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Career Services Office

Career Services Office home page
Week of July 6 and 13, 2015

Information & Announcements

  • CSO Open All Summer Long
  • Summer Resume Books - OPT IN NOW!
  • Rachel Jennings Career Transition
  • CareerShift

Fall Recruiting

  • Mark Your Calendar - Fall Recruiting Important Dates
  • Reminder - Resume Review ends July 22!

Programming

  • ILAO/PILI Webinar: How to Apply for Internships and Externships
  • July 9: Skadden Program -Celebrate the Diversity That Is Chicago

Employment Opportunities

  • Reed Smith 2015 Diverse Scholars Program for 1Ls - Applications due July 20, 2015
  • Just The Beginning – A Pipeline Organization’s Share the Wealth Judicial Clerkship Program - Applications due July 27

Fellowships & Scholarships

Job Fairs

  • Register NOW: 2015 National Black Prosecutors Association Annual Job Fair, July 21
  • Register NOW: Rocky Mountain Diversity Legal Career Fair, July 31
  • Register NOW: Boston Lawyers Group's Annual Job Fair for Law Students of Color, August 4 (Register by July 10)
  • Register NOW: 2015 Lavender Law Career Fair, Chicago, August 5-8
  • Register NOW: Minnesota Minority Recruitment Conference, August 7
  • Register NOW: Northwest Minority Job Fair, August 22 (Register by July 24)
  • Register NOW: Hispanic National Bar Association's Annual Convention and Career Fair, September 2-5 (Register by August 31)

Diversity

  • July 9: Skadden Program -Celebrate the Diversity That Is Chicago
  • Reed Smith 2015 Diverse Scholars Program for 1Ls - Applications due July 20, 2015
  • Just The Beginning – A Pipeline Organization’s Share the Wealth Judicial Clerkship Program - Applications due July 27
  • Register NOW: 2015 National Black Prosecutors Association Annual Job Fair, July 21
  • Register NOW: Rocky Mountain Diversity Legal Career Fair, July 31
  • Register NOW: Boston Lawyers Group's Annual Job Fair for Law Students of Color, August 4 (Register by July 10)
  • Register NOW: 2015 Lavender Law Career Fair, Chicago, August 5-8
  • Register NOW: Minnesota Minority Recruitment Conference, August 7
  • Register NOW: Northwest Minority Job Fair, August 22 (Register by July 24)
  • Register NOW: Hispanic National Bar Association's Annual Convention and Career Fair, September 2-5 (Register by August 31)

Resources

  • Equal Justice Works’ Student Debt E-Book: Take Control of Your Future: A Guide to Managing Your Student Debt
  • CSO Resources

Information & Announcements

CSO Open All Summer Long

The Career Services Office remains open with its regular hours throughout the summer and continues to provide students and graduates with counseling, resume review, and other services.  Please do not hesitate to set up an appointment, call or email!

CSO Hours: Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Evening appointments will be available on Tuesdays from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. if scheduled in advance.

Summer Resume Books - OPT IN NOW!

Summer Resume Books are now available for “opt-in” for all rising 2Ls and 3Ls.  Employers may request or look at Resume Books at any time throughout the Summer (both before and after they have been notified), so students are encouraged to opt-in to Resume Books as soon as possible.  Even if you have secured employment for this Summer, keep in mind that Summer Resume Books may be used by employers for hiring for Fall 2015. Even if you have opted-in to Resume Books before, you must opt-in again if you wish to have your resume included.

As a reminder, a Resume Book is exactly what it sounds like, a collection of resumes that can be distributed to employers on request. Our resume books will collect the resumes of students and recent graduates in a particular class (e.g. 2Ls) with similar interests (e.g. immigration law, real estate law, or working in the northern suburbs), and then notify employers who fit those criteria that the books are available for review. These books can also be used when an employer calls up our office looking for a particular type of student to clerk for them (“We are looking for a 3L interested in litigation who has worked as a 711 clerk.”), so that we can respond quickly and efficiently to employer requests (in that case by looking at the 3L Litigation Resume Book for students who have been 711 clerks).

For more information about Resume Books, click here.

Rachel Jennings Career Transition

We would like to wish Rachel Jennings, Director of Career Services & Recruitment Programs, good luck in her new position as Associate Director of Career Services at the University of Chicago Law School. Her last day at Chicago-Kent is Tuesday, July 14, 2015.

