1 JOB SEARCHING IN TODAY’S MARKET Casey Tippens Delaney According to NALP, the Class of 2010 law graduates faced the most difficult job market since the mid- 1990’s. 1 The good news is that employment is again on the rise, and University of Oklahoma graduates were fortunate to be fairly insulated from the falling market. Having just returned from serving in a career office where the state’s economy is truly failing, it is refreshing to be in a place where government internships pay and where firms are steadily hiring. To be successful in today’s market you must be proactive. What you cannot do is simply sit back, do nothing and expect a career to fall in your lap. At the end of the day, you are in charge of your own career. In large part, people obtain jobs through former employers’ recommendations, friends and family introducing you to an attorney they know, or simply by cold-contacting a firm to express an interest in working there. Many firms are busy but not to the point where they have thought about placing a job advertisement in the bar journal. However, if you show up at their door and offer relief to their busy schedule, they may very well be ready, willing and able to hire you. The Role of Career Services: Our office is here to assist you in every way we possibly can. We are calling hundreds of firms, government employers and companies asking them to hire our students, and we are making great progress in the number of employers being added to our hiring database. We are educating employers on the value of an OU degree and the training students are receiving through our clinical/externship/internship programs before they graduate. We are here to review your resumes, cover letters, and application materials to make sure that they are perfect. We are here to review draft e-mails to employers and alumni. We review job boards daily and post positions on Symplicity frequently. We conduct mock interviews to get you ready for your interview. We guide you in choosing the best writing sample. We will be there for you through every step of the process and encourage you to contact us throughout your job search. No question is too small – we want to help. Permanent Hiring Timelines Third year students often come into my office in “panic” mode in January because they do not have a job lined up. It is true that some fortunate students will leave their 2L summer with an offer; however, the large majority of students will still be applying throughout their 3L year and through the bar exam. It is helpful to think of your job search from the employer’s point of view, as opposed to the student. School Year. Some employers are willing to interview you and consider you during the school year because they have an immediate need for assistance. You can work as a law clerk until you take the bar exam, and then begin as an associate after passing the bar. When applying to firms during the spring of your 3L year, it might be beneficial to offer to work as a spring law clerk so 1 http://www.nalp.org/2010selectedfindingsrelease
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JOB SEARCHING IN TODAY’S MARKET
Casey Tippens Delaney
According to NALP, the Class of 2010 law graduates faced the most difficult job market since the mid-
1990’s.1 The good news is that employment is again on the rise, and University of Oklahoma graduates
were fortunate to be fairly insulated from the falling market. Having just returned from serving in a
career office where the state’s economy is truly failing, it is refreshing to be in a place where
government internships pay and where firms are steadily hiring.
To be successful in today’s market you must be proactive. What you cannot do is simply sit back, do
nothing and expect a career to fall in your lap. At the end of the day, you are in charge of your own
career. In large part, people obtain jobs through former employers’ recommendations, friends and
family introducing you to an attorney they know, or simply by cold-contacting a firm to express an
interest in working there. Many firms are busy but not to the point where they have thought about
placing a job advertisement in the bar journal. However, if you show up at their door and offer relief to
their busy schedule, they may very well be ready, willing and able to hire you.
The Role of Career Services: Our office is here to assist you in every way we possibly can.
We are calling hundreds of firms, government employers and companies asking them to hire our
students, and we are making great progress in the number of employers being added to our
hiring database. We are educating employers on the value of an OU degree and the training
students are receiving through our clinical/externship/internship programs before they
graduate. We are here to review your resumes, cover letters, and application materials to make
sure that they are perfect. We are here to review draft e-mails to employers and alumni. We
review job boards daily and post positions on Symplicity frequently. We conduct mock
interviews to get you ready for your interview. We guide you in choosing the best writing
sample. We will be there for you through every step of the process and encourage you to
contact us throughout your job search. No question is too small – we want to help.
Permanent Hiring Timelines
Third year students often come into my office in “panic” mode in January because they do not have a
job lined up. It is true that some fortunate students will leave their 2L summer with an offer; however,
the large majority of students will still be applying throughout their 3L year and through the bar exam.
It is helpful to think of your job search from the employer’s point of view, as opposed to the student.
