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.
Handouts and in-depth guides covering the major areas of concern for most job seekers are available in ROSCOE, our online career services management system. This is just enough to get you started on the right track. There is no replacement for one-on-one counseling.
Overview of Services
Career Counseling and Planning
Through one on one meetings with students, we help identify career goals and interests, establish job search strategies, and refine application materials. Students are encouraged to make individual appointments to plan and update employment strategies and resumes. To schedule an appointment with Dean Everman, call 472-5130 or e-mail teverman2@unl.edu.
Job Postings and Resume Collections
Job opportunities are received in the Career Services Office from a variety of sources. Employers may contact the office directly through our webpage. The CSO also solicits postings from local and national employers, as well as other law schools. All job postings are managed through ROSCOE, our online system for career opportunities and education, powered by Symplicity. Students are trained to access this service and search its extensive database of jobs. Some employers prefer resume collections to posting a job directly or interviewing on campus. Resume collections are also coordinated in ROSCOE and are posted alongside other job openings.
Educational Programs, Workshops, and Seminars
Students are offered numerous workshops, panel discussions, and informational sessions throughout the academic year. These presentations utilize practicing attorneys, alumni, and career services staff to target specific student career interests and needs. Some of the subjects covered include: preparing for the job search, judicial clerkships, non-traditional careers, starting your own practice, and bar examination preparation. At the beginning of each semester, a list of upcoming programming is made available to students in ROSCOE.
Mock Interview Program
Each year the Career Services Office organizes mock interviews to help students gain experience and confidence in the interview process. Local attorneys and other career professionals volunteer to interview students, critique their resumes, and give advice on how to improve their interviewing skills. Organized programs take place each fall and spring, but individual interviews can be arranged by contacting Dean Everman at teverman2@unl.edu.
On-Campus Interviews
Every year prospective employers visit the University of Nebraska College of Law to recruit students for summer and post-graduate employment. The Career Services Office coordinates these on-campus interviews for employers from a wide range of geographical regions. On-campus interview sessions are held in the fall and spring of each academic year.
Career Resource Library
Books, bulletins, and other resource materials are available to all students in the Career Services Office's Resource Room (Room 179C) and the Schmid Law Library. Among other topics, students can research legal practice areas, geographical areas, specific employers, bar examination requirements, and post-graduate academic programs. We strive to keep updated materials available in the CSO Resource Room and welcome suggestions from students and alumni for new acquisitions.
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.
