GGU School of Law: Law Career Services

Maximizing Your Winter Break -A Note to Evening Students

2009-12-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

by Amanda Vassigh-Sigal
Career Counselor

Many Golden Gate School of Law students work full-time in addition to attending classes for several hours a week. Many of you have family responsibilities as well. You are often incredibly busy, but this doesn’t mean that you should leave career planning for when you graduate! It is essential that evening students gain legal experience while in school if you intend to practice law after graduation.

You are already carefully managing your time, so you might wonder how you will squeeze in legal work experience before graduating. By planning ahead, it is possible to find creative ways to get experience and boost your resume. One suggestion is to maximize your time between semesters. This winter break is a terrific time to do some career planning, and possibly, some volunteer legal work in an area that interests you.

6 Career Planning Tips for Your Winter Break

Research the legal market and practice areas.
Peruse our resource library and LCSonline and you’ll discover terrific resources, including recordings of career services programs discussing a wide range of practice areas. Since your time is precious, exploring your interests and learning more about where you would like to work is a very important component of your career planning.

Begin the process of looking for ways to fit legal experience into your schedule.
If you work for a corporation, explore whether there is a way to work in your company’s legal department at some point. Can you save vacation time in order to take summer legal job? If not, look into volunteer income tax assistance or consumer debt programs, which often operate during evening hours. Think creatively about how you can fit some legal experience into your busy schedule, and look into your options.

Get legal experience this month by engaging in pro bono work.
GGU has recently established a pro bono program with the Public Interest Clearinghouse (PIC). This program will give you access to various volunteer opportunities, including those taking place on nights and weekends. PIC allows students to volunteer in a host of substantive legal areas and can help you find a project tailored to your specific interests and schedule.

One upcoming opportunity is with Legal Aid of Marin, which will hold eviction intake clinics on Monday, December 28 through Wednesday, December 30 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. This is a wonderful opportunity to develop your client interviewing and fact investigation skills. (For more information or to reserve a spot, please contact Doan at dnguyen@pic.org).

Please visit www.lawstudentprobono.org to register and sign up for PIC’s weekly newsletter. When you find an opportunity that interests you, contact Doan Nguyen, the pro bono coordinator at PIC.

Write a publishable paper.
An excellent way for evening students to enhance their legal resumes is to write a publishable paper on a subject of interest. Approach a professor, committee member of a bar association, or a law school colleague with an idea for a collaborative article. You can also contact the editors of legal journals to ask if there are any topics for which they are seeking articles, and propose to write a relevant article yourself. Not only do publications add to your legal resume, conducting the research for an article or paper often leads to the opportunity to connect with successful attorneys and expand your network.

Attend a least one networking/holiday event or conduct one informational interview.
You’ve probably been told that networking is an effective way to secure a job. During the semester, you might not have much time to attend bar association events or CLE’s, but try to do so during your winter break. Plan to attend a social gathering or program that will allow you to meet people in the legal community. Informational interviews are a terrific networking vehicle as well and are often sources of valuable guidance. Networking and informational interviewing handouts are available on LCSonline.

Meet one-on-one with an LCS career counselor.
Law Career Services is open during most of your winter break, and we are available to meet in person or over the phone.. (We will be closed for our move to 40 Jesse Street between 12/9 – 12/15, and for a few days close to Christmas and New Year’s Day). We encourage you to take advantage of this time to start working with us. You can make an appointment to meet with an LCS career counselor by calling us at (415) 442-6625 or by emailing lawcareer@ggu.edu.

Spend time connecting with people and activities that bring a smile to your face and joy into your life during your winter break, and set some time aside for career planning. Law Career Services is here to help you, with late office hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays to accommodate evening students.

What's Hot December 2009

2009-11-30T15:02:00.000-08:00

As the holiday season approaches, it's time for the annual deluge of year-in-review lists. One list that's worth reviewing is consultant Robert W. Denney's annual analysis of "What's Hot and What's Not in the Legal Profession." Denney offers a broad overview of this year's major trends in law firm practice, including hot (and cold) practice areas, the developments in law firm management, and changes to hiring and retention practices.

