Entries in the Category "Alternative"
Alternative Legal Career: The Congressional Research Service
Are you interested in a job that requires you to use your legal research and writing skills on a daily basis, but does not necessarily involve active legal practice every day? Do you have an interest in politics, government, and working in Washington, DC? You might want to think about opportunities available at the Congressional Research Service (“CRS”).
Housed within the Library of Congress, the CRS provides nonpartisan analysis and research on legislative issues for Congressional members and staff. The Director of the CRS is appointed by the Librarian of Congress with the consent of the Joint Committee on the Library and the CRS employs attorneys to act as experts in specific areas of the law and to answer any and all questions that arise about legislative proposals. On a day-to-day basis, attorneys at the CRS may be meeting with Congressional members and staff, researching complex legal issues, or writing reports and memoranda. For more detail about the CRS, go to: http://www.loc.gov/crsinfo/whatscrs.html#about
Both paid and unpaid summer internships are available at the CRS for 1Ls and 2Ls. Information about paid intern hiring is available at: http://www.loc.gov/crsinfo/internships/volunteer. Information about volunteer internships is available at: http://www.loc.gov/crsinfo/volunteer/ .
The CRS also has a hiring program specific to third year law students – the Law Recruit Program. Through this competitive hiring program, law students can obtain permanent employment with the American Law Division at the CRS. Recruitment, application, and salary information can be found at: http://www.loc.gov/crsinfo/lawrecruit.html.
And if the work of the CRS sounds interesting to you, but Washington, DC, is not where you want to be, consider doing similar work at the state level – many state legislatures have a similar research arm, where attorneys conduct research, draft bills, and interact with state legislators dealing with state legislative issues.
Interested in Politics? Lobbying?
Have you ever thought about the possibility of a career in politics? Does a career as a lobbyist pique your interest? If so, you'll want to check out the new Politics & Lobbying binder in the CSO. We've gathered plenty of useful information for anyone slightly interested in what a career in politics or lobbying is all about. The binder includes information on various political and lobbying organizations, internet resources and website information for your job search, a sampling of some opportunities available in politics and lobbying, relevant articles, and much more! Please make an appointment to speak with a CSO counselor for additional information on careers in politics and lobbying.
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
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!
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.