Career Services Office

Information & Announcements

• Mandatory 1L Legal Resume and Cover Letter Workshops
• 2Ls and 3Ls - Make an Appointment!
• Interview Preparation and Mock Interviews Available Through the CSO
• Free ABA Memberships for Students
• Community Based Federal Work Study Available for Fall 2017- Applications accepted on a rolling basis

Fall Recruiting

• On-Campus Interviews Continue - Check Interview Schedules for Updates
• Please Report Callbacks and Offers!

Programming

• October 24: Legal Technology Innovators Showcase 
• October 25: C-K Law Group Clinic Opportunities
• October 26: 24th Annual Pro Bono & Community Service Fair
• October 27: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Career Day
• October 30: Careers in Intellectual Property Law
• October 30-November 3: ConneKtions @ Dinner Week
• November 2: NLG Webinar on SEIU and Peggy Browning Fund Job Opportunities
• November 7: CBA hosts Career Conversations & Coffee
• November 7: Meet the Public Service Employers Reception
• November 8: Civil Rights Law Careers Panel

Employment Opportunities

• 2018 Mayor's Office Fellowship Program - Applications due November 6

Fellowships & Scholarships

Job Fairs  

• October 27& 28: Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair

Diversity

• South Asian Bar Association of Chicago Mentorship Program - Applications due October 31

Resources

• Government Honors & Internship Handbook & Public Policy Handbook: log-in now available
• 2017-2018 PSJD Comprehensive Fellowship Guide
• Equal Justice Works’ Student Debt E-Book: Take Control of Your Future: A Guide to Managing Your Student Debt
• ABA Student Loan Best Practices in the Face of Political Change
• ABA Law Student Podcast: Public Service Loan Forgiveness
• CareerShift
• Practising Law Institute (PLI)  
• CSO Resources
• Resources provided by the Chicago Bar Association
• Lawcountability J.D. - Sign-up information now available!
• 2017-2018 Chicago Area Law Firm List
  

Information & Announcements

Mandatory 1L Legal Resume and Cover Letter Workshops

The MANDATORY 1L Legal Resume Workshop and 1L Cover Letter Workshop videos are now available to view. Sign in to Panopto using your kentlaw username and password.

All first-year law students must watch these brief videos. These workshops include detailed instructions for how to draft your legal resume and cover letter.

First-year law students may begin meeting with a Career Advisor on Monday, October 16th. Before your first career advising appointment, you must have watched the workshop videos and have uploaded a legal resume to Symplicity. Please also bring a copy of your legal resume to your first appointment.

2Ls and 3Ls - Make an Appointment!

Make an appointment to meet with your career advisor to discuss your recent summer experience, job search status and plans for the Fall 2017 semester. Your career advisor can also show you new updates on many tools to assist you with networking, professional development, and career planning as an upper level law student. Please bring your most recent, updated legal resume with you to your meeting with your career advisor.

Each 2L and 3L student is required to meet with his or her assigned career advisor by the end of the Fall semester. Get a head start and make your appointment today!

Interview Preparation and Mock Interviews Available Through the CSO

The Career Services Office is available to review student resumes and cover letters, and to conduct mock interviews, to help you better prepare for a variety of opportunities! If you have an upcoming interview, please consider scheduling a mock interview with your Career Services counselor. You can schedule an appointment directly through Symplicity! If you have questions about how to schedule an appointment, please email the Career Services Office at kentcso@kentlaw.iit.edu.

Free ABA Memberships for Students

The American Bar Association offers free memberships to all students enrolled in law school. The membership grants law students access to resources tailored to their interests and needs, opportunities to build their professional skills plus access to the ABA’s job listings, clerkships, internships and career events.

You can enroll here - http://www.americanbar.org/abalawstudents.

Community Based Federal Work Study Available for Fall 2017 - Applications accepted on a rolling basis

Chicago-Kent has Community-Based Federal Work Study available during Fall 2017. Chicago-Kent 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. Please visit the Chicago-Kent 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. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis for any Fall start after August 22, 2017; processing time may take a week or more; allow plenty of time for approval of your application, and the time it takes to be added to the Chicago-Kent payroll. Please e-mail Michelle Vodenik (mvodenik@kentlaw.iit.edu) with any questions.

Fall Recruiting

On-Campus Interviews Continue -
Check Interview Schedules for Updates

Please remember to check Symplicity frequently during the 2017 Fall Recruiting process. Changes to room numbers, interviewers, and possibly even changes to your interview schedule itself may occur at any point in the recruiting process. The CSO will not always be able to send out emails regarding such changes unless entire interview schedules are canceled. It is your responsibility to continually check Symplicity.

Please Report Callbacks and Offers!

