Rutgers-Camden Law School Career Planning Office Blog

Certification Form for Public Service Loan Forgiveness Available

2012-02-01T13:26:00.000-05:00

The Department of Education has released an Employment Certification Form for Public Service Loan Forgiveness form to assist borrowers in tracking their qualifying employment and qualifying payments as they work toward earning loan forgiveness. A letter to borrowers outlining the process can be found here. Instructions for completing the form can be found here.

After borrowers submit the form, they will be notified whether their employment qualifies, the total number of qualifying payments they have made and how many payments still need to be made before they qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This will be a tremendous help for borrowers in documenting the 120 qualifying monthly payments (at least 10 years worth) they need to earn forgiveness. It also will provide them with some certainty that their employment qualifies.

For more information about Public Service Loan Forgiveness, see the website of Heather Jarvi s, national expert on student debt relief, and Equal Justice Works.

Spring Mock Interview Program

2012-01-27T15:56:00.002-05:00

Attorneys from Philadelphia and NJ legal employers will be conducting mock interviews in the Career Planning Office Monday, February 13^th through Thursday, February 16^th. This is a great opportunity to network and polish your interviewing skills!

All mock interviews will take place in the Career Planning Office (first floor, west building). Each interview lasts a total of 30 minutes: 20 minutes for the interview and 10 minutes for feedback. Please remember to wear business attire to your mock interview and note that while interviewer names are listed in Symplicity, the interviewer may change with little or no notice.

To sign up for a mock interview, login to your Symplicity account. Once you login in, click on OCI and choose Mock Interview Program 2012 under the Sessions drop down box. Then click on the date next to the name of the employer that you want to sign up with. Next, choose a time and click sign up. NOTE: you must upload your resume prior to signing up for a mock interview.

THE JUDGE WILLIAM M. MARUTANI FELLOWSHIP

2012-01-25T09:10:00.000-05:00

The Judge William M.Marutani Fellowship (“Fellowship”) was established by the Asian Pacific AmericanBar Association of Pennsylvania (“APABA-PA”) in conjunction with the Philadelphia Bar Foundation. The Fellowship serves to honor the legacy of Judge Marutani, the first Asian American judge in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a distinguished member of the judiciary who served both the Asian American community and the community at large for many years. Judge Marutani’s exemplary career is a model for current students who are committed to public service.

The Fellowship is offered to Asian Pacific American first-year law students at Dickinson School of Law, Rutgers-Camden University School of Law, Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law, University of Pennsylvania School of Law, Villanova University School of Law, Drexel University College of Law and Widener University School of Law.

The Fellowship will provide a stipend for a first-year Asian Pacific American law student to subsidize a summer internship position with a non-profit public interest organization or with a federal, state or municipal government entity (including the judiciary) in the Greater Philadelphia area.

Finalists will be selected based upon law school transcripts, past and present work and community service experience, prior accomplishments and awards, character, and an essay. Each finalist will be interviewed by the Fellowship Selection Committee.

The Fellowship recipient(s) will receive a stipend, up to $5,000 (depending on sources of funding available to the student other than the Marutani Fellowship), for full-time summer employment (of at least ten weeks) at an organization as described above. Applicants are eligible for the Marutani Fellowship even if they seek or receive other sources of summer funding.

After completing the internship, the Fellowship recipient will be required to complete a two-page report summarizing his/her summer experience. This report shall be submitted in a finished form appropriate for publication in the APABA-PA’s newsletter. The Fellowship recipient will also be recognized at the APABA-PA’s annual banquet in the fall.

All applications must be dated March 2, 2012. Applications can be electronically to Lynne Brown at lbrown@philabar.org. Applications may also be mailed or delivered to Lynne Brown at the Bar Foundation office at 1101 Market Street, 11^th Floor. Philadelphia, PA 19107. All deliveries must be postmarked March 2, 2012 or if they are hand-delivered, they are to be received by 4:00 p.m. on that date. For more information click here.

Equal Justice Works Summer Funding Opportunity!

2012-01-20T15:49:00.000-05:00

The Equal Justice Works Summer Corps program provides law students with the opportunity to dedicate at least 300 hours of their summer to a legal project at a qualifying nonprofit public interest organization. In 2012, 711 law students will be eligible to receive an AmeriCorps education award in the amount of $1,175 upon their successful completion of the Summer Corps program.

Applications for 2012 Summer Corps will be available Thursday, March 1, 2012. The deadline to apply is Friday, March 23, 2012. Please visit Equal Justice Works to learn more about Summer Corps and the application process.

Financial Planning Workshop, 1/25 @12:30

2012-01-20T15:45:00.002-05:00

Wed., January 25, 12:30 – 2:30 in room E 112

Financial Planning for Law Students and New Lawyers: Wondering how to make your loans and financial aid stretch through the semester? Always wanted to create a personal budget, but never got around to it? Thinking ahead to practicing law or even starting your own law practice, but wondering how you’ll make it work and pay off your loans? Come to this workshop and learn the basics of personal financial planning and get a primer on what you should know about beginning your own business. RSVP in your Symplicity account under Events!

Speed Networking, 2/22 @5:45pm

2012-01-20T15:42:00.000-05:00

Wed., February 22, 5:45- 8:00 pm in the Campus Center MPR

The Office of Career Planning invites students to participate in its Annual Speed Networking Event. Speed Networking provides students with a forum to refine their professional networking skills and teaches them the art of self-promotion. It consists of brief conversations between students and practicing lawyers, at regular intervals of time. Once the time is up, students move on to the next lawyer, then the next, ultimately giving them the chance to meet with several participating attorneys, getting career advice and tools for communicating with professionals. Allowing for optimal connections to be made, within a minimal amount of time, Speed Networking is a sure-fire way for students to avoid first-impression faux pas and networking nightmares. In this structured environment students can talk to people they wouldn’t otherwise come into contact with, and can decide whether they have an interest in a particular kind of employer or practice area. Following the one-hour speed networking session, there will be a short reception where participants can have the opportunity to speak more informally.

The program will run from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Campus Center Multi-Purpose Room. Following the one-hour speed networking session, there will be a short reception where participants can have the opportunity to speak more informally. Students should plan to arrive at 5:45 to check in for the event; students who have class until 5:50 should arrive as soon as possible after their class.

Dress is business attire; resumes are not appropriate for this event, but if you like, you may bring business cards.

RSVP for this event is OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS. Space is very limited! Please only RSVP is you are reasonably sure you will attend as there are a limited number of slots available for this program. RSVP in your Symplicity account under Events!

NJ Law Firm Group Roundtable and Networking Reception, 1/31 @6pm

2012-01-20T15:07:00.002-05:00

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Faculty Lounge, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Law firm partners, recruitment coordinators and representatives of public agencies discuss employment opportunities and the recruitment process and provide tips on preparing a resume and conducting an effective interview. Employers will help to unravel the complexities of the recruitment process, explain what potential employers are looking for and how candidates can best present their experiences and achievements.

Come Learn About Law Firm Practices and Tips on Getting Hired!

Network with Partners and Associates from New Jersey Firms!

All students are invited to attend! Food Will Be Served!

RSVP in your Symplicity account under Events!

Heather Jarvis to speak on Student Debt and Loan Forgiveness Programs

2012-01-18T15:36:00.000-05:00

Come join the Rutgers-Camden School of Law welcome Heather Jarvis for a presentation on student debt and loan forgiveness programs. The event will be on February 8, 2012 at 12:30 at Rutgers-Camden Law School.

Many government and nonprofit professionals stand to gain tens of thousands of dollars of student debt relief from the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program established by the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. But the program requirements can be confusing. Heather knows how to break it down step-by-step so it makes sense once and for all. From this presentation, you will learn how the income-based repayment plan works, how to qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness including eligible loans, qualifying employment, tax consequences, and more.

A former capital defense attorney with with law school debt, Heather Jarvis now dedicates her expertise to helping student loan borrowers make better decisions so that higher education can be a
reality for all - not just those who can afford it. Specializing in training for high-debt borrowers and the people who love them, Heather has provided guidance and information to thousands of students and
recent graduates. She has contributed to student debt relief policy for the House Education Committee and others in Congress, and spent more than six years advocating for public service loan forgiveness,
which allows more recent graduates to dedicate their careers to the greater good.

Rutgers-Camden Laws students can rsvp via Symplicity. Other Rutgers-Camden students can rsvp via email here.

Emotional Intelligence in Email

2011-11-23T09:20:00.000-05:00

Have you ever sent an email that was misinterpreted by the reader? Have you ever sent an email that communicates an emotion you didn’t intend? Have you ever received an email that made you feel angry or insulted? Whether networking for a job, communicating with a potential client, or even with colleagues in the office or at school, the tone of email matters.

Email communication is full of unintended misunderstandings – one study indicates that only slightly more than 50% of email communication is interpreted correctly. Of course written communication itself is not new, but the proliferation of email in the recent past makes for increased opportunities for misunderstanding. The ease and speed with which it is transmitted can make email feel more informal than it really is.

Clear communication is at the core of what lawyers do, and it is important to develop email writing skills as students. An unintended tone in an email can be viewed as unprofessional and reflect badly on a job application. But even well-intended emails can be misinterpreted. One way to solve the problem is to read the email aloud before sending it. You may catch a phrase that should be edited when you hear it aloud. There is even a new email tool that purports to prevent misunderstanding by scanning your email for emotional tone and offering suggestions for more accurate communication. But don’t over-rely on technology to correct your emails. Take steps now to learn to write clear, unambiguous emails with no unintended emotions.

