Archives for the Month of March 2007 on CSO Blog
The 1L Job Search
Law.com and New York Lawyer (www.nylawyer.com) have great articles on job searching, legal employment news, and more. New York Lawyer includes a wonderful section called Crossroads in which students and lawyers ask for career advice from Career Consultant Linda E. Laufer. Yesterday's Crossroads advice is in response to a first-year student who is panicked because she doesn't have a job yet. You've heard similar advice from us, but here it is from Ms. Laufer!
1. Network! Seek advice from professors and alumni, and even fellow students. Some employers ask their former interns to recommend successors.
2. Stay positive. You have every reason to be positive, as there is still plenty of time to find a job.
3. Keep in touch with the CSO and keep checking postings. Many employers do hire late in the year.
4. Follow up with employers from which you have not heard - them know you remain interested!
5. Types of jobs to think about: small and medium sized firms, public interest organizations, government agencies at all levels, research assistants for professors, in-house legal departments. You can even do a part-time internship and then do something non-legal such as waiting tables or working in a book store. The point is to get some legal experience!
Judicial Clerkship Panel
Considering applying for a judicial clerkship?
Come hear from alumni clerks and learn about the application process on Thursday, March 29 from 12:00- 1:00 pm in Room A59. Panelists are alumni clerking for federal and state court judges.
Now is the time to start thinking about your applications. You apply for federal positions during the summer/fall of your third year of law school and state court positions as early as the spring of your second year!
The Successful Interview
With many students interviewing for summer and permanent positions right now, this is a great time to fine tune your interview skills. Here are a few tips for interview success:
1. Research the employer. You should know enough about the employer to articulate why you are interested in working for them.
2. Research 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. Know 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. Ask questions that demonstrate you did your research and came prepared. Have questions that go beyond (or expand on) what you have already talked about in your interview.
5. 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, parking, etc.
If you want to brush up on your interview skills, just stop by the CSO to make an appointment with Alyson, Candice, or Kelli for a mock interview.
Targeted Mailings
So you've applied to all the postings on Symplicity that have caught your attention, but have had no luck securing a job for the summer. Now what? Well.... how about sending some targeted mailings? Here's the scoop on targeted mailings:
Not all law firms (and companies) advertise positions as they become available. In fact, the CSO has had many firms tell us that they never need to advertise because they get enough unsolicited resumes without advertising. So just because a certain firm does not have an advertisment for an open position, it does not mean that they are not looking to hire someone. In short, you should apply to any firms/companies that interest you regardless of whether they are advertising an opening.
The CSO has small to mid-sized firm lists for many cities nationwide - these are available for students to take. Additionally, electronic versions of the small to mid-sized firm lists are also posted on Blackboard. Use these lists to research firms and to target those that interest you. Once you narrow down your targeted mailing list, be sure to personalize each cover letter (this is where your research comes into play). Not only should each cover letter be addressed to a particular individual, but it is important to make each employer feel as though you're particularly interested in working for them. Last, but certainly not least, if you have not received a response from the firms you have sent your resume to within a week or two, you must be sure to follow-up. Pick up the phone and call them. Your follow-up phone call may be what sets you apart from another candidate who did not make the extra effort.
If you have any questions about targeted mailings, please stop by the CSO or make an appointment with one of our counselors!
Business Law Brown Bag Lunch
Attention students:
Please join the Center for Business Law & Regulation and the CSO for the second in a series of Business Law Brown Bag Lunches. The featured speaker is Dan Makee, a Business & Commercial Litigation practitioner at McDonald Hopkins. Mr. Makee is experienced in complex litigation, including ERISA, fiduciary liability, products liability, antitrust and other commercial and class action litigation. He will discuss his practice, opportunities in business and commercial law, and legal issues relevant to his practice.
When: Wednesday, March 28, 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Where: Room A57
Please feel free to bring your lunch to this event.
LGBT Attorney Panel
The CSO invites you to listen as local attorneys provide insight, advice, and participate in a discussion addressing legal job search and employment issues and concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students/attorneys.
When: Tuesday, March 27, 12:00-1:00 pm
Where: Room A57
Please feel free to contact Kelli Curtis in the CSO with any questions.
