Gain Legal Experience
These are just a few ways you can gain legal experience without working in a traditional clerkship. Don’t forget to talk to the CSO Staff about any concerns you have and for assistance in placing these experiences effectively on your resume.
Your current employer. Learn if your current or pre-law school employer has a general counsel or in-house legal department. They are more likely to be willing to work with you if they already have a relationship with you. Look for or create opportunities to work with in-house counsel (shadow, volunteer, etc.) Remember that attorneys also can often be found handling matters such as employee benefits or contract review and compliance. Shadow experiences and small one-time assignments are still experience as long as you describe them accurately on your resume. Never overstate or misrepresent an experience.
Clinics, externships, and work study. UNL has two excellent clinics where students handle legal cases for real clients. These are excellent ways to build your experience while earning academic credit. Our externship program also offers a great opportunity for law students to create programs that are tailored to very specific interest areas. They are typically for 3 credit hours and must be completed in conjunction with a seminar or research in a selected filed. Work study is another option for those that were granted work study through FAFSA. Through this program, the Federal government pays for 70% of the amount earned by the student and the employer is responsible for the remaining 30%. See the details on Externships.
Pro Bono Initiative. This option seeks to encourage and recognize volunteer legal services by Nebraska law students. Students who complete 50 hours or more of qualified pro bono work during their second and third years will receive a Dean’s certificate upon graduation. The work must be uncompensated, law related, and in the public interest. Students seeking to qualify for the initiative must have their pro bono work approved by the Dean’s office prior to completion. Click here for details.
Faculty Research positions. Serving as a research assistant offers the chance to work closely with a faculty member, preferably in an area of practice that interests you. Not only is this great learning experience but by working closely with a professor you will hopefully develop a friendship or at last a great reference for future positions.
Volunteer work. Consider volunteering. The VLP - Pro Bono Law Clerk Program. Click here for more information. Remember that even if your legal volunteer work does not directly relate to what you want to do after law school, you will meet people in the legal community and learn a lot about how to work a real case from start to finish.
Competitions. Moot court and writing competitions also great experience builders and fill in nicely on those resumes that lack traditional clerkship experiences. These experiences can showcase your skill in advocacy, research, and writing.
Law review. Working on a scholarly journal is much more than an academic honor—it’s legal work experience.
Think about all you do: check cites, edit articles, proofread, evaluate manuscripts, etc. If you feel that your grades do not reflect your true abilities, why not try to write on?
* These ideas are not new or novel, but sometimes just seeing them in print helps students realize that they have some experience already. I welcome additional ideas for gaining experience from students and others!
