Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Public Service Career and Internship Fair


The Partnership for Public Service will host its annual Public Service Career and Internship Fair on July 16th from 3:00-7:00 p.m. at the National Building Museum. Last year's event connected 67 federal agencies with 3,000 students and young professionals. This year agencies will be recruiting for a variety of positions including program analysts, attorneys, Foreign Service Officers, federal investigators, budget analysts and engineers, as well as for internships and fellowships. Click here to view a list of participating agencies and learn more about this event.

Students and young professionals: Admission is FREE! As a bonus, registered attendees can view a list of participating agencies, receive event updates and learn more about how to make the most of the fair. Register here.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Interested In Free Money?


Access Group is sponsoring its popular law scholarship video contest and inviting as many students as possible to participate in this opportunity. During last year’s “One Less Worry” contest, we received 99 video submissions and awarded six winning law students more than $15,000 in scholarships.

This year’s law video contest, “My Inspiration,” is calling for current and entering law students to create and submit a brief video describing their inspirations for becoming a lawyer.


The top ten videos, as chosen by Access Group, will be posted on YouTube.com and the student whose video receives the most votes will win a $10,000 scholarship. Access Group may also award up to five additional honorable mention scholarships valued at $1,500 each. Deadline for entries is July 15, 2009.

For more details including the official rules and deadlines, please click HERE.

Good Luck and Get Those Cameras Rolling!!! www.youtube.com/MyInspirationContest

Friday, June 26, 2009

Looking for Volunteer Work?


Organizing for America (OFA) is a non-profit entity that educates the public on the issue of health care reform. OFA is looking for volunteers to make phone calls and help organize community support for meaningful health care reform. This would be a great opportunity to get pro bono hours for those of you who have free time over the summer.

OFA interns are working out of the Democratic Executive Committee (DEC) office located at 4811 Beach Blvd. Health care reform is an important issue that affects all Americans. Contact Jenni Ramage to get more information by phone at (317) 502-4990 or by email at jramageOFA@gmail.com.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

New Job Postings


Take a moment and review the exciting new job and internship opportunities available this month. Log into Symplicity to learn more about each of these positions as well as receive information about applying. Good Luck!

Legal Positions:
Attorney-Advisors, Government of DC, Office of the Attorney General
False Claims Trial Attorney, Government of DC, Office of the Attorney General
Deputy Director, National Council of La Raza
Attorney, Women Empowered Against Violence, Inc
Policy Counsel, The Constitution Project
Director, UCDC Law Program
Pro Bono Service Director, National Law Center for Homelessness and Poverty
Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor, Government of DC, Office of the Attorney General
Staff Attorney, National Senior Citizens Law Center
Policy Analyst, National Employment Law Project

Non-Legal Positions:
Project Director, Center for Children’s Law and Policy
Associate Director, Education and Child Advocacy, National Council of La Raza
Associate Director, Immigration, National Council of La Raza
Director of Communications, Equal Justice Works
Domestic Violence Intake Specialist, Women Empowered Against Violence, Inc
Bilingual Domestic Violence Intake Specialist, Women Empowered Against Violence, Inc
EDRS Site Coordinator, Women Empowered Against Violence, Inc
Legislative Associate, National Association of Consumer Advocates
Internships/Fellowships:
Summer Advocates Program Internship, Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project

Nationwide (Legal and Non-Legal Positions):
Detention Staff Attorney, Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, Miami, Florida
Director of Policy, Heartland Alliance’s National Immigrant Justice Center, Chicago, Illinois
Legal Worker, Center for Constitutional Rights, New York, New York
Lead Organizer, Grassroots Leadership, Houston, Texas
Legal Director, American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, Hartford, Connecticut
Senior Organizer, La Fuente, New York, New York
Program Assistant, National Employment Law Project, New York, New York

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Mastering The Telephone Interview



With increasing frequency, public interest and government employers are relying on phone interviews as ways to screen candidates initially. While the interview may take place over the phone, it is equally important to prepare adequately and understand that how you present over the phone will be a huge factor in determining whether a second interview happens. Take a moment and read the recent Wall Street Journal article, "The New Trouble on the Line" by Sarah Needleman for some great tips and advice.



