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Mentors provide guidance and advice, but they do not necessarily act as a coach or advocate like sponsors. Those wanting career guidance and advice typically seek out mentors and, at times, mentors are assigned to professionals new to a particular industry or organization.
It can be difficult trying to figure out exactly how you want to use your law degree. Do you want to work in the government? For a large firm? A smaller or medium-sized one? A public interest group?Lucky for us, we lawyers have lots of options. One of the best
I’d like to provide some advice on letters of recommendation, having requested many for myself and with some observations having just provided one.When requesting a letter of recommendation, choose someone who can speak to the skills and attributes you’re trying to highlight. In my experience, a glowing letter from someone
You may be reading the title and thinking – really? Law school administrators and career services already tell us about the importance of networking, and some 1L teachers push us or even require us to interview a practitioner or to attend an event here and there. Still, law school doesn’t teach
Most law students quickly realize that law school is so much more than attending classes and studying. While your schoolwork is a critical component (and obviously the primary purpose of your being there), law school truly is the beginning of your legal career and, more importantly, your network. Each day
Over the last 20 years, I have reviewed hundreds of resumes. Most of them hit the wastebasket very rapidly. There are a lot of reasons why.The author can’t write proper English, punctuate properly, or obey the rules of grammar. Even little things matter – attention to detail
The on-campus interview. Your future career hangs in the balance! Are you ready? Whatever you do, don’t fail, or your thought of a law career is over!OK, OK, not really. Just relax.The OCI is a big deal – this post is not to downplay it – but it is not
When we talk about professionalism, we’re talking about a few things, all of which work together to demonstrate that you are trustworthy and competent.
Some attorneys knew what kind of law they want to practice long before law school. Others may be well into their career and still trying to figure it all out. For the latter, we've got a new tool for you.ABA Legal Career Central has teamed up with the
By Susan Fine.Of course, you’ve prepared for job interviews. But before you meet with any prospective employer, be sure you’ve covered these eight bases.Everyone agrees that good preparation is the key to a successful interview. But what sets the top performers apart? They ensure that their preparation goes well beyond
By Mark WeberWhen you have approximately 15 seconds to grab the attention of an employer who’s scanning your resume and cover letter, how can you make a strong first impression?Here’s a road map. First, before you even begin working on a resume and cover letter, clean up your online presence.
Embrace opportunities to write and send thank-you letters that are spot-on in terms of tone, context, and substance.
By Katherine A. ErwinSome people are natural networkers, and basically network all the time: in line at the grocery, at the airport, on the sidelines at a softball game. For those who don’t do it automatically, I want to touch on three different categories of networking you should be aware
By Markeisha J. Miner.You are just beginning your job search. You know you are interested in a certain practice area, but do not know how to go about finding prospective employers in your preferred location. Or, like many lawyers in this country, you want to practice in a small firm
While you’re on pins and needles this semester, awaiting word about the permanent job offer you’re hoping for, you can’t help but wonder: What’s taking so long?“Waiting is a source of tremendous stress for students. It can be a long, lonely wait, especially if your classmates already have jobs,” said
By Erin Binns.Grab your wallet . . . it’s time to invest in your career. Qualifications and academic accomplishments alone don’t generate offers. You need to look the part, too. Legal employers value appearance and will judge you for it. If you opt not to wear a business suit to
By Erin E. Rhinehart.Picture this: Tom, an eager 2L, scores an interview at a reputable mid-sized law firm for a summer associate position. This is it. This is the opportunity for which Tom has been waiting. Sporting a freshly pressed navy suit with a starched white shirt and red power
Grades—they don’t matter as much as you think they do. Despite all the hype (especially at this time of year for 1Ls) most employers don’t rely exclusively or even heavily on academic achievement when making hiring decisions. Yes, some employers are persnickety about grades and use class rank as a
First, let’s recognize that all job searches are stressful. The closer you are to graduation, the more pressure you likely feel. Along with pressure, you will probably experience a range of emotions including nervousness, intimidation, being overwhelmed, frustation, and—hopefully—elation at the end. Here are some tips to help you through
Students listen to lawyers present on career panel. The end.Students attend class with lawyer as guest presenter. The end.Students attend a Student Bar Association event and mingle with lawyers. The end.Does your story end with being in the same room as a lawyer and never following up? Ignoring chances to
Get Focused In a tight job market, law students in need of experience will often say, “I will take any job anywhere.” While flexibility and adaptability are critical qualities, casting your net too wide results in an unfocused job search taking an incredible amount of time and that is ultimately less
As a legal writing instructor, many students bring me cover letters to review. Often after I help a student rework a letter, employers start to respond.
Résumés have two stand-out moments in the application process. The document’s first job is to generate an interview. The second is to serve as a springboard for questions and conversations during the interview. Approach résumé creation with an eye toward both. All formatting and content decisions should be filtered with
Law students must answer interview questions in the hopes of impressing someone enough to get a job offer. There is fear, anxiety, and, overall, the need to impress.
You’re not a law student anymore. Ok, technically you are. But for students, if you are in your final semester of law school, it’s time to adjust how you view and market yourself. Legal employers aren’t hiring you to serve as an understudy. You’re being cast as a professional member
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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