Recording your attendance at a Professional Development Certificate Program

2011-11-09T14:39:00.001-05:00

If you attended a qualifying Professional Development Program this semester and would like to have your attendance counted toward the Professional Development Certificate, please record your attendance on the Professional Development Certificate Program course webpage. All programs that fall under the Professional Development Program are listed on the course webpage under attendance.

For more information on the Professional Development Certificate Program please visit our website.

Law Student Open House at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia

2011-10-17T15:35:00.000-04:00

Community Legal Services, Inc.

215-981-3700

www.clsphila.org

A Tougher Path to Government Employment

2011-10-11T16:27:00.001-04:00

A recent National Law Journal article discusses a slow-down in entry-level hiring by federal government agencies. Interest in the government "honors programs", the entry-level hiring system for most federal government agencies, has grown in the last few years, mainly because of the constriction of the private sector market. But hiring has begun to slow in the government too, as agencies across the board face budget pressures. The severe budget constraints at most federal agencies combined with the increase in interest, mean more candidates are applying for fewer positions.

The article goes on to discuss specific agencies that plan to hire fewer honors attorneys for 2012, but also mentions a few, such as the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Department of Energy, that are adding new honors attorney positions. Importantly, the article mentions that not all entry-level positions go to graduates from top-tier law schools with top-notch grades. While good academic credentials are important, so is a demonstrated commitment to public service, and some experience in the work of the particular agency. Clerkships are also helpful, as well as speaking a foreign language.

Students interested in working for a federal government agency need to know that the field is getting more competitive, but that being selected is more than a matter of where you go to law school and your GPA.

Registration Deadline for the Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair Extended to Monday, September 19, 2011

2011-09-08T14:37:00.000-04:00

There is still time to register for the Equal Justice Works 2011 Conference and Career Fair in Washington, D.C. on October 21 and 22. Dozens of public interest employers have already signed up and workshops have been developed to bring students the latest and greatest from the public interest law community. Learn more about the event and register here.

Judicial Clerkship Applications by the Numbers

2011-09-02T11:37:00.001-04:00

Two of three carts of federal and state appellate judicial clerkship applications -- all packaged up and waiting to be picked up by the mail room yesterday morning.

More state appellate and federal clerkship applications -- these were awaiting a fed-ex pick up yesterday afternoon.

It's hard to tell from these pictures, but we sent out approximately 2500+ judicial clerkship applications yesterday! That means around 7500 individual letters of recommendation were inserted into 2500+ clerkship applications, between August 12th and August 31st, by Career Planning staff!

Good luck to everyone who applied!

2012 Presidential Management Fellows Program

2011-09-02T10:32:00.006-04:00

Since 1977 the PMF Program has matched outstanding graduate students with exciting Federal opportunities.

This rigorous, two-year paid fellowship includes challenging assignments, potential for accelerated promotions, developmental assignments, and networking opportunities. Finalists appointed as PMFs are hired by Federal Agencies and engage in solving domestic and/or international issues in areas such as public administration, engineering, technology, science, criminal justice, health, and financial management, to name a few.

The PMF Program seeks eligible graduate students every year who want to make a difference through public service. For the PMF Class of 2012, students who complete a graduate degree (master's, law, or doctoral-level degree) during the 2011-2012 academic year (September 1, 2011 - August 31, 2012) from a qualifying college or university are eligible for consideration.

The selection process for the Presidential Management Fellows Program consists of four parts:

1. Application

2. Nomination

3. Assessment and Finalist Selection

4. Agency Placement as a Fellow

1. Application

The PMF Program uses USAJOBS External Link Icon and USAStaffing for its application process. Students will be able to apply to the PMF Program via the USAJOBS website or via a link to the job announcement posted on the PMF website. During the application process, students create an on-line account in Application Manager (a USAStaffing system). The application period is September 15-25, 2011.

2. Nomination

In addition to applying to become a PMF, students must be officially nominated by the Dean. Once you have completed your online application, you will be able to print a Nomination Form. All Nomination Forms are due to the Career Planning Office by September 26th. Please include an updated copy of your resume along with your Nomination Form.

3. Assessment and Finalist Selection

There are two phases to the assessment process. In the first phase, students who are nominated and found to be eligible will be invited by email to take an online, un-proctored assessment. The invitation will include specific instructions on how to complete the assessment. Individuals will be required to take it without the help of others and it is timed.

The second phase is an in-person assessment. If the student scores sufficiently high on the online assessment, he or she will be invited to one of the assessment center locations to participate in an in-person assessment. The invitation will contain detailed information on the date, time, and location of the in-person assessment. An "Assessment Preparation Guide" is available under the "Become A PMF\Assessment Process" section on this website.

This year, PMF expects to host the in-person assessments from mid-November to mid-December, 2011 (excluding the week of Thanksgiving). The tentative locations are:

Atlanta, GA

Boston, MA

Chicago, IL

Denver, CO

San Francisco, CA

Washington, DC

The final locations will be listed in the announcement for applicants to choose their preferred in-person assessment center location.

Students who are among the highest scoring on the in-person assessment will become "Finalists" and move to the next phase of the process.

4. Agency Placement as a Fellow

Finalists can apply to openings at specific Federal Agencies as a Presidential Management Fellow. Finalists who receive a job offer from an agency, subject to a background investigation, must be appointed within twelve months of the official announcement of their selection as a Finalist.

More information about application, nomination, and selection is available on the PMF website, at www.pmf.gov.

3L Family Law Career Opportunity: Thomas S. Forkin, Jr., Family Law Inn of Court

2011-08-15T14:56:00.001-04:00

The Forkin Family Law Inn of Court invites selected 3L students to participate as guests of the Inn in monthly dinner meetings, held the 3rd Tuesday of the month, September to April, starting at 5:30pm. The Inn is an association of local family court judges, their clerks, and experienced family law practitioners, who meet to have dinner and engage in professional development activities. Each session focuses on a different topic, and a different group of members is in charge of the presentation. The Inn covers the costs for the students selected.

Interested 3Ls are requested to send Professor Ann Freedman, aefreedm@camden.rutgers.edu, an e-mail by September 7, expressing interest, and providing information on family law background, career plans and availability for Inn meetings throughout the year. Preference is given to students with strong academic records who plan to clerk for a family court judge or practice family law in South Jersey or nearby surrounding areas, and to students who are available to participate both semesters.

To learn more about the American Inns of Court, visit their website. Inns of Court promote civility, professionalism and mentoring through the bench and bar based upon the old English model of having new lawyers join an Inn and live with "masters" who mentor them. Inns nowadays meet once a month for dinner and a program. Every member is assigned a team and each team presents one program per year. Students are not required to participate in a program, but may do so if they wish. The members are judges, masters (members who have been in practice for a certain amount of time and have a certain level of experience,) barristers, and associates (new lawyers.) Every team has members from each category. (Most of the Forkin Inn's members practice in Camden, Burlington and Gloucester Counties, though there are some members from Atlantic and Mercer Counties as well) The programs are always entertaining as well as educational, and student participants get dinner, wine and beer. Past student participants have very much enjoyed their involvement, and many have later clerked for judges who are members of the Inn.

2012 Public Defender Corps Application Period Opens August 15

2011-08-15T14:10:00.000-04:00

Across the country, public defender offices are underfunded, understaffed and burdened with insurmountable caseloads. With too few public defenders handling too many cases, those who cannot afford representation are being denied their fundamental right to counsel, and many are languishing in jail at taxpayers’ expense. Equal Justice Works and the Southern Public Defender Training Center have launched a new initiative to combat this growing problem. Public Defender Corps will provide intensive training and mentoring to new attorneys with the goal of supporting the public defender community and raising the standard of representation across the country.

The inaugural class of 18 Public Defender Corps members have completed training and joined public defender offices in Alabama, Louisiana, Kentucky, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee where they will receive ongoing training and mentoring.

Applications for the 2012 Public Defender Corps class will be accepted beginning August 15, 2011. Applications must be completed and submitted online by 5 p.m. EDT, September 16, 2011. Late and/or incomplete applications will not be accepted. Approximately 14 Fellowship positions will be available in the 2012 class. Please note that the selection process for host sites is currently underway and will be completed in the Fall. Applicants who advance to the final round of review will be able to rank their host site preferences.

Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair registration opens Tuesday, August 16

2011-08-11T10:07:00.000-04:00

Equal Justice Works is gearing up for their 2011 Conference and Career Fair, which will be in Washington, D.C. October 21 and 22. Dozens of public interest employers have already signed up and several workshops are being developed to bring students the latest and greatest from the public interest law community.

Student registration opens Tuesday, August 16, 2011 on the EJW website.

Equal Justice Works Fellowship Program Update

2011-08-11T10:05:00.000-04:00

The 2012 Equal Justice Works Fellowships competition is underway and the online application is available from the EJW website. Preferred funding locations and issue areas have been updated, but note that the list is not exhaustive. Some funding partners do not express specific preferences and EJW welcomes all project proposals. The deadline for submission is 5pm EDT on Wednesday, September 14, 2011. Fellows selected this fall will begin their terms in September 2012. Questions should be directed to fellowships@equaljusticeworks.org or (202) 466-3686, ext. 202.

