Federal Judicial Clerkships

It's not too early to be thinking about federal judicial clerkships. The upcoming deadlines for the 2011-2012 application process were recently posted. Make sure to keep an eye on the SPRING WORKSHIPS offered by the Career Services Department to determine if this is a good choice for you.

Question? Contact Lydia Russo.

The Federal Government and YOU

The federal government continues to search for great candidates! According to a recent article,
Government agencies need to add about 193,000 new employees to fill "mission critical" jobs in many fields in the next two years. The key to success is "patience and stamina to plow through the cumbersome federal hiring process.

To learn more about the hiring process as well as tips for navigating through the federal government, take a moment and read this interesting article.

Got Loans?

If you have loans, you must become familiar with this new Blog. Authored by Heather Jarvis, a national expert on educational debt, Ms. Jarvis regularly posts topics, articles, links and advice to law students.

Bottom line ... if you have loans .... follow this Blog!!!!

Want To Be A Public Defender ... think about Wisconsin

According to a recent report, the State intends to add nearly 30 full-time public defenders next summer because of an expected increase in caseload. Officials say new income guidelines will make more defendants eligible for a public defender. The state will spend $4.1 million to hire more public defenders and staff -- a move counties expect will save them millions of dollars. To continue reading more about this hiring increase, click HERE.

New Website!

Do you have a free minute? Take a moment and check out Equal Justice Work's new website!

How The Federal Government Is Trying To Recruit Candidates Like You

The federal government is constantly looking for ways to improve their hiring pool. A recent article highlighted how agencies are reaching out to other agencies to learn best practices for attracting talent to service in the federal government. To learn more about this report, click HERE.

Today's Lesson: The Importance of Experience

The value of legal experience cannot be underestimated. Read about some recent law school graduates who took their recent lay offs and turned the experiences into something positive and proactive for society. Several California attorneys are volunteering their time at the Sacramento Public Defender's Office, serving those accused of crimes. Their efforts are serving a dual purpose --- graduates are getting additional experience on their resumes and offices facing cutbacks are getting the help they need to represent individuals.

For the entire article, click HERE.

Remember ... it's never too early or too late to get experience!

It's worth your time to read a recent article, Experience A Good Bet for New Law Grads, which discusses how important it is to get EXPERIENCE while in law school. The Florida Law Journal article found that training and experience in a high-demand practice area led all of the other factors in determining marketability of new graduates.

How do you get experience? Just to name a few ideas ...

* Pro Bono Work
* Internships
* Externships
* Clinics
* Volunteer
* Work-Study
* Part-time Positions
* Research Assistants
* Teaching Assistants
* Shadowing
* Networking
* AND MORE!!!!

Talk to a CSD Counselor today to get started on the right path.

Do You Love Pro Bono Work?

If you love pro bono work, you may want to consider practicing in Mississippi - a state demonstrating its committment to pro bono initiatives of attorneys. In a recent article, it was suggested that the state is requiring a pro bono mandate for its attorneys. To read the entire article about this effort, click HERE.

HINT!!! Interested in learning more about pro bono work at Florida Coastal? Click HERE.

How Can Job Seekers Compete in the Current Job Market?

A recent NALP survey asked public interest legal employers what kinds of experiences would make job applicants, particularly law students, the strongest candidates for employment. The results may surprise you ....

• Civil legal services providers look for a demonstrated passion for serving low income communities and for direct experience interacting and working with low income clients. This serves as a reminder of the importance of building cultural ompetencies for legal services attorneys. Without this awareness, it is difficult to develop trusting relationships with clients who may have limited educational background and be distrustful of service providers. Civil legal service providers also highly value bilingual ability in their attorneys, especially knowledge of Spanish or of an Asian language.
• Federal government employers seek to hire individuals with a demonstrated commitment to public service and practical legal experience gained through clinics, internships, and/or pro bono opportunities.
• Public defenders desire candidates with ... to continue reading what public defenders, prosecutors, and nonprofit legal organizations look for in candiadates, click HERE to access the full survey.

There are over 25 new public interest jobs/internships posted in the Symplicity Document Library this month. Make sure to stay on top of the postings and apply early!

Out With The Old ... In With The New

In December, President Obama issued an executive order on Monday evening scrapping a controversial federal internship program. The order shuts down the Federal Career Intern Program -- whose popularity as a means for quickly hiring new employees has skyrocketed since it was created in 2001 -- as of March 2011. The directive also establishes three pathways for students and recent graduates to enter the federal workplace. The programs are tailored to recruit, train and retain well-qualified candidates. To read more about this exciting new program for entry level positions into the federal government, click HERE.

