J.D. Alumni Resources
Our Services
We invite JD alumni who are seeking positions or are planning a career change to make an appointment with one of our alumni advisors. Advisors will work with you to define your goals, develop your job search strategy, research potential employers, review your application materials, and hone your networking and interview skills.
We aim to provide support for whatever job search and career transition issues that may arise. Our ability to offer continuous and regular support may be limited by the volume of alumni seeking our services. Every effort will be made to provide individual alumni with resources, contacts, and procedural guidance in each meeting to allow them to continue the search independently and/or with the support of other industry professionals.
Appointments are available during most times of the year to discuss a variety of job and career transition issues. During certain times of the year, the availability of one-on-one counseling may be limited due to major OCS, Law School or University events, as well as professional staff schedules.
All Alumni appointments and services are offered virtually by Zoom or phone.
Our Team
- Private-sector; recent alumni: Alumni who have graduated within the last two years are invited to schedule an appointment with Robyn Rucker, Associate Director for Recent Graduates. (Note: The Entry into Practice Program is a resource for recent graduates who are seeking full-time employment. For eligibility requirements and program details, please visit our Entry Into Practice page. Other opportunities for new alumni may include partner fellowships with public interest and government employers.)
- Private sector; two or more years experience: Alumni who graduated more than two years ago are invited to schedule an appointment with Rob Cacace, Director of Alumni Advising.
- Clerkships: Alumni interested in pursuing a judicial clerkship are invited to schedule an appointment with Michele Hoff, Director for Judicial Clerkships. Before meeting, we recommend reviewing the resources on our Clerkships website.
- Public sector: Alumni are invited to schedule an appointment with an advisor in OPICS if you are seeking in the public sector.
- LL.M alumni: Please schedule an appointment with the Office of Graduate Careers.
Important Scheduling Note
We use our Symplicity system to manage appointments. The above appointment links will direct you to the relevant site. If you do not have your netID to sign in to Symplicity, please use this one-page explanatory resource to establish a netID and then access the scheduling site. (Note: your netID will also grant you access to web resources and the job bank hosted in Symplicity).
Career & Self
- 5 Things You Must Sacrifice to Have a Better Future
- 5 Values that Lead to a Happy Life
- 6 Perspective Shifts that Will Make You Happier at Work
- 7 Steps to Personal Brand Building for Women
- 8 Phrases that Make You Sound Weak at Work
- Find Success in Your Career by Matching Passion and Purpose
- Getting in The Habit: Baby Steps Toward Change
- Practice Area: Inventory
- Practice Area: Ten Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before Choosing a Practice Area
- You’ll Only Truly be a Leader When You Master These 16 Skills
Your Legal Career and Impact of Covid-19
- The No. 1 Mistake Job Seekers are Making during COVID-19, according to Recruiters
- Four Legal Soft Skills to Improve during Quarantine
- 5 Ways to Find Work in the Pandemic
- Effective Networking and Increased Connection in a Remote and Hybrid Workplace (Debbie Epstein Henry, Chapter 6, Business Development for a New Legal Ecosystem, Published by ARK Conferences Ltd, a division of Wilmington plc, July 2020)
- Game Saving Tips for Job Hunters During COVID-19
- How to Keep an Eye to the Future When There's a Crisis in the Present
- How to Network Remotely
- Legal Hiring - Lessons from the Last Downturn
- Networking Skills that Work Wonders Virtually
- Preparing for a Future Beyond the Crisis
- Reinventing Your Career in the Time of Coronavirus
- Sharing Resilience
- Side Hustles to Consider when Working from Home
- Teleworking Will Likely Continue After the Pandemic
- Working From Home is the Easy Part if Big Law Goes Virtual
Job Search Toolbox
Resources for job seekers
Job Search Sites
- 30 Public Service Career Sites You Should Be Following
- Daily Information Subscription (free for alumni)
- Guide to Organizations Without/Beyond Borders in Social Change
- Online Job Search Sites for Attorneys
- PCDN Careers
- Resource Guides to Careers in Social Change, Conflict Resolution and more
- Traverse Jobs
- World’s Top List of Job Sites in Social Change & Social Impact
- Legal Search Firms and Temporary Agencies
Career Challenges and Pivots
- The Best Way to Ask for a Raise or a Promotion
- Digital Interviews: Questions, Answers and Tips to Prepare
- How to Bounce Back from a Bad Performance Review
- How to Get on a Board of Directors
- How to Go In House and Excel Once There
- How Not to Let a Bad Review and Absent Mentor Stop Your Progress
- How Managers Become Leaders
- Overcoming the ‘You’re Overqualified’ Challenge
- Reinventing Yourself After a Job Loss
- What to Know if You Need to Change the Direction of Your Practice
Changes to the Legal Career Landscape
Alternative Careers Resources
Resources for those who want to consider alternative careers
Certificate Programs
- List of Certificate Programs
- American University: Short Courses & Certification Prep
- Catholic University of America: Graduate Certificate Programs
- George Washington University School of Business: Graduate and Professional Certificate Programs
- Howard University: Certificate Programs
- University of the District of Columbia: Certificate/Non-Degree Programs
Judicial Clerkships
Judicial clerkships, as you know, are typically one or two year salaried, post JD positions with federal, state, local or administrative law judges. Clerkships can provide valuable experiences even for alumni who have already spent time practicing law -- and an increasing number of judges now prefer candidates who have some practice experience. Moreover, a judicial clerkship provides high quality research and writing experience, an opportunity to gain invaluable knowledge of court or administrative agency procedures and a chance to develop a lifelong mentoring relationships with a judge.
For additional information on clerkships, interested alumni should check the clerkship website and resources using the below web address.
Moreover, alumni may want to reach out to Michele Hoff, Director for Judicial Clerkships at mh1845@georgetown.edu or call her at 202-662-9612.