New Job Search Links
The Career Services Office recently subscribed to a number of new job search websites. These sites focus on human rights, ethical, policy, political, and journalism jobs. You can find the login and password for each site on the CSO's section of Blackboard under the Job Search Links button. The sites you will have access to are:
www.humanrightsjobs.com
Law-Medicine and Cox 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 Worksheet (available in the 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 Hot Files);resume; one-page statement of interest; Summer Internship
Budget Worksheet (available in CSO Resource 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
Government Careers Week: March 19 - 23
Interested in working for a federal, state, or local agency? Be sure to check out the following events:
Monday, March 19
Government Resources Table – Learn about the resources available for your government job search.
Upper Rotunda, 12:00 -1:00 pm
Tuesday, March 20
FBI Presentation – Learn about career opportunities available with the FBI.
Room A57, 12:00 -1:00 pm
Wednesday, March 21
Government Attorney Panel – Hear attorneys discuss their practice with government agencies.
Room A57, 12:00 -1:00 pm ***Pizza will be served***
Thursday, March 22
Government Student Panel – Learn how your classmates found their summer positions with government agencies, the employers they worked for, and the types of assignments they worked on.
Room A57, 12:00 -1:00 pm ***Pizza will be served***
2007 Summer Corps Funding
On Wednesday, March 21, 2007 at noon, the 2007 Summer Corps application will be available online at www.equaljusticeworks.org. Before applying to Equal Justice Works, students must secure their own summer placement at a qualifying nonprofit public interest organization. Information about the program can be found at www.equaljusticeworks.org/summercorpsindex.php. If you have questions about the program, please contact Sarah Jayne Dipert, AmeriCorps Program Coordinator, at 202-466-3686 ext. 125 or summercorps@equaljusticeworks.org.
Intersection of Career & Student Services: Continuing Duty to Disclose Misconduct
You were reminded of this during your first days here at the law school, but we wanted to take this opportunity to remind you again because it is SO IMPORTANT and can have repercussions when you want to sit for the bar and begin your legal career!
In your application for admission to Case Western Reserve University School of Law, you were required to disclose incidents of misconduct (as specified in your application for admission). Failure to disclose can be grounds for denial of admission, revocation of an offer of admission, dismissal, or suspension after matriculation and may be reported to the state bar. Not only is failure to disclose a violation of our Academic Rules, it can lead to alot of problems when you try to become licensed by the bar of any state. Failure to disclose issues often hold up applications to sit for the bar or become licensed after passing the bar.
Late disclosure can lead to discipline, dismissal from law school, or revocation of a diploma. In addition -- and this part is often forgotten by students -- students have an ongoing duty to update their application. After matriculation, you should notify the Associate Dean Sarah Polly in writing if any event occurs that would change the answer originally given in your application.
If you have any questions, please ask.
Student Public Interest Fellowship (SPILF) Application Information
On Behalf of SPLIF:
Application Deadline: April 2, 2007.
A committee of SPILF officers and members will conduct interviews with all applicants during the week of April 9, 2007. To receive a summer fellowship, a student must have given time to SPILF activities during the school year. The committee also considers applicants’ financial need and the jobs in which they will be working.
Please remember the following prerequisites to qualification to SPILF funding:
A summer opportunity in public interest law
Unpaid internship (if the internship is low-paid, please
indicate anticipated salary)
At least four (4) hours volunteering for SPILF Events please
attach hours sheet)
Please attach a statement from your summer employer confirming your summer offer and indicating the compensation you will receive, if any. If you cannot provide such a statement or have not been definitively offered a position, please indicate as much in the space asking for your summer position. Though we ask that you have a position secured before applying for funding, we understand that circumstances may prevent you from securing summer employment before applying for SPILF funding. Please indicate which opportunity you reasonably expect to secure; please forward a statement confirming your employment once it is confirmed.
Applications may be obtained from the SPILF mail folder in Blackacre. Please submit all application materials by 5 p.m. on Monday, April 2, to the SPILF mail folder.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact any of the SPILF officers:
Cristin Roush, president (car34@case.edu)
Emily Weidenhamer, vice president (eew4@case.edu)
Rose Osborne, secretary (rmo5@case.edu)
Phase VI Bid Deadline
The next deadline for the Spring Interview Program is Tuesday, March 13 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 VI:
Employer Class Year
Allegheny County Office of the Public Defender 3L
Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty Co, LPA 1L
Please note: Phase VII (bid deadline: March 20) has been added to the Spring Interview Program. The following On Campus employer is participating in Phase VII:
Employer Class Year
Anspach Meeks Ellenberger 1L & 2L
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.