Here's a look at some of the well-paid jobs for which the federal government has thousands of openings. Think BROADLY when applying to the federal government. Your law degree may be applicable for all kinds of openings***

Program manager ($75,497)
Government agencies assign projects via contracts--and then people have to manage those contracts to make sure they stay on budget. The Department of Homeland Security--one of the agencies hiring the most right now--needs 1,850 program managers. Once you're in as a program manager, you can easily go from project to project within various government agencies for the rest of your career, says Heather Krasna, the author of "Jobs That Matter: Find a Stable, Fulfilling Career in Public Service."
Logistics manager ($62,782)
The Departments of the Army and Navy need about 2,000 of these experts to help them move goods and personnel efficiently and cost-effectively, both at home and overseas. Prior military experience is a strong plus here, says Janet Ruck, a coauthor of "Guide to America's Federal Jobs."
Attorney ($80,009)
The Department of Justice alone needs 2,700 attorneys, out of more than 5,500 projected attorney hires across all agencies. Qualified attorneys can pick their area of interest--for example, transportation, treasury, environment, or communications.
Paralegal ($45,761)
The Department of Justice also has a big need for paralegals and anticipates hiring 870 by 2012. Also known as legal assistants, paralegals help lawyers prepare cases and may draft contracts, take depositions, or write briefs. Many get started with a certificate program or by earning a two-year college degree.
Intelligence analyst ($60,158)
In a world of homegrown terrorists and threats that seem to come from nowhere, intelligence analysts are in demand. Analysts research and study data to come up with policy recommendations, says Ruck.

***Salary figures for these jobs are provided by online salary database PayScale.com. Projected hiring figures are from Where the Jobs Are, a nonprofit, nonpartisan website that promotes government-service jobs.

The Government & Social Media

Staying on top of what's happening in the federal government is essential to landing a coveted position working "for the feds." Utilize all the resources at your fingertips including social media. Click here for more information about how the federal government is looking to connect with you.

Funded Summer Positions

The Peggy Browning Fund Fellowship Program recently announced 2011 Summer Fellowships as well as a School Year Fellowship available to law students.

2011 Summer Fellowships
Over 40 funded positions in labor-related organizations throughout the United States.

2011-2012 School-Year Fellowship
1 funded part-time position in Chicago

Information available at http://www.peggybrowningfund.org/. Application deadline: January 14, 2011

Hint: There are some really terrific positions available this year ..... don't miss out on applying!

We Reccommend ...

If you have not done so already, pick up the new and updated CSD Handbook before the holiday break. If you have already left town, the updated Handbook is also available on Symplicity. There are expanded chapters on networking which will help inspire you to set up those crucial informational interviews. Don't be the last person jumping on the networking train ... start building those contacts now!

Searching For Federal Jobs

Seeking and applying for federal jobs can be overwhelming, so to help lawyers get started, the 2009-2010 Federal Legal Employment Opportunities Guide provides help. The guide—produced by NALP/PSLawNet, in partnership with the ABA Government & Public Sector Lawyers Division and the Partnership for Public Service—offers information on how the hiring process works, where to find federal jobs and how to apply successfully for them. Check it out today!

Need A Job Or Internship?

During the past week PSLawNet has posted:

** 45 new attorney positions

** 48 internships

** 20 law related opportunities.

Additionally, there are currently 1,222 active opportunities in our job database. To search the database visit PSLawNet.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Webinar

Equal Justice Works, an IBRinfo partner, is hosting a webinar called Getting Your Student Loans Forgiven: How Government and Nonprofit Employees Can Earn Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This free webinar will be useful for anyone working for a government entity or non-profit organization who is interested in federal student loan forgiveness. Call in, ask questions, and learn more about this important program.
Space is limited, so participants must register NOW for the December 8, noon to 1 p.m. EDT webinar (11am CDT, 9am PDT).

Networking is Everywhere

You have all heard the news by now ... networking is your key to job success! Don't think that networking stops once you enter the job field. A recent article in The Washington Post notes that networking is key in the federal job search as well. To read all the great tips in the full article, click HERE. Also, if you missed the CSD Presentation on Networking, feel free to stop by (Room 180) and check out the DVD.