"What's Hot and What's Not in the Legal Profession"

Feedback on LCS Programming

2009-11-24T16:16:00.000-08:00

Law Career Services is seeking three minutes of your time to complete a brief survey about our programs (see list below). We will be relying on your feedback as we plan our Spring 2010 program calendar, so we are asking you to complete your survey no later than December 1, 2009.

The link to the survey was emailed to all current JD students on Tuesday, November 24. Please email LCS if you did not receive the email.

We wish you well on your final exams and look forward to welcoming you into our new offices on the 5th floor of 40 Jessie Street, as of December 16. Please note that our office will be closed between December 9 and 15 in preparation for the move.

Fall 2009 LCS Programs:
3L & 4L Job Search Workshop
ACLU Youth Law Clinic Program
Alternative to Incarceration
Brown Bag Lunch to Prepare for DA Interviews
Brown Bag Lunch with Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Careers in Family Law
Careers in Tax Panel & Reception
CIA Program
Elder Law Presentation
Fall Recruitment Orientation
Finding a Judicial Externship
Halloween Open House
Hanging Up Your Own Shingle
Interview Skills Workshop
IP Careers with Kate Patterson
Job Applications Materials Workshop
Medical Access for Trans People, Economic Marginalization, Sex Work & Criminality
Obama’s Top Campaign Aid Michael Robertson
Patent Bar Program w/Mark Dighton
PI/PS Day Orientation
Pro Bono Open House Celebration
Public Interest Welcome Reception
SF Teen Court Attorney Mentor Training
The Impact of Today’s Economic Crisis and the Future of Corporate Practice

SLATE: Why Employment Will Rebound Sooner Than You Think

2009-11-19T10:47:00.000-08:00

"Just as investors and businesspeople don't believe things could ever go wrong at the peak of the boom, they have difficulty imagining things can get better at the trough of the bust. And so they respond to rising demand not by hiring new employees but by coaxing existing employees to work harder. But just as hamsters can run only so fast on their treadmills, there are limits to productivity growth. ... Should the economy expand in the fourth quarter at the same 3.5 percent annual rate it did in the third quarter—as it shows every sign of doing—companies won't have any choice but to hire."

Read the entire article at Slate.com.

Pro Bono Honor Society

2009-11-11T16:33:00.000-08:00

To acknowledge and reward those students who dedicate a significant portion of their time to helping others through the Law Student Pro Bono Program, GGU has established a Pro Bono Honor Society.

Membership in this society will signify that a student has performed at least 10 hours of pro bono work in his/her first year and at least 25 hours of pro bono work for each of the upper-class years. Any student completing more than 60 hours of pro bono prior to graduation will receive special recognition from Dean Ramey.

Students inducted into the Society will be honored at the Public Interest Graduation Reception in April. Inductees will receive a certificate stating their membership, and can note membership on their resumes. Graduating inductees will receive a gift to recognize their contributions.

The entire GGU community is excited about the new Pro Bono Program and Honor Society. GGU looks forward to motivating its students to volunteer and make justice accessible for society's most vulnerable members.

In Your Own Words:

2009-11-09T11:53:00.000-08:00

Philip Batchelder (JD 09)

We keep hearing it: connections, and not Craigslist postings, are what will land us a job in this tight market. I'm not employed yet, so I can't swear that this is true. What is certain is that the more networking I do, the more I learn what I want to do and who is doing it (as well as what I don't want to do). I also meet interesting professionals, some of whom have taken time out of busy practices to answer questions over coffee and to recount their own triumphs and difficulties. This is a truly worthwhile way to inspire and clarify one's goals - and to keep gathering nuggets of legal knowledge while we await bar results.

That doesn't mean, though, that it's easy. Almost every letter I've sent, every call I've made, and every event I've attended has felt oddly risky, as if I'm asking too much or somehow getting overexposed. Also, if an interaction goes awkwardly or a request for an informational interview goes unanswered, it's not especially encouraging for the next round! It's a good time to tune up a personal "reset" button so we can forgive our stumblings and keep letting the world know we're interested.

Go to as many events as possible that relate to your professional interests. Send out requests for chats over coffee. Introduce yourself to the lawyer who just addressed the gathering. Contact your professor. When you put yourself out there and it goes well, it's nothing short of energizing - and sometimes it's the way to employment. So do it!