EJW 2012 Public Defender Corps application opens August 15

2011-08-11T10:01:00.001-04:00

Across the country, public defender offices are underfunded, understaffed and burdened with insurmountable caseloads. With too few public defenders handling too many cases, those who cannot afford representation are being denied their fundamental right to counsel, and many are languishing in jail at taxpayers’ expense

Equal Justice Works and the Southern Public Defender Training Center (SPTDC) have launched a new initiative to combat this growing problem. Public Defender Corps will provide intensive training and mentoring to new attorneys with the goal of supporting the public defender community and raising the standard of representation across the country.

Equal Justice Works will begin accepting applications for the 2012 Public Defender Corps class on August 15, 2011. Applications must be completed and submitted online by 5 p.m. EDT, September 16, 2011. Late and/or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Approximately 14 Fellowship positions will be available in the 2012 class. Please note that the selection process for host sites is currently underway and will be completed in the Fall. Applicants who advance to the final round of review will be able to rank their host site preferences.

Please check back on the Equal Justice Works website on August 15, 2011 for access to the online application.

Independence Foundation Public Interest Law Fellowship Application for 2012 Available

2011-08-04T14:32:00.003-04:00

The Independence Foundation is pleased to announce the seventeenth year of the Independence Foundation Public Interest Law Fellowship Program. The Fellowship Program is designed to support public interest legal services by funding the compensation of lawyers at public interest law organizations located in Philadelphia and its surrounding counties. The Foundation is specifically interested in addressing the need for legal aid to the disadvantaged, including the elderly, the disabled, the homeless or those deprived of their civil or human rights.

Each Fellowship will provide the Fellow an annual salary in the amount of $46,000, plus the cost of health care benefits, disability insurance and employer’s withholding taxes. In those instances where the Fellow has incurred debt in funding his or her education, the Fellowship will also include an amount payable to assist the Fellow in meeting these obligations up to a maximum of $10,000 a year. The duration of a Fellowship is one year, subject to renewal for one additional year.

During the 2012 year of the Fellowship Program, the Foundation expects to grant a maximum of three Fellowships to law school graduates who are within five years of graduation, with the expectation that these Fellows will begin to render service in the public interest by the end of September 2012. Applications are due on September 28, 2011, and selections will be announced in mid-December, 2011.

Click here for the application.

Free Webinar: Tips on Creating a Winning Fellowship Application

2011-08-03T14:17:00.000-04:00

Planning on applying for a Public Interest Fellowship? Don't miss the free webinar being offered by Equal Justice Works on how to prepare a winning application. Applications for Equal Justice Works Fellowships must be submitted online by 5 p.m. EDT on September 14, 2011.

Judicial Clerkship Applications FAQs

2011-07-28T15:20:00.001-04:00

When Do I Apply?

Federal: paper applications should be delivered to the court on Tuesday, September 6, 2011. (and not a day earlier -- per the federal law clerk hiring plan). If you want Career Planning to mail your apps, deliver ASSEMBLED applications to the Career Planning Office no later than August 12^th at noon. Assembled means that you have placed your application materials in each of your red folders (in the right inside pocket of each folder in the following order: cover letter on top, then resume, unofficial transcripts, and writing sample). Letters of recommendation (LORs) are due from your recommenders the same day. We will insert your LORs in the left inside pocket of your folders.

We will mail up to 75 paper applications for you. If you have more than that, we will still insert your letters of recommendation for you, but we will return to you anything in excess of 75. Just make sure you let us know that you have more than 75 when you drop them off.

You should complete any OSCAR applications by August 12th. Recommenders cannot upload their letters until you at least create a partial application for each judge you plan to apply to (i.e., at least upload a resume for each judge you will apply to and select your recommenders for those particular judges). OSCAR will hold your apps and release them on September 6.

NJ State Appellate/Supreme Court: Follow the same timing guidelines for federal judges. All of these applications will be paper since OSCAR is for federal judges only.

NJ State Trial: We recommend applying in early to mid August.

PA: The PA system is not uniform and not every judge hires a law clerk. Many PA judges hire on an as needed basis when vacancies arise.

Other States: Every state has its own set of procedures and some state judges do not hire law clerks. Check out the Guide to State Judicial Clerkships on the Career Planning website for details on other states.

How Do I know Who is Hiring?

Federal: check OSCAR for openings. All federal judges are listed in OSCAR and most do list information about their clerkship openings in OSCAR, but check back frequently, since some judges may update their clerkship information late in the season. Greyed-out judges are judges for which OSCAR has no information and do not participate in OSCAR at all. Students may wish to apply to the greyed-out judges via paper applications.

NJ State: All NJ state judges are hiring (every judge hires a new clerk every year for a 1 year term).

PA State: The PA system is not uniform and not every judge hires a law clerk. Many PA judges hire on an as needed basis when vacancies arise and typically post openings on court websites and through law school career planning offices.

Other States: Every state has its own set of procedures and some state judges do not hire law clerks. Check out the Guide to State Judicial Clerkships on the Career Planning website for details on other states.

What Application Materials Do I Need to Apply?

Federal and NJ State Appellate/Supreme: Resume, cover letter, 2 – 3 letters of recommendation, writing sample, unofficial transcripts.

NJ State Trial: Resume, cover letter, unofficial transcripts (bring a list of references and writing sample with you on your interviews). You mail these on your own to each individual judge.

PA: Resume, cover letter and unofficial transcript for trial level courts. Resume, cover letter, 2 – 3 letters of recommendation, writing sample, and unofficial transcripts for PA appellate clerkships. But remember, the PA system is not uniform and not every judge hires a law clerk. Many PA judges hire on an as needed basis when vacancies arise.

Other States: Every state has its own set of procedures and some state judges do not hire law clerks. Check out the Guide to State Judicial Clerkships on the Career Planning website for details on other states.

How Do I Apply?

Federal. Many federal judges accept applications through OSCAR. OSCAR has a complete listing of federal judges and each judge listing will tell you how to apply to that particular judge (i.e., through OSCAR or through a paper application via mail).

State Appellate/Supreme Court. Paper applications via mail.

State Trial. Paper applications via mail.

How Do I Get Contact Information for Judges?

Your Symplicity account has contact info for Federal and NJ, PA, and DE trial and appellate judges. You can download spreadsheets of contact info under Clerkships. Just login, click on Clerkships and fill out the search form. You can download pre-made spreadsheets for NJ state trial, appellate division and supreme court judges, as well as for NJ, NY, PA and DE federal judges. To access the pre-made spreadsheets, login to Simplicity, click on Documents, then click Document Library.

After I Have Downloaded a Spreadsheet, What Do I Do With it?

You will use these spreadsheets to mail merge your cover letters for paper applications and, in the case of Federal and State Appellate/Supreme Court applications, to send to your recommendation writers for their mail merge of your LORs. If you are applying to OSCAR judges, also email your faculty recommenders a separate “OSCAR Judges” list; this “OSCAR Judges” list need not be an excel list or in mail merge format, and may simply be included in the actual text of the email to your faculty recommender.

What’s a Mail Merge?

A mail merge is a time-saving process by which you merge a document, like a cover letter, with a data source, like an excel spreadsheet of names and addresses. In this case, the result is individual cover letters addressed to each person in the spreadsheet. You can use this process for your cover letter and your faculty recommendation writers’ assistants can use it for your LORs. If you have outside recommenders, no need to have them do a mail merge. Just ask them for one letter with the salutation “Your Honor”.

You can use the mail merge template on the website to see how to set up a mail merge. You can also find instructions for doing a mail merge in word here.

What Are the Red Rutgers Folders for? How do I Get my Hands on Them?

The red folders are for federal and state appellate applications and are available in the Career Planning Office. You can drop by and pick-up up to 75 folders. Please know how many state appellate and federal judges you plan to apply to via paper applications before you come in to pick-up folders.

How Will My Letters of Recommendation get Uploaded onto OSCAR/included with Apps that Career Planning Mails?

Once the letter is written (usually some time in early August), faculty assistants will upload the letters onto OSCAR and give the paper copies to Career Planning for inclusion with your apps. We then put them in your red folders with your other materials. For outside recommenders, ask them to write one “To Whom it May Concern” (or “Your Honor”) letter and email the signed version to recommendationletters@camlaw.rutgers.edu and put “Letter of Recommendation for Student Name” in the subject line of the email and we will insert a copy into each of your paper applications and upload the letter for any OSCAR applications. NOTE that we will upload to OSCAR any letters from outside recommenders at the end of August, usually the last week of August. When we upload your letter, we actually attach it to each application that you have created in OSCAR. Therefore, if you create additional OSCAR applications after we upload your outside recommender's letter, you will need to request that we upload the letter to these additional applications.

Where Can I get More Information?

On the Career Planning website. Make sure you check out the State Trial Clerkship Application Instructions and the Federal and State Appellate/Supreme Court Clerkship Application Instructions.

Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair, Registration Opens August 16th!

2011-07-11T15:39:00.000-04:00

Would you like to connect with public interest employers from all across the country and meet fellow public interest-minded students and practitioners in the field? Look no further than the Equal Justice Works 2011 Conference and Career Fair in Washington, DC on October 21st and 22nd. With more than 130 public interest employers and over 1,300 public interest law students under one roof, why go anywhere else?