If you receive callbacks or job offers during the fall interview season, please report this to Helena Gonzalez in the Career Services Office by sending an email to hgonzal2@kentlaw.iit.edu (or email your career advisor directly). 

Please include from what source you obtained the interview/offer (direct contact, 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 advisor.

Programming        

Legal Technology Innovators Showcase

Date:  Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Time: 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Chicago-Kent College of Law
Governor Richard B. Ogilvie Auditorium

Chicago-Kent is hosting the CBA Law Practice Management & Technology Division's free Legal Technology Innovators Showcase, which will include the CLE program "How to Get Started Innovating." 

The Legal Tech Innovator Showcase will promote the law firms, legal service providers, and companies that are using technology to improve legal services in the Chicago area and highlight those whose innovations are exceptional. The event will highlight 10 innovators who submitted their product or service for consideration earlier and were chosen to receive "Best in Show" awards.

Panelists:
  - Rakesh Madhava, CEO, NextPoint 
  - Wendy Rubas, General Counsel, Village MD
  - Kevin Chern, Managing Partner, UpRight Law

Moderator: Debbie Ginsberg, Eductational Technology Librarian, Chicago-Kent

To RSVP, please click here.

C-K Law Group Clinic Opportunities

Date:  Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Time: 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Chicag-Kent College of Law, Room 580

"C-K Law Group: The Law Offices of Chicago-Kent" is Chicago-Kent's unique in-house legal clinic. Known since the early 1980s simply as The Law Offices of Chicago-Kent, our clinic was a pioneer in clinical legal education decades ago when it adopted a fee-generating model designed to replicate the experience of employment at a private law firm. 

Have some pizza and find out more about the opportunities available in Chicago-Kent's in-house law clinic and how you can gain valuable work experience. Legal services are offered in the following practice areas -

• Civil Litigation Clinic
• Criminal Defense Litigation
• Plaintiffs Employment Law
• Entrepreneurial Law
• Cert. in Environmental Law Clinic
• Family Law
• Vaccine Injury Litigation Clinic
• Intellectual Property Law Clinic
• Mediation & ADR
• Open Government/ Government Watchdog Law
• Tax Law

24th Annual Pro Bono & Community Service Fair

Date:  October 23 -27, 2017
Time: Various (See Below)
Location: Various (See Below)

Chicago-area attorneys who volunteer their time and talent to help those less fortunate will be recognized and unique efforts to increase pro bono legal work will be promoted as the Chicago Bar Association and The Chicago Bar Foundation mark Pro Bono Week 2017.

The lineup for Pro Bono Week 2017 includes the following:

Monday, Oct. 23 – Community Development through Pro Bono.  This seminar will explore how pro bono work can help small businesses, creative professionals and entrepreneurs and work to strengthen communities.  From 3 to 5 p.m. at Ropes & Gray LLC, 191 N. Wacker.

Tuesday, Oct. 24 – An Evening of Stories and Community.  This unique “story slam” will feature shared stories and conversation related to the theme of justice.  From 6 to 8 p.m. at Revolution Brewing, 2323 N. Milwaukee Ave.

Wednesday, Oct. 25 – How Pro Bono Contributes to a Successful Career.  A panel discussion that will explore how lawyers can gain experience, confidence and make connections through pro bono work.  From Noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Chicago Bar Association, 321 S. Plymouth Court.

Thursday, Oct. 26 – 24th Annual Pro Bono and Community Service Fair.  From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, 300 N. LaSalle.

Friday, Oct. 27 – Effective Representation of Individuals with Mental Health Conditions. This seminar will explore the best practices, strategies and resources for attorneys representing pro bono clients with mental health conditions.  From Noon to 2 p.m. at Holland & Knight, LLP. 

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Career Day

Date:  Friday, October 27, 2017
Time: Two Information Sessions Available:
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. OR 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Klucynski Federal Building
230 S. Dearborn St., Ste. 1590, Chicago, IL 60604

Hosted by the CFPB Midwest Region Office of Supervision, for students looking to learn about job opportunities at the CFPB, including 2018 summer internship opportunities, and full-time opportunities for December 2017 and May 2018 graduates.

Please register for the event by emailing Maureen Arnold at Maureen.Arnold@cfpb.gov by October 24, 2017.

Careers in Intellectual Property Law

Date:  Monday, October 30, 2017
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Location: Chicago Bar Association, 321 S. Plymouth Court, Chicago, IL

Join the Young Lawyers Section at the Chicago Bar Association or via Webcast to learn about the varied career paths a legal career focused in intellectual property law can follow. Topics will include resumes/interviewing, networking, day-to-day practice, and how to make the most of law school. Attendees will earn up to 2 IL PR-MCLE Credit (subject to approval). Register here for in-person attendance, here for online attendance. This event is free for CBA law student members.

