Career Services Office

CSO Information & Announcements

• CSO Open all Summer Long
• April 24 and April 25: What's Next for Fall: Mandatory for 1Ls
• Spring Resume Books: Report Results
• Listserv Registration and Testing
• CSO Program Videos Now Available Online!

Fall On-Campus Interviewing Program

Programming

• April 24 and April 25: What's Next for Fall: Mandatory for 1Ls
• April 18: JAG Corps Career Opportunities Panel
• April 25:  American Bar Association Young Lawyers Meet and Greets
• April 26: Public Interest Awards Night
• Video on Managing a Legal Career Transition in Tough Times

Employment Opportunities

• Community-Based Federal Work Study: Available Summer 2012, deadline to apply Friday, April 27th
• Latham & Watkins Diversity Scholars Program for 1L Students
• AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee - Minority Outreach Program

Fellowships & Scholarships

• April 23: Submit to the National Law Review Spring 2012 Law Student Writing Competition
• Defense Research Institute (DRI) 2012 Law Student Diversity Scholarship
• Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association:  Writing Competition for Students interested in Securities Arbitration and Securities Law

Job Fairs

• Register Now: Cook County Bar Association Minority Law Student Job Fair August 17, 2012
• Register Now:  Boston Lawyers Group's Annual Job Fair for Law Students of Color on August 1, 2012
• Save the Date:  2012 Heartland Diversity Legal Job Fair in Kansas City, Missouri August 3-4, 2012
• Save the Date:  National Black Prosecutors Association 2012 Job Fair July 31, 2012
• Save the Date:  St. Louis Diversity Job Fair August 3-4, 2012
• Save the Date:  Indianapolis Bar Association Diversity Job Fair, July 26-27, 2012
• Job Fairs: Don't Forget to Report Callbacks and Offers!

Diversity

• Latham & Watkins Diversity Scholars Program for 1L Students
• AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee - Minority Outreach Program

Resources

• 2011-2012 Guide to Internships & Fellowships in Reproductive Rights & Justice
•  Updated Vermont Guide to State Judicial Clerkships
• 2011-2012 Government Honors & Internship Handbook
• Web Access for Policy, Political and Human Rights Jobs
• Access the BYU Intercollegiate Job BankPassword Protected Sites Now Available on Symplicity
• Law Bulletin Weekly On-line Employment Bulletin
• Alumni Career Advisor Network
• International Career Employment Weekly Online
• PSLawNet: Public Interest Job Postings and Summer Funding Resources
• PSLawNet Fellowship Corner
• Free Membership to Legal Balance

CSO Information & Announcements

CSO Open all Summer Long

April 24 and April 25: What's Next for Fall: Mandatory for 1Ls

The Career Services Office will be present a program on the upcoming job opportunities, career programs and deadlines coming up in the fall for rising 2L and 3L students on April 24th and 25th. Current 1L students will be required to attend this program, but only need to attend one of the sessions listed below.

Tuesday, April 24th, 6-7pm, Room C50
Wednesday, April 25th, 3-4pm, Auditorium

Spring Resume Books: Report Results

If you receive an interview or offers from an employer through Resume Books, please report this to our office by sending an email to kentcso@kentlaw.edu.

Listserv Registration and Testing

We recently tested the various Career Services listservs. If you have signed up for a listserv and did not receive a “test” email for that listserv, please contact Kentcso@kentlaw.edu to let us know that you were erroneously omitted from that listserv.  If you receive an email from a listserv that you no longer want to be included on, please also email Kentcso@kentlaw.edu noting which listserv(s) you wish to be removed from. Finally, if you have not yet submitted a listserv registration form, you can complete this form and email it back to mschmitt@kentlaw.edu, fax it to 312-906-5171 or drop it off in the Career Services Office.These listservs will be used to distribute career services information, so quick registration will ensure that you do not miss any important  information.

CSO Program Videos Now Available Online!

