Employer Information

The University of Nebraska College of Law seeks to produce highly qualified and trained graduates for the legal profession. We are committed to providing the best legal education possible and we are proud of our first-rate faculty, graduates and facilities. The Career Development Office coordinates recruitment activities between students, alumni and employers, and strives to connect our students and alumni with their future employers.

If you have any questions please contact us at
402-472-5130 or lawcareer@unl.edu 

Post a job or request resumes   Employer in Residence Program  Employer Responsibilities

More Information

Grading Scale / Rankings
Class Grading Scale Chart

For more information about our updated grading scale: https://law.unl.edu/class-rank/

On-Campus Interviews

Early Interview Week 

Early interview Week is a new addition to the Nebraska Law interview program line-up. The early interview week better aligns our recruiting dates for employers engaged in a wider regional or nationwide interview process. The program will be held over three days from August 12 through 14. These interviews will be scheduled on a first come first serve basis. There is no charge for registration. Consider taking this opportunity to meet with our rising 2Ls and 3Ls before classes begin. To requst an interview schedule please complete and return the schedule request form. 

On Campus Interviews 

The University of Nebraska College of Law hosts two on-campus interview sessions per year. Employers are invited to interview second- and third-year students for law clerk, summer associate and associate positions during the fall interview session (September through October). The spring session runs from February through March and includes first-, second- and third-year students.

We employ a preselect system, which allows employers to choose the students they wish to interview based on the application materials requested. To request an interview schedule please sign into 12Twenty to submit and OCI Registration. If you don't have an account, please click here to learn how to set one up. 

If you are not able to travel to Lincoln for interviews, we would to help you coordinate virtual interviews. 

Interviewing takes place at the law college in our newly renovated and convenient facilities. To request a schedule or check available interview dates, log in to the Nebraska Law Career Portal and complete the OCI Schedule Request, or contact the Career Development Office directly at (402) 472-5130 or lawcareer@unl.edu

Employers participating in On-Campus Interviews will be asked to read and sign the College of Law’s Non-Discrimination Policy. Employers are also expected to be familiar with and abide by the Employer Responsibilities

Recruiting FAQ

Where do I start?
All of our employer services are coordinated through the 12Twenty, our online recruiting system. 12Twenty will allow you to post jobs, arrange on-campus interviews, browse resumes, and create an employer profile viewable by students and alumni. If you would prefer to recruit without using the online system, contact the Career Development Office at (402) 472-5130 or lawcareer@unl.edu. We will do whatever we can to accomodate your needs.

Who may post a position on the 12Twenty?
Employers of all types are encouraged to post job opportunities on the career portal. This includes law firms, governmental agencies, corporations, and non-profit organizations. Positions listed on the portal are limited to those that prefer or require a current law student or graduate with a J.D. or M.L.S. degree. Positions not requiring or preferring law college training are better listed on Handshake, the online recruiting system for UNL Career Services.

Can I post a position for an experienced attorney?
The Career Development Office is happy to post positions for experienced attorneys as well as recent graduates and current students. Alumni who want to relocate, change their career path, or are interested in a job transition often look to our office to connect with potential employers. By posting a job notice with us, interested alumni will be aware of your employment needs.

Do you accept postings for volunteers, interns and externs?
Yes, our office welcomes all postings that seek attorneys, law students, or those with a legal education. In fact, the Law College has a Pro Bono Initiative which seeks to encourage and recognize volunteer legal service by College of Law students during their second and third years. The Law College also offers students the opportunity to earn academic credit by developing an externship with an employer. Before posting for an unpaid position, please familiarize yourself with the FLSA standards link make sure you will not be in violation of federal wage laws. If you are posting a volunteer position, please be sure it is clearly indicated on the job posting.

What if I just need help with a single project?
Feel free to contact our office for assistance in posting short-term research projects. Many of our students are interested in working on discrete projects in areas of specific interest to them when their schedules allow.

How do I post a job?
Simply login to the 12Twenty and complete the job posting form. The Employer User Guide for the portal includes walk-throughs for several major components, including OCI sign up and job posting. If you would prefer to be assisted with job posting, contact the Career Development Office at (402) 472-5130.

