Archives for the Month of May 2008 on CSO Blog
Blog On Break!
With all of you on "summer break," spending your summers working for law firms, corporate legal departments, public interest organizations, government entities and the like, the CSO understands that you might not have a chance to visit the blog on a regular basis. As such, the CSO Blog will also go on a bit of a summer hiatus. Don't worry though - we will still post important announcements, tips, and reminders throughout the summer. We will also resume our daily posts once the fall semester starts. We hope that you are all enjoying your summer experience, whatever it might be. Remember that the CSO is open Monday through Friday 8:30 - 5:00 and CSO counselors are more than happy to answer questions over the phone or via email.
Starting Your Summer Job Out Right!
So, you are about to start your first day as a law clerk or perhaps you are a returning veteran to the law clerk or summer associate world. Either way, this is a great time to think about how to best prepare for your summer, what to do during your tenure as a law clerk, and what not to do before you pack it up to head back to law school. A great resource is What Law School Doesn’t Teach You by Kimm Walton (a graduate of Case Western Reserve University School of Law!) and here are just a few pointers based on the suggestions in her book. The book is full of great advice and copies are available to be checked out in the CSO’s Resource Room.
Be Prepared
Know before you even walk into the office this summer what it is that your employer is expecting from you. Kimm has a top eight hit list that includes excellent output, good judgment, enthusiasm, flexibility, appreciation, ability to “fit in,” an understanding of the organization’s goals, and realistic expectations.
And about walking in the door – be sure that you have scoped out parking, travel time, etc., prior to your first day of work. Make sure you know exactly where you are going and exactly how long it is going to take to get there. Be sure to bring whatever the employer requested if you will be filling out paperwork upon your arrival.
What to Do
Dress the part. Wondering about the dress code? Wear your interview attire until you figure out what is acceptable dress for the office. More employers seem to be moving toward business casual or business casual for the summer but understand that not everyone's idea of business casual is the same. Your best bet is to dress more formal during the first few weeks until you have a firm grasp on what your employer considers business casual.
Get down to business – you were given you first assignment! Now what? Well, Kimm Walton has great advice for making sure you get the assignment done right. Always right down the assignment, ask questions about what type of product the attorney wants (does she want a five minute briefing in three hours or a three page memo in five days), and be sure you understand the issue you are being asked to address. Most importantly, get clarification - don’t leave the attorney’s office before you have briefly repeated back exactly what you believe she is asking you for.
What Not to Do
Don’t miss deadlines! The fastest way to make a bad impression is to promise to have a memo to an attorney on Tuesday, then on Tuesday say you will have it finished on Thursday, and then finally admit on Thursday that you were so swamped all week that you never got to the assignment! When you receive assignments be sure to ask how long each one should take you to complete. The best thing you can do is talk to your assigning attorney as soon as you realize that you will not meet a deadline about the situation and see how he/she wants to proceed – ask if it is ok for you to take extra time.
Don’t forget that social events are still “work events.” A work outing to Jacobs field is not the place for overindulgence. You don’t want to be the summer clerk that everyone remembers for having one too many. Absolutely go out on the town with your co-workers and supervisors for work functions but know your own limits. Always have fun but remember that you are still being evaluated even though you are not technically in the office.
State Court Clerkships
If you are a rising third year student now is the time to start thinking about including state clerkships in your post-graduate job search strategy – many application deadlines are this summer, and others are in the fall. State clerkships are a wonderful way to start your career and are highly regarded by legal employers.
Every year the CSO purchases the Guide to State Judicial Clerkships from Vermont Law School. The 2009 version will not be available until mid-July, but the 2008 version is available on the CSO Resources pages of blackboard.case.edu. Take a look now so that you can get an idea of application requirements, deadlines, etc. Also, we post many state clerkship opportunities on Symplicity, so be sure to check there on a regular basis.
You've Graduated & You're Still Looking for a Job? Don't Panic!
If you are graduating from law school this Sunday but still have not secured a permanent job, do not panic! You will find a job. Your legal (or post-law school) career is just starting, and when you look back to this time years from now you will hardly be able to remember why you were worried.
Many employers do not hire until law graduates have sat for or even passed the bar. These employers can include smaller firms and government and public interest employers. However, you want to keep applying for jobs so that your resume is in the mix when employers are ready to hire. If you are interested in small firms -- which is where the majority of practicing lawyers work -- you should also be open to the possibility of working as a law clerk until bar results come in; some firms will bring graduates in as law clerks and at a reduced pay rate so that everyone can test the waters, and they hire them for associate positions once they are licensed. Also, you should consider broadening your horizons as far as areas of practice and work settings.
Also, keep in mind that studying for the bar exam is a full-time endeavor. You don't need to abandon your job search altogether, but spend the vast majority of your time preparing for the bar so you only need to take it once!
Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge
The following post was created from information recently received by the CSO from the Pro Bono Institute.
Since 1993, the Law Firm Pro Bono ChallengeSM, an initiative of the Pro Bono Institute’s Law Firm Pro Bono Project, has served as a guidepost to assist major law firms in increasing their commitment to pro bono legal services. As you begin to research prospective employers, the Institute’s list of Challenge Signatories will provide you valuable insight regarding the pro bono commitment of Signatory firms.
The ChallengeSM principles are designed to offer institutional support and to maximize the efficacy of law firm pro bono programs. Most notably, firms that sign on to the ChallengeSM agree to devote either three or five percent of their total billable hours or 60 or 100 hours annually, per attorney, to do pro bono work – a majority of which must be in the service of persons of limited means. Firms that currently participate in the Pro Bono ChallengeSM make a substantial commitment to pro bono service, a commitment that is making a real difference in their communities.
Students interested in obtaining as much information as possible about various law firms will find the Pro Bono ChallengeSM a useful tool in determining the scope and nature of Signatory firms’ pro bono activities. Pro bono service becomes an increasingly important factor in evaluating prospective law firm employers as students weigh careers in public interest law against the financial demands of loan repayment programs.
Visit www.probonoinst.org for a complete listing of all Challenge Signatory firms, with links to the firms’ websites. Additionally, the website provides the full text of the Law Firm Pro Bono ChallengeSM and Commentary. You can contact the Law Firm Pro Bono Project at probono@probonoinst.org.
A listing of the Signatory firms can be found on the CSO bulletin board.