excellent opportunity if you are a 1L or 2L interested in practicing patent law.
If you have an undergraduate or graduate degree in engineering or a technical science, you may want to consider registering for the program. This program offers qualified law students from across the country the opportunity to interview with patent law firms, as well as law firms, corporations and government agencies with patent law departments. Last year, 150 employers from across the country participated, along with more than 1500 registered students from 135 accredited law schools.
The program will be held at the Chicago Marriott Suites O'Hare on Thursday & Friday August 2-3. There will be some employers who will interview one day and some who will interview both days.
To register, you must stop in the Career Services Office and sign the registration form before Friday, February 23 at 5pm.
Please plan to attend the Student Intellectual Property Panel tomorrow from 12:00 -1:00 pm in Room A57 if you are interested in participating in the Patent Law Interview Program. Students who participated in the program in previous years will discuss their experiences with the program. In addition, details regarding deadlines, accommodations, and interview selection will be discussed.
Starting Salaries
Every summer, NALP publishes Starting Salaries: What New Law Graduates Earn. These publications are available in the CSO Resource Library -- please stop by and take a look.
We thought you might like to know a bit about starting salaries for the Class of 2005 (Class of 2006 data won't be available until the summer) in a variety of cities of interest to you: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Washington, DC. We are providing median salaries for firms of different size ranges. For averages, salary ranges, and more, we urge you to come in and review the publication!
Median salary at firms with 2-10 attorneys/ 11-25 attorneys/ 26-50 attorneys/ 51-100 attorneys/ 101-250 attorneys/ 251+ attorneys:
Atlanta: 62,500/75,000/75,000/75,000/100,000/100,000
Boston: 50,000/59,000/75,000/80,000/125,000/125,000
Chicago: 50,000/ 56,250/70,000/100,000/125,000/110,000
Cleveland: 40,000/75,000/77,500/86,250/95,000/110,000
Columbus: 48,000/ 73,000/no data/90,000/92,500/100,000
LA: 65,000/ 72,000/95,000/80,000/125,000/125,000
NYC: 52,250/65,000/65,000/100,000/125,000/125,000
Philadelphia: 50,000/70,000/65,000/71,000/105,000/115,000
Pittsburgh: 60,000/45,000/62,500/80,000/100,000/110,000
DC: 60,000/85,000/105,000/125,000/125,000/125,000
This publication does not give government salaries by city, but does by state. Some median starting salaries for government jobs in select states: 56K in California, 54K in Washington DC; 51K in Arizona; 49K in New York; 46K in Georgia; 44,500 in Pennsylvania; 43,000 in Michigan; 42,500 in Ohio; 39,000 in Florida; 38,000 in North Carolina; and 35,000 in Massachusetts.
NEXT WEDNESDAY -- INFO ON PUBLIC INTEREST SALARIES!!!
Phase II Bid Deadline - 2/6/07
The next deadline for the Spring Interview Program is tomorrow (Tuesday) at 1pm. Please be sure to bid for all employers that interest you prior to that time. Please note, you will need to have all documents uploaded to Symplicity prior to bidding and it can take the system some time to process uploaded documents.
The following On Campus and Resume Collect employers are participating in Phase II:
ALCOA
1L
Frantz Ward
1L
Spilman Thomas & Battle
1L
Steuer, Escovar, Berk & Brown Co.*
2L
Svetlana Schreiber & Associates
1L, 2L & 3L
*Note, Steuer, Escovar, Berk & Brown is a new addition to the Resume Collect list as of last week.
In addition, be sure to review the postings under the Jobs tab for the employers participating through Resume Direct.
You are only eligible to bid for employers that are accepting applications for your class year. Your materials will not be submitted to an employer if you do not meet the class year requirement.
If you are experiencing any difficulties with your Symplicity account, please contact the CSO as soon as possible prior to the bid deadline. Bids will not be accepted after 1 pm.
Mock Interview Program
Need to practice your interviewing skills? If you have never been on an interview with a legal employer, or if you just need to polish your interviewing skills, consider participating in our Mock Interview Program.
The annual Mock Interview Program will take place February 12th – 16th. To help you prepare for the legal job market, Case School of Law alumni are volunteering to conduct mock interviews with current law students. The Mock Interview Program is an excellent way to get invaluable advice and interview feedback from practicing attorneys.
Unless otherwise noted, mock interviews will take place at the attorney’s offices from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm on the following dates:
Monday, February 12th
Tuesday, February 13th
Wednesday, February 14th
Thursday, February 15th
Friday, February 16th
If you would like to participate, please stop by the CSO and sign up! The program is on a first-come-first-serve basis, so sign up early. Once the list is full, we ask that you add your name to the waiting list. Registered students will be reminded of their interview time and location as the interview approaches. Please note that if you sign up for a mock interview, you are committed to attend the interview.
Please sign up in the CSO no later than Friday, February 9th. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Candice Derflinger or Kelli Curtis.
A Couple of Etiquette Matters
As you receive invitations to interview with employers and then interview with them, please remember a couple of basic etiquette rules that job-seekers sometimes forget:
1. If you receive an invitation for an interview outside of the on-campus program -- whether the invitation is received via email, phone, or letter -- be sure to respond, even if you aren't interested in going through with the interview or have accepted another position. Sometimes we hear from employers that students haven't responded to invitations to interview or even job offers! Always respond so that employers know what their next step should be.
2. After an interview, be sure to send a thank you note. You can handwrite them on a note card if the card is professional and your handwriting is neat. Otherwise, it is best to type out the letter as you would a cover letter. As with you cover letters, we are happy to review thank you notes.
Environmental & Public Interest Law Summer Fellowship Opportunities
Adelstein Environmental Law Fellowship
The Stanley I. and Hope S. Adelstein Environmental Law Student Summer Grant is awarded to a Case law student who secures an environmental law-related internship or employment in the public interest field (including government employment). The position must be unpaid. The 2006 summer recipient was a law clerk for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Las Vegas (where she did environmental law-related work). The amount of the grant is $5,000 for an 8 to 10 week internship.
Application materials: application (application form available in CSO Resource Room); statement outlining work that will be done during the summer; statement of what the applicant hopes to accomplish during his/her employment
Application deadline: Rolling deadline; apply ASAP, and not later than Friday, March 2, 2007 at 1:00pm
Biskind Public Interest Fellowships
Each year, up to five Case law students will be eligible for Saul S. Biskind Public Interest Summer Fellowships. To qualify, students must do unpaid public interest legal work for 10 weeks during the summer at a nonprofit organization (excluding government agencies). The 2006 summer recipients were employed with the following organizations: Towards Employment in Cleveland, OH (2 students); Legal Aid Society of Cleveland in Cleveland, OH; National Disability Rights Network in Washington, DC; and ACLU of Indiana in Indianapolis, IN. The summer stipend is $3,500.
Application materials: resume; statement of interest; letter of commitment from employer
Application deadline: Friday, March 2, 2007 at 1:00pm