At the Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair, there are opportunities for both scheduled formal and informal interviews with employers. You can also have your résumé reviewed by trained professionals, take part in inspiring conference sessions and workshops focused on issues you care about and network with like-minded students, graduates, law school professionals and practitioners.

Beginning August 16, students and graduates will be able to apply to job and internship postings. Students and graduates will have to create an account and register to attend before applying to positions.
Employers will review résumés and make interviewing decisions between September 14 and September 28. Students selected for an interview will receive an email notification by September 30 and will be able to accept or decline interviews until October 6 at 5 p.m. EDT.

National Lawyers Guild Networking and Q & A Event, 7/11 @6pm

2011-06-30T10:33:00.002-04:00

How Do I get a Progressive Job in the Economy or Stay Visible in the Meantime?
Monday July 11, 6-8pm
Cherry Street Tavern
129 N. 22nd Street

Topics Include:

The many paths to finding a job you like
Trends in the progressive job market
Strategies for getting that dream job
Survival strategies: getting by while moving forward
Clerkships/Fellowships
Opportunities to workshop your resume and cover letters

Lawyers will be available from 6:00 – 6:30 to review resumes.

National LGBT Bar Association 2011 Lavender Law Conference & Career Fair, September 8-10 in Hollywood, CA

2011-06-24T10:29:00.000-04:00

Each year, the National LGBT Bar Association hosts the Lavender Law Conference and Career Fair to bring together the best and brightest legal minds in the LGBT community. The three-day conference draws over 1,200 attendees and features over 35 workshops and panel discussions. The career fair, held on the first day of the conference, draws over 500 students and features over 130 recruiters.

For more information and to register, click here.

Hispanic Bar Association of NJ Diverse Summer Associate Mixer

2011-06-24T09:57:00.000-04:00

Thursday, July 21
6:30-10:30pm
@ the Chart House in Weehawken, NJ

Come and enjoy sounds of summer, cocktails, hor d’oeruves while you mix and mingle with your law school peers and network with private practitioners, in-house counsel, government and public interest attorneys, and members of the judiciary.

For more information and to register,click here.

The Fall Recruiting Season: Equal Justice Works Fellowships

2011-06-22T14:45:00.001-04:00

Equal Justice Works, the national clearinghouse for public interest law, has three different fellowship programs.

AmeriCorps Legal Fellowships are fellowships hosted by specific legal services providers to work on legal issues of concern for underserved communities in across the country. Applications are made directly to the host organizations, and postings of available positions can be found at PSLawNet or Idealist, using the search term "Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps". Applications are being accepted now for these fellowships, which begin in the fall of 2011.

The Equal Justice Works Fellowships Program partners talented lawyers wanting to pursue public interest legal careers with host organizations and sponsors to support projects that serve underrepresented populations across the country. The two-year, postgraduate fellowships allow attorneys passionate about public interest law to develop and implement new legal projects that impact thousands of lives and serve communities in desperate need of legal assistance. The application materials for this fellowship will be available on July 6, 2011.

The newest fellowship program administered by Equal Justice Works is the Public Defender Corps. The Public Defender Corps provides intensive training and mentoring to new attorneys with the goal of supporting the public defender community and raising the standard of representation across the country. The application procedures and deadlines for the 2012 Public Defender Corps have not been determined yet. Check the website frequently for updates and announcements.

The Fall Recruiting Season: Applying to the Department of Justice

2011-06-22T14:19:00.001-04:00

If you are considering a career with the worlds largest legal employer, The United States Department of Justice, now is the time to get your application materials together. For recent law school graduates and those completing clerkships and fellowships, the application period opens July 25, 2011 and closes September 6, 2001. Visit the website of the Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management for complete information. For information on internships at DOJ click here.

For some answers to frequently asked questions about hiring at DOJ, see the PSLawNet blog post Expert Opinion: Interviews and More. Also see Do Your Legal Career Justice, a presentation prepared by the DOJ that explains all the opportunities for law students and recent law school graduates.

An Innovative Approach to Legal Recruiting - More Employers Move Away from Traditional On-Campus Recruiting

2011-06-13T14:48:00.002-04:00

A recent article on AmLaw Daily takes a look at a recruitment model being utilized by Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, a 190 - lawyer firm based in Nashville. Instead of interviewing at the beginning of the 2L year, Waller Lansen will interview students in the summer of their 2L year for actual positions based on the need of each of its practice groups. Final hiring decisions will be made by mid- August and a six week apprenticeship program begins in the first week of September of the third year. The apprenticeship is done primarily via video-conferencing so students can balance the apprentice-ship and their 3L classes. It also allows students from anywhere in the country to participate. Final employment offers, for jobs to start the fall following graduation, are expected to be made by mid-October. An overview of the firm's recruiting process can be found here.

As firms continue to refine their hiring processes in order to better meet client needs and demands, it is likely we will see more innovative recruitment programs. The traditional model of on-campus recruitment has never been the only way to get a legal job, and as it continues to evolve in response to the demands of the market it is more important than ever to have multiple strategies for landing a legal job after law school.

Free Webinars on Student Debt and Fellowships From Equal Justice Works!

2011-06-09T13:49:00.001-04:00

Plan Before You Borrow: What You Should Know About Educational Loans BEFORE You Go to Graduate School

Thursday, June 16, 2 p.m. EDT

Interested in government or public interest work after graduating? This webinar will help you plan ahead and make sure you can take full advantage of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, the most significant law affecting public service in a generation. The webinar will focus in detail on:

• The importance of taking out the right kind of loans
• How to consolidate or reconsolidate your previous student loans
• How the College Cost Reduction and Access Act can free you to pursue a public interest career

To register for this webinar click here.

Winning Equal Justice Works Style: Tips For Creating a Successful Fellowship Application

Thursday, June 16, 1 p.m. EDT

Passionate about public interest law? Equal Justice Works is the nation's leader in creating public interest opportunities for lawyers. Our fellowships provide financial and technical support to lawyers working on innovative and impactful legal projects.

This free, interactive webinar will walk you through the fellowship application process and provide inside tips for creating a successful application. Law school professionals and students are welcome to join the session.

To register for this webinar click here.

Changes to NY State Supreme Court Appellate Division, 3rd Dept. Appellate Court Attorney Recruitment Process

2011-06-06T13:42:00.001-04:00

The NY State Supreme Court Appellate Division, 3rd Dept. will be handling a good portion of its Appellate Court Attorney recruitment process electronically. Once the process gets underway later this summer, prospective applications will be able to view the job postings and apply directly online through the "Employment Opportunities" link on the Court's webpage.

Congratulations to Rutgers-Camden Students selected to join the Equal Justice Works Summer Corps for 2011!

2011-06-01T13:54:00.000-04:00

The Equal Justice Works Summer Corps program provides law students with the opportunity to dedicate their summer to a legal project at a qualifying nonprofit public interest organization. Summer Corps members expand the delivery of critically needed legal assistance in low-income and underserved communities across the country on a broad range of issue areas. Summer Corps provides 700 law students with the opportunity to earn education award vouchers for dedicating their summer to a qualifying legal project at a nonprofit public interest organization.

This year, Rutgers-Camden is proud to recognize the following nine students who were selected from a national candidate pool to be members of the Summer Corp:

Ellen Camburn Justin Moore

Alysa Castro Kirsten Rohnholt

Amanda Dalton Paula Sen

Jason Lerner Jessica Starkman

Colleen McCafferty

Congratulations on the honor and for choosing to use your skills to provide legal assistance to the underserved!

Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judicial Fellowship Program for Recent Law School Graduates

2011-05-26T15:53:00.001-04:00

The Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, in conjunction with the Earle Mack School of Law at Drexel University, Temple University Beasley School of Law, the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Villanova University School of Law, Rutgers University School of Law-Camden, Penn State Dickinson School of Law and Widener University School of Law ("participating law schools") is pleased to announce an exciting opportunity for recent law school graduates interested in gaining professional experience to work directly with judges within Philadelphia's court system.

Recognizing that there are many exceptional graduates from Philadelphia area law schools seeking professional development opportunities in our current difficult legal economy, and that many judges could benefit from additional legal talent due to the Court's commitment to prompt and fair resolution of cases notwithstanding the Court's high volume caseload, the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas is initiating a Fellowship Program for their mutual benefit.

The Judicial Fellowship Program aims to provide talented law graduates with substantive experience in the law, and to support the Court in carrying out key functions. Fellows will volunteer their time, have the same responsibilities as regular paid judicial law clerks, and gain the benefit of training by judges in the Philadelphia courts. Judges will help new lawyers by mentoring, providing legal experience and enhancing their ability to acquire paid employment. The fellows will help our high volume Court system maintain its superior quality of service to the Philadelphia community. The Court hopes that this program will have a positive impact on both the graduates and the chambers in which they are placed.

For more information, Rutgers-Camden law graduates can login to the Rutgers-Camden law job bank in Symplicity and view the job listing for the the judicial fellowship program, which includes the program application and a list of judges accepting judicial fellow applications.

To qualify for this program, graduates must apply within the first two years of graduation.

Big Law Not For You? Tips For Landing A Job at A Small Firm.

