Be prepared to devote the time and energy required for a job search in today’s market. If you do not devote sufficient time and energy to it, your job search is unlikely to yield positive results. Although your job search is largely an independent undertaking, Graduate Career and Professional Development and the Office of J.D. Career Services can offer you valuable assistance. Taking advantage of the following resources will greatly improve your chances of conducting a successful job search.
Graduate Career and Professional Development, the Office of Public Interest and Community Service (OPICS) and the Office of J.D. Career Services (OCS)
In addition to all the career services each office provides to students, Graduate Career and Professional Development, OPICS and OCS offer informational literature, panels, presentations, networking opportunities and information about conferences and events of interest to the student body.
Business Cards
Georgetown Law offers students the opportunity to order personalized business cards, which can be useful for networking. Students may order business cards by calling the Hoya Copy Center at (301) 870-2313. Before placing an order, you can see the styles available on the Copy Center Web site at http://www.gupmcards.com/. Remember to describe yourself as an "LL.M. candidate" or "Master of Laws candidate."
Vault.com Online Career Library
Available through the Office of Career Services Web site at http://www.law.georgetown.edu/career/ (click on the link to "Large Law Firms" on the right-hand side of page, enter your username and password and then scroll down to find the Vault link). This site provides a multitude of useful career development services, including comprehensive Career Guides (tailored by topic – everything from law firms, to Capitol Hill opportunities, to alternative careers), excellent firm research resources and a career advice section.
List of U.S. Firms with International or Foreign Associate Programs
Listing of major firms with structured associate programs for foreign-trained attorneys. Includes deadlines, application information, links and contact information. The list of firms can be found in the Professional Development Handbook distributed at orientation.
Long Distance Job Search Handout
These handouts are prepared by OCS and assist students located in Washington, D.C. that are looking for jobs outside the metropolitan area. The handouts are available from the Office of Career Services, or online at http://www.law.georgetown.edu/career/paths/smallfirms/long_distance_search.cfm. The online editions are always up-to-date, and are password protected to limit access to Georgetown Law students.
Law Teaching
The Law Teaching page, http://www.law.georgetown.edu/lawteaching/, is intended to provide some information and guidance to Georgetown Law students and alumni/ae who are considering the possibility of a career in the legal academy.
Videoconferencing Services
Georgetown Law offers videoconferencing technology and services to any student who is unable to attend an interview due to travel considerations or timing issues. If you find that an employer is interested in interviewing you but you are unable to travel to their city or country, please contact Graduate Professional Development to discuss the possibility of conducting the interview via videoconference. Ideally, you should provide at least one week’s notice prior to the interview date. Tips on interviewing via videoconference will be provided as needed.
Job Listings
All job opportunities sent to Georgetown Law are listed online through Symplicity at https://law-georgetown-csm.symplicity.com/students/. Students may access this site using their regular Georgetown Login ID and password. Check the Web site regularly, as new job notices arrive daily. Remember that you can customize your Symplicity searches using various criteria. Please refer to the Symplicity Tutorial if you have any questions on how to use the system.
Georgetown Law Clerkship Database
Accessible via the Office of Career Services Web site, the Clerkship Database contains biographical information, as well as application requirements and timelines, for each Tax Court Judge. Another interesting feature is the material available concerning each Judge’s appointment history. See the Clerkship Manual (available on the OCS Web site) for instructions on how to use the database and create your personalized clerkship file. Note that completing the e-mail field during the student registration process will make you eligible for Georgetown Law’s listserv featuring a wide array of clerkship opportunities. The following resources may also prove useful to those interested in exploring clerkship opportunities:
- The Online System for Clerkship Application and Review (OSCAR), located at https://oscar.uscourts.gov.
- The University of Michigan Judicial Nominations Database (for federal nominees and recently confirmed judges), located at www.law.umich.edu/currentstudents/careerservices/Pages/nomdb.aspx.