The Career Services Office is pleased to announce that videos of our programming are now available to be viewed online. Most of our programming will be available on our website within 1-2 days of the original program date and will remain available for viewing for 2-3 weeks, due to limited server space. Program videotapes will still be available in our office. A password is required to view these programs. Please call our office at 312-906-5200 or email kentcso@kentlaw.edu for the username and password. To watch videos of our programming, go to the CSO's web page, click on the right hand navigation bar "Student Information" and select "Programs and Videos." Or, click here to be taken directly to the page.

On-Campus Interviews

Programming

April 24 and April 25: What's Next for Fall: Mandatory for 1Ls

The Career Services Office will be present a program on the upcoming job opportunities, career programs and deadlines coming up in the fall for rising 2L and 3L students on April 24th and 25th. Current 1L students will be required to attend this program, but only need to attend one of the sessions listed below.

Tuesday, April 24th, 6-7pm, Room C50
Wednesday, April 25th, 3-4pm, Auditorium

April 18: JAG Corps Career Opportunities Panel

Curious about new pathways to legal service, an interesting and secure career, immediate experience and opportunities for advancement?  Consider the JAG Corps.  Come learn about the different branches of the JAG Corps, what they do, and how to apply.  Representatives from the various branches, including Navy, will be present.

This program will take place on Wednesday, April 18th from 3-4pm in Room 370.  Food will be provided.  Please RSVP through the Events section of Symplicity.

April 25:  American Bar Association Young Lawyers Meet and Greets

On April 25, 2012, the American Bar Association is hosting Young Lawyer Meet and Greets across the country for new lawyers (bar passage in 2011 or 2012).  These free events are hosted by ABA Young Lawyers Division leaders as part of an effort to welcome the new lawyers to the profession and the ABA, and to provide an additional forum for connecting with other local lawyers.

April 26: Public Interest Awards Night

Join alumni, faculty, students and staff at this reception recognizing members of the Chicago-Kent community who have demonstrated outstanding public interest leadership and service. Awards will be presented at 5:00pm on April 26, 2012, with a networking reception to follow.  Be sure to submit your volunteer hours to the Public Interest Resource Center (PIRC), so that you can be recognized for your volunteer work at this event!  Go here to register your hours! This is a wonderful way to meet practicing public interest lawyers, and learn about all the ways you can serve your community. To RSVP to the reception, click here.

Video on Managing a Legal Career Transition in Tough Times

As a public service, NALP and ALI-ABA are pleased to offer Managing a Legal Career Transition in Tough Times — a 75-minute presentation by Marcia Pennington Shannon and Susan G. Manch of Shannon & Manch LLP, who generously donated their time and talent to this special project to assist lawyers and 3Ls who are currently seeking employment.

To watch the video, please click here.

Employment Opportunities

Please check Chicago-Kent's job posting system ("Symplicity") on a regular basis. Check out Symplicity's general instructions for more information.

Community-Based Federal Work Study: Available Summer 2012, deadline to apply Friday, April 27th

Chicago-Kent will have Community-Based Federal Work Study available during Summer 2012. Chicago-Kent rising 2L & 3L students who are Federal Work Study eligible may be paid though Federal Work Study funds to work at government and public interest organizations outside of the law school. A limited amount of funds are available, and students who have a federal work study award must list their summer employers on the application form. Please visit the Community-Based Federal Work Study webpage for a more detailed explanation of this opportunity, as well as the form you need to complete in order to participate. Forms are due in the Career Services Office by Friday, April 27th.

Latham & Watkins Diversity Scholars Program for 1L Students

The Latham Diversity Scholars Program, started in 2005, is designed to increase the number of diverse attorneys who want to pursue careers in global law firms, such as Latham & Watkins, which has US offices in Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New Jersey, New York, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. This program is part of our active involvement in the initiatives of bar associations to promote diversity in attorney hiring and advancement. 

To become a Latham Diversity Scholar, you must be enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school and intend to practice law in a major city of the United States. You must have successfully completed your first year of a full-time JD program by the application deadline, with an expected graduation date of spring 2014, and you may not be the recipient of a similar scholarship award from another law firm.

AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee - Minority Outreach Program

The AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee created the LCC Minority Outreach Program to encourage diverse law students to apply for summer clerkship opportunities at LCC law firms and legal departments. The outreach program seeks to introduce diverse law students to the practice of law in the labor movement and to encourage them to join the ranks of union-side attorneys in the ongoing battle for social and economic justice.The program includes a networking conference, at the conclusion of which, students are placed in the LCC Mentor Program. Through this program LCC attorneys provide guidance and support during and after the students' clerkships. Students interested in applying at a law firm or legal department should apply directly to the employer. Click here for a listing of participating employers. To learn more about the program and the networking conference, please click here and here.

Fellowships & Scholarships

April 23: Submit to the National Law Review Spring 2012 Law Student Writing Competition

NLR Spring 2012 Suggested Topics:
Tax, Bankruptcy & Restructuring, Healthcare Law

The National Law Review is hosting its Spring 2012 Law Student Writing Competition. Law students are encouraged to submit articles pertaining to the above-listed topics (Tax, Bankruptcy and Healthcare Law), but they may also submit entries covering current issues related to other areas of the law. The deadline for entries is Monday, April 23, 2012.   The winning articles from this month's NLR 2012 Law Student Writing Competition will be published online in May. The top article(s) chosen will be featured on the NLR home page. Up to 5 runner-up articles may also be posted in the NLR searchable database. 

For complete rules and deadlines, please see the Submission Guidelines. If you have any questions regarding this competition, please contact the National Law Review at lawschools@natlawreview.com

Defense Research Institute (DRI) 2012 Law Student Diversity Scholarship

The Defense Research Institute (DRI) announces its annual Law Student Diversity Scholarship program open to incoming second and third-year African American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American students.  Incoming second and third-year female law students are also eligible, regardless of race or ethnicity. Incoming second and third-year law students who also come from backgrounds that would add to the cause of diversity, regardless of race or gender are eligible to apply.  

Two scholarships in the amount of $10,000 each will be awarded to applicants who best meet the following criteria: Demonstrated academic excellence

• Service to the profession
• Service to the community
• Service to the cause of diversity

Applications must include three recommendations, one each from the following individuals:

• The Dean or an Associate Dean of the student’s law school
• A current or past law professor
• An individual who is personally acquainted with the applicant, but who is not related by blood line or adoption.

Applications and all other requested materials must be received by April 27, 2012. Scholarship winners will be notified in advance and officially announced at the DRI Diversity for Success Seminar, June 7-8, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois. For more information and an application, please see http://www.dri.org/About#awards

Click here to download the 2012 application.

Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association:  Writing Competition for Students interested in Securities Arbitration and Securities Law

The Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (“PIABA”) is again sponsoring a writing competition for students interested in Securities Arbitration and Securities Law.   First Prize is $1000, Second Prize is $750, and Third Prize is $500. Competition winner(s) will be posted online at the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association website. The PIABA Bar Journal Board of Editors will publish the first place paper, and may, at their option, elect to print additional submissions.

The submission may address any aspect of Securities law; Securities arbitration; The Federal Arbitration Act, Title 9, US Code, Section 1-14; or FINRA Code of Arbitration, effective April 16, 2007 and any changes or proposed changes to that Code.  The writing can be based in theory or practice, but should ultimately advocate a position on the topic area chosen.  The competition is open to all students who attend a law school in the United States. Full-time students who are not law students but who write law-related papers as part of a course at an American law school are also eligible. 

To enter, students must submit entries electronically to rsringo@piaba.org with the subject heading, “2012 Writing Competition”. Entries must be received via e-mail no later than midnight September 10, 2012 and shall include the required entry form. The contestant’s name and other identifying markings such as school name are not to be on any copy of the submitted entry. Please click here for more information.