2011-05-26T14:46:00.001-04:00

There has never been a predictable path from law school to small law firm work. They don’t come to interview on campus, they don’t uniformly care about good grades, journal or other traditional indicia of academic performance, and they don’t hire regularly. Even though it’s gotten harder over the last few years, getting a job at a big firm at least has a predicable route. So what are small firms looking for in candidates?

A recent post on Above the Law, written by Jay Shepherd, offers some advice, but it might be somewhat surprising. In his list of ten traits that the best candidates for small firm jobs share, not one legal skill appears. The traits that Shepherd lists have much more to do with the kind of person you are than about the kind of student you are. And while all small firms may not use the same criteria, many do rely on the kids of things Shepherd lists. Many Public Interest employers look for similar traits, in addition to a passion and dedication to serving the disenfranchised.

To close the piece, Shepard writes “I’m glad you got decent grades, went to an OK law school, and work hard. But what I really care about is your personality, and whether I’d be comfortable having you interact with my clients. And whether I could stand to work with you every day. These ten traits would show me that I could.”

“Permanent Associate” Positions at Large Law Firms: Part of the New Normal

2011-05-25T15:33:00.000-04:00

The New York Times reports on the growing use of “permanent associates” at large law firms as one method for controlling costs, which allows savings be passed on to clients in reduced ( or at least not increased) fees. Large firms are not willing to completely eliminate the high salaries paid to top recruits from top law schools, but the model of constant growth at that level has proven unsustainable. The result is a growing two-tiered system of compensation, and corresponding responsibility.

While the kind of work a “permanent associate” may do can be quite interesting and high-level, the amount of work will be much less, allowing for much greater control over scheduling. Though the salary is dramatically lower than that of an associate on the partnership track, the trade-off may be worth it in order to have some sort of work-life balance, which may be attractive to young lawyers beginning a family. Another trade-off may be location, since firms tend to locate their “permanent associates” in smaller cities with lower costs.

Firms using this model point out that it keeps jobs in the United States as opposed to outsourcing legal work to other countries where it can be done cheaply. But lower salaries make it difficult for the attorneys to pay off the large amount of debt many students have accumulated to earn their law degree. And once you are labeled a “permanent associate” it may not be possible to move onto the partnership track.

More developments to keep an eye on in the changing legal economy. Stay tuned to this blog for more news about the legal market.

St. Thomas More Society of the Diocese of Wilmington's Fourth Annual Open House, Thursday, June 9th

2011-05-25T14:30:00.004-04:00

The St. Thomas More Society of the Diocese of Wilmington invites prospective members, current member and friends to their Fourth Annual Open House, Thursday, June 9th.

Learn more about the St. Thomas More Society, meet current members, and enjoy complimentary hors d'oeuvres and generous drink specials on the back patio while listening to live music.

Date/Time/Location: Thursday, June 9th, 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., Kelly's Logan House, 1701 Delaware Avenue, Wilmington, Delaware

RSVP to Gina Murphy at GMurphy@cblh.com by Friday June 3.

Hoping to land a position at a big firm next year? Be prepared for changes in the interviewing process.

2011-05-24T15:10:00.000-04:00

A recent article in USA Today describes some of the recent changes in law firm interviewing. Large law firms and other employers that participate in fall on-campus recruiters have used the same interviewing methods for the past 20 years or so. But change is in the air as firms look for ways to find students with skills and talents that meet the firm needs.

At firms where there have been changes, the initial on-campus screening interview remains much the same. But for those students who make the first cut and get called back for a second or third interview, depending on the firm, there will be little similarity to the interviews where talking about favorite law school classes, study abroad and working at a soup kitchen were the norm. At Pepper Hamilton, for example the new model consists of “a three-pronged interview ……..that offers students an almost instantaneous opportunity to showcase their analytical abilities and legal prowess. After an initial 20-minute session, which is largely still based on the traditional model, students move through interactive interviews discussing their writing samples and arguing a fact pattern with firm attorneys. Though arriving at the "right" answer is not crucial, the firm's unique, hands-on scenario gives attorneys a chance to evaluate a student's analytical and communication skills, as well as their abilities to listen and work as part of a team. “

Other developments in interviewing, such as behavioral interviewing, are being used by legal employers in their hiring processes. Behavioral interview questions ask candidates to describe how they performed in a particular kind of situation, thus giving the employer some sense of how the candidate might perform in the future.

These new interview models should give students the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and competencies in ways that the old model did not. Be prepared for the new law firm interview!

Terrific Summer Opportunities for 1L's and 2L's Still Available!

2011-05-18T15:36:00.000-04:00

Did you wait until the last minute to start your search for a summer legal position? No worries! There are still positions available. Several Public Interest organizations are looking for help this summer on a variety of projects. Working for a Public Interest organization is great experience, for both 1L's and 2L's, even if you don't plan on a public interest career after graduation. The financial crisis affecting public interest organizations means that there is lots of substantive work waiting to be done. And when resources are scarce, law students are a significant source of help for public interest lawyers and their clients. Take advantage of one of these opportunities to use your skills to make a real impact this summer.

Positions still available include:

1. The joint Civil Consequences Project of the Defender Association of Philadelphia and Rutgers Camden Center for Public Interest Training, Rutgers School of Law, Camden, is looking to fill internship/externship and volunteer positions for the summer of 2011. Law students with an interest in indigent criminal defense, social benefits and continuing legal education are invited to apply. Applicants must be able to work independently and with groups, have advanced research and writing skills, display flexible independent thought and analysis skills, be able to confer with third party experts, and have basic computer competency. If you would like to be considered for a position, please forward a letter of interest and resume to the attention of Peter J. Thompson.

2. The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania seeks rising 2L and 3L law students for an important and interesting pro bono project this summer. Volunteers will receive initial training and ongoing support. This is a great opportunity to learn about constitutional litigation while engaging in valuable volunteer work. Students must commit to at least 5 hours of work each week and all work is to be done in the office. Interested students please email Sarah Maguire.

3. The Philadelphia Chapter of the National Lawyer’s Guild seeks an unpaid summer intern to work on the Know Your Rights Committee. The intern will conduct research, writing and editing of various materials used in the Know Your Rights trainings. Intern will be responsible for updating and localizing legal information contained in training literature. The intern will also help prepare KYR’s presentations for various local community groups, schools and churches. Many areas of law are included in the trainings, and thus this is an opportunity for a student to gain exposure to a wide variety of legal issues. The Intern will work under the supervision of an attorney. Applicants should have a strong interest in public interest law and a background in volunteerism. Additionally, we seek applicants with strong research and organizational skills. Please apply with a cover letter, resume, transcript, writing sample and a brief paragraph articulating why you believe you would be a good fit for this project. Send all application materials to Sarah Maguire.

For complete information and application instructions for these opportunities and more, visit the job postings section of your Symplicity account.

VIP’s Summer Pro Bono Program for Law Students

2011-05-17T12:12:00.001-04:00

VIP’s SummerPro Bono Program is geared specifically to law students at the inception of their careers to educate them about issues of poverty in Philadelphia and to promote an ethic of service to address those issues through pro bono work.

Participants in the Summer Pro Bono Program will:

Attend a training on VIP's work with the City of Philadelphia's Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program, an innovative program that provides thousands of homeowners an opportunity to negotiate face to face with lenders’ representatives to save their homes from foreclosure
Discuss the importance of pro bono with judges from the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Bar Association leaders and VIP Board Members during a complimentary luncheon
Shadow a volunteer attorney or housing counselor as they assist clients at a conciliation conference during the summer months

Friday, June 17, 2011

8:45am-1:00pm

Pennsylvania Bar Institute

Wanamaker Building, 100 Penn Square East, 10^th Floor

There is a $50 charge to attend the event which covers all the costs of the day (breakfast, lunch and training materials). This cost is usually contributed by the students’ employer. Alternate pricing available is the employer is unable to cover the cost. Click here for registration materials. Registration ends Wednesday, June 8. Questions can be directed to Bailey Andersen, at jvolunteer@phillyvip.org or (215) 523-9567.

Take Philadelphia VIP's "30 for 30" Pledge!

2011-05-12T11:17:00.000-04:00

Join Philadelphia VIP as we celebrate 30 years of providing access to justice for those most in need in our community and recognize the dedicated volunteers and friends who have supported VIP throughout the years.

Philadelphia VIP, the hub of pro bono in Philadelphia, promotes justice for the poor by providing civil legal services not otherwise available, collaborating with other legal services organizations and promoting a culture of volunteerism by educating and exposing attorneys and law students to issues of poverty. Our own Assistant Dean Eve Biskind Klothen was the founding Executive Director of Philadelphia VIP, and was honored at a gala anniversary event, along with former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell.

In honor of Philadelphia VIP’s 30th Anniversary, all attorneys and graduating law students are invited to take the “30 for 30” pledge. By signing the pledge, you agree to perform thirty hours of pro bono service during VIP’s anniversary year (2011). Pro bono work provides excellent training for new lawyers, and builds connections to the finest role models in the legal profession.

VIP will recognize signers of the pledge on our website and at a 30th Anniversary ceremony during National Pro Bono Week (October 24-28).

Thank you for saying yes to access to justice for all! To sign up for the pledge, click here for law students and here for lawyers.

Loan Forgiveness Webinars

2011-05-09T16:23:00.000-04:00

Don't miss out on some great free resources online this summer on loan forgiveness and loan repayment programs.