In Your Own Words is an opportunity for GGU School of Law students and alumni to share the wisdom you have gained from your experiences. If you would like to contribute a blog entry regarding your job and/or externship experiences or your job search, please email Amanda Vassigh Sigal.

How and When to Name Drop

2009-10-06T10:12:00.000-07:00

by Elana Konstant
Assistant Director of Public Interest Programs

In the current job market, everyone’s touting a return to networking as the best way to find employment and develop professionally. Ever the trendsetters, we here at LCS have always encouraged our students to build a network and make contacts to drawn on while in school and beyond. One of the best ways to take advantage of a large network is through referrals and introductions. While knowing the right people is key to the job search, using that knowledge correctly is how you land the job.

Here are some helpful guidelines for name dropping:

Ask permission: If someone refers you to an employer or gives you the name of a contact, be certain to ask if you can use his/her name when reaching out. Don’t assume that everyone mentioning a contact in conversation is comfortable with having their name dropped, especially if their contact is a personal one. This goes for faculty and staff at the law school, and other personal and professional contacts you have established. Always ask before you put the referral out there.

Mention those contacts upfront for maximum attention: If you know someone (or know someone who knows someone) at an organization that you are applying to or hoping to set up an informational interview with, mention that name in the first paragraph of your cover letter or email inquiry (e.g. “Chuck Bass of Gossip Girl LLC suggested I contact you regarding opportunities in your policy department.”). Be sure to get in touch with your contact before sending the letter to establish permission and allow him/her to follow the proper protocol for employee referrals.

Make sure the references are recognizable and well-respected: If you reference someone, be sure that the person you are contacting actually knows the person you are referencing. It is of no use to you (and can look unprofessional) to refer to someone that the employer/potential interviewer does not know well enough to recognize by name. Even more harmful is referring to someone who left an employer on bad terms. Make sure you are not associating yourself with someone else’s bad reputation.

Take advantage of very close connections: If someone you know is closely connected to an employer that you are especially interested in, it can be particularly effective to ask him/her to pass on your materials to the employer. Having your materials already vetted by a close contact might encourage the employer to review your candidacy more carefully. This request should be reserved for special opportunities to have the strongest impact, and also to keep you in the good graces of your contact.

Pass along your materials to your reference: If you are using someone’s name in a cover letter or email inquiry, you should copy the reference on the correspondence. That way he/she is aware of your materials and can speak about them if questioned.

The bigger your network, the more people that can help you find your way. By using references properly, you can make your network work for you. Happy name dropping!

Loud and Proud

2009-10-13T13:02:00.000-07:00

by Elana Konstant
Assistant Director of Public Interest Programs

Landing a job after weeks or months of searching is incredibly gratifying and exciting. In the midst of that euphoria, try not to overlook all those that aided you in the quest. Remember to share the job joy. Circling back to your contacts and letting them know about your success is an integral component of networking. Besides the fact that happiness is contagious, as a working attorney you may serve a more specialized role to some in your network. By alerting your contacts about the new position, you may be increasing opportunities for client / colleague / mentor development. If nothing else, you will certainly get a very nice, congratulatory email or phone call from someone at LCS (hint, hint).

Once you are established in your job, don’t forget to pay the good fortune forward by evaluating your work experience for other students to review. The evaluations may be submitted anonymously, but LCS hopes you will make yourself available to be contacted by other students if you found the experience remarkable in any way. To complete an evaluation, login to LCSonline, click the "Student Employment Evaluations" link (found on the homepage under shortcuts). Simply click the "Add New" button to fill out a survey.

Alumni can give back by agreeing to conduct informational interviews with students/alumni, participating in GGU events and placing any employment openings with LCS. When you create an AlumniConnect profile, or update an existing one, checking the box next to ‘Alumni Career Network’ will indicate your willingness to be contacted for informational interviews and to speak on campus for GGU’s career workshops.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Celebrating Pro Bono at GGU

2009-11-03T11:09:00.000-08:00

by Elana Konstant
Assistant Director of Public Interest Programs

The Pro Bono Open House Celebration on October 27 was a great success! Thank you to all of the students who turned out to hear Dean Ramey, Julia Wilson and Steven MacDonald speak about the value of pro bono work. Over 100 students also came to mingle with twelve pro bono project representatives from various organizations, including Bay Area Legal Aid, Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach and Volunteer Legal Services Program. The event was an impressive kick off to the new Law Student Pro Bono Program that we are running with the Public Interest Clearinghouse (PIC).