Job Fairs

Register Now : Cook County Bar Association Minority Law Student Job Fair August 17, 2012

The 29th Annual Cook County Bar Association Minority Law School Job Fair will be held Friday, August 17, 2012 in Chicago. Student registration for this event begins April 9, 2012. This job fair provides an excellent opportunity for minority second-year and third-year law students to interview with law firms of all sizes, governmental agencies, and not-for-profit organizations with locations throughout the United States. The anticipated number of employer participants is 150 and will include large, medium and small law firms, corporations, and government agencies. Additional details on the job fair and how to register will be available in the coming weeks.  Allison Smith (asmith16@kentlaw.edu) will be the Career Services liaison for this event. Please e-mail Allison Smith to register for this job fair beginning on April 9, 2012.

Register Now:  Boston Lawyers Group's Annual Job Fair for Law Students of Color on August 1, 2012

Student Registration is now open for the Boston Lawyers Group's ("BLG") annual Job Fair for Law Students of Color*  Registration ends at midnight on July 6, 2012. 

The Boston Job Fair for Rising 2L (JD 2014) Law Students of Color will be held Wednesday, August 1, 2012 at the Boston Sheraton Hotel, 39 Dalton Street, Boston, MA.  Visit www.thebostonlawyersgroup.com under the Events tab for job fair information. 

*BLG members' criterion focuses on deserving diverse students with preference to students with racial and ethnic backgrounds that have been historically underserved and under-represented in the legal profession with strong ties to Boston.  This criteria is in accordance with our mission to create a pipeline of talent, so that our members can "identify, recruit, advance and retain diverse attorneys" in the greater Boston legal community.

Save the Date:  2012 Heartland Diversity Legal Job Fair in Kansas City, Missouri August 3-4, 2012

The 2012 Heartland Diversity Legal Job Fair will take place August 3-4, 2012, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Kansas City. Last year, Kansas City played host to nearly 100 students from over 40 Law Schools from across the nation who had the opportunity to interview with 15 area law firms, organizations and government agencies. We hope to make this year's job fair an even bigger success.  See http://www.heartlanddiversity.org/ for more information.

All 2L(Graduating in 2014) and 3L(Graduating in 2013) Law Students and Recent Law Grads (Graduating in 2012) are invited to participate regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, marital status, age and veteran status.  Student Registration is available online here: https://law-kcmba-csm.symplicity.com. Feel free to check out this year's Student Registration Brochure for additional information.

Save the Date:  8th Annual IMPACT Career Fair for Law Students and Attorneys with Disabilities in Washington, D.C. on August 3, 2012

Save the Date:  National Black Prosecutors Association 2012 Job Fair July 31, 2012

The National Black Prosecutors Association is the only professional membership organization dedicated to the advancement of blacks as prosecutors. Founded in 1983, the association's membership is comprised of more than 800 prosecutors nationwide. It includes both chief and line prosecutors nationwide. In addition to prosecutors, the association's membership includes law students, former prosecutors and law enforcement personnel.  The National Black Prosecutors Association’s annual Job Fair will take place on July 31, 2012 in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Check http://www.blackprosecutors.org/annualconference.html for more details.

Save the Date:  St. Louis Diversity Job Fair August 3-4, 2012

The fifth annual St. Louis Diversity Job Fair will take place on August 3-4, 2012.  The primary goal of the Fair is to attract a diverse group of 2L and 3L students to the metropolitan St. Louis legal community, encourage them to practice law in the area, and become an integral part of the St. Louis community. The St. Louis Diversity Job Fair steering committee has invited law firms, corporations, and government agencies from all over the nation. For more information regarding the Job Fair, go to http://www.stldiversityjobfair.com/index.html.

Save the Date: Indianapolis Bar Association Diversity Job Fair:
July 26-27, 2012

Are you passionate about starting your career in a Midwestern city that has both cosmopolitan style and small-town charm?  Looking to meet legal employers from large, medium and small firms, as well as government agencies, corporations and members of the judiciary?  Get a jump start on creating lasting relationships at the 2012 IndyBar Diversity Job Fair.

The IndyBar Diversity Job Fair seeks candidates who represent all aspects of diversity, who are looking for a one-of-a-kind legal community in a Midwestern city that has both cosmopolitan style and small-town charm.  All fall 2012 full-time 2L students (graduating May 2014) or part-time 2L and 3L (graduating Dec 2014/May 2015) are invited to participate in the fifth annual IndyBar Diversity Job Fair to be held July 26-27, 2012.  The student registration deadline is June 17, 2012. 