Download Employer Quick Guide

To Review Nebraska Law Recruitment Policy please Click Here

Policies and Affiliations

Non - Discrimination Policy
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is a public university committed to providing a quality education to a diverse student body. It is the policy of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln not to discriminate based onrace, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its programs, activities, or employment. This policy is applicable to all University administered programs including educational programs, financial aid, admission policies and employment policies. This policy is enacted in accordance with University of Nebraska Regent’s policy and with various federal and state discrimination laws including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

The Career Development Office at the University of Nebraska College of Law administers its services in a manner that seeks to provide equal opportunities for the employment of all University of Nebraska College of Law students and graduates. We do not knowingly furnish assistance and facilities for interviewing or other career services functions to employers who discriminate in their selection of employees in violation of UNL's nondiscrimination policy. 

The University of Nebraska asks all prospective employers to familiarize themselves with our non-discrimination policy and requires all employers participating in on-campus programs to provide a written statement of adherence to the policy. The College of Law expects all employers will in good faith consider each applicant on the basis of his or her individual merits. The only exceptions to this rule are made for recruiters for the U. S. Armed Forces pursuant to federal law (“Solomon Amendment”) and religious organizations that use religious employment qualifications according to existing state and federal guidelines.

In addition to adhering to the UNL’s non-discrimination statement set forth above, no employer engaged in recruiting Nebraska law students may use College of Law facilities or services unless the employer also abides by the standard described in below.  Before interviewing at the College of Law, employers will be sent a copy of this Policy to which they must assent in writing.

In accordance with section 6-3(b) of the Bylaws of the Association of American Law Schools, the University of Nebraska College of Law is obligated to "pursue a policy of providing its students and graduates with equal opportunity to obtain employment, without discrimination or segregation on the ground of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender (including identity and expression), sexual orientation, age, or disability. A member school shall communicate to each employer to whom it furnishes assistance and facilities for interviewing and other placement functions the school’s firm expectation that the employer will observe the principle of equal opportunity.

Nebraska Law Recruitment Policies 

General Provisions

  1. All offers to Nebraska Law students should remain open for at least 14 days from the date of the written offer.
  2. Students are expected to accept or release offers or request an extension by the applicable deadline. Offers that are not accepted by the offer deadline expire.
  3. A student should not hold open more than two offers of employment at any one time. For each offer received that places a student over the offer limit, the student should release an offer no later than 3 business days after the receipt of the excess offer.
  4. Practices inconsistent with these standards should be reported to the Career Development Office at (402-472-5130) or lawcareer@unl.edu.

Employer Contact with First-Year Students

  1. To position law students to be as successful as possible, their efforts during the first semester of law school should be focused on their studies rather than on job search activities. Nonetheless, opportunities to learn about professionalism, professional development, and the legal profession are appropriate early in law school. Nebraska Law provides opportunities for employers to participate in student programs focused on professional development and meet students through the legal employer fair.
  2. Government employers with extensive security clearance processes are free to recruit at any time. Employers should not conduct interviews of any first-year student between Thanksgiving and the student’s last final examination. 

Summer Employment Offers to All Students

  1. All offers to students for summer employment should remain open for at least 14 days from the date of the written offer. Reasonable student requests for extensions should be honored.
  2. Students may accept the offer at any time prior to the offer deadline and should strive to make offer decisions in a timely manner. 
  3. Employers are strongly discouraged from making summer employment offers to first-year students that obligate students to work for the same employer during their first and second summer (as compared to providing students the option to return for their second summer).  

Full-Time Employment Offers to Upper-class previously employed by the employer

  1. Employers offering full-time positions following graduation to any student previously employed by them should leave those offers open until at least September 15 of the student’s final year of law school, provided that such offers are made prior to or on September 2.
  2. Students should reaffirm these offers within 28 days from the date of the written offer, if an employer requests such reaffirmation in its written offer. Employers that have requested this reaffirmation may retract any offer that is not reaffirmed within the 28-day period.
  3. After September 2 of a student's final year of law school, employers offering full-time positions to commence following graduation to students previously employed by them should leave those offers open for at least 14 days from the date of the written offer.

Full-Time Employment Offers to Upper-class Students Not Previously Employed by Employer

  1. Employers offering full-time positions to commence following graduation to any student not previously employed by them should leave those offers open for at least 14 days from the date of the written offer. 

Please also review NALP Principles for a Fair and Ethical Recruiting Process

Right to Refuse Service

We reserve the right to refuse service to employers for factors such as the following:

  • Positions not likely of interest to law college students or alumni
  • Misrepresentation by dishonesty, lack of information, or fraud
  • Complaints by students
  • Harassment of UNL students, alumni, or staff
  • Breach of confidentiality
  • Requiring, at the time of application, personal information such as bank and social security numbers
  • Failure to adhere to law college policies, UNL rules and regulations, or local, state, and federal laws.