If you have an upcoming phone interview, set up a time to meet with a Counselor and request a copy of the Telephone Interviewing Handout.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Interested in Washington, DC?


The Partnership for Public Service will be hosting its annual Public Service Career and Internship Fair on July 16, 2009 from 3:00-7:00 p.m. at the National Building Museum. Last year's fair brought together 67 federal agencies and 3,000 students and young professionals to promote government career and internship opportunities, and an even larger crowd is anticipated this year! For more information about this FREE event, click here.

Monday, June 22, 2009

FDIC is recruiting in Jacksonville!


The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is opening a Temporary Satellite Office in the Baymeadows area. Positions available will require experience and skills in banking and financial service areas, loan specialists, financial analysis, contract oversight management, asset/loan management, asset/franchise marketing, real estate management, banking operations and securities. To apply, click HERE.


Also, FDIC will hold an informational session on Tuesday, June 23, 2009. For more information and seating reservations, call (904) 997-3100.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Interested in Family Law?


The Orlando County Bar Association invites law students to attend an upcoming CLE, Education Advocacy 101 for GALs. If you have an interest in the Guardian ad Litem program or practicing family law in Orlando, this is a great FREE networking event to consider attending. For more information, click HERE.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Increase In JAG Corps Applicants


The U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force have reported a growing interest in the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps in the past few years. It looks like this trend is here to stay for the foreseeable future.


What does that mean for Florida Coastal law students? APPLY EARLY!!! Career Service Counselors are available to answer questions, review your application materials, or prepare you for your interviews. Make your appointment today.


For more information about hiring trends, click HERE to access the full National Law Journal article.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Changes In The Federal Government


A new administration usually means changes in the way the federal government is run. Recently, there has been much interest and discussion about making federal jobs more accessible as well as more fairly compensated when compared with the private sector. A recent article (Administration will push for government-wide pay for performance) notes that the Office of Personnel Management Director "will pursue a significant reform of the civil service system within the next two years, with the goal of establishing a government-wide pay-for-performance system." Part of the Director's mission will also include creating a fair and credible performance appraisal and accountability system, developing training that would prepare employees for promotion and support them throughout their careers; and establishing genuine parity between federal and private-sector salaries for employees in comparable occupations. To continue reading more about this promising developments, access the full article by clicking HERE.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Interested In A Fellowship?


Take some time and check out recently added Fellowships by logging into Symplicity. The new additions include several environmental fellowships including work with coral reef protection, public policy & water, marine science, air quaility, environmental policy, and conservation.


Hint? Need your Symplicity password? Email Lisa with your request and she can get you up and running on this great resource.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Loan Forgiveness


Equal Justice Works, an organization of public service lawyers, will present a webinar for students called "Getting Your Student Loans Forgiven: How government and nonprofit employees can earn public service loan forgiveness." The presentation is appropriate for anyone with high student debt working for the government or a nonprofit organization. It will cover how to qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, how the new Income-Based Repayment plan works, and how to figure out how much you can benefit.
· Wednesday, June 17, 6 - 7:30 p.m. EDT (5 p.m. CDT, 4 p.m. PDT)
· Wednesday, June 24, 3:15 - 4:45 p.m. EDT (2:15 p.m. CDT, 12:15 p.m. PDT)
To register for one of these events, visit http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/resources/student-debt-relief/student-debt-relief-webinar-series.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Consider The Social Security Administration


The Career Services Department follows hiring trends in order to pass along the most updated information to our students and alumni. Recently, we learned that the Social Security Administration is currently undergoing one of the largest federal hiring efforts. The Social Security Administration Commissioner hopes to bring in about 6,500 new employees by fall to reduce claims backlogs and address other needs. For more information including what the Commissioner is looking for in candidates, click HERE. To learn more about the Social Security Administration, click HERE.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