Utilizing your Spring Break for your Job Search
So, spring break has arrived! After you have taken a little bit of time to relax, use your time way from school to make strides in your job search.
Network. Network. Network. Meet with attorneys for informational interviews. Seek out those who practice in areas that interest you and ask about their career path. If you are in your target geographic location over break, talk to them about the legal market there.
Follow up - spend some time making those follow-up calls you have been meaning to get to. If you sent materials to an employer and haven't gotten a response be sure to call to follow up. You never know where the conversation might lead.
Get out there - consider dropping off your resume and cover letter to targeted employers. Take any and all opportunities to chat with anyone you run into - the receptionist, people on the elevator, etc. If you have traveled to your target market be sure to tell the receptionist that you are in town from Cleveland and wanted to drop off your materials. You can be sure he/she is going to remember you!
Stay proactive - don't let opportunities that become available over break pass you by! Keep checking Symplicity, sending targeted mailing, and reaching out to employers and networking contacts.
Meet with a counselor - make an appointment with a CSO counselor to talk with us over break if you are in town or for when you return from break. We are happy to talk with you about your job search and career goals.
Career Services Office -- Spring Break Schedule
Dear students:
We just wanted you to know that the Career Services Office will be open throughout your spring break, except on Friday March 16, a designated University Holiday. So, except for Friday, we will be here and open from 8:30 am - 5:00 pm. We are available for appointments, by phone, or via email.
Enjoy your spring break!
Government Agencies Are Hiring
According to the February 2007 FedJobs Career Chat (Federal Research Service), several agencies are very busy hiring! In particular, the Defense Intelligence Agency, U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, Transportation Security Administration, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have been on a "hiring spree" or will be soon. Be sure to utilize www.usajobs.gov and www.fedjobs.com (access through CSO Resources on blackboard.case.edu -- password required) in your job search -- especially 3Ls.
The Defense Intelligence Agency is looking to hire 1,000 new employers this year, and most positions are located in Washington, DC. Intelligence analysts are among the positions they are trying to fill. Something to note is that every DIA applicant must be able to obtain a Top Secret security clearance.
The Patent & Trademark office will hire 1,200 new employees, including patent examiners, each year during the next five years.
Phase V 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.
Please note: Phase VI (bid deadline: March 13) has been added to the Spring Interview Program. The following employer is participating in Phase VI:
Employer Class Year
Allegheny County Office of the Public Defender 3L
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.
Small to Medium Size Firm Week
Interested in working for a Small to Medium Size Firm? Be sure to check out the following events:
Monday, March 5
Small to Medium Size Firm Resources Table – Learn about the resources available for your small to medium size firm job search.
Upper Rotunda, 12:00 -1:00 pm
Tuesday, March 6
Small to Medium Size Firm Career Panel – Hear attorneys discuss their practice with small to medium size firms.
Room A57, 12:00 -1:00 pm ***Pizza will be served***
Thursday, March 8
Small to Medium Size Firm Student Panel – Learn how your classmates found their summer positions with small to medium size firms, the employers they worked for, and the types of assignments they worked on.
Room A57, 12:00 -1:00 pm ***Pizza will be served***
If you have any questions please feel free to contact Kelli Curtis in the CSO.
Air Force JAG
A representative from the Air Force JAG will be on campus to give a presentation to students regarding Air Force JAG opportunities on Wednesday, March 7th at 12:00 pm in room A57. Although the deadline for summer 2007 internships has passed, a variety of opportunities will be discussed at this presentation, including ROTC and post-graduate opportunities. All students interested in the possibility of a career in the JAG Corps are encouraged to attend this presentation. Immediately after the presentation, students will have the opportunity to sign up for informational/screening interviews that will take place that afternoon.
Please stop by the CSO with any questions.
A copy of Case Western Reserve University and the School of Law's Nondiscrimination policy is accessible on the Blackboard.