With regard to dressing for the event, take a look at our earlier post on attire for holiday socials. Though it may not be the holiday season, these guidelines are applicable for most networking circumstances.

Application materials:
*application (application form available in CSO Hot Files)
*statement outlining work that will be done during the summer and what the applicant hopes to accomplish during his/her employment

Deadline:
Monday, March 8, 2010

If you will be away for spring break, be sure to submit your application on Friday before you leave!

To learn more about Donna Gerson’s sessions, please speak to your CSO counselor, and check out one or more of Ms. Gerson’s books from the CSO library.

You might also be interested in this article (addressing how big opportunities exist at smaller firms) and this article (a profile of a new smaller firm in Connecticut handling “big firm” matters and clients).

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22: Intellectual Property Student Panel. All students are invited to hear your fellow students talk about their summer positions working on intellectual property issues. Learn how your classmates found their summer position in IP, the types of employers they worked for, and the types of assignments that they completed. 12PM in A57. Pizza will be available.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24: Intellectual Property Attorney Panel. All students are invited to hear attorneys from different types of IP practices talk about their careers. The panel will include attorneys from Tarolli Sundheim Covell & Tummino; Calfee Halter & Griswold; and Finnegan Henderson (in DC by Conference Call). 12PM in A57. Pizza will be available.

The small sessions are:

Donna Gerson on Cover Letters: Learn how to draft high impact cover letters that get a response. February 16th at 10:30AM in A63a

Donna Gerson on Networking: Get tips and advice for making your networking efforts work. February 16th at 1:30PM in A63a

Donna Gerson on Informational Interviews: Learn what to do once you’ve established contact and scheduled meetings with attorneys. February 16th at 2:30PM in A636a

Donna Gerson on Business Etiquette: Polish your business etiquette to impress employers. February 16th at 3:30PM in A63a

The cover letter session is full. There is still one slot available for the networking session, and several slots available for the informational interviews session and business etiquette session. You can RSVP in the CSO resource room. Don't miss this opportunity to sharpen your job searching skills!

For tips on making your resume resonate with employers check out the Wall Street Journal article First Aid for Your Resume here.

1. Addressing your cover letter to the improper person or address. Every SIP opportunity includes the name, title (if applicable), and address of the recruiting contact. Be sure you're addressing your materials properly.

2. Addressing your cover letter "To Whom it May Concern" or to "Dear Sir or Madam". See #1 above.

3. Using Mail Merge programs indiscriminately. Mail Merge tools can be a useful timesaver when preparing multiple applications. However, you don't want your mail merge to look like a mail merge. Review the address blocks and salutation lines of each of your cover letters after you've completed your mail merge. Phone numbers should not appear in address blocks. The city, state, and zip code should all appear on one line. And while Ms. Jane A. Smith, Esq. is a completely appropriate form of address for the address block, the salutation of your letter should not be addressed to “Dear Ms. Jane A. Smith, Esq.”, but should instead be addressed to “Dear Ms. Smith”.

4. Using completely generic or inaccurate cover letters. Writing a cover letter can be hard and time-consuming work and, when you're sending out dozens upon dozens of applications, it can sometimes feel like an easier thing to just create a generic letter for every employer. DO NOT DO THIS! A generic cover letter will be recognized as such by an employer and, no matter how impressive your resume is, will almost always result in you not receiving an interview. In the same vein, take the time to research each employer to ensure that you are accurately reflecting that employer's mission, practice areas, and/or clientele in your cover letter. Remember that the counselors in the CSO are always available to help you prepare and revise your cover letters.

5. Referring to your degree as a Juris Doctorate. The degree you are working towards is a Juris Doctor.

6. Including an incomplete transcript. All the grades from Fall '09 semester are submitted and finalized now, which means everyone should be submitting transcripts with their applications which include the Fall '09 semester. If you are a transfer student, you need to be sure you are including your grades from both CWRU and your transfer school.

7. Relying too heavily on your spell-check program. Technology is wonderful but it is not error-proof. Spell-check programs will not catch properly-spelled words used in the incorrect context. See, for example, #5 above. It is imperative that you still take the time to re-read with your own eyes every document you write.

8. Placing your blind faith in Adobe Acrobat. The Adobe Acrobat programs are wonderful for ensuring that a document created on one computer or in one type of program can be opened and reviewed by anybody using any computer. However, like spell-check, Acrobat is not error-free. You absolutely must open and review every single document you convert to pdf to ensure that the Adobe program did not add line spaces, throw off tabs or margins, add a blank page, or otherwise do something to your document it should not have done. If you are having problems converting your document to pdf and can't figure out what’s causing them, let the CSO know and we can work with you to correct the problem.

Take the time with each application you submit to ensure that you are presenting the absolute best first impression for yourself that you possibly can, and it will pay off for you in the end.

Thanks to the generosity of Mr. Bruce J. Klatsky, Co-Founder of LNK Partners and former Chairman and CEO of the Phillips Van Heusen Corporation, the Frederick K. Cox International Law Center offers two Case law students summer internships at Human Rights Watch in New York City or Washington, DC. Interns are awarded $4,000 for completion of the 8 to 10 week internship.

Application materials: resume; one-page statement of interest; signed application form with expressed geographical preference (application form available in CSO Hot Files)

Deadline: Completed applications must be brought to the career services office by Friday, February 5, 2010

Employers will be on campus to interview students today through March 22nd. Bidding opened last week. Employers will continue to sign-up for the program so make sure to continuously check each phase.

Additionally, the CSO will be in the rotunda or blackacre every Thursday before a bid deadline at the noon hour to answer questions about bidding, employers, or the Spring Interview Program.

Please take note of the important Spring Interview Program dates below.