For those of you who were not able to make it to the open house, the pro bono program will connect GGU students with short-term and long-term volunteer projects all around the Bay Area. As volunteers, students can staff client intake clinics, engage in legislative advocacy and policy work, and represent low-income families in a variety of substantive legal areas. The diversity of available pro bono opportunities is designed to be flexible to fit your busy schedules. Performing pro bono work allows you to contribute to the betterment of your community while simultaneously developing your legal skills.

If you have any questions about pro bono projects or about PIC, please feel free to contact the coordinator of the Law Student Pro Bono Project, Doan Nguyen, who is also the Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellow at PIC. You can reach her by email (dnguyen@pic.org) or telephone (415-834-0100, ext. 311).
To gain access to the online database of pro bono projects and sign up to receive the pro bono e-newsletter, please visit www.lawstudentprobono.org. Doan will be updating this site continuously and you can access the latest postings once you sign up. The site also provides a calendar of events and trainings.

Please get involved today to start paving the way for justice.

IN YOUR OWN WORDS:

2009-10-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

Liz Winberry (JD 09)

I’ve heard people say they don’t like networking because it feels disingenuous, but this absolutely does not need to be the case. When I “network” I make a point of attending events (like fundraisers) for organizations I admire, and seek out conversation with people who I think will be able to teach me something, not instantly offer me a job. Many times, the information I pick up leads to opportunities to get involved, which I treat as working interviews. For me, expressing an interest to learn, and following up with notes and phone calls, has led to internships, informational interviews, and involvement in local associations.

First Year Students:LCS Halloween Open House

2009-10-26T14:51:00.000-07:00

Remember way back at orientation when we said that LCS would begin working with first year students around Halloween? That time is now! To get things started, LCS is hosting a Halloween Open House for first year students. We encourage ALL 1Ls to visit LCS, 62 First St. on the 2nd floor, on Friday, October 30. Stop by any time between 11:30 am and 3 pm.

When you arrive, you will receive treats, both edible and informational. You will also receive your personal account information to log in to LCSonline, which will give you access to all of our job listings, handouts, videos and online resources.

This party is always a highlight of the Fall semester and we look forward to greeting you (in our fabulous costumes, of course!).

CNN: 'Digital Dirt' Can Haunt Your Job Search

2009-10-12T16:06:00.000-07:00

Gone are the days when all you were concerned with was whether or not your résumé and cover letter were error-free. Now, you've got bigger things to worry about -- like what kind of personal information is floating around online.

Click here to read the complete story at CNN.

Fall Recruitment is Winding Down:What’s Next?

2009-10-07T12:08:00.000-07:00

by Susanne Aronowitz
Associate Dean for Law Career Services

As we approach the end of our on-campus interview season, we wanted to provide some guidance on next steps and how to proceed with your job search after Fall Recruitment.

1. Wrap up loose ends:
• Have you heard back from the “Resume Collect” employers to whom you submitted materials? If not, now is a good time to follow up to check on the status of your applications.
• Have you followed up with the employers with whom you interviewed to thank them for the interview and reiterate your interest in the position?

2. Take stock of your Fall Recruitment experience. Before beginning the next wave of applications, evaluate the effectiveness of your current strategies:
• Are your written materials getting you the interviews you want? If not, meet with an LCS counselor for some feedback.
• Are your interviews going well? Again, meeting with a counselor at LCS may help you identify ways to present yourself more effectively with your next round of interviews.

Moving forward:
Most employers do not hire through organized recruiting programs. Do not be discouraged if Fall Recruitment did not yield a job for you.

Instead, focus on other employers who have yet to hire. Consider small firms, government agencies, public interest organizations, courts and general counsel offices. Many of these offices do not hire more than a semester in advance. Identifying these opportunities may be challenging, since many of these offices do not publish job listings. By working with LCS staff and conducting targeted research, you can learn to identify these opportunities and develop an effective approach.