School Year. Some employers are willing to interview you and consider you during the school
year because they have an immediate need for assistance. You can work as a law clerk until you
take the bar exam, and then begin as an associate after passing the bar. When applying to firms
during the spring of your 3L year, it might be beneficial to offer to work as a spring law clerk so
that they can get to know you and your legal work, and you can make sure the firm is also a right
fit for you.
At Graduation. Another section of employers wait until graduation so that you can begin full
time and work through June (always try to take off at least the entire month of July to focus on
the bar exam). These employers wait until you can commit full time before making their
decision to hire.
After you pass the bar exam. A large group of employers wait until bar results come out before
deciding to interview and hire. While this seems extremely far away, it makes sense from the
employer’s point of view. Until you pass the bar exam, you are a “risk.” They want to know
when they hire you, that you are a licensed attorney simply needing to be trained.
These timelines should not be stressful, but rather to give you peace that there are different periods
within which employers hire. Thus, there should be no panic that a position has not been obtained in
January.
What do you do now?
This does not mean that you should just wait to search until after graduation. You should be
using the Spring of your 3L year to apply to the postings that are listed, reach out and network
with attorneys in the practice areas of interest, cold-contact firms, attend bar events, and gain
experience. Just because there are different times within employers hire does not mean you
should be lazy in your search now – you never know when that dream job is going to be
available and you do not want to miss it!
Making Yourself Marketable
Get experience! One of the most common problems I see when I have a graduate struggling to obtain a
job is that they did not take the time to get any legal experience while in law school. In addition to
internship positions, there are also amazing opportunities through the law school’s legal clinics,
externship program and researching for professors. Put simply, the only way to graduate without
experience is to choose to. We also have numerous opportunities through Students for Access to Justice
where you can volunteer to do mediations, assist low income families with tax returns and help victims
of domestic violence fill out VPO forms at the courthouse. Even if you are a 3L and thinking it is too late
to get experience, it is not! Take the opportunity this spring to volunteer and build your legal skills.
Also, get involved in meaningful organizations. When a student tells me that they want to practice
energy or oil & gas, the first question I ask them is whether they are a member of the Energy Resources
Law Student Association. Putting this organization on your resume, and highlighting the relevant energy
courses you have taken, tells an employer that you are serious about the field that you have chosen and
that you doing everything you can to be involved in energy. Activities can sometimes offset the lack of
“practical” experience you might have in your area of interest.
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Symplicity
The University of Oklahoma College of Law contracts with Symplicity, a third party vendor, to provide a
comprehensive job search database. The large majority of law schools across the country utilize this
system. All employers that express an interest in hiring at OU Law are entered into this database and
positions are posted under the “Jobs” tab.
es
Unfortunately, many students either sign in infrequently, or have never signed in. This is the first place
you should be looking each week to search the employers that have expressed a direct interest in hiring
at OU Law. Failing to log in to Symplicity each week may mean that you lose out on the opportunity to
apply for a position that you really want.
If you are not familiar with Symplicity, do not be embarrassed to come to my office and ask for a one-
on-one session to go through the program. I am more than happy to go through it with you!
Using your Contacts
One of the most frequent comments I get from a student is that they “do not know any lawyers” and
how unfairly easy it is for those that do. A large number of law students enter law school without
knowing a single attorney. Other students enter with family that are lawyers but expect them to get a
job on their own because that is what they had to do. Remember, contacts that can help you are not
only attorneys. Think about all of the business owners that use attorneys to assist in their legal matters.
Think about non-profit organizations and foundations that use attorneys to set up these entities, and
many hire attorneys to work for their organization. Think about civic or community groups that you are
a member of that may have attorney members. Think about social or religious organizations that have
attorney members. You can find introductions to attorneys everywhere; you simply need to think
outside of the box! Let people know that you are looking so that they can help you.
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Remember, no contact is a bad contact. Another myth is that a lawyer who is not looking to hire is a
“waste of time” or “not a good contact.” Any contact you build is a good contact to have. It may be
someone that refers you a case later down the road. It may also be that they are not looking to hire, but
that after speaking with you, they forward your resume on to 20 friends in their e-mail address book.