CareerShift

Chicago-Kent has partnered with CareerShift to help with your job search needs. 
CareerShift is a one-stop search engine that allows users to search and review each and every job posting available (such as those on Monster, Indeed, all other job boards and company websites). 
In addition, users can search for jobs and save your searches, find and save a list of contacts, create resumes and cover letters, and put them together in a targeted e-mail or postal mail campaigns. Then you can track your responses from “Come in for an interview” to “You’re hired.” With CareerShift you can:

  • Search every job listing, including job boards and company websites
  • Get inside contact information immediately, including email addresses, for millions of companies
  • Create and organize all of your documents
  • Confidentially market yourself
  • Remain focused and organized
  • Access your secure, private account from anywhere, anytime, 24/7

Sign up for an account at CareerShift and when prompted use the group access code: kentlawcso

Click on “Tutorials” under the “My Organizer” link to view tutorials on how to use all of the job search resources CareerShift has to offer!

Fall Recruiting

Mark Your Calendar - Fall Recruiting Important Dates

Several important Fall Recruiting dates and deadlines come up fast during the Summer! 

Much of “Fall” Recruiting takes place in early August, but there are several important dates and deadlines in June and July.  Be sure to watch your kentlaw.iit.edu email for updates and information about Fall Recruiting.  Also, regularly check the Record, the OCI tab of Symplicity and the CSO Fall Recruiting website for information as well as tips on how to prepare application documents and research employers.

Important Fall Recruiting Dates:

Monday, June 22, 2015: Resume Reviews begin. All first-time program participants must have a mandatory resume review by a Career Advisor. 

Monday, June 22, 2015: Information on employers participating in Fall Recruiting will be available on Symplicity.  This information will include application documents to be submitted, hiring eligibility requirements (e.g. class rank) and on-campus interview dates.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015 at 12:00pm and 5:30pm: MANDATORY Fall Recruiting Program. This program will provide information regarding registration requirements and participating employers.  If you plan to participate in Fall Recruiting, you MUST attend one of these sessions. 

Wednesday, July 22, 2015, 12:00pm:  Resume Reviews end.  Resumes must be reviewed and uploaded to Symplicity by 12:00pm.  

Thursday, July 23, 2015 at Noon:  Bidding system will be open for student bid entry.  Students may begin bidding on interviews with employers in Symplicity for OCI and Resume Collect Employers.

Thursday, July 30, 2015 at 12:00pm: Deadline to enter all computer bids, upload all required application materials to Symplicity, and turn in all hard copy registration materials to the CSO.

August 4-6, 2015:  Mock Interviews will be available. Interview slots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Sign-ups will be managed online; more information will be available at the June 23rd program.

Friday, August 7, 2015: Student interview schedules will be available for online viewing.

Monday, August 10, 2015: On-campus interviews begin.

Reminder - Resume Review ends July 22!

All first-time Fall Recruiting participants must have their resume reviewed and approved by a Career Advisor by July 22, 2015 at NOON.  Note that the last week of resume review is a very busy time, so please have your resume reviewed ASAP!

Need help revising your resume for Fall Recruiting?  Are you stuck trying to draft specific cover letters? Watch the Career Services Office's short videos on How to Draft a Legal Resume and How to Draft a Legal Cover Letter! Also, read the detailed CSO Resume and Cover Letter Guide online here.

If you missed the mandatory Fall Recruiting program, you must watch the video of the program on Panopto and complete the 2015 Fall Recruiting Session Makeup Questionnaire located in the Symplicity Document Library and return it to the Career Services Office (kentcso@kentlaw.iit.edu) ASAP.

Programming

ILAO/PILI Webinar: How to Apply for Internships and Externships

Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) and the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) have prepared a short (9 minute) webinar on how to use www.illinoisprobono.org to search for a summer internship or externship. The webinar walks you through the application process and provides tips from partnering legal aid organizations. You can access the webinar here: How to Apply for Internships and Externships.

Skadden Program - Celebrate the Diversity That Is Chicago

Date: Thursday, July 9
Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Location: Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP, 155 North Wacker Drive

Save the Date for Skadden’s 4th annual conversation on inclusion: Celebrate the Diversity that Is Chicago. The event will feature remarks by Michelle Roberts, Executive Director, National Basketball Players Association.

