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Career Services Office

Career Services Office home page
November 2, 2009

CSO Information & Announcements

  • CSO Program Videos Now Available Online!

Fall On-Campus Interviewing Program

  • Don't Forget to Report Callbacks and Offers!

Programming

  • 1L Mandatory Resume & Cover Letter Programs: November 9 and November 10
  • November 5: Meet the Public Interest Employers Reception
  • November 9 & 12: 1L Office Tours
  • November 11: Preparing Your PILI Application
  • November 12: Chicago Bar Association's How to Perform an Effective Job Search
  • November 17: ABA Judicial Intern Opportunity Program (JIOP) Panel Discussion
  • November 18: Professionalism Series - Networking for the Legal Career of Your Dreams
  • Ms. JD's Third Annual Conference on Women in the Law
  • Video on Managing a Legal Career Transition in Tough Times

Employment Opportunities

  • U.S. Department of Justice, United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, Summer 2010 Intern Program

Fellowships & Scholarships

  • Vedder Price Diversity Scholarship for 1Ls
  • McAndrews, Held & Malloy 2010 Diversity in Patent Law Summer Fellowship Program for 1Ls
  • 2010 Roscoe Hogan Environmental Law Essay Contest
  • A List of Resources for 2009 and 2010 Graduates with Large Law Firm Start Date Deferrals

Job Fairs

 

Resources

  • 2009-2010 Government Honors & Internship Handbook
  • LexisNexis ASPIRE Program for Deferred Law Firm Hires and other 2009 Graduates Pursuing Public Service Work
  • Web Access for Policy, Political and Human Rights Jobs
  • Access the BYU Intercollegiate Job Bank
  • Password Protected Sites Now Available on Symplicity
  • Law Bulletin Weekly On-line Employment Bulletin
  • Career Advisor Network
  • International Career Employment Weekly Online
  • PSLawNet Fellowship Corner
  • PSLawNet

CSO Information & Announcements

 

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 "For Students" and select "Watch Program Videos." Or, click here to be taken directly to the page.

On-Campus Interviews

 

Don't Forget to Report Callbacks and Offers!

If you receive callbacks/offers during the fall interview season, 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 (OCI, resume collect, 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.   

Programming

 

1L Mandatory Resume & Cover Letter Program:
November 9
and November 10

It’s finally time for the 1L class to learn all about Career Services and what we can do for you! The Career Services Office will hold required orientation programs for first year students at the following dates and times:

Mandatory Resume & Cover Letter Programs: A workshop on developing a legal resume, writing strong and effective cover letters, what to use for writing samples, and how to list references. 1Ls must attend this program if you want to have your resume or cover letter reviewed by a career counselor, but you only need to attend one session. All resume review sessions are approximately 1 hour long. If you have any questions, contact kentcso@kentlaw.edu

1L Evening Division Students - Monday, November 9th from 5:00 pm - 5:45pm in Room 510
1L Day Division Students - Tuesday, November 10th from Noon - 1:00 PM Room 210.

 

Meet the Public Interest Employers Reception:
Thursday, November 5th

Meet public interest and government agency employers at this reception. Thursday, November 5th at 5:30-7:00pm at Loyola University Chicago, 25 East Pearson, 15th Floor, Kasbeer Hall. You do not need to RSVP, just come and experience this amazing opportunity to talk to public service employers directly. This reception is a project of the Chicago Area Law School Consortium (CALSC), which includes Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Organizations Confirmed to Attend as Of 10/22/2009 (More To Be Added) -
· Access Living
· Cabrini Green Legal Aid
· Chicago Legal Advocacy for Incarcerated Mothers
· Chicago Transit Authority
· Citizen Advocacy Project
· City of Chicago Board of Education Law Dept.
· Cook County Office of the Public Guardian
· DuPage Bar Legal Aid Service
· DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office
· Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
· Farm worker Advocacy Project
· Illinois Attorney General’s Office
· Illinois Human Rights Commission
· International Human Rights Law Institute (DePaul)
· National Immigrant Justice Center
· Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
· Schweitzer Fellows Program, Health & Medicine Policy Research Group
· Special Ed Advocacy Center
· U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division
· U.S. Marine Corps, JAG Program
· U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission
· U.S. Dept. of Education, Office for Civil Rights
· U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development
· U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

 