Heather Jarvis, a national expert on student debt, will host a webinar on May 25th. Her website has lots of other resources on student loans and student debt. Follow her on twitter and read her blog for the most up-to-date information on student debt relief programs.

Equal Justice Works also offers webinars on student debt relief. Don't miss the webinar on May 18th on How to Pay Your Bills AND Your Student Loans: Utilizing Income-Based Repayment.

2011 Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg “Pursuit of Justice” Legal Writing Competition

2011-05-09T11:39:00.000-04:00

Entries are now being accepted for the Philadelphia Bar Association’s 2011 Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Pursuit of Justice Legal Writing Competition. The Bar Association recognizes the importance of excellence in legal analysis and writing skills, and seeks to award a student enrolled in an American Bar Association-approved or provisionally approved Philadelphia-area law school for authoring a top-quality competition submission.

This competition is open to full- and part-time law students who are in their second or third year of study during the 2010-11 academic year at one of the following six institutions: Drexel University Earle Mack School of Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School, Rutgers University School of Law – Camden, Temple University Beasley School of Law, Villanova University School of Law and Widener University School of Law (Delaware Campus). Part-time law students in their third or later year of study are also eligible. Students must be in good standing at their institutions. The submission may not have been published previously, although it may have been prepared in connection with a law school course or for a law journal. The submission also may not have been submitted for any other competition during the time when it is under consideration for this competition, until after the time when awards are announced. The submission must be the work of one author alone (joint submissions will not be considered), and the author must certify that the submission has been prepared without substantial editing from others.

Candidates may submit a law review quality submission on any topic relating to rights, privileges and responsibilities under federal law. Entries must be received by Friday, May 13 at 4 p.m. (deadline extended). To enter this competition click here. To view the rules click here.

The author of the winning submission will receive a cash award of $2,500, the publication of the winning submission in The Philadelphia Lawyer, on the Bar Association's website and/or in an appropriate Bar Association publication. The winner will be invited to a Quarterly Meeting of the Bar Association, at which time the award will be presented.

Philadelphia Bar Association's Public Interest Brown Bag Lunch Series

2011-05-06T09:43:00.000-04:00

The Law School Outreach Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association announces it’s Public Interest Brown Bag Lunch Series for 2011. Every Thursday at noon during the summer, the Philadelphia Bar Association will host a panel discussion featuring practitioners from area public interest legal organizations. This is a great opportunity to learn about the variety and depth of public interest lawyering in the area, and to meet and network with public interest lawyers and like-minded students from other area law schools.

If you would like to be added to the email distribution list for this series of events over the summer, please send your name and email address to Rebecca Baehr as soon as possible. The first panel will be held on June 2nd, with subsequent panels every Thursday through August 4th. The schedule is as follows:

LAW SCHOOL OUTREACH COMMITTEE
SUMMER BROWN BAG SERIES 2011
1101 Market Street, 11th Floor, Thursdays 12pm to 1:30pm

6/2/11 Fellowships

6/9/11 Complex Litigation/Appeals/Tech Support

ACLU of PA
Pennsylvania Innocence Project
Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia
National Clearinghouse on the Defense of Battered Women

6/16/11 Systems Advocacy

Education Law Center
Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania
Juvenile Law Center
PA Institutional Law Project

6/23/11 Lawyering in the Community

Face to Face Legal Center
Community Legal Services
Good Shepherd Mediation Program
Legal Clinic for the Disabled
The Legal Services Department of the Mazzoni Center

6/30/11 Change through Policy Work

Women’s Law Project
Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts
Regional Housing Legal Services
Pennsylvania Health Law Project

7/7/11 Hot Topics in Direct Service

SeniorLAW Center
Philadelphia Legal Assistance
AIDS Law Project of PA
Support Center for Child Advocates
Women Against Abuse Legal Center

7/14/11 Government and Criminal Practice Panel

7/21/11 No Panel – Reception 5-7pm Location TBA

7/28/11 Making Pro Bono Part of your Career

Philadelphia VIP
Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
Consumer Bankruptcy Assistance Project
Homeless Advocacy Project

8/4/11 Hot Topics in Immigrant Rights

Nationalities Service Center
Friends of Farmworkers
Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center
HIAS

The Horace Wu (’75) and Kate King Wu Public Interest Summer Fellowship

2011-05-03T11:18:00.000-04:00

Through a generous donation from Horace Wu ('75) and Kate King Wu, the Rutgers School of Law Clinical and Pro Bono Programs are hiring a summer fellow to engage in client representation, community outreach, and research. The ideal candidate will be a rising 2L or 3L with a demonstrated commitment to public service and excellent communication skills. Spanish language ability and experience with immigration/poverty law are "pluses." The fellow will receive a stipend of $2,000 and will be expected to work full-time for 8 weeks, or part-time for up to 12 weeks.

Interested students should e-mail a cover letter, resume, 3-5 page writing sample, and the names and contact information of two references to Professors Jill Friedman and Joanne Gottesman by May 16th, 2011.

Philadelphia’s Nationally Recognized Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program Needs Pro Bono Attorneys

2011-05-03T10:29:00.000-04:00

Pro bono attorneys are needed to say YES to low-income homeowners facing foreclosure.

The Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program, instituted in April 2008 by the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, has provided hundreds of homeowners an opportunity to negotiate face to face with lenders’ representatives to save their homes from foreclosure.

The Honorable Annette M. Rizzo and Philadelphia VIP are asking attorneys to volunteer for the Philadelphia Foreclosure Rescue Effort (Philly FReE). Philadelphia VIP administers the pro bono legal assistance component of Philly FReE, providing training and ongoing support to attorneys who wish to contribute their time to this important effort. Since the inception of the program in June 2008, over 475 attorneys have been trained. Those attorneys have helped over 1,400 homeowners save their homes.

The mortgage foreclosure diversion program needs the investment of many pro bono attorneys to help clients negotiate an affordable loan modification, payment arrangement, or other workout option.

Here’s how you can get involved:

Date: Wednesday, May11, 2011
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Location: Pepper Hamilton LLP, 18th and Arch Sts (Two Logan Sq), 30th floor

Volunteers will receive one free CLE credit for each hour of course work attended (a total of three (3) free substantive CLE credits are available) in exchange for representing two different clients at one or more mortgage foreclosure conciliation conferences on a continuing basis until the attempted negotiation is resolved, or in exchange for volunteering as an on-call attorney at three different conciliation conference half-day sessions. Volunteer work must be completed within six months of the training program.

If you wish to register for this training, please email swysor@phillyvip.org and provide your name, address, telephone number, and firm (if applicable).

Per Diem Law Clerk/Attorney Program

2011-05-02T15:34:00.005-04:00

The Per Diem Law Clerk/Attorney Program matches employers with Rutgers-Camden Law School students, recent graduates or licensed attorneys, who are available for temporary work at the rate of $15/hour for students, $20/hour for recent graduates and $25/hour for admitted attorneys. Firms may either sign-up to receive a booklet of resumes and pick the per diem attorney, law graduate or student best suited to their project, or firms may request the next available student or law graduate. Since the nature of per diem work varies based on the employer’s needs, some will have a small project that needs to be completed immediately; others might have more long-term needs.

Rutgers School of Law-Camden grads and current students can register for the program by submitting a resume to either the "Per Diem Attorney Program" or the "Per Diem Law Clerk Program" listing in the Symplicity job bank (login, go to job listings: Rutgers-Camden Law job bank: then search keywords “per diem”).

Per Diem Program applicants will be contacted directly by employers as needs arise. Submitting your resume is not a guarantee that you will be contacted for a per diem position.

Employers can register for the program on the Career Planning website .

New Associates Find Experiential Learning in Law School Valuable

2011-05-02T13:37:00.000-04:00

Karen Sloan reports in the National Law Journal about a National Association of Law Placement (NALP) survey on experiential learning opportunities in law schools. NALP surveyed law firm associates about their participation in experiential learning - including clinics, externships or other placements, skills courses and pro bono work - during law school.

The survey report indicates that the popularity of clinics, externships and skills courses has increased over the last several years, but skills courses were the most popular. In terms of value for preparing students for the actual practice of law, despite being most popular, skills courses only received the "very useful" rating by thirty-eight percent of respondents who had taken a skills course. Over sixty percent of respondents who participated in a clinic or externship rated clinics and externships as "very useful".

This survey supports the trend toward more opportunities for hands-on experiences in law school, and should make students consider taking advantage of clinics, externships and other opportunities for real world legal work experience during law school.

Public Interest Fellowships - Start Planning Now!

2011-04-20T12:12:00.000-04:00

Are you a 2L planning a public interest career? Or a 3L with a clerkship hoping to land a public interest job afterward? If so, this is the time to start laying the groundwork for a public interest fellowship application.

Most fellowship applications are due in the early fall of the 3L year, or in the fall before the project is to begin for other law school graduates. This means that you should be interviewing with potential sponsoring agencies in the spring and summer of your 2L year, at the latest. Most organizations are well aware of the timing of fellowship applications, and should be able to accommodate interviews accordingly. If you have interned for your sponsoring agency in your 1L summer, you may be able to begin the process much earlier. In general, you and the partner agency will be drafting, editing and completing your fellowship application over the summer before the 3L year.

For students who will be clerking for a year after graduating, a similar schedule will apply. In order to meet the application deadlines, you will need to prepare your proposal and interview with potential sponsor agencies in the spring of your 3L year. For a 3L applying for a fellowship, timing the interviews and application process around the bar examination will be an important consideration.