Employment Opportunities

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

Reed Smith 2015 Diverse Scholars Program for 1Ls - Applications due July 20, 2015

Reed Smith has a strong commitment to diversity which has resulted in a firm in which diversity and inclusion permeate the culture.  Rewarding young future leaders for their efforts in the area of diversity and introducing them to the Reed Smith culture are two important goals of this program.
 
The Diverse Scholars Program provides two $20,000 awards to students to be used to defray necessary expenditures related to her/his legal education for the second year of law school, as well as a paid summer associate position after completion of the second year of law school.  The program is open to first-year law students who have demonstrated excellent academic scholarship and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
 
Scholarship applicants must submit a resume, a completed application (2015 Diverse Scholars Application), a personal statement, law school transcript, undergraduate transcript and a legal writing sample to:  DiverseScholars@reedsmith.com.
 
Summer associate positions in 2016 are available in:  Chicago; Los Angeles; San Francisco; New York City; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Houston, and Washington, D.C.  Applications must be submitted on or before July 20, 2015.
 
Students may also visit the Diverse Scholars page for more information about our program and to download an application.  To learn more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion, please visit http://diversity.reedsmith.com.

See Symplicity ID: #19955 for more information.

Just The Beginning – A Pipeline Organization’s Share the Wealth Judicial Clerkship Program - Applications due July 27

Just The Beginning - A Pipeline Organization's Share the Wealth clerkship program is a special opportunity to be considered for multiple federal district court clerkships in one interview.  The application process is ongoing for seven district court interview opportunities for the 2016-2017 clerkship term.  The deadline to apply is July 27, 2015. 

The following seven federal district judges will be participating in this law clerk interview session: Judge Gerald Bruce Lee (E.D. Va.); Judge Raymond Jackson (E.D. Va.); Judge Linda Parker (E.D. Mich.); Judge Tanya Walton Pratt (D. Ind.); Judge Benita Pearson (N.D. Ohio); Judge Margaret Seymour (D.S.C.); and Chief Judge Richard W. Roberts (D.D.C.). Please note that most clerkships are for one-year terms.

Each judge will review applications and participate in deciding which students to invite to this special round of interviews. You must submit a separate application package via OSCAR to each judge whom you would like to consider your application.  Please see below for further clarification on application deadlines and submission guidelines for specific judges. The panel will only interview candidates who will agree to be considered for a clerkship by at least three of the seven participating judges. The application deadline is July 27, 2015.

The JTB Share the Wealth Judicial Law Clerk Program is a referral program run by judges. Participating judges screen qualified law student applicants, conduct panel interviews with twelve students, and consider them for clerkship positions. At the conclusion of this initial process, students who are not extended an offer by one of the seven judges may have their application packages shared with additional judges who have requested information on applicants through JTB. Many judges contact JTB to seek assistance in identifying competitive candidates from diverse backgrounds for consideration.

See here for more information and to apply.

Fellowships & Scholarships

Job Fairs

Register NOW: 2015 National Black Prosecutors Association Annual Job Fair, July 21

The National Black Prosecutors Association (NBPA) cordially invites you to participate in the NBPA Annual Job Fair on Tuesday, July 21, 2015 at the Fairmont Hotel, Washington, D.C.  The goal of the Job Fair is to promote diversity in prosecutors’ offices by providing a forum where law students, recent law graduates, and experienced attorneys from across the nation can meet and interview with prospective prosecutorial employers at the local, state, and federal levels. The Job Fair is held in connection with the NBPA Annual Conference, which serves not only as a job fair forum, but as a comprehensive legal training program for prosecutors.  This year’s 32nd Annual Conference will run from July 19, 2015 to July 25, 2015. The Job Fair begins at 8:00am with registration and check-in; interviews commence at 9:00am.  At the culmination of the Job Fair, there will be a reception for all Job Fair participants and Annual Convention attendees.  The reception will afford Job Fair attendees an additional opportunity to further network with prospective employers and experienced prosecutors.

Registration is now open. You may register online.

In addition to the Job Fair reception, all Job Fair participants are invited to attend a free career seminar entitled “Strategies for a Successful Interview.”  The seminar will take place on Monday, July 20th from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm at the Fairmont Hotel and will provide Job Fair participants with effective interviewing techniques.

Additional information about the NBPA and the Annual Conference and Job Fair is available at www.blackprosecutors.org.  If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact NBPA at NBPAJobFair2015@dany.nyc.gov or (212) 335-4300.