Employers will be hiring clerks or interns, not offering permanent placement; they will expect to interview 2Ls or those graduating spring 2013/2014 based on full or part-time status.

For more information, click here.

Job Fairs: Don't Forget to Report Callbacks and Offers!

If you receive after attending a job fair, please report this to our office by sending an email to kentcso@kentlaw.edu every couple weeks or so.  Please include from what source you obtained the interview/offer (CCBA job fair, Loyola Patent Fair, etc.).  We keep track of these in order to determine how students are doing and where our students end up working during the summer/after graduation.  Also, if you have any concerns about how your interviews are progressing or questions about the interview process, please make an appointment to talk with a career counselor.   

Diversity

Latham & Watkins Diversity Scholars Program for 1L Students

AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee - Minority Outreach Program

see the Employment Opportunities section for more information

Resources

2011-2012 Guide to Internships & Fellowships in Reproductive Rights & Justice

Back by popular demand, Law Students for Reproductive Justice is pleased to share the latest edition of the 2011-12 Guide to Internships & Fellowships in Reproductive Rights & Justice.  This one-of-a-kind tool can help guide interested law students toward summers, semesters, or careers in reproductive justice advocacy.  The Guide contains listings for legal internships and fellowships at 75 non-profit organizations across the country. The Guide may be accessed in the Symplicity Document Library; please log onto Symplicity, click on the "Documents" tab, and then click on "Document Library."

Updated Vermont Guide to State Judicial Clerkships

The Vermont 2012 Guide to State Judicial Clerkship Procedures is now available and may be accessed online. For username and password information, please log onto Symplicity, click on the "Documents" tab, and then click on "Document Library."

2011-2012 Government Honors and Internship Handbook

The 2011-2012 Government Honors & Internship Handbook is now available and may be accessed online. For username and password information, please log onto Symplicity, click on the "Documents" tab, and then click on "Document Library."

Web Access for Policy, Political and Human Rights Jobs

Chicago-Kent students can access Policy Jobs (www.policyjobs.net), Political Jobs (www.politicaljobs.net), Human Rights Jobs (www.humanrightsjobs.com), Ethical Jobs (www.ethicaljobs.net), and Journalist Jobs (www.journalistjobs.net) by using the Login details that can be obtained through Symplicity. Please see the instructions in the entry directly below for details on how to access password information via Symplicity. Please note that the passwords for these sites are case sensitive.

Password Protected Sites Now Available through Symplicity

To access password protected sites including:

• The Federal Government Honors & Internship Handbook; The Vermont Guide to State Judicial Clerkships; The BYU Intercollegiate Job Bank; and
• The Four or More List of Chicago Employers

Log into Symplicity and select the “Documents” tab. Within Documents, select “Document Library.” The links for the sites listed above will be listed there. Clicking on each link will take you to a page with a username and password, which you should write down before clicking the link on the page. If you have any difficulties accessing Symplicity or the individual sites, please contact the Career Services Office by emailing kentcso@kentlaw.edu.

Access the BYU Intercollegiate Job Bank

Kent students and alumni now have an additional resource for their job searches. The BYU Intercollegiate Job Bank compiles entry level job postings from schools throughout the country. This resource will be especially useful for students and alumni conducting an out-of-town job search, but through this service you can also access the postings of other Illinois and Chicago area schools. To access this resource, log into Symplicity and select the “Documents” tab. Within Documents, select “Document Library.” The link for the Job Bank will be listed there. Clicking on the link will take you to a page with a username and password, which you should write down before clicking the link. The link takes you to the BYU Alumni page, and the Job Bank is about halfway down the page. After clicking that link you will be prompted to enter the user name and password. Then you will have access to a drop list of all 50 states. Picking a state will give you access to the job postings from the schools in that state. If you have any difficulties accessing the Job Bank, please contact the Career Services Office by emailing kentcso@kentlaw.edu.