1L Office Tours: November 9th & 12th

First years interested in learning about the resources offered in the Career Services Office are encouraged to sign up for an office tour. Tours will be held at the followingtimes and should last no longer that 15 mintues: Monday, November 9th at 11:00am and Thursday, November 12th at 5:15pm. Please RSVP through the Events section of Symplicity or to kentcso@kentlaw.edu

 

Preparing Your Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) Application

The Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) offers $5,000 internships for students who spend their summer at one of their designated Chicago-area legal aid organizations. Last summer, twelve Chicago-Kent students received PILI internships. Hear from an employer who reviews PILI applications and several students who were successful at obtaining a PILI internship. Wednesday, November 11th from 3:00 to 4:00pm in Room 520. For more information, visit the PILI website at www.pili-law.org. This program is sponsored by the Career Services Office and the Kent Justice Foundation. Please RSVP through the Events section of Symplicity or to kentcso@kentlaw.edu


Chicago Bar Association's
How to Perform an Effective Job Search

Thursday, November 12th from Noon to 1:00pm Sheila Nielsen, Nielsen Career Counseling, will help attendees gain insights on the following: Assessment of What is and is Not Working Well in this Market Compared to the Past; The Role of Self-Assessment and why and How to Do It; De-Mystifying Networking; and Common Questions and Problems and What to Do About Them.

Seminar Registration: Members (including CBA law student members) and nonmembers may register for CBA seminars online at www.chicagobar.org. Most seminars are available both in-person and via Webcast at www.chicagobar.org. YLS Career Productivity Series seminars are complimentary for members (and CBA law student members) and $10 for nonmembers.

YLS Career Assistance Committee Meetings at CBA Building: Committee meetings are free and open only to CBA members and CBA law student members. The YLS Careers Assistance Committee meets on the 1st Tuesday of each month. Join the committee at www.chicagobar.org (under Committees). Information on CBA membership can also be found at www.chicagobar.org.

 

Judicial Internship Opportunity Program (JIOP) and Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Minority Law Student Panel Discussion

Chicago-Kent students who have participated in the Judicial Internship Opportunity Program and Association of Corporate Counsel Minority Law Student Summer Program will discuss their experiences applying, interviewing and working with a judge or corporation over the summer. This program will be on Tuesday, November 17th from Noon to 1:00pm in Room 170 and is sponsored by by the Career Services Office, APALSA, BLSA, Lambdas, HLLSA and SALSA. Food will be available. More information on JIOP and ACC is below.

The Judicial Intern Opportunity Program (JIOP) is a summer internship program open to all first or second year minority or financially disadvantaged law students who want to do legal research and writing for state or federal judges in Illinois, Texas, Washington DC, Miami, Phoenix, and California. Interns will receive an award of $1,500. The time commitment can vary by student, subject to a six-week minimum. Students will be expected to coordinate their schedule with their individual judges and to work the hours required by each judge. Students are asked to submit a completed application, legal writing sample and a statement of interest. Detailed program information and applications are available at the program website http://www.abanet.org/litigation/jiop/. Applications will be accepted beginning October 1st for second year students and December 1st for first year students. APPLICATIONS MUST BE COMPLETED BY December 31, 2009.

The Association of Corporate Counsel internship program places top minority law students in internships in corporate legal departments in the Chicagoland area. Examples of corporations that have participated in this program in the past are: Accenture, Alliant Credit Union, Career Education, Empire, Illinois Tool Works, McDonald's Corporation, Navistar, Square D, Kraft, Verizon Wireless and Walgreens. Students in the program received a stipend in the summer of 2009 of $6000. The deadline to apply last year was January 30th 2009, and is subject to change this year. For more information on the internship program and for an application please see www.acc.com.

If you have questions about either program, please contact Michelle Vodenik in the Career Services Office.

 

Professionalism Series: Networking for the Legal Career of Your Dreams

One of the most important career strategies is building meaningful relationships with as many people as possible, yet many don’t know where to start, or how fun and easy this can be. The vast majority of jobs are obtained through relationships. This is true in every area of law practice, as well as alternative careers. People like to help people that they know, and employers are more likely to consider candidates who are recommended to them. This program will cover resources and strategies available to you as a Chicago-Kent student to meet professionals and build relationships in a natural and fun way. The program will be presented by Michelle Vodenik in the CSO and Melanie Davis, 3L networking superstar. This program will be on Wednesday, November 18th from 3:00pm to 4:00pm in Room 210 and is sponsored by by the Career Services Office and the Black Law Student Association

Ms. JD's Third Annual Conference on Women in the Law

Ms. JD Presents its Third Annual Conference on Women in the Law: Avenues to Advancement. This event is co-sponsored by the National Association of Women Lawyers, the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession, the ABA Young Lawyers Division, and the Chicago Bar Association.