Register NOW: 2015 Rocky Mountain Diversity Legal Career Fair, July 31, 2015

We are pleased to announce that student registration for the Rocky Mountain Diversity Legal Career Fair (RMDLCF) is now open. Students may register online. The RMDLCF will take place on Friday, July 31, 2015 from 8:00 a.m. until noon at Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado. Students may register through Symplicity.
 
For more information on registration, please contact Margee Fawley with the Rocky Mountain Diversity Legal Career Fair (info@rmdlcf.com, 303.892.7377) or Karen Hester with CLI (khester@legalinclusiveness.org, 303.832.3502).

The Rocky Mountain Diversity Legal Career Fair is pleased to partner with the Center for Legal Inclusiveness (CLI). Davis Graham & Stubbs, RMDLCF's founding firm, works closely with CLI to make the job fair possible. CLI's mission of transforming the legal profession to one of inclusion dovetails nicely with RMDLCF's purpose of providing opportunities for diverse law students and graduates to meet employers about employment opportunities.

Please visit their websites to learn more about the Rocky Mountain Diversity Legal Career Fair and the Center for Legal Inclusiveness.

Register NOW: Boston Lawyers Group's Annual Job Fair for Law Students of Color, August 4 (Register by July 10)

The 2015 Boston Lawyers Group’s Annual Job Fair for Law Students of Color will be held on August 4, 2015 in Boston, MA.

Eligible Students: Rising second year (2Ls) law students (rising third year (3Ls) only if student attends a 4-year program) Employers are interviewing students only for 2016 summer associate positions. Graduates and LLM candidates are not eligible.

Registration:  Registration is NOW OPEN and ends on July 10, 2015.
Students must complete an academic profile by uploading a resume and law school transcript (including spring 2015 grades—unofficial copies are acceptable). Do not upload transcripts that contain watermarks.  You can register online here. 

See here for more information.

Register NOW: 2015 Lavender Law Career Fair, Chicago, August 5-8

Register Now for the National LGBT Bar Association’s annual Lavender Law Career Fair and Conference, taking place August 5-8.  You may register here.

The Lavender Law Career Fair and Conference will take place in Chicago this year.

The Lavender Law Career Fair is designed to achieve a sense of community and inclusion for LGBT candidates within the legal profession’s recruiting efforts. By participating in this career fair, candidates will talk directly to LGBT-friendly recruiters from law firms, government agencies, LGBT rights groups, and corporate legal departments. Candidates are encouraged to discuss their identity and their aspirations to become part of a bias-free work environment. For full program and event details, please visit the program page: http://lgbtbar.org/annual/.

Register NOW: Minnesota Minority Recruitment Conference, August 7

Student registration is now open for the 2015 Minnesota Minority Recruitment Conference. It will be held at St. Thomas University on Friday, August 7, 2015. 
 
The Minnesota Minority Recruitment Conference (MMRC) is an annual event that connects the largest legal employers in the Minneapolis / St. Paul area with diverse rising 2L and 3L candidates from around the country. Each year’s conference and job fair includes between 25 and 30 employers and upwards of 100 law students.

Employers participating in the interviews will include small, medium and large firms; corporate law departments; and public interest, nonprofit and government entities.  The conference is sponsored by Twin Cities Diversity in Practice but is a unique opportunity to interview with both private law firms and local government employers as well.  During lunch, students enjoy a discussion on key issues relevant to their job search and building a successful career.

See here for the Student Flyer and Registration Information.

Please CLICK HERE for a list of important dates and deadlines.

CLICK HERE to see the list of the 25 participating employers.

All MMRC registered participants are also invited to the Thursday, August 6th Employer Reception.  Click here for more information.

Register NOW: Northwest Minority Job Fair, August 22 (Register by July 24)

Perkins Coie is proud to host the 29th Annual Northwest Minority Job Fair. This year’s Fair will be held Saturday, August 22, 2015, at Perkins Coie, 1201 Third Avenue, in Seattle.

Promoting diversity is a core value at Perkins Coie: the firm embraces diversity as part of its commitment to excellence and community. Embracing diversity allows us to draw from varied perspectives and communities in order to deliver excellence to our clients and to attract the very best talent to our ranks. We continuously strive to recruit, retain, and promote a diverse workforce, and we believe that each of the firms participating in the Northwest Minority Job Fair is committed to doing the same. As the largest private law firm in the state, we take our responsibility to provide statewide leadership in this area very seriously, and therefore, we are extremely proud to host the 2015 Northwest Minority Job Fair.