Never assume that because they are not hiring, they cannot help you.
Cold Contacting
It is easier than you think! You are absolutely right, those first few e-mails or telephone calls certainly
do not feel natural. However, once you get into the swing of things, you will be contacting
firms/companies/organizations left and right. It is just getting through that initial awkward phase to
help you. I once interviewed someone for a position that would involve a lot of cold-contact telephone
calls and she said “the phone does not weigh a thousand pounds.” That statement really stuck with me;
I am not sure why we dread that cold phone call so much. Just pick up the telephone and do it! If you
are like me, an e-mail may be a more natural first contact. It allows the attorney to get back to you
when it is convenient to them. However, always make sure to follow up on your e-mail 1-2 weeks later
with a telephone call.
Caution Regarding Alumni: It is perfectly fine to contact alumni; in fact, I suggest that you use our
alumni as resources. However, as compared to cold contacting, you should approach alumni for
“advice” as opposed to directly soliciting a job.
Example E-mail to University of Oklahoma Alumnus/Alumna:
Dear [Name]:
I am a third year law student at the University of Oklahoma College of Law writing to seek your
advice regarding practicing employment law in Houston. As a native Texan, it is my
professional goal to return to the area to practice following graduation in May. I would
genuinely appreciate any advice you might have into practicing in the Houston area as well as
any specific professional groups you would suggest I join. I have attached my resume so you
can see what I have accomplished thus far. I will be in the Houston area during Spring Break,
[Dates], and would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you. I am also available by
telephone at your convenience.
Thank you in advance for your help. I truly appreciate your time and assistance.
Sincerely,
Frank Student
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Example E-mail to Non-Alumni, Direct Contacting Firm
Dear [Name]:
I am a third year law student at the University of Oklahoma College of Law, and I am writing to express my interest in an associate position with XYZ Firm. My specific interest in your firm stems from my professional goal of practicing employment litigation following graduation in May, and XYZ Firm’s status as one of the top employment firms in the state. It would be an invaluable opportunity to join the best lawyers in the area in which I want to practice. I am confident that my background and education have prepared me to be a valuable asset.
This past summer, I had the opportunity to intern with Employment Firm 2. In this position, I drafted numerous substantive motions, interrogatories and requests for production. I also assisted in deposition and trial preparation. I am certain this experience has prepared me to be a successful associate with XYZ Firm.
Attached please find my resume for your review. Thank you in advance for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Frank Student
Job Search Websites
There are numerous websites that can assist you in your job search, including:
**Before paying for a website, make sure to ask yourself whether it is a reputable company, see if an address and telephone number is listed, and review the refund policy. There are many great free job search websites so use caution in your decision to use a paid website.
Networking
It sounds cliché, but networking is one of the best things you can do to get a job outside of applying to
actual job postings. These networking contacts will also be extremely beneficial throughout your career.
Your professor in this course, Judith Maute, is an inspiring networker. No matter which
conference/event she goes to, she is always networking and getting to know people that will help our
law students. Literally you can ask her on any topic, and she can tell you someone that might be able to
assist you with that issue.
Many students tell me, “I understand that networking is important, but where do I go to do it?” The
truth is that you can network everywhere. For example, did you know that it is free for students to join
the Cleveland County Bar Association? The CCBA hosts regular CLE’s and events where attorneys will be
present. You have the opportunity to both learn and meet people in the legal profession. The
Oklahoma Bar Association holds annual conferences, CLE events and many other educational meetings
that you as a student are allowed to attend. The various professional Inns of Courts seek out student
members to participate in educational meetings alongside attorneys and judges. The Oklahoma County
Bar Young Lawyers Division invites students to participate in many of its events (including a chili cook-off
and bowling tournament). All of these events are excellent places for a student to have the opportunity
to visit with an attorney about their practice area of interest.
If you are interested in employment law and the Oklahoma Bar is having a CLE on employment law, sign
up to attend the event. Not only will you be learning in the area you are interested, but you will also be
there with employment lawyers who are getting their continuing legal education credits. This is a great
place to shake a hand on a break and explain that you are student wanting to enter the practice area. If
CLE or Bar Events are too expensive, call the Oklahoma Bar and offer to volunteer or do anything to