The conference will take place on November 20-21, 2009 in Chicago, IL at Northwestern University's Law School Campus. The conference will highlight different career paths available to women in the legal profession, the changing professional environment, and the personal and professional infrastructure that best enables women to excel no matter where their careers may take them!

To learn more, please visit Ms. JD's website, where you can find articles about women in the profession, including interviews with/submissions by Sandra Day O'Connor, Roberta Liebenberg, and Kim Wardlaw, just to name a few. You can also peruse insightful discussions on current events as well as musings and commentary by women both inside and outside the profession on how to get ahead and stay ahead -- even in this economic climate. Please take a moment to learn more and register for this great event. Please email kornberg@ms-jd.org with any questions.

 

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 the new job posting system ("Symplicity") on a regular basis. Check out Symplicity's general instructions for more information.

 

U.S. Department of Justice, United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, Summer 2010 Intern Program

The Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois will conduct a Summer 2010 Intern Program. The primary goals of this program are to provide law students with the greatest possible exposure to and participation in federal trial and appellate practice and to obtain excellent legal talent to assist the office in handling its multitude of cases.

The program will include approximately 15 interns. Each intern will be required to serve at least 40 hours per week/or ten weeks in the Office. The summer program is offered to first, second and third-year law students. The Office will cooperate in providing the necessary evaluations that may be required to receive course credit for this internship.

To apply, please pick up handout # 54 from the Career Services Office, located in Suite 360. Completed applications will include the application form, a general statement, resume, a legal writing sample, three letters of recommendation (preferably legal) and law school transcript. The application deadline is December 31, 2009.

Please direct all inquiries to Monica LeKostaj, Administrative Assistant for the Intern Program, at 312-353-1091. Please send all application materials (no faxes or emails) to her attention at:

Monica LeKostaj
Administrative Assistant
United States Attorney's Office
219 South Dearborn Street
5th Floor
Chicago, IL 60604

 

Fellowships & Scholarships

 

Vedder Price Diversity Scholarship for 1Ls

Vedder Price is accepting applications for its 2010 Diversity Scholarship for 1L students. Eligible candidates are first-year law students enrolled at various Illinois law schools, including Chicago-Kent. The application form specifies additional eligibility requirements.

The Vedder Price Diversity Scholarship includes a $5,000 monetary award for law school-related expenses for each year that the recipient remains in good standing at one of the qualified Illinois law schools, as well as a summer internship position after their first year of law school.

For an application, please click here. Applications must be postmarked by December 15, 2009. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Bo Kim at bkim@vedderprice.com.

McAndrews, Held and Malloy 2010 Diverity in Patent Law Summer Fellowship Program for 1Ls

Each year, McAndrews offers a $5,000 fellowship and a paid summer clerkship to a qualified first-year law student at an ABA-accredited law school who has a diverse background, possesses a degree in science or engineering, and is committed to pursuing a career in patent law in Chicago.  Applications for the 2010 fellowship will be accepted from December 1, 2009 through January 15, 2010.  As a summer associate, the Diversity Fellow will gain experience in a wide range of intellectual property law and will be eligible to receive an offer to return for a second summer.  To facilitate the Diversity Fellow’s professional growth and learning, a member of the McAndrews Diversity Committee will serve as a mentor and resource.

The website www.mcandrews-ip.com provides further details about this opportunity. Contact the Career Services Office for a copy of the application.

 

2010 Roscoe Hogan Environmental Law Essay Contest

The Public Justice Foundation is sponsoring the 2010 Roscoe Hogan Environmental Law Essay Contest. The topic is Can Coal Be Clean? Litigation Remedies for Coal Contamination from Mining to Combustion to Sequestration. The intent-to-enter form submission deadline is January 29, 2010 and the essay submission deadline is March 31, 2010Click here for additional information about the contest.

If you have any questions, please contact Cassandra R. Goings at 202-797-8600 or cgoings@publicjustice.net.

 

2010 Ella Baker Summer Internship Program

The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) created the Ella Baker Summer Internship Program in the spring of 1987 in honor of Ella Baker, a hero of the civil rights movement, in order to provide students with legal and other training and a background in movements for social change. The goal of the program is to train the next generation of social justice lawyers.