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Other useful resources for researching recently nominated and/or newly appointed judges include:
- U.S. Courts Vacancies and Judicial Confirmations: http://www.uscourts.gov/vacancies/confirmations.htm
- U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee: http://judiciary.senate.gov/nominations/
- Yale University’s Judicial Nominations List for recent judicial nominees, located at http://judges.law.yale.edu/?q=nom_xml.asp.
- United States Department of Justice – Office of Legal Policy list of recent nominees and appointments, located at http://www.usdoj.gov/olp/judicialnominationslll.htm.
- Finally, do not forget state court clerkships. The Vermont Law School maintains a useful database of state court contact and application information at http://www.vermontlaw.edu/Resources/Judicial_Clerkship_and_Internship_Resources.htm. Georgetown Law subscribes to this service on its students’ behalf, so please visit the following link to get more information on how to log in: http://www.law.georgetown.edu/career/paths/clerkships/open_apply.cfm.
On-Campus Interview Programs
While you are technically eligible for all on-campus interviewing programs, LL.M. recruiting varies significantly from J.D. recruiting. Employers do not typically recruit LL.M. students through on-campus interviewing programs, but instead expect you to make the initial contact. Most employers participating in the fall interview programs are looking to fill their 2L summer associate positions, which results in a low number of participating employers interviewing LL.M. students. Do NOT rely on on-campus interview programs as your primary source of interviews.
- Graduate Career and Professional Development sponsors the Taxation Interview Program (TIP) in the spring.
- We participate each year in the International Student’s Interview Program (ISIP)
- Graduate Career and Professional Development manages an ongoing Request for Resumes Program tailored specifically to the taxation, securities and financial regulation, global health law, international and individualized programs.
OCS and OPICS Resource Libraries
These libraries contain an extensive print collection, as well as access to online resources. OPICS’ resource library also has numerous publications to assist you in pursuing opportunities with public interest organizations and government agencies. In addition, OPICS has developed a comprehensive Government Initiative Web site providing online resources for Federal, State and Local Government and Capitol Hill employment.
Career Panels and Brown Bag Lunches
Graduate Career and Professional Development, the Office of Public Interest and Community Service and the Office of Career Services sponsor programs throughout the year where alumni/ae and other practitioners are invited to discuss their substantive practice areas and work settings. Events are ordinarily announced in the Graduate Connections Newsletter and/or What's Happening.
Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Programs
You should attend all CLE programs at Georgetown Law relevant to your area of interest. CLE programs are free to students and play host to practitioners active in their particular fields. Watch for information provided in the Graduate Connections Newsletter, the Law Center's CLE Web site: https://www.law.georgetown.edu/cle/ and What’s Happening regarding specific programs.
Georgetown Law LL.M. Alumni/ae
Graduates of the Master of Laws program often prove to be excellent resources. A search on Martindale-Hubbell (www.martindale.com) can be an effective means of locating alumni/ae.
Current Georgetown Law J.D. and LL.M. Students
Keep in mind that your current classmates could be hiring partners in law firms or heads of corporations or organizations. They may have close contacts with the very employer in which you are interested. Do not waste this opportunity; get to know your classmates.
Personal Connections
Contact family and friends. Go through your address book, and contact not only those people who have a connection with the legal field, but also anyone who might have connections in your chosen geographic area.
Professional Connections
Pay particular attention to those people with whom you have worked in the past. Think of past internships or full-time employment situations, and contact former supervisors. In addition, some of you might have had exposure to clients who might have legal counsel or other connections in your field of interest.
Former and Current Professors
Your law professors at Georgetown Law know many people in the legal world. Seek out the advice of professors with whom you have had contact and in whose classes you excelled.
Volunteer or Part-time Work
Ultimately, the best way to research a particular setting is to spend time there. Washington offers extensive opportunities for law students to work in private practice, government, corporate, public interest and community service organizations. Graduate Professional Development strongly recommends that you explore an externship opportunity in the spring semester. For more information on the externship program at Georgetown Law, please visit: http://www.law.georgetown.edu/graduate/ExternshipProgram.html.