Remember: Avoid the trap of focusing more on the employers who did not select you for interviews than the ones who did. Not being selected for an interview is not the same thing as being rejected by the employer. There may be many factors at stake that are outside of your control. It is best to concentrate on what you can control, invest in the employers who show interest in you, and always project positive energy. Remember, you only need one job!

Interview Prep Tips: Put Your Best Foot Forward (Literally!)

2009-09-22T16:26:00.000-07:00

Representatives from Perkins Coie, the San Francisco Public Defender's Office, and the United States Department of Justice were recently on campus to share interview preparation tips with all of you. If you missed this program, come in to LCS to check out the DVD titled Interview Skills Workshop, Fall 2009.

Some noteworthy tips from the Interview Skills Workshop:

Be polished -- your shoes, that is. Some interviewers pay close attention to clean, polished footwear on men, and clean, polished, closed-toe footwear on women.

Be prompt with thank you notes. Two of the three panelists strongly favor that you send short email thank you notes immediately following the interview.

Be motivated. For instance, if interviewing for an intellectual property position, know why you want to do that type of work.

Be prepared to answer all types of interview questions (e.g. behavioral questions, hypothetical questions, questions about your writing sample).

The takeaway from the interview prep program is that each employer is different. Some employers will comb through your writing sample, while other employers may not have time to read writing samples. Your job is to be prepared to be interviewed by both types of employers. Prepared students interview better, and are, therefore, better positioned to secure the position.

Law Career Services has assembled a comprehensive handout on interviewing, available on LCSonline. LCS also has several books and articles to help you prepare for legal interviews. One of our new resources is reviewed below.

Nail Your Law Job Interview: The Essential Guide to Firm, Clerkship, Government, In-House, and Lateral Interviews
by Natalie Prescott & Oleg Cross

Review by Laura Koch
LCS Graduate Fellow

When it comes landing the legal job you dream of, whether it is an internship, clerkship, or permanent position, it is never too early to begin preparing to be a great interviewee. If you have been offered an interview, it indicates that your resume and cover letter have convinced the employer that your credentials satisfy the requirements for the job. Now you have the opportunity to convince the employer that you are the best person for the position. Unfortunately, many law job applicants arrive for interviews unprepared or misinformed about the expectations interviewers hold.

Nail Your Law Job Interview is a new book intended for interviewees with any amount of legal experience, but it will be most beneficial to law students and new attorneys. The authors seek to impress upon law job applicants the crucial importance of the interview, while simultaneously demystifying it.

This book offers general advice that is applicable to almost any law job interview, presented in a straightforward, readable style. It also addresses particular scenarios, such as callbacks and lunch interviews. The sections concerning challenging situations are especially helpful. In order to respond adaptively, it is important to consider in advance of your interview how you would handle awkward silences, inappropriate questions, or rudeness, and this book provides specific, sound advice. One shortcoming is the section on interviewing in a bad economy, which has little to offer new attorneys. Nevertheless, Nail Your Law Job Interview succeeds in providing a wealth of information about making the right impression, which is essential for landing a position in the current market.

Topics include:

What research to do before for the interview, and how to use the information you discover

What to wear and what to bring to the interview

Body language and etiquette

Answers to avoid

Dealing with inappropriate questions and arrogant interviewers

Gap-fillers for awkward silences

Effective questions to ask the interviewer

Interviewing can be the most difficult part of the job search, but as the authors of Nail Your Law Job Interview point out, it is a skill that can be learned.

If At First You don't Succeed ...

2009-09-15T16:13:00.000-07:00

by Susanne Aronowitz

Has this happened to you? You applied last year for a summer internship you really wanted, and were not selected. That same employer is now posting a spring internship. Should you apply? Or are you worried that employer will somehow remember that they didn't hire you last time and automatically reject you for the position?

Our advice: If you have an interest in an organization, you should apply each semester that you have the opportunity. Not being selected for a position does not place a mark against you in the future. Many legal employers receive more applications than they can accommodate in any given semester. Applying in subsequent semesters enables you to demonstrate your strongly held interest in the employer, and your enthusiasm may distinguish you from all of the other applicants. In addition, with each passing semester, your credentials improve--you have more classes under your belt, your skills set is more developed, you have other internship and leadership positions to promote.