The three largest fellowship granting organizations in the Philadelphia metropolitan area are Equal Justice Works, The Skadden Fellowship Foundation and the Independence Foundation, but there are many more! For help with Public Interest Fellowships, please contact Rebecca Baehr in the Career Planning Office, or Eve Klothen, Assistant Dean for Pro Bono and Public Interest Programs. We are available to help!

More Changes in The Large Firm Legal Employment Market

2011-04-13T16:32:00.000-04:00

Just like any other industry, the legal market responds to economic forces outside its control. This was very clearly demonstrated by the dramatic shrinking of the legal economy beginning in 2008. Since then, as the larger economy has slowly begun to grow, so has the legal economy.

But the rate of growth in hiring at large law firms has been very slow, which is not surprising for an industry that is historically cautious and slow to change. But there are signs that there may be an uptick in hiring of entry level associates in the near future.

In a recent article in the Legal Intelligencer , Associate Hiring on the Rise Again? Demand for Laterals May Fuel Increase in Entry-Level Classes, Gina Passarella discusses the rapid increase in lateral hiring at Mid-Atlantic firms between 2009 and 2010. Lateral hires are in high demand because although work has increased, clients still aren’t interested in paying for junior associates to work on their cases. But the virtual hiring freeze for entry-level associates over the past few years has created a shortage of mid-level associates with the experience demanded by clients. This shortage may lead to increased salaries for mid-level associates as the competition increases, and ultimately more hiring of first-year associates than in the past few years.

However, this may not mean that the traditional fall recruiting of 2L’s will be expanding. "Who hires 18 months in advance?" Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney Director for Legal Recruiting Laurie Lenigan is quoted as asking. She could not point to any industry aside from the law that makes hiring decisions so far in advance. Instead of ramping up their summer associate programs, firms are increasingly looking at 3L’s to fill their entry level hiring needs. And while students may prefer the old model where they might have an offer of employment after their 2L summer, the old model may not be sustainable in today’s economic environment. Law firm hiring models will always adapt to market forces. At least it appears that the new model includes more hiring than last year!

Job Search Plan for Rising 2Ls & 3Ls

2011-04-11T11:48:00.004-04:00

With less than two weeks of classes left in the semester and exams on the horizon, we know that your summer 2012 or post-grad job search is not at the top of your list of priorities right now. But when the post exams haze clears, rising 2Ls should start thinking about a summer 2012 job search plan, and similarly, rising 3Ls should develop a strategy for securing post grad employment. To help you with that process we have put together a document on Job Search Methods for Rising 2Ls & 3Ls. It’s a must read, no matter what type of job you are looking for.

The process of securing employment starts by knowing your goals and then learning about the nature of the job market and your career options. There are a number of job search methods and a myriad of potential career paths available to you during your law school summers and upon graduation. Fall On-Campus Interviews (OCI) may be one element of your job search, but to rely solely upon OCI is to limit your possibilities. So, once exams are over, take some time to develop a job search plan that will work for you. You can start by reading Job Search Methods for Rising 2Ls & 3Ls. You are then encouraged to meet with your career counselor to discuss your individual goals and develop a strategy that best suits your individual needs. The Office of Career Planning is open all summer and counselors are available for one-one-one career counseling sessions.

Fall 2011 Interviewing Season: Fall OCI

2011-04-11T10:39:00.007-04:00

It may seem early to start thinking about the fall interviewing season, but fall interviews mean summer application deadlines. Specifically, the Fall On Campus Recruiting Program (Fall OCI) has July application deadlines, and other late summer deadlines. So take note now. You will be receiving emails from the Career Planning Office reminding you of upcoming deadlines, but do yourself a favor and read through the FAQs in this blog post, paying particular attention to the summer deadlines/application periods.

As you read through the FAQs, there are a few things we would like everyone to keep in mind. First, large law firms are the main participants in Fall OCI, with some government agencies and a few corporations participating as well. Second, because Fall OCI is such a visible program, students tend to think it’s the only way to get a job. Au contraire, the vast majority of students secure jobs through means other than Fall OCI (e.g., Professional Relationships, Direct Targeted Applications and Advertised Openings), and most do so in the spring semester. For that reason, our Job Search Methods for Rising 2Ls & 3Ls document is a must read. It outlines, step by step, a job search plan that you can adapt to meet your needs. However, you are strongly encouraged to meet with your counselor to discuss a job search strategy that works best for your individual circumstances.

What is Fall OCI?

OCI stands for On Campus Interviews. The Fall On Campus Interview Program (Fall OCI) is an interview program in which large (and some mid-sized) law firms, and a handful of corporations and government agencies interview 2L students for summer and, in some very limited cases, 3Ls students for post graduate positions. Most interviews take place on campus in the Career Planning Office.

Which employers participate in Fall OCI?

Primarily large law firms, but some government agencies and a few corporations take advantage of Fall OCI, too. Unlike the big firms, smaller firms and public interest organizations hire on an "as needed" basis, typically only a few months (at most) in advance of when the position would actually begin. So for that, and other reasons, smaller firms and public interest agencies usually don’t participate in OCI. You can login to your Symplicity account now to check out which employers are registered for the program. You will only be able to view and apply to employers that are accepting applications from your class year.

What Class Years are employers interested in seeing?

The majority of participating employers are interested in second-year students for summer 2012 positions; however, some employers may also interview third-year students for permanent positions to begin in 2012.

Large firms that hire 2LS for summer positions are actually projecting their need 2 years ahead, since these summer 2L positions can, theoretically, lead to offers of permanent post graduate employment. Because large law firms fill entry level/first year associate positions with summer associates from the previous summer, very few recruit 3Ls for entry level positions.

Students who are scheduled to graduate in May 2012 or December 2011 may be considered 3Ls. 3L positions are permanent, to begin sometime after graduation. Students who are scheduled to graduate in May 2013 or December 2012, and evening students scheduled to graduate in May 2014 or December 2013, may be considered 2Ls. 2L positions are for summer 2012.

NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO MAKE SURE YOUR SYMPLICITY ACCOUNT REFLECTS THE CORRECT CLASS YEAR. To do this,

1. Login to your Symplicity Account and click on Profile
2. Next, click on Academic

3. At the Academic screen, if necessary update your Year in School and your Graduation Year/Month. Your Year in School and Graduation Year should reflect your status as of Fall 2011.

When does OCI begin?

The first application period is July 8th – July 14th.

There are, potentially, five OCI sessions, each with a different set of employers. Most employers choose to interview during session 1, but as employers continue to register throughout the spring, summer and early fall, sessions 2 – 5 usually receive registrations too. That means that you must login and apply during each of the five application periods. It’s important that you review the dates for the all of the sessions. Employers begin interviewing on August 15^th (that’s right, the week before the fall semester begins).

How exactly do I apply?

Through Symplicity. Once the application period begins, login and click on OCI. The next screen should be the Employers/Bidding tab. Choose a session under the session drop down box (Fall 2011 OCI Session 1 – Fall 2011 OCI Session 5). Click Review or Apply next to the employer’s name. Choose the appropriate application materials from the drop down box(es) on the right of your screen. You must upload any requested application materials before applying to employers (go to Documents, then click Add New and upload your document).

For detailed instructions, click here.

How many employers may I apply to?

As many as you like. There is no limit.

Does it matter when I apply during the application period?

You may apply anytime during the application period. However, we suggest that you not wait until the last minute because it is a lot harder resolve a technical issue or answer a question at 4:29pm on the last day of the application period.

Symplicity will only let me upload 10 documents; what if I need to upload more?

After you have used a document to apply to an employer (say, a cover letter), you may delete it from your documents and upload a new one. Deleting a document AFTER you have used it to apply to an employer will not affect the application, that is, the document will not be deleted on the employer's side.

What does No Multiple Interviews mean?

Sometimes employers interview for multiple office locations. Those employers may decide that they only want students to be able to interview for one of those locations. So even though candidates may apply for all locations, the employer would only select the candidate to interview for one of those locations.

You should note, however, that when employers register for OCI they sometimes indicate No Multiple Interviews, even though they are only interviewing for one office location. This happens because No Multiple Interviews is the default on the electronic form that employers fill out. In such a case, it is irrelevant and you can ignore this designation.

How do I know if I have been selected for an interview?

Students who have been selected for an interview(s) will receive an email on the first day of the interview sign-up period directing them to login to Symplicity to sign-up for a time slot. If you have your spam filter set at a high level, this email may end up in your spam folder. However, you can just login to your Symplicity account on the first day of the interview sign-up period, go to OCI and choose the appropriate session to see if you have been selected for an interview(s).

For detailed interview sign-up instructions click here.

What if I want to apply to an employer that isn’t participating in OCI?

Decisions to participate in OCI are based on various factors that may or may not have to do with the employer’s hiring status. If an employer is not participating in OCI you may apply directly. A good resource for law firm contact information is the NALP directory of legal employers and Martindale. You can get federal government contact information on the Government Honors & Internship Website (look for a blog post in July about federal government hiring) which you can access on our webpage. PSLawnet is a good place to look for state government contact information. Be sure to read Job Search Methods for Rising 2Ls & 3Ls which has application timing information for various types of of employers. Remember, not all employers make hiring decisions in the fall!

