National Jurist -September 2008 - (Page 37) CAREERHOTLINE How to maximize your summer job experience Q: I worked at a great summer job. What’s next now that I’m back on campus, and how can I use summer experience to my best advantage during the school year? A: Whether you worked as a summer associate and received a full-time offer or spent your summer in a public interest position, there are ways to maximize your summer job even after the summer ends. First, keep in touch with your summer employers — even if the position won’t turn into a full-time job after you graduate, said Beverly Bracker, director of Career Services at Thomas Jefferson School of Law. Maintaining contact is essential for references and letters of recommendation, and it’s also important for networking: even if your employers don’t have a job to offer, they have lots of contacts in the field. Keep in touch by sending periodic updates about your participation in activities or projects that may interest the employer, Bracker said. Also, take the opportunity to ask questions about your career plans — most lawyers love to talk and give advice about getting started, said Bracker. Network in a sincere way, and mean what you say. If you’ve gotten an offer, start preparing for your position as a junior associate during your last year of law school, said Michael Gotham, director of Attorney Recruiting at Heller Ehrman and President of the National Association for Legal Career Professionals. Gotham recommends identifying and researching the practice areas that interest you, writing articles, and generally learning more about practicing in those areas. Even if you don’t have an offer, use the school year to pinpoint and hone your professional interests, Gotham said. If this is your last year, don’t waste it on needless electives—instead, focus on taking substantive and practical courses that you will actually use and that will best position you in the eyes of a potential employer. Q: What should I consider when choosing a clinical program? A: First things first: should you participate in a legal clinic? Some September 2008 THE NATIONAL JURIST 37 By Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq. clinical experience will greatly help any student who’s interested in practicing law, according to Paulette Williams, associate professor at the University of Tennessee College of Law and past president of the Clinical Legal Education Association. If you’re planning to practice, a clinic can not only introduce you to some of the skills you’ll need to hone as an attorney, but also make you more attractive to employers, Williams said. Take a look at the clinical opportunities offered by your school, and consider first whether you’d like to participate in a litigation clinic, where you’ll get a chance to represent clients in court, or a transactional clinic, where you’ll largely work on document preparation. Look for classes that pique your interest to determine which clinic to choose, Williams said. She adds that it isn’t necessary to pick a clinic in the area in which you want to practice. Williams said almost any clinical experience will give students some basic skills and practical experience, including developing the attorney-client relationship and being responsible to a client. Q: I’m clear on the skills that I can get out of a clinic, but what skills are necessary to bring to my clinical experience? A: To succeed at a clinic, Williams said you must have great people skills: empathy, listening skills and being able to relate to clients are essential. Basic legal analysis, research and writing skills are also needed. Williams emphasizes the importance of not only legal, but also factual research skills. She adds that because students focus on legal research in substantive classes, they sometimes underestimate the importance of factual research, which makes up much of the work in a clinic. Problem-solving skills are essential, as clinical students have to spot legal issues, gather information, figure out the best way to counsel clients, and prepare the client’s case. Finally, Williams said students must start a clinic as a person of integrity and good character — they must be able to recognize and resolve issues of ethics and professionalism, including questions of confidentiality and conflicts of interest. ECIVDA Got a career question? Submit to Ursula at furiperry@verizon.net
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.