It is likely that many of the students who ultimately intern with some of the more popular employers had to apply more than once. In this case, the old adage may be true: "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

Fall Recruitment Application Quick Tips

2009-09-02T11:37:00.000-07:00

In reviewing the applications students submitted for our first Fall Recruitment deadline, we noticed a few common blunders. To help you avoid committing these same errors in the materials you submit for the September 4 deadline, we've put together a quick list of application tips:

Review LCS's resume handout (link) to ensure that your resume conforms to the legal resume format.

When referring to the employer in the body of the cover letter, be sure that you are addressing the correct office/organization (i.e. do not write about wanting to work for the San Francisco Office of the Public Defender in a letter intended for the Contra Costa Office of the Public Defender).

Check to see if your resume spills over onto two pages. A number of resumes were uploaded with only one line on the second page.

When creating an unofficial transcript, include your GPA summaries for every semester and cumulatively.

Double and triple check your use of punctuation and verb conjugations.

When writing about your current position on your resume, use the present tense.

Do not include more materials than requested by the employer (i.e. if the employer only requests a resume and a cover letter, do not also upload an unofficial transcript).

In the salutation, use "Dear Mr./Ms." and then a colon (:), not a comma.

Be consistent with the way you write the name of your former employers, both on the resume and in your cover letter.

Proofread, proofread, proofread. And then have someone else proofread your materials for you.

Fellowships, Funding and Federal Jobs

2009-08-14T10:25:00.000-07:00

by Elana Konstant

For all those 3L students out there who are thinking about applying for a public interest fellowship or a government job through the various Federal Honors Programs, this post is for YOU.

If you are considering a fellowship, you should check out PSLawNet’s one-page “dos and don'ts” list for Fellowship Applications. The substance of these tips comes directly from fellows, funders, and host organization staff.

EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS FELLOWSHIP APPLICATIONS
The 2010 Equal Justice Works Fellowship application is available here.

Important reminders:

Review the application ASAP. EJW recommends that prospective candidates review the online application form as soon as possible to familiarize themselves with how it works and to prepare the necessary items required to apply -- the online application, the Certification Form (signed by both candidate and host organization and accompanied this year by a Benefits Summary Sheet) and up to two letters of recommendation.

Begin working on the application early. There are character limits noted for each text box, and character counts may differ between a word processing program and the application. It is therefore important for candidates to paste the text into the application well in advance of the deadline to ensure that the text fits in the allotted space. The server also grows increasingly busy as the deadline approaches.

Hard copy documents must be received by September 17. The deadline for submission of the application, which is done online, is 2 pm PST on September 17th. A signed Certification Form and up to 2 recommendation letter(s) must be received by Equal Justice Works no later than September 17th. These items must be mailed or hand delivered. Faxes and emails will not be accepted.

If you have questions, please email fellowships@equaljusticeworks.org or call (202) 466-3686, extension 202.

US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
SUMMER & POST-GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES
Every year GGU students are hired through the US Department of Justice (DOJ) Attorney General's Honors Program and the Summer Law Internship Program (SLIP). These are outstanding opportunities to jumpstart your career as an attorney for the United States. If you are interested in working for the DOJ as a summer intern or after graduation in 2010, NOW is the time to start planning!

The Department of Justice is an excellent place to begin your legal career, with multiple locations and practice areas to explore. Note to 3L students: The Honors Program is the only recruitment program for entry-level attorneys at the DOJ. The application period opens online July 25 and closes September 8, 2009. Click here to learn more.

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GUIDE TO GOVERNMENT HONORS
& INTERNSHIP HANDBOOK
The updated version of this guide is now available here.

This comprehensive directory includes listings and application deadlines for most student and entry-level positions with government agencies nationwide.

In addition to the DOJ, the following agencies also hire both law school graduates and summer interns through honors programs:

Central Intelligence Agency (link)
Commerce Department - Office of the General Counsel (link)
Education Department (link)
Environmental Protection Agency (link)
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (link)
Federal Bureau of Investigations (link)
Federal Election Commission (link)
Federal Trade Commission (link)
Homeland Security Department (Honors link ; Summer link)
Housing and Urban Development Department (link)
Interior Department (link)
Internal Revenue Service (link)
Labor Department (link)
Securities and Exchange Commission (link)
Transportation Department (link)
Treasury Department (link)

Information about these positions and others can be found in the Arizona Guide. Please contact LCS (lawcareer@ggu.edu or 415-442-6625) for login information.