The Northwest Minority Job Fair, sponsored and funded by a consortium of legal sector employers, is an excellent place to begin. For 29 years, this event has brought together private and public law firms committed to promoting diversity by providing a unique opportunity for employers, law students, and lawyers to match legal talent with needs.

Last year’s Northwest Minority Job Fair brought together approximately 120 students and 31 law firms/agencies. This year’s Fair will be held Saturday, August 22, 2015, at Perkins Coie, 1201 Third Avenue, in Seattle.

Registration is free for students, and all expenses are paid by the participating employers. Part of the registration fee provides scholarships for minority students.

See here for more information and to register.

Hispanic National Bar Association's Annual Convention and Career Fair, September 2-5 (Register by August 31)

The Hispanic National Bar Association's Annual Convention will be held from September 2-5, 2015, at the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel.

Don’t miss out on four days of non-stop educational programs, enlightening speakers, networking opportunities, and of course the finest entertainment around. Attendees will have the opportunity to obtain CLE credits in a wide variety of topics. 

The Convention will gather hundreds of attorneys, judges, and law students for an engaging and comprehensive program that includes CLE Panels on cutting edge topics with leading practitioners, national policy makers, and experts from across the country; networking events and workshops; the largest Hispanic Career Fair in the country, featuring exhibitors from prominent law firms, corporations, and government agencies; and a variety of social activities showcasing the best of what Boston has to offer.

Click here for more information and to register.

Diversity

Skadden Program -Celebrate the Diversity That Is Chicago
(See above)

Reed Smith 2015 Diverse Scholars Program for 1Ls - Applications due July 20, 2015
(See above)

Just The Beginning – A Pipeline Organization’s Share the Wealth Judicial Clerkship Program - Applications due July 27
(See above)

Register NOW: 2015 National Black Prosecutors Association Annual Job Fair, July 21
(See above)

Register NOW: 2015 Rocky Mountain Diversity Legal Career Fair, July 31, 2015
(See above)

Register NOW: Boston Lawyers Group's Annual Job Fair for Law Students of Color, August 4 (Register by July 10)
(See above)

Register NOW: 2015 Lavender Law Career Fair, Chicago, August 5-8
(See above)

Register NOW: Minnesota Minority Recruitment Conference, August 7
(See above)

Register NOW: Northwest Minority Job Fair, August 22 (Register by July 24)
(See above)

Hispanic National Bar Association's Annual Convention and Career Fair, September 2-5 (Register by August 31)
(See above)

Resources

Equal Justice Works’ Student Debt E-Book: Take Control of Your Future: A Guide to Managing Your Student Debt

Take Control of Your Future: A Guide to Managing Your Student Debt, is now available free on the EJW website.

Take Control of Your Future is a comprehensive guide to managing student debt, with chapters on understanding student loans and loan consolidation, planning before borrowing, income-driven repayment plans and a step-by-step guide to earning Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

CSO Resources

The Chicago-Kent Career Services Office has access to hundreds of helpful career resources. A majority of these resources are available in Symplicity under the red "Resources" tab (in the "Document Library"). Some of these resources include:

  • 2014-2015 Government Honors and Internship Handbook
  • Chicago Area Law Firm List
  • 2013-2014 Guide to Internships & Fellowships in Reproductive Rights & Justice
  • Updated Vermont Guide to State Judicial Clerkships
  • BYU Intercollegiate Job Bank
  • DePaul Law School International Guide and Job Resource
  • Music Attorney Registry
  • Prosecution Handbook
  • Public Defender Handbook               
  • Public Interest Job Search Handbooks
  • Various handouts related to the job search, including “Researching Legal Employers,” “The Out of State Job Search,” “Salary Negotiations” and “Writing Samples”

And many more!

Chicago-Kent students can also access various websites like: Policy Jobs (www.policyjobs.net), Political Jobs (www.politicaljobs.net), Human Rights Jobs (www.humanrightsjobs.com) and Ethical Jobs (www.ethicaljobs.net) by using the Login details that can be obtained in the Symplicity "Document Library" (under the Resources tab).

Speak with your Career Advisor today about the various resources available through the Career Services Office!

CALENDARS

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.: Academic calendar

.: CLE calendar

.: Alumnae/i event calendar

.: Admissions calendar

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