• February 2 Phase II Bid Deadline (OCI & RC employers - OCI employers scheduled for Feb 15-19)

• February 9 Phase III Bid Deadline (OCI & RC employers- OCI employers scheduled for Feb 22-26)

• February 16 Phase IV Bid Deadline (OCI & RC employers - OCI employers scheduled for March 1 – 5)

• February 23 Phase V Bid Deadline (OCI & RC employers -OCI employers scheduled for March 15-19)

• March 2 Phase VI Bid Deadline (OCI & RC employers - OCI employers scheduled for March 22-26)

• March 16 Phase VII Bid Deadline (RC employers)

Men - be sure to wear a conservative, good quality black, navy, gray or brown suit. You'll want to invest in a white/muted color button-down shirt to wear under your jacket, and of course, a nice conservative tie. Your dress shoes should be shined as well.

Women - much of the same applies. A nice conservative-colored suit, conservative heels (you don't want to be tripping down the hallway), pantyhose and professional makeup. Stay away from flashy jewelry and perfume. If you tend to fiddle with your hair, pull it back into a ponytail or bun.

Be sure to check your breath before you walk into an interview, and NEVER smoke right before an interview. Most interviews will be conducted in a relatively small room, and you certainly don't want to smell offensive to a potential employer.

The bottom line is that if you feel good about the way you look, you will be much more confident during the interview. If you are unsure of a particular wardrobe choice, feel free to stop by the CSO and ask a counselor!

To learn more about the career and the hiring process directly from the Department of State, go to: http://careers.state.gov/officer/index.html.

The Career:
Foreign service officers are diplomats who represent the United States in embassies, consulates, and missions abroad, and sometimes work in domestic posts as well. Every few years, we change to a new post and take on a new position. If you join the foreign service, you will do so in one of five "cones" (Consular, Economic, Political, Management, or Public Diplomacy) that help will help shape the course of your career in the foreign service. Not every position you take over the course of a career will be in your cone. Foreign Service Officers help Americans in trouble overseas, adjudicate visas, meet with foreign ministers, write reports for Washington, write Human Rights Reports... the list is lengthy and diverse. See: http://careers.state.gov/officer/meet-our-people.html

There are many lawyers in the foreign service. Some of the lawyers entered directly after law school. Others joined the foreign service mid-career. Although we are not practicing law, legal training is helpful. My law school education definitely helped me prepare for this career.

The Application Process:
Though the foreign service is experiencing a hiring surge, hiring is always very competitive. Applying to the FS is an arduous and lengthy process! It took me 11 months from the day I took the written test to my first day of training, and that is not unusual.
Here is a rough overview of the process: First, you take the written test. If you pass the written test, you move on to the qualification evaluation. At this stage, a panel considers your "personal narratives", resume, education, references and general qualifications. If you clear the panel, you are invited to the oral assessment. At the oral assessment, you will experience a whole day of interesting activities including a group exercise, a series of hypothetical questions, and a structured (traditional) interview. If you score highly enough, you will be given a conditional offer. Then you have to undergo security and medical clearance processes which can take many months. Finally, you are added to the "registry" of qualified candidates. Traditionally, candidates have spent a long time on the registry waiting for a position to open. However, during this surge, some candidates are getting offers to start employment on the same day that they are added to the registry (myself included). Learn more about the process at: http://careers.state.gov/officer/employment.html

Personally, I would recommend taking the written test in the summer between 2L and 3L years. (Or if you are already a 3L, then as soon as possible). You can only take the written test once in a 12 month period, but it is offered several times a year. If you get through to the registry before you graduate, there is a process by which you can place your candidacy on hold for some months.

Find out More:
You can also reach out to a foreign service officer who is serving a tour as a Diplomat In Residence at a University: http://careers.state.gov/resources/diplomats.html#list

My Own Experience:
I just started training in October, and am looking forward to my first "Flag Day" on Monday. That is when I will discover where my family and I will be moving, when we are leaving, what kind of training I will be receiving before we go, and what kind of position I will be filling.

This graduate has graciously offered to answer additional student questions. If you would like to learn more, please stop by the CSO and talk to a counselor for additional information.

During the first week of February, the Career Services Office will sponsor numerous events to help you learn more about life in a small law practice and conduct some networking. First, on Thursday, February 4, join Professor Jessie Hill, Mr. Paul Kerson (of Leavitt, Kerson & Duane in New York City), and the Career Services Office to watch and discuss the 1987 movie “Nuts.” The movie will begin at 4PM and will be followed by a discussion led by Mr. Kerson, who has more than 30 years of practice experience.

A small reception will also be held on February 4 from 6:30PM – 8:30PM with attorneys practicing in solo and small practices. The event is designed to offer students the opportunity to talk with attorneys and learn more about their practices. This is your chance to introduce yourself to local attorneys and build your network. Watch The Record for information about RSVP-ing for this reception.
On February 5 and 6, the Career Services Office, Professor Jessie Hill, and Adjunct Professor Joan Burda invite you to join local practitioners for a Solo and Small Firm CLE here at the law school.

Students are encouraged to attend because this is a great opportunity to learn more about solo and small firm practice. It is also a great opportunity to network!! Most of the CLE speakers are attorneys who are currently practicing in small practices here in Cleveland. Carolyn Elefant, a lawyer from Washington, DC, and the author of "Solo by Choice: How to Be the Lawyer You Always Wanted to Be" will speak on both days. For additional information and to register, see the Lectures page on the Law School's website: http://law.case.edu/Lectures.aspx .

Add these events to your calendar now and don’t miss these opportunities to meet attorneys who are interested in talking with students! If you have questions about these events, please stop by the Career Services Office.