If you have any questions about the application process for fellowships or federal positions, please email me at ekonstant@ggu.edu or call (415) 369-5391.

Presidential Management Fellows Program

2009-08-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

The Office of Personnel Management will select more than 700 graduate students (including 3Ls and LLMs) for its 2-year program, which places applicants in public policy and management positions with variety of federal agencies and departments. Typical placements for law students include policy analyst, budget analyst, tax law specialist, and other non-attorney positions. Rotational assignments expose Fellows to a number of federal agencies and divisions. Loan repayment programs are administered at the discretion of individual agencies.

Online application will be open from October 1 to Thursday, October 15, 2009. To apply, go to USAJOBS (www.USAJOBS.gov), click "Apply Online" at bottom of vacancy announcement, create account, and build online resume or link to existing USAJOBS resume. Application consists of USAJOBS resume, online Qualifications Questionnaire, and supporting documents for veterans' preference. Next, print and complete Nomination Form (OPM Form 1300) and submit to Elana Konstant. Please include a copy of your resume and a 1-page statement of interest along with the nomination form. These documents are due by October 15, 2009. For details, go to www.pmf.opm.gov.

Attorney Honors Programs at Google

2009-08-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

Google has recently created a search engine specifically for individuals seeking federal government jobs. The site is available at www.google.com/unclesam.

Searching for "Attorney Honors Programs" will reveal a significant number of entry-level honors programs for attorneys across a wide range of federal agencies.

To find about the legal honors program opportunities, search each agency’s web site. You can also find a fairly thorough list here.

How'd You Spend Your Summer Vacation?

2009-08-25T12:03:00.000-07:00

Now that you’ve had a chance to settle in to school, we’d love to hear how you spent your summer “vacation.” There are 2 ways to share your work experiences with the law school community:

1. Complete an evaluation of your recent work experience on LCSonline. LCS is compiling an online database of student work evaluations you can search when looking for new opportunities. (see here for more information)

2. Write a brief testimonial (150 words or less) that we can post on the LCS Blog. Try to include information on where you worked, how you found the position, what you did there, and why you’d recommend it to other GGU students. Feel free to include a photo that we can post on the blog along with your comments. Email submissions to lawcareer@ggu.edu.

We look forward to hearing from you!

HOW TO: Transcripts

2009-08-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

Several students have contacted LCS to find out the best way to submit a transcript to an employer.

Most employers will accept an unofficial transcript with your application, and we recommend that you create one using the Grade Sheet Template designed by LCS (rather than photocopying or scanning your official transcript). This will enable you to have a clean copy of your transcript that you can submit to employers electronically or on paper.

When preparing your grade sheet, please take extra care to avoid any transcription errors. Any misrepresentation of your academic credentials, even if by honest mistake, may have severe consequences.

To review our detailed instructions and to download our Grade Sheet Template, please visit the Resource Library section of LCSonline.

Welcome Back to Law School

2009-08-17T17:36:00.000-07:00

Welcome Back! We have been working on several enhancements over the summer months to enrich your career development experience. We are particularly excited about our new system on LCSonline to share student evaluations of work experiences. The new system will simplify the process of both posting and reading employment evaluations. Please login to LCSonline and tell us how you spent your summer! The more experiences you share with us, the more valuable this resource will be for your classmates.

Later this semester we will be rolling out several new resources, including a new alumni networking directory and an expanded pro bono program.

We look forward to working with you, and encourage all students to meet with a counselor at LCS to determine how best to advance your career development goals this semester. Stop by our office at 62 1st Street on the second floor to say hello or call us at (415) 442-6625 to make an appointment!