It's A Great Time To Be Looking At The Government


In a recent article by Stephen Losey (Federal Times.Com), it is estimated that there will be "140,000 more feds next year." The article indicates that the executive branch will grow to more than 2 million civilian employees for the first time in 15 years, under President Barack Obama’s 2010 budget plan. The growing ranks of government employees reflect the ever-growing responsibilities many agencies are taking on and the different priorities President Obama has from his predecessor:
The Defense Department’s workforce will grow by about 19,000 full-time equivalent positions, most of which will come from converting — or “insourcing” — about 13,800 contractor jobs to federal employee jobs. This is the largest staffing increase proposed for next year, aside from Commerce.
The Veterans Affairs Department will bring on about 9,800 new employees, including 5,700 doctors, nurses and other medical services personnel to help treat wounded veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Homeland Security Department is slated to get about 7,000 more employees to help it enforce immigration laws, secure borders and provide transportation security. The proposed hires include more than 1,200 new employees at ... to continue reading the entire article, click HERE.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Jacksonville Job Fair On Thursday


If you are a Veteran, you may want to consider attending The Veterans Career Fair this Thursday from 11AM to 3PM. More than 30 area employers from companies including Bank of America, Aflac, Comcast, Target, and more will be represented. For more information, including registration materials, click HERE.


Get Experience This Summer WHEREVER You Are!


From coast to coast, at the mountains or at the beach . . . no matter where you are this summer, there is probably an opportunity to get some great pro bono experience. Take a moment and review the National Pro Bono Opportunities Guide for help in finding a great organization to volunteer your time. Opportunities are located NATIONWIDE! Remember, pro bono work is a great way to give back and get great legal experience!

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

FREE CLE IN JACKSONVILLE


Are you interested in disability law? Join attorneys from around the state to learn about guardianship and other decision making alternatives. This is a great opportunity to network and learn more about this exciting area of law!


Covered topics will include ...
Overview of People with Disabilities & Important Legal Principles
Legal Options for Decision-Making
Guardianship and Guardian Advocacy Processes
Medical and Psychological Evaluations
Special Needs Trusts Overview
Legal Resources and Support Services
Expert Panel Discussion with Q & A from participants


The CLE will be held in Jacksonville on June 19, 2009. The registration deadline is June 12th. Other sessions will be held in West Palm Beach & Sarasota.

For more information and registration materials click HERE.

Monday, June 08, 2009

Are You Looking For Job Satisfaction?



Here are the top 10 places to work in the federal goverment based on employee satisfiaction.


1. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
2. Government Accountability Office
3. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
4. Intelligence Community
5. Department of State
6. Environmental Protection Agency
7. Department of Justice
8. General Services Administration
9. Social Security Administration
10. Department of Commerce


The Best Places to Work rankings are the most comprehensive and authoritative rating and analysis of employee satisfaction and commitment in the federal government. The 2009 rankings are the fourth edition of this ongoing series, following the 2003, 2005 and 2007 versions. To access the full list, click HERE.

Tuesday, June 02, 2009



Are you interested in the JAG Program? A counselor with the Career Services Department will be attending a Conference this week learning what you need to know to be a competitive applicant. For more information about the JAG program, make an appointment with a CSD counselor today.
Look for new Blog postings on Monday, June 8, 2009!

Monday, June 01, 2009

Great New Funding News!


The Corporation for National & Community Service announced that Equal Justice Works will receive a $1.2 million Recovery Act grant to support an additional 30 attorneys and more than 300 law students to expand legal services to victims of the economic crisis, such as those affected by mortgage foreclosures, natural disasters and other critical need areas.
CNCS is providing these grants in an effort to help those distressed by the economic crisis – especially those with critical needs in communities hardest hit by the recession. The grant expands both the AmeriCorps Legal Fellowship program and the Summer Corps program and makes Equal Justice Works the first active recipient of stimulus funds. Check out the interactive map to see where this summer’s Corps members will be working!


More information about applications for YOU will be posted shortly.