Students work with teams of lawyers on various legal issues, doing legal and factual research and writing on active CCR cases. They also have the opportunity to work with the Education and Outreach Department on various campaigns and produce documents for public distribution. Ella Baker interns attend weekly discussions with scholars, activists, and clients on such subjects as human rights, racial and economic justice, government misconduct, and corporate accountability. In addition to seminars with prominent litigators and activists, students will have the opportunity to see films and plays about movements for social change.

For more information about the Ella Baker Summer Internship Program or to apply, please visit: Ella Baker Summer Internship Program

Application Deadlines: NOVEMBER 13, 2009 (2Ls) & JANUARY 15, 2010 (1Ls)

 

A List of Resources for 2009 and 2010 Graduates with Large Law Firm Start Date Deferrals

The Career Services Office is compiling a list of resources for Recent Graduates dealing with law firm start date deferrals. The following organizations are accepting applications from deferred law firm associates (please contact the CSO for specific application instructions for each organization):

The Public Interest Law Initiative also has a number of helpful resources for those dealing with delayed law firm start dates. Please click here for more information. For those interested in opportunities both within the Chicago area as well as across the nation, organizations have been posting opportunities and positions for deferred associates on www.pslawnet.org (membership for Chicago-Kent students/alums is free; after signing in, click on "Search Opportunities").

Lexis/Nexis has announced the launch of its Associates Serving Public Interests Research (ASPIRE) Program. ASPIRE has been designed to provide complimentary access to LexisNexis services to 2009 law school graduates, in response to the increasing trend of deferring fall associates' start dates. Any 2009 graduate pursuing verifiable public service (non-profit or charitable) work is eligible for this program. This includes:

  • Deferred fall associates pursuing public interest work during their deferral periods;
  • 2009 graduates who elect to pursue public interest work while searching for law firm employment, and
  • Those 2009 graduates who pursue public interest work as a continuing profession.

Complimentary Lexis/Nexis access will be provided throughout these graduates' public interest employment periods, up until September 2010 maximum. To join ASPIRE, please click here.

LexisNexis will also provide access to public interest and pro-bono opportunities through its Career Center for legal professionals. To access the Martindale-Hubbell Career Center, graduates may visit www.martindale.com/careercenter. Public interest organizations can post opportunities on the site free of charge. Please note that the following organizations are NOT accepting applications from deferred associates:

  • Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago
  • SEC – Illinois
  • LaPorte County (IN) Attorney’s Office
  • AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association)
  • Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC)
  • U.S. Attorney’s Office – Illinois (DOJ)
  • National Lawyers Guild – Chicago
  • National Training and Information Center

Please contact Susan DeCostanza if you have any questions regarding the opportunities listed above or other career plans.

 

Job Fairs

 

There are currently no new job fairs. Please check future editions of the Record for information on job fairs.

 

Resources

2009-2010 Government Honors & Internship Handbook

The 2009-2010 Government Honors & Internship Handbook is now available. It may be accessed online or there is a printed copy available in our office. For the password information to the online edition, please log onto Symplicity, click on the "Documents" tab, and then click on "Document Library."

 

LexisNexis ASPIRE Program For Deferred Law Firm Hires

Lexis/Nexis has announced the launch of its Associates Serving Public Interests Research (ASPIRE) Program. ASPIRE has been designed to provide complimentary access to LexisNexis services to 2009 law school graduates, in response to the increasing trend of deferring fall associates' start dates. Any 2009 graduate pursuing verifiable public service (non-profit or charitable) work is eligible for this program. This includes:

  • Deferred fall associates pursuing public interest work during their deferral periods;
  • 2009 graduates who elect to pursue public interest work while searching for law firm employment, and
  • Those 2009 graduates who pursue public interest work as a continuing profession.

Complimentary Lexis/Nexis access will be provided throughout these graduates' public interest employment periods, up until September 2010 maximum. To join ASPIRE, please click here.

LexisNexis will also provide access to public interest and pro-bono opportunities through its Career Center for legal professionals. To access the Martindale-Hubbell Career Center, graduates may visit www.martindale.com/careercenter. Public interest organizations can post opportunities on the site free of charge.

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 acess 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.

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
  2. 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.”
  3. In the Class Year Field:
    1. If you are an LLM student, enter LLM
    2. If you are a Visiting student, enter LV
    3. 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 Celeste Addyman in the Office of Career Services at kentcso@kentlaw.edu or visit her in 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

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 access PSLawNet here: PSLawNet home page. 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

 

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