Law Career Services
Susanne Aronowitz — Associate Dean For Law Career Services
Courtney Fitzgibbons — Director for Employer Relations and Private Sector Programs
Elana Konstant — Assistant Director for Public Interest Programs
Amanda Vassigh Sigal — Career Counselor for 3Ls and Recent Graduates
Josh Heineman — Recruiting Coordinator
Laura Hoffmann — Administrative Assistant

ONLINE: Student Employment Evaluations

2009-08-12T09:49:00.001-07:00

LCS is happy to announce our new online Student Employment Evaluations. There's only one catch... we need you to fill them out! Some of you may recall from flipping through the old evaluation binders, that student feedback is one of the top resources for law students researching potential positions with employers. To make the evaluations more accessible to all students, we will be posting all new evaluations on LCSonline. (The binders with old evaluations will still be available at LCS.)

Do Your Part
Please take a few moments to submit an evaluation to describe your recent work experiences. You may submit this information anonymously, but LCS encourages you to make yourself available to be contacted by other students if you found the experience remarkable in any way.

To complete an evaluation, login to LCSonline, click the "Student Employment Evaluations" link (found on the LCSonline homepage under shortcuts). Then simply click the "Add New" button to fill out a survey.

Career & Job Fairs

2009-07-30T11:16:00.000-07:00

Career & job fairs are one way to survey the legal employment field. Here are two links to comprehensive lists of career fairs.

NALP List of Career Fairs ( link )

PSLawNet List of Career Fairs ( link )

Below are some upcoming career and job fairs that might especially interest GGU students:

August 7, 2009
Vault/MCCA Legal Diversity Career Fair ( link )
New York City, NY

August 7, 2009
Indianapolis Bar Association Diversity Job Fair ( link )
Indianapolis, IN

August 7, 2009
IMPACT Career Fair for Law Students & Attorneys with Disabilities ( link )
Washiongton, DC

August 8, 2009
BASF/Orrick Bay Area Diversity Job Fair ( link )
San Francisco, CA

August 9, 2009
12th Annual SFIPLA Bay Area Job Fair ( link )
San Francisco, CA

August 14-15, 2009
Minnesota Minority Recruitment Conference ( link )
Minneapolis, MN

September 10-12, 2009
Lavender Law Conference ( link )
Brooklyn, NY

September 25 – 27
2009 National Latina/o Law Student Association (NLLSA) Conference Career Fair ( link )
Chicago, IL

September 26, 2009
Northwest Minority Job Fair ( link )
Seattle, WA

October 24-25, 2009
Equal Justice Works Public Service Career Fair ( link )
Washington, DC

February 5, 2010
2010 Northwest Public Service Career Fair ( link )
Seattle, WA

February 6, 2010
Northwest Public Service Career Fair ( link )
Portland, Oregon
(Table talk session is open to all law school students and alumni.)

February 6, 2010
Public Interest Career Day ( link )
Los Angeles, CA

Go Have Some Fun!

2009-07-09T11:30:00.000-07:00

While we usually devote space in this blog for encouraging you to use your free time to advance your professional goals, we recognize that it is also important to engage in activities that simply feed your soul. The San Francisco Bay Area has a wide range of free summertime events. Here are a few that we’ve found. Please let us know if you have others to recommend and we will update the blog with your suggestions.

Stern Grove Festival
Established in 1938, the festival is the oldest admission-free summer performing arts festival of its kind in America. Concerts take place on Sundays at 2 pm. [ link ]

Free Museums
Several SF museums are open for free; others offer free admission days. Check this link for more information.

SF Mime Troupe
The San Francisco Mime Troupe creates and produces socially relevant theater; their work is political satire and anything but silent. Winner of three OBIE awards and a Tony Award for Excellence in Regional Theatre, the San Francisco Mime Troupe, about which The New York Times stated, "Anyone concerned about the state of global politics -- and about the state of political humor -- should listen to the Mime Troupe's message," creates plays that make sense out of the headlines, close-up stories that make audiences feel the impact of political events on their personal lives. Performances take place throughout the Bay Area. [ link ]

Street Fairs
Summertime brings street fairs to many bay area neighborhoods. Click here for more info.

Get outside!
Did you know that the East Bay has over 65 parks, encompassing 1,100 miles of hiking trails? [ link ]
You might also consider hiking the Bay Trail. [ link ]

Neighborhood tours, lawn bowling lessons and more…
Check out this website for a diverse list of free activities.