ConneKtions @ Dinner Week

Date:  Monday, October 30 through Friday, November 3, 2017
Time: Various
Location: Various

ConneKtions @ Dinner  Week is an opportunity for alumni in Chicago to host a small group of students and 2017 graduates at local restaurants or open their homes to students for small dinner parties, bringing together students, alumni and faculty in a friendly environment for good food, conversation, camaraderie and to build a stronger Chicago-Kent community. It provides students and recent graduates an opportunity to network with alumni, learn more about life after law school, and to see how Chicago-Kent links its past to its future. 

The next ConneKtions @ Dinner will take place the week of  October 30 through November 3, 2017. Registration will occur on a rolling basis. Please look out for an email to all students from Alumni Relations for more information.

NLG Webinar on SEIU and Peggy Browning Fund
Job Opportunities

Date:  Thursday, November 2, 2017
Time: 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. EST
Location: Conference Call

CBA Hosts Career Conversations & Coffee

Date:  Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Time: 8:00 - 9:30 a.m. (Drop-ins welcome)
Location: CBA Building, 321 S. Plymouth Ct., Chicago, IL 60604

On November 7, join CBA Career Advancement Program’s featured career counselor, Kathy Morris of Under Advisement, Ltd., for an in-person drop-in session on career and job search issues. Stop by, listen in or join the conversation, ask your questions, stay a few minutes or for the whole time. Program is free to CBA members. RSVP online at https://goo.gl/forms/YTHFnqUbwiBXT3jt1.

Meet the Public Service Employers Reception

Date:  Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Time: 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Location: Loyola University Chicago School of Law
25 E. Pearson Street, Kasbeer Hall (15th Floor)

Meet with representatives from over 50 area public interest and government employers during this evening reception at Loyola Law. Business professional attire, please. Sponsored by the Chicago Area Law School Consortium.

Civil Rights Law Careers Panel

Date:  Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Time: 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Location: TBD

Come learn from practicing attorneys about career opportunities in Civil Rights. More information on panelists to follow.

Employment Opportunities

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

2018 Mayor's Office Fellowship Program -
Applications due November 6, 2017

The Chicago Mayor’s Office Fellowship Program offers a unique opportunity for students to engage in policymaking from inception to implementation. The Fellowship Program is highly-regarded as a leader in municipal fellowship programs. Fellows gain hands-on experience working directly with the Mayor’s Office staff in budgetary, legislative and programmatic areas of city government. Fellows gain a broad understanding of city-level policymaking and have an opportunity to connect what they are learning in the classroom to real world challenges.
Fellows will:

• Gain an understanding of the work and mission of other City Departments through weekly tours and presentations;
• Interact with and attend weekly meetings with Commissioners, Aldermen, experts in a variety of policy areas as well as senior level staff; and
• Attend press conferences, City Council meetings and hearings, staff meetings and strategic planning sessions.

The program seeks candidates who:

• Are enthusiastic to learn about city government;
• Have demonstrated a substantial commitment to excellence as evidenced by academic honors, leadership ability, extracurricular activities, and involvement in community or public service; and
• Embody strong personal character and conviction.

Applications are due by Monday, November 6, 2017. Visit www.cityofchicago.org/mayorfellowship for more information and to apply.

Fellowships & Scholarships

Job Fairs

Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair - October 27 & 28, 2017 - Register and apply for interviews now

The Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair is the largest national public interest legal career fair in the country. More than 165 public interest employers from across the country conduct interviews for internships and full-time jobs and meet with students in informal “table talk” discussions of public interest legal opportunities. Click here for the latest list. The deadline to register is Wednesday, September 13; but students can APPLY NOW for interviews. Interview spots are filled on a rolling basis. 

In addition to the Career Fair, there are some great conference programs and the featured speaker is U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 

The Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair will take place on October 27 & 28 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott, 1700 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA.

One of the biggest barriers to attending the Conference & Career Fair is affording the trip to DC so this year, EJW is helping students connect for carpooling and hotel sharing and the first 500 registered students will qualify for a chance to receive one of ten $100 travel stipends. 

Click here for more information and to register.

Diversity

South Asian Bar Association of Chicago (SABA) Mentorship Program -
Applications due October 31, 2017

SABA Chicago is proud offer a mentorship programs for Law Students and New Attorneys.SABA will pair law students and attorneys practicing less than five years with senior SABA Chicago attorneys. For mentors and mentees alike, this is a terrific opportunity to give back to the South Asian legal community, learn from one another, and continue to build your professional networks.Please note that mentors and mentees participating in this program must be members of SABA. The SABA Chicago mentorship program is not currently CLE eligible.