Where can I get more information?

The Fall OCI Information & Instructions document contains complete information on the process and you are strongly encouraged to read it in its entirety. You can research employers on the NALP directory of legal employers which contains specific information with regard to salary, billable hours and other useful information. And, as always, you can make an appointment to meet with your counselor.

Finding and Applying for Legal Jobs in the Federal Government

2011-04-07T16:18:00.001-04:00

Want to work for the federal government? Did you know that the federal government projects that it will need to hire over 23,000 people nationwide to fill legal positions by the fall of 2010? Did you know that there are over 1200 attorneys working for the federal government in Pennsylvania and New Jersey combined?

Get more facts about federal legal employment, and importantly, learn how to find legal positions in the federal government in a presentation created by the Office of Personnel Management in Philadelphia. Learn how to use USAJOBS to search for positions and apply online. Learn what goes into a federal resume and about the process federal agencies use when hiring entry level attorneys.

NJ State Bar Assn. Young Lawyer’s Division Presents “Life After Law School”, a program for Third Year Law Students - Mon., April 4, 6-8pm, 204

2011-04-01T11:45:00.001-04:00

Meet young lawyers from the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division for an information packed session on what you can expect as you transition from law school to law practice. This is an open discussion where you can get answers to your questions, speak to practicing lawyers and learn about the best way to prepare for the Bar Exam. Register on-line (for Meeting # YLD040411).

International Law Speaker, Monday, Apr. 4, 1:30 – 2:30, E112

2011-04-01T10:03:00.004-04:00

Interested in a career in international law? Just want to know what international law attorneys do? Come hear Margaret Gatti, Chair of the International Law Practice Group at Fox Rothschild, talk about her career and get advice on how to establish a career in international law. Co-sponsored by the International Law Society. Pizza will be served!

Camden Community Run for Justice. Saturday, April 16th at 9:00 am

2011-03-31T15:19:00.003-04:00

Join the Rutgers-Camden Community in a fundraising 5k Run and 1k Fun Walk. Hosted by the Association for Public Interest Law, proceeds will help fund stipends for Rutgers-Camden law students working in unpaid public interest summer positions.

Come out for a morning of fun and community, while helping Rutgers Law students fulfill their call to serve the public! Click here to register online.

Judicial Clerkship Application Workshops for 2Ls

2011-03-25T10:23:00.000-04:00

The Career Planning Office will host informational workshops on the judicial clerkship application process in preparation for the judicial clerkship application season, which, for most students, takes place during the summer before the 3L year.

Attendance at one of the clerkship workshops is mandatory for all judicial clerkship applicants.

The workshops will take place on the following dates and times:

Wednesday, April 6, 12:30 to 1:30, room E108
Monday, April 11, 12:30 to 1:30, room E108
Monday, April 11, 5:15 to 6:05, room 206
Wednesday, April 13, 12:30 to 1:30, room E108
Wednesday, April 13, 1:30 to 2:30, room E108

You may attend any clerkship workshop, but you must RSVP via Symplicity (login, click on events and then click RSVP next to the appropriate workshop). Each workshop has a limited number of slots so RSVP early.

Pursuing a Public Interest Career? Follow Equal Justice Works and PSLawNet!

2011-03-09T15:21:00.000-05:00

If you have a passion for justice and hope to find a job as a public interest attorney after law school, two resources that you must use are Equal Justice Works and PSLawNet .

Equal Justice Works, an organization that provides support and programs for law students and new lawyers committed to pursuing equal justice, was founded by law students in 1986. Equal Justice Works collaborates with law schools to expand public interest programming on law school campuses and hosts one of the largest public interest law conference career fairs in the country, bringing students and public interest employers from across the country together in one place for job opportunities, networking and leadership training. The Equal Justice Works Fellowships programs fund hundreds of public interest attorneys each year to close the justice gap on issues such as foreclosure, community economic development, immigration, civil rights, homelessness, access to healthcare, and domestic violence. EJW has also been a leader in advocating for loan repayment assistance for public service lawyers, and provides summer funding for students in public interest internships in the form of education vouchers.

PSLawNet is an online clearinghouse for law students and lawyers to connect with public interest opportunities and information on public interest careers. It posts internships (fall, spring, and summer), postgraduate fellowships, and a wide variety of permanent positions at many levels of experience. PSLawNet also includes over 11,000 organizational profiles for nonprofit, government, and other public interest employers spanning the globe. Users can search the database, flag and store opportunities for later viewing, receive email alerts with newly posted opportunities, and apply directly for opportunities on PSLawNet.

Both Equal Justice Works and PSLawNet have blogs that you should follow. The blogs have posts on a variety of public interest issues, including many on how to find a public interest job. Most posts are full of concrete advice, but a recent post on Equal Justice Works, and one of my favorites, called “Turning Passion Into Practice” focuses a bit more on the big picture, which can be inspirational when it seems like you’ll never get a public interest job, or any job for that matter. Don’t despair! You will be able to turn your passion into practice, and Equal Justice Works and PSLawnet are there to help.

Sports Law Panel Discussion. 3/28 @ 7pm

2011-03-09T14:14:00.002-05:00

Join us for an evening with a distinguished group of sports law industry professionals.

Monday, March 28th, 7pm-9pm

Rutgers School of Law-Camden

Rutgers Camden Campus Center

Multi Purpose Room

326 Penn Street, Camden NJ

Panelists include:

George Atallah

NFL Players Association Assistant Executive Director of External Affairs

Domonique Foxworth

Baltimore Ravens, NFL Players Association Executive Committee Member

James Ivler

Registered NFL Agent, Sportstars, Inc.

Adam Taliaferro

Associate at Duane Morris, former Penn State football player

Please RSVP to Terry Moffett (tmoffett@camden.rutgers.edu or 856.225.6430).

Sponsored by the Rutgers School of Law-Camden Sports & Entertainment Law Society, Rutgers-Camden Law Recent Graduate Council, the Rutgers School of Law-Camden Office of Career Planning and the Entertainment, Arts & Sports Law Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association.

Panelists may be substituted due to scheduling conflicts.

Important Judicial Clerkship Application Information for 2Ls

2011-03-07T12:25:00.000-05:00

This April, the Career Planning Office will host informational workshops on the judicial clerkship application process in preparation for the judicial clerkship application season, which, for most students, takes place during the summer before the 3L year. Dates and times of workshops will be announced later this semester. Attendance at a workshop is mandatory for all judicial clerkship applicants.

The federal judicial clerkship application process has strict application timing guidelines which require that you apply in the late summer before your 3L year. State judicial clerkship application timing guidelines vary from state to state and in some states, the judges do not hire clerks at all. Those that do hire clerks, tend to conduct their application and hiring process in the late summer/early Fall of your 3L year. For example, state clerkship applications for NJ, DE and NY are due in later summer/early Fall of your 3L year. PA state trial judges on the other hand have varying hiring practices and timelines and positions are generally available when vacancies occur. PA Appellate judges and PA Supreme court Justices hire clerks for a 1-3 year term which may be extended at the judge’s discretion, and, therefore these clerkships also are available as vacancies occur.

If you plan to apply to a state judicial clerkship in a state other than those mentioned above, you should investigate application procedures and deadlines now via the Guide to State Judicial Clerkships on the Career Planning Website. If you need assistance with a state judicial clerkship application process that takes place prior to the April workshops, please make an appointment to speak to a counselor. Please note Guide to State Judicial Clerkships will be updated by the publisher this summer and until then you will be looking at the previous year’s deadlines.

LexisNexis Offers Practice Oriented Trainings to Help you Prepare to Think Like a Lawyer

2011-03-04T15:11:00.001-05:00

During the month of March Lexis will be providing a series of practice oriented trainings to help you prepare for your summer legal positions as well as your future legal careers!!!

The Practical Skills Trainings that we have scheduled thus far are as follows:

March 7th - Cost Effective Training in Room 103 at 12:30pm.
March 8th - Judicial Clerkship Training in Room 103 at 12:30pm.
March 10th - Judicial Clerkship Training in Room 104 at 12:30pm.

**If you are an evening division student, please feel free to contact our Lexis rep for individual training related to these subject areas at a time that is convenient for you.

All of these trainings are worth 400 points each. Lunch will be offered!

Last but not least, for each of the above sessions you attend, your name will be entered into a raffle to win a $250 Gift Certificate to the luxurious RITTENHOUSE HOTEL!!!

The winner will be drawn on March 10th.

If you would like to attend one of the above sessions, please go to www.lexisnexis.com/lawschool and click on the MySchool tab.

Intangible skills you won’t learn in a law school casebook

2011-03-02T17:28:00.001-05:00

Here in the Career Planning Office we always encourage students to get as much legal experience as possible while in law school in order to develop the skills employers expect of new lawyers in the workplace. We often emphasize getting technical experience in legal research and writing in an employment setting, getting experience drafting motions and pleadings, taking depositions or appearing in court as a certified legal intern.

But there are other skills that are equally important to success in a legal workplace. Sometimes unspoken, they are the subject of an article by Kimberly K. Egan, a partner at DLA Piper in Washington, DC. Egan talks about things like knowledge of current events, sociability, humility, flexibility and generosity, among other things, in her piece about attributes new associates need to have to be successful in a law firm. And while to focus of the article is on the large firm lawyer, her advice is applicable to lawyers practicing in almost any setting.