Professionalism and Landing that Coveted Legal Job

Professionalism and Landing that First Legal Job

You’ve gotten through a semester of law school, you know how to IRAC, but now its time to take your legal knowledge to the next level by securing a legal clerkship for the summer, and maybe through the remainder of your education.  However, gaining that job can be difficult, but with some few tips, your first legal job may be easier to find then it appears.

Know your Academic Standing:

Although you never want to see yourself as a number, you want to take into account that some larger firms and government/corporate entities tend to only hire the top 25% and above.  If your grades meet this requirement, and depending on your interest, it may be worth looking into options like this available for first year students.  If you’re not in the top 25%, no need to worry! Many smaller firms and government/corporate entities hire from all walks of academic success!

Update Your Resume/LinkedIn Profiles/Create Cover Letters:

If you haven’t already, go ahead and update your resume and LinkedIn Profiles.  One of the easiest ways to get noticed is through a solidly built resume, which highlights relevant skills that show the employer how you can grow their area of law and practice even further.  LinkedIn is a great way to supplement your resume as you only have so many pages to highlight yourself on paper, where LinkedIn gives you the ability to display courses, more jobs, involvement, endorsements, and professional recommendations. 

Finally, work on some base cover letters.  You will obviously want to tailor each cover letter for the job, but having these basic forms that outline your skill sets and some proper wording never hurts!

For Resume/Cover Letter Resources, please visit the Office of Professional Development Located in the Law School!  You can schedule a meeting with the assistant dean of professional development, or look to sample cover letters and resumes!

Tighten up your Writing Sample:

Now that you have a semester of school down, you also have a few writing samples to show how you argue legal issues to your boss.  It’s important to get these in the best form possible, as employers want to see how you write, and how you can persuade them to follow your course of action in a particular issue.  If you did well on a particular memo or motion, go ahead and tighten up the grammar and citations to make it even more convincing.  If you didn’t do so well on a memo or motion, talk to your legal research and writing professor on how you can fix it for the future. 

Make Sure to Dress Professional:

This should come as no shocker, but when interviewing season comes, you need to look the part.  Even if you join a firm with a casual dress code, you still need to come to the interview in business attire!  If you have a suit, go ahead and get it dry cleaned!  If you do not have one, it may be time to consider an investment in one!   

Need more tips? Please feel free to visit the following:

http://www.careerthinker.com/interviewing/dress-to-get-hired/

https://www.forbes.com/pictures/lmj45klek/dress-to-impress-2/#4bddd3a42240

http://law.capital.edu/OPDServicesResources/

 Taken from today.com kiss99.3 photo

Student Organization Spotlight: First Generation Law Students

Student Organization Spotlight-First Generation Law Students

For many students, going to Law School was a no-brainer.  Their parent is a lawyer, grandparent, and even extended family members.  They begin their legal education knowing at least a few lawyers, and may even have a job lined up at their family firm following graduation.  While this is true for many Law Students, some are the first in their family to go to Law School, let alone pursue higher education. 

 

Jeffrey Lewis, L’19 (Pictured), saw this and realized there needed to be a change, as those who are the first in their family to go to Law School did not have the same resources as their peers.  After bouncing the idea around with classmates and mentors, First Generation Law Students was born. 

The purpose of the group is to help motivate, inspire, teach and support/mentor those students who are the first in their family to pursue a legal education, and may even be the first in their families to seek secondary education.  More importantly, the group strives to motivate students that, “if they want to pursue something beyond high school, whatever they choose, they can be successful,” says Lewis, the founder and current President. 

“One of the first things they tell you in Law School is how tight-knit the legal community is and how the sooner you build those relationships, the better,” says Sarina Glick, L’19 (Pictured).  This group focuses on fostering a community among the student body, the future of the legal community, while bringing together established attorneys from the Columbus Legal Community, with whom these students will be practicing. 

Since their first meeting in October 2017, the group has hosted events such as a “How to Network” event with the Columbus Bar Association and Hannah Botkin-Doty, L’13, and a LinkedIn workshop with Bill Nolan, Managing Partner at Barnes & Thornburg. 

http://law.capital.edu/uploadedImages/Law_School/Template_Assets/Law_School_Home_Page_Slider_Content/First%20Generation%20Slider.jpg

Student Organization Spotlight-Phi Alpha Delta

Student Organization Spotlight-Phi Alpha Delta

As the Nation’s Largest Professional Law Fraternity with a commitment to advancing integrity, compassion, and courage through service to the law school and the community!   Founded in 1902 in Chicago, Illinois, this professional fraternity has an impressive list of notable alumni including former U.S. President Bill Clinton, and Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Samuel Alito, Sonya Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan.

Here at Capital University Law School, Phi Alpha Delta seeks to fulfill their national motto of Service to the Student, The Law School, The Profession, and the Legal Community.  To live up to these mottos, the growing student organization networking events, fundraising, and other events to successfully leave their imprint in the Columbus Legal Community, and the Law School. 

If you are interested in learning more about Phi Alpha Delta, both nationally and at Capital University Law School, including recruitment information, please contact, phialphadelta@law.capital.edu.

In the meantime, here are more links to other student organization resources!

Phi Alpha Delta National:

http://www.pad.org/home

Phi Alpha Delta, Hayes Chapter (Capital University Law School):

http://law.capital.edu/PhiAlphaDelta/

Other Student Organizations at Capital University Law School:

http://law.capital.edu/Student_Organizations/

Don’t see a student organization? No problem! If you gather enough friends and classmates together, you can charter your own chapter!

HAPPY 115^th Founders Day Phi Alpha Delta!!! Love, the Capital University Law School Community.

“As citizens, we all have an obligation to intervene and become involved - it's the citizen who changes things”-Jose Saramago

Image taken from pad.org