Please visit http://sabachicago.org/mentorship-program/ to sign up.  SABA's membership committee will do its best to pair mentees with mentors with similar areas of interest. Please email mentorship@sabachicago.org with questions.

Resources

Government Honors & Internship Handbook and Public Policy Handbook: log-in now available

The Government Honors and Internship Handbook and the Public Policy Handbook are now available! To access the handbooks, use the link, login and password, which can be found in the Document Library in Symplicity. Note that many 3L/post-grad government honors program and 2L summer/semester internship program deadlines are very early in the semester; log in now to avoid missing an opportunity! 

2017-2018 PSJD Comprehensive Fellowship Guide

The 2016-2017 PSJD Fellowship Guide is an online compilation of post-graduate fellowships. To access the database and for information about how to effectively use the database, visit http://www.psjd.org/2017_-_2018_Comprehensive_Fellowship_Guide. Note that many fellowships have very early fall semester deadlines; 3Ls that are interested in applying for post-graduate fellowships should access the Guide now!

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.

ABA Student Loan Best Practices in the Face of Political Change

In today’s political climate, many questions surround the future of America’s student loan repayment programs. The current White House administration has put forth a number of proposals to change key aspects of the income-based repayment and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness programs. While it remains to be seen whether these changes will be adopted and passed by Congress, the next elected president is expected to have a significant impact on the future of student debt in America. The Democratic and Republican presidential candidates have differing visions for federal student loan programs, which could have a significant impact on your repayment strategy.

In the ABA's Student Loan Best Practices in the Face of Political Change webinar, you'll learn:

• What you should consider when choosing between federal loan programs and private student loan refinancing
• How borrowers can save $20,200+ over the life of their loans on average by refinancing
• How the current proposed changes to Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and income based repayment programs may affect your student loan repayment strategy

ABA Law Student Podcast: Public Service Loan Forgiveness

If you plan to go into public service, you may have heard about public service loan forgiveness (PSLF for short). This economic incentive offers student loan forgiveness following a minimum period of service and on-time payments towards the borrower’s debt. The cost of this benefit is aimed at making public work more attractive.

In this extended two-segment episode of ABA Law Student Podcast, hosts Fabiani Duarte and Madison Burke interview Bryan Tyson, the executive director of the Georgia Public Defender Council and Jonathan Rapping, co-founder of Gideon’s Promise. 

In segment one, you will hear from Bryan about the debt to income gap, his organization’s survey of public defenders about PSLF, and the increased importance of public defenders outside the practice of law.

In segment two, you will hear from Jonathan about student debt’s barrier to public service, the lifelong commitment of student loans, and concerns about poor people not getting justice in the event of PSLF cuts or caps.

Listen now!   

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

Log in to Symplicity for the link and password to access CareerShift (search “CareerShift” in the Document Library).

Practising Law Institute (PLI)

Practising Law Institute (PLI) invites law students to attend most of its live CLE programs, or view its live or archived Webcasts, for free, on scholarship (see PLI’s student scholarship form). They are all great sources of cutting-edge, practice-oriented content, and the live programs are terrific networking opportunities.

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:

• 2016-2017 Government Honors and Internship Handbook
• Chicago Area Law Firm List
• 2014-2015 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!

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

Resources Provided by the Chicago Bar Association

The Chicago Bar Career Center is the place to go to find legal industry professionals, jobs, and resources. Legal professionals can search for jobs, post resumes, and browse career resources to help them in all stages of their career. Employers looking for quality candidates can post jobs, search resumes, and connect with prospects. Have you visited a premier resource to connect career opportunities with highly qualified legal professionals - ? Whether you're searching for a new career or searching for a new hire, the CBA Career Center provides multiple avenues to help you achieve your goal. See below for a summary of services.

Lawcountability J.D. -
Sign-up information now available!

Lawyers and law students are facing a significantly tighter job market and a heightened level of competition for new business. This new era requires them to build consistency into their habits while more closely connecting to clients, prospects, and colleagues. Law students and lawyers seeking to raise their profiles, however, struggle with execution due to an absence of accountability. Lawcountability® is a cloud-based platform (developed by Chicago-Kent alumnus Ari Kaplan) designed to solve that problem. To watch a demo, visit http://lawcountability.com/students/.

To register for a FREE account, visit http://lawcountability.com/students/ and click on Register For a Free Account Here. Enter their information with the code LCJD2017! - this will instantly create an account and you should immediately receive a unique password with a welcome e-mail. 

2017-2018 Chicago Area Law Firm List -

The Chicago Area Law Firm List is a spreadsheet of the private sector law firms in the Chicagoland area with 4 or more attorneys. Students can use the list to identify firms that include their practice areas of interest. The Chicago Area Law Firm List can be found in the Symplicity Document Library, under the Resources tab.