Transcript Job Search Strategies Workshi - Indiana University Maurer

Job Search
Strategies Workshop
Office of Career and Professional Development
Indiana University Maurer School of Law
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 2008 Survey
Sources of Jobs (National avg.)
40
37.4
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
Percent of Maurer
Students
88.1
Worked and studied
6.9
Summer school/study
abroad
Did not work or study
3.5
1.5
Where students worked
Judicial Clerkship
Firm (all sizes)
State (govt & AG’s)
Public Interest
Federal
Local (govt, DA’s & PD’s)
Corporations/Business
Research Asst
Other (Academia, Int’l, Mil)
% of IUB Students
22.4%
19.9
13.4
12.9
10.4
10.4
4.5
2.0
4.0
Timing of 1L 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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Some accepting applications Dec 1-15; some
not until you have semester grades
Make decisions based on grades
Will take applications and then ask for
transcript when it becomes available
About one 1L opening for every five to twenty
2L opportunities – based on 2L hiring yield &
long-term
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
 Not posted

Judicial Clerkships
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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 resume and
cover letter to Prof Seth Lahn
Judicial Clerkships – Resources

County and state courts
 OCPD
Online Resources
http://www.law.indiana.edu/careers/resources/i
ndex.shtml
 The Vermont Guide
http://www.vermontlaw.edu/x1101.xml
 www.statelocalgov.net
 “Indiana Legal Directory”
Judicial Clerkships – Resources

Federal Courts
 “The
American Bench”
 https://oscar.uscourts.gov/index.php?_tab=home
and register as an applicant
 http://apps.law.indiana.edu/careers/where-arethey-now/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
many on a first-come, first-serve basis

Public Interest – Resources
PSLawNet – www.PSLawNet.org
 OCPD web site – Online resources
 Everett Public Service Internships 
http://www.everettinternships.org/search/inter
nships.cfm

Midwest Public Interest Law Career
Conf. or 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/honorshan
dbook.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/honorshan
dbook.cfm - See OCPD for username &
password
 Federal Govt site – www.usajobs.gov
 Internship & Student Info –
www.studentjobs.gov

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/corpcounsel/se
arch.asp - Need to sign in and create
account
Other Resources
OCPD Outreach & Posting to Symplicity
 Spring On-Campus Interviews (OCI)
and Resume Collections (RC)
 Google, Yahoo, Bing and other search
engines

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
 Try to establish or re-establish yourself
