Student Info
The search for legal employment, whether you are a student or a graduate, can be complex and frustrating. The Career Services Office exists to help you with this search. While we can't find a job for you, we strive to bring together the resources, programs, strategies, and information that you will need in conducting a successful job search.
The links to the right cover the major areas of concern for most job seekers. This is just enough to get you started on the right track. Remember there are more in depth guides available and that there is no replacement for one-on-one counseling.
The Career Services Office also put together an internet search guide, with general job searching advice and lists of sites for specific areas of the law. This guide takes you through all the internet has to offer.
For a compilation of the passwords for all of our subscription websites, check the document library in ROSCOE.
Below are just a few tips to keep in mind as you begin this process of finding meaningful employment.
Tips For Success
Don't be a stranger. Schedule your first conference with the Career Service Office early in your first year of law school and plan to discuss career planning with the Career Services Director at least once a semester
Learn what resources are available. If you want or need a particular type of information and don't know where to find it, ASK! If we have it, we'll show you where to find it. If we don't have it, we'll try to find a way to get it.
Be flexible. When considering possible career alternatives, keep an open mind. Focusing exclusively on one location, area of practice, or type of employer can severely limit your options and make your search more difficult. Obviously, there are times when this is not possible (due to family constraints, for example). When that is the case, however, realize that the narrower your focus, the longer your search may be.
Don't put all your eggs in one basket. It is unwise to assume that you will get a job from on-campus interviews alone. Only a small percentage of students obtain their employment via on-campus interviews. Wise job searchers will take advantage of on-campus interviews, job postings, resume collections, networking, on-line resources, and other methods of securing employment.
Don't neglect your classes. If you neglect your classes for the sake of a job search, you may find that you have not only lost valuable educational opportunities, but have decreased your marketability as well.
Analyze your needs and desires and seek employment which will satisfy you. Do not be unduly influenced by the subtle pressures which you may encounter from classmates, friends or family to pursue a particular type of job or practice area. Following other's desires for your career can lead to professional dissatisfaction. Finding employment that interests and inspires you will make you happier in the long run.
Don't put off the job search. Come in early and come in often. The student who asks questions, explores alternatives, uses resources, and works hard at the job search is going to be fine. The student we worry about is the one who has never entered the office, never scheduled a conference, and never looked through the available resources.
Formulate a plan. Engage in some honest self-assessment to determine what type of employment you'll be seeking. Look at your skills, your work habits, where you want to live, why you went to law school, past experiences, the classes you found most interesting in law school. Evaluating these areas in terms of their relevance to the type of employment you will be seeking. Once you know what you are looking for, you can target employers and geographical areas as well as start making contacts.
Don't be afraid to network. This important tactic is often ignored because students don't want to seem pushy, bothersome, or want to find a job "on their own". The problem with that line of thought is that many new jobs are never advertised (this is especially true of legal positions). Check out the basics sheet as well as the more in-depth guide to networking.