Law Bulletin Weekly On-line Employment Bulletin

The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin is now offering a free on-line Legal Employment Weekly e-blast of open jobs in the Chicago area. Every issue contains up-to-date job postings, an article and sign-up sheet from the Illinois Paralegal Association, and an Ask an Expert column. You can view each week's installment at http://jobs.lawbulletin.com/ELEW.pdf or you can sign up to receive the "E-LEW" in your own inbox. To receive the weekly email, go to http://jobs.lawbulletin.com and select the "E-LEW" tab at the top of the page. At the bottom of the page, click on the link and complete the resulting form.

Alumni Career Advisor Network

In an effort to help you connect with a strong network of Chicago-Kent alumni, the Office of Alumni Relations and Office of Career Services are happy to announce a new Alumni Career Advisor Network. Alumni from around the world are available to discuss issues such as practice trends, legal markets in specific geographic areas, and other career-related topics. This is an excellent opportunity to start building your personal network with Chicago-Kent alumni!To search for an Alumni Career Advisor, all you have to do is log-in to the Chicago-Kent Alumni Online Community:First Time Login Instructions:

1. Go to www.alumni.kentlaw.edu/firstlogin In the Constituent ID field, enter your Banner CWID.
   To find your Banner CWID login to http://my.iit.edu. Once you are logged, on the right side of your screen you should see a box called IIT Personal ID numbers. The Banner CWID is the number beginning with “A.”
2. In the Class Year Field:
   1. If you are an LLM student, enter LLM If you are a Visiting student, enter LV
   2. If you are a JD student your Class Year will be three characters. The first letter for all class years will be L. The second letter is your division. The third is your year number.
      Examples: A 2nd year night student’s class year is LN2. A 1st  year day student’s class year is LD1.

During your first time login you will create a username and password. Afterwards, you may log in directly at www.alumni.kentlaw.edu/advisorsearch using the username and password you created. If you need assistance with your first time login, please contact the Office of Career Services at kentcso@kentlaw.edu or visit Suite 360.

International Career Employment Weekly Online

International Career Employment Weekly's goal is to make it easy for international professionals to keep abreast of all current job opportunities in their field. They collect information on current international job openings with governments, government contractors, United Nations agencies and other intergovernmental organizations, private voluntary organizations working overseas, corporations involved in international trade and finance, engineering firms, associations, foundations, student exchange organizations, universities, and state governments and present that information to job seekers in a clear and concise format. The Career Services Office subscribes to this resource in an online format. Contact kentcso@kentlaw.edu for the username and password.

PSLawNet: Public Interest Job Postings and Summer Funding Resource

PSLawNet is a premier resource for career-related information in legal and law-related public interest work. Students and alumni from over 170 law schools search our site every day to find internships, fellowships, pro bono opportunities, and jobs in public service. Chicago-Kent College of Law is a member school, therefore you have unlimited access to search the database for FREE. The PSLawNet website is filled with useful resources for public interest-minded law students and graduates, as well as those who may simply be exploring their options. Students can create an account at the PSLawNet home page,or go directly the the page on funding resources. To register, on the home page, click on "sign-up now" to create an account using your email address and your own password. List Chicago-Kent College of Law as your school.

PSLawNet Fellowship Corner

Interested in pursuing a fellowship upon graduation? Then be sure to check out PSLawNet's new "Fellowship Corner" which includes the full text of Yale's Fellowship Application Tips for 2002-2003, along with the expanded Appendix listing print and online fellowship resources. The site also contains a Fellowship Calendar with a chronological listing of application deadlines--a big help for potential applicants in planning and preparing their materials. Visit the Fellowship Corner at: http://pslawnet.org/postgraduatefellowships

Free Membership to the Legal Balance

The Legal Balance, an exclusive online community for women attorneys in Chicago, is offering a free one-year membership to Chicago-Kent students. The Legal Balance offers women attorney-specific benefits tailored to help you succeed, including: access to member-only networking events, an extensive resource library, weekly email digests, and inside information from a community of successful female attorneys.  To request your free membership, email thelegalbalance@thelegalbalance.com and mention that you are a Chicago-Kent student.