Transcript Job Search Strategies Workshi - Indiana University Maurer

Job Search
Strategies Workshop
Office of Career and Professional Development
Indiana University School of Law – Bloomington
Sources of Jobs (National Avg.)
25
Fall OCI
20
Job fair/consortia
Job posting
Commercial internet site
15
Return to prior job
Start own practice
Spring OCI
10
Temp agency
Other
Referral
5
Self-initiated contact
0
Source: NALP 2003 Survey
Sources of Jobs (National avg.)
40
36.7
35
30
25
Fall OCI
Job fair/consortia
Job posting
Commercial internet site
20
Return to prior job
Start own practice
15
Spring OCI
10
Temp agency
Other
Self-directed
5
0
Combine referral and selfinitiated into SELF-DIRECTED
What students did during their
first summer
Worked Only
% of
Students –
Nationally*
73.8
% of
Students
– IUB
78.2
Summer school/study
abroad
Worked and studied
7.7
5.0
16.8
15.6
Did not work or study
1.7
1.2
*Source: NALP Survey 2003
Where students worked
Firms (all size)
Judicial Clerkship
Public Interest
Local (govt, DA’s & PD’s)
Federal Govt
State (govt & AG’s)
Research Asst
Corporations
International
% of IUB Students
21.1%
19.1
19.1
13.9
6.7
5.7
5.2
4.6
2.6
Timing of Summer Job Offers
% of Students
27.4%
23.9
19.7
10.5
6.8
6.1
2.3
1.8
April
March
May
February
June
January
December
July
Source: NALP Suvey 2003
Large Law Firms
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Most accepting applications Dec 1-15; some
not until you have semester grades
Make decisions based on grades
Will sometimes take applications and then ask
for transcript when it becomes available
About one 1L opening for every five to twenty
2L opportunity – based on 2L hiring yield
What does large mean?
Large Law Firms – Resources

Martindale Hubbell
 Geographic
 Top
specific
100
Westlaw & Lexis
 NALP Directory – www.nalpdirectory.org

Small- to Medium-Sized Firms
Depending on market – some medium
firms will make early spring offer
 Most accept apps & make offers JanApril – many on a first-come, first-serve
basis
 Generally don’t have application process
 Can contact firm to see if they hire 1L’s
and/or have openings

Small- to Medium-Sized Firms –
Resources
NALP Directory –
www.nalpdirectory.org
 OCPD website – Online Resources
 Other law school career services sites
 Yellow Pages

Judicial Clerkships
Many like to have free help due to
budget cuts
 Often a phone call will answer your
questions
 Applications accepted in the spring
 Think of different types of courts (i.e.
tax, family, juvenile, trial vs. appellate)
 Federal Courts Clinic – US District
Court for the Southern Dist of IN – send

Judicial Clerkships – Resources

County and state courts
 http://law.indiana.edu/careers/links/index.shtml
 http://www.vermontlaw.edu/career/index.cfm?d
oc_id=93 - See OCPD for username &
password
 www.statelocalgov.net
 “Indiana Legal Directory”
Judicial Clerkships – Resources

Federal Courts
 “The American
Bench”
 https://lawclerks.ao.uscourts.gov/web/jobSearch
 http://apps.law.indiana.edu/careers/where-are-theynow/clerkships.asp
Public Interest
Legal Aid or Public Guardian’s Offices,
Nonprofit organizations, Associations
 Most open for proactive applicants
 Some with processes
 Available throughout spring semester

Public Interest – Resources
PSLawNet – www.PSLawNet.org
 OCPD web site – Online Resources
 Everett Public Service Internships http://www.everettinternships.org/search/in
ternships.cfm
 Equal Justice Works

State & Local Government
Includes City or County General
Counsel’s Office
 Public Defender or District Attorney
 Any state government agency
 Available during spring
 Contact them to find out about
availability

State & Local Government –
Resources

“National Directory of Prosecuting
Attorneys” – DA’s and PD’s

www.statelocalgov.net
Almost any area PD’s or DA’s office
 Govt Honors & Internship Handbook http://www.law.arizona.edu/career/honorsh
andbook.cfm - see OCPD for username &
password

Federal Government
Some deadlines are coming up soon –
those with a need for a security clearance
 Others on a first-come, first-serve basis
 Some help you with FT positions later on
while some will not
 Federal Govt is not only D.C.

Federal Government – Resources
Govt Honors & Internship Handbook http://www.law.arizona.edu/career/honorsh
andbook.cfm - See OCPD for username &
password
 Office of Personal Management site –
www.usajobs.gov (“Info Center” tab at
top and “Students” near the bottom)
 Agency Information Gateway
http://www.studentjobs.gov/agencies.asp

Corporations
Very limited opportunities to work with
a corp. general counsel’s office
 Cook, Inc. Bloomington: IP/Patent 1L
summer
 Should be industry-specific relationship
to your practice area interest
 Often going back to a previous employer

Corporations – Resources
“Directory of Corporate Counsels” – in
law school library
 Corporate Counsel – Fortune 500 Search
http://solis.365media.com/ALM/corpcouns
el/search.asp - Need to sign in and create
account

Other Resources
Internships Historical Database Symplicity
 OCPD Outreach & Posting to Symplicity
 Limited spring On-Campus Interviews
(OCI) and Resume Collections (RC)

Things to Keep in Mind
Many opportunities are unadvertised
 Most first-year summer internships are
unpaid but are much more valuable
(both for your career and your long-term
financial well being) than many things
you could do
 Don’t limit yourself to the Bloomington
area
