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Like many law students, I’ve been struggling with how to handle the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on my legal career. This is the end of my second year of law school. This summer is supposed to be a resume boost and a launch to my first job
Are you preparing for a summer internship during a pandemic? Have you had an offer rescinded? Or are you just trying to figure out what to do to stay in the job market radar? There's a lot of uncertainty out there. Four associates from Baker
Back in my undergraduate days, I learned about product life cycles. As a communications major, we studied how consumer products moved in a fairly predictable path from introduction to growth to maturity and, ultimately, to decline. Each phase was accompanied by certain pros and cons,
As I was scrolling through Instagram recently, I came across a post from a lawyer I know (shoutout to Craig Levey) who announced that he’ll be running the Boston Marathon in 20 weeks. What’s more, he’s using those 20 weeks as an opportunity to spend a training
It is never too early to start your job search. As soon as you finish your last 2L class, you should be thinking about finding a job. Assuming you took the time in your first and second years of law school to polish your resume, writing sample(s), and
Tradition, especially in the law, means a lot. Traditions connect us to people and ideas that came before. They can add meaning to the things we say and do. But tradition can also hold us back from addressing choices that need rethinking. It’s OK to start fresh every
Remember that everything on your resume is fair game during the interview. Pull out your resume. Read through it carefully, think about every line, every accomplishment. Why is it on your resume? What technical qualification or “soft” skill does it convey? What is the story behind it? What did you learn?
Learning from seasoned lawyers truly helps law students gain perspective on where they want to take their legal career in the future. In this edition of the Law Student Podcast, New ABA Law Student Division Chair Johnnie Nguyen talks with Colorado’s U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn about his career experiences and how he came
If your goal is to work in the public sector, your first stop in your job hunt should be this directory.
Asking for—and getting—letters of recommendation is not as hard as you think. The law professors and practicing attorneys you’re nervous about won’t be surprised by your request. They know jurisdictions can require bar candidates to submit these letters as part of their bar application. They were in your shoes once too—they all applied for bar admissions, and likely they had to collect similar letters from people they didn’t feel they really knew well.
To make the right career move, be sure you’re not asking the wrong career-change question.
It's not exactly Game of Thrones. But in OCI, you gotta play to win. And we're here to help you slay at your on-campus interview. We've gathered our the top information on everything that goes into OCI, interviewing tips, help with your resume and cover
As a law student looking to land that perfect job out of law school, you can never have enough help. And we've got a great new tool for ABA members to use to get noticed in their job search. Meet ABA Career Forward,
Q: I dread looking at my phone in the morning. Every day I am inundated with emails, usually from offices in an earlier time zone. The emails often contain random requests that don’t seem as if they would take much time, but they end up blowing up my mornings. Sometimes partners want
Didn’t get past the first round of interviews? There are ways you can interviewers for feedback to help you on your next opportunity. But you have to take the right approach.
Admittedly, before I enrolled in law school, I shared the view of many lay people of what lawyers do for work: That is, they go to the courtroom and argue for their clients. It did not take long to realize how skewed that view of the legal profession
How do today’s law students (yes,we’re talking about students like you) stack up when it comes to making smart job-search moves?
Studies have found that approximately one out of every five students pursues an alternative career path after law school. There are many different careers that can benefit from your law degree. The job that’s best for you will ultimately depend on your most valuable skills and what you want to do.
How does one tell if a firm is truly committed to diversity and inclusion? While many firms tout their commitment to service, diversity and inclusion, and professional development of its junior attorneys, law students should consider the following tips when evaluating a firm’s culture to determine if it is the right fit.
While working at a large law firm has the potential to be lucrative, attorneys worldwide continue to demonstrate that it’s absolutely possible to pursue your career goals regardless of the salary you’ll earn.
Legal Honors Programs are the primary hiring vehicle for entry-level attorneys in the federal government. But many law students do not know that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has a Legal Honors Program. If you are currently a 3L, applications for the 2019-2020 program are due by September 21, 2018.
If you “followed the rules” but feel like you don’t fit the role you found yourself in this summer, not all is lost. That feeling can serve as a tool to place you on the path meant for you, so don’t ignore it.
This article will discuss some benefits and challenges if your office is considering hiring new prosecutors who once served the public as police officers.
Today, most employers are allowing job candidates to submit their resumes electronically—whether by email or by uploading their application package into an online database. In many cases, employers require the candidate’s resume to be uploaded, but also allow candidates to attach other documents like a cover letter. So job candidates are asking themselves whether a cover letter that’s electronically delivered needs to be signed, just like a cover letter that’s mailed.
Q: I have been told that I should try not turn down work, but I have also been told not to take on too much work. I am not sure when I should say, “no.” Do you have any suggestions about when and how I should decline work? A: You are
Before the Bar is the blog of the ABA Law Student Division. It brings together a diversity of opinions, experiences, and voices from those associated with the law anywhere in the world and is targeted to law students, current, past and future.
Unless stated, the opinions shared by our writers do not reflect the official position of the American Bar Association.
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