Third Party Recruiters

We reserve the right to refuse service to third party recruiters. Third party recruiters are agencies, organizations or individuals recruiting candidates for employment opportunities other than for their own needs. Third party recruiters using 12Twenty are expected to follow the same policies and procedures established for recruiters representing their own organization. In addition, third party recruiters are expected to adhere to several specific practices to ensure open and accurate communication with Nebraska Law students.

The Career Development Office will provide assistance to third party agencies only when a third party recruiter meets the following conditions:

  • Meets the NALP and EEOC policies and laws described above
  • Charges no fees to the candidate
  • Reveals to the Career Development Office the identity of the employer being represented and the nature of the relationship between the agency and the employer, and permits the career center to verify this information by contacting the named client
  • If requested, provides a position description to the Career Development Office for valid openings.
Academics

An explanation of the University of Nebraska College of Law’s grading system can be found here.

A listing of academic honors and awards can be found here.

NOTE: First-year students at the University of Nebraska College of Law do not receive permanent grades or rankings until after completion of the first year. Students take mid-term exams and receive Quartile rankings so they can have an indication of how they are performing in relation to their classmates. Because the mid-term grades may account for as little as 25% of the students’ final grade, we ask that you consider mid-term Quartile rankings in this light: A good performance on mid-term exams is a good indication that a student will do well in law school overall. However, a mixed performance on the mid-terms is not a good predictor of a student’s overall first-year performance.

Employer Fairs

Government and Public Interest Fair 

The purpose of this fair is to bring public interest employers to the law college to advertise the work you do as well as advertise opportunities you have available for law students and graduates to volunteer and/or work in the coming year.  Our students may be looking for spring, summer or post-graduate opportunities and you are welcome to speak with them freely about interviews and resumes.

The Fair this year: November 6, 2024 | 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Location: Nebraska College of Law (1875 N. 42nd Street, Lincoln, NE)

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

If you are looking to hire an Attorney (post-graduate entry-level position), please contact the CDO to discuss recruiting options. 

Legal Employer Information Fair

Looking to hire? This fair is an opportunity to raise your profile with Nebraska Law students and share important information about your organization. Whether you are looking to hire law clerks and attorneys, or seeking highly credentialed applicants for JD Advantage roles in banking, compliance, health care, or human resources, this is a great venue to meet highly motivated candidates.  Many employers specifically use this event to make connections prior to Spring On-Campus Interviews.

The Legal Employer fair date: Nov 7, 2024 | 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Location: Nebraska College of Law (1875 N. 42nd Street, Lincoln, NE)

The registration fee is $150 for a single table. Payable by check or credit card. 

To Register and pay online: CLICK HERE

To Register and pay by check: CLICK HERE
      Checks should be made payable to the University of Nebraska College of Law c/o Career Development Office. 

If you need assistance please contact Meghan Rivera in the Career Development Office (lawcareer@unl.edu

National Public Law School Alliance

Nebraska Law has joined forces with more than 25 other public law schools across the country to form the National Public Law School Alliance. The alliance gives our JD students the opportunity to interview with employers from coast to coast during the spring semester and for our alumni from all over the country to have new opportunities to expand their applicant pool.

The NPLSA coordinates virtual interviews at the end of February. Students will interview for a variety of positions with employers across the country—small and large firms, public service organizations, government agencies, and in-house legal departments. Opportunities exist for both summer positions and full-time permanent post-graduate positions.

For more information, students and employers can visit National Public Law School Alliance or contact Tasha Everman, Assistant Dean and Director of Career Development. Of course, alumni and all employers can always contact Nebraska Law directly to post positions specifically for Nebraska Law students or participate in on-site and virtual Nebraska Law recruiting programs and fairs. If you don’t already have an account with the Career Development Office, sign up here: https://law-unl.12twenty.com/hire

Shadow Program

This program enables our students to experience the law first-hand by shadowing attorneys in private practice, government agencies, the court system, and non-profit legal service agencies. Should you choose to participate, your role would be to conduct business as usual, allowing the student(s) to observe and possibly participate in your routine. In the past, students have had the opportunity to sit in on meetings, depositions, and conference calls. Others have had the chance to accompany attorneys to court, attend legislative committee meetings, and even try their hand in drating a legal document. Student participants have overwhelmingly reported positive experiences and sincerely appreciate the opportunity to shadow an active memeber of the legal community. 

The Shadow Program is available year round, most employers choose to have their shadow join them during the students spring or fall break.