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Information for Students

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A law student’s top two goals within six months of graduation are to pass the Bar Exam and get a job. Create your plan for meaningful employment now.

 

Pre-Law School:

  • Start networking and making connections with lawyers to learn about legal practice areas and the various types of jobs lawyers do.

 

1L Year

  • Meet with an OCM Career Coach 1:1 the first semester to set-up your career action plan.
  • Create your legal professional resume, run it through VMock (an AI tool that will provide instant feedback) and then have it reviewed by an OCM career coach.
  • Connect with 5-10 attorneys doing work you might like and learn more about what they do (informational interviews). 

 

Summer After 1L Year

  • Get legal experience (it doesn’t matter what specific type).
  • Know hiring timelines for the employers you are interested in for 2L summer.
  • Update your resume with your 1L summer experience.

 

2L Year

  • Schedule an appointment with OCM to discuss your career goals.
  • Consider getting some experience during the school year (clinic, externship, pro bono, etc.).
  • Continue networking and connecting with attorneys, learning more about various career options lawyers have.

 

Summer After 2L Year

  • If you are at a law firm, government agency, or anywhere with an expectation that the 2L summer experience could lead to full time post graduate employment, your entire summer is an interview.
  • Update your resume with your 2L summer experience.

 

3L Year

  • Meet with OCM to discuss post-bar opportunities/plans.
  • Keep meeting and speaking with attorneys doing the type of work in which you are interested.
  • Working during the school year (if feasible for you) is a great way to build relationships.
  • Schedule and meet with OCM for a 3L Exit Interview in April.
  • Update OCM with any offer of post-graduate employment.

 

Part Time Students (have an additional summer and year)

  • Contact OCM to schedule before or after hours appointments if career coaches schedules do not fit your work schedule.
  • Meet with OCM to discuss career goals, job search strategy, and updates to your resume.
  • It is essential for part time law students to get some legal experience during law school. Get creative in how you get this experience. 

 

Post Grad Employment

  • It is common for law students to graduate without a job lined up. Usually after graduating, students study for the bar exam (for several months) and pick up the job search again afterward. Many grads can find jobs while awaiting bar results. In any event, hiring picks up after bar results come out.

Log into CORE

Hours: Weekdays 9:00am – 5:00pm; and by appointment earlier or later.

Appointments can be held in person, over the phone, or by video chat. Schedule an appointment by logging into CORE with your SCU email.

For Current Students: Career Coaches want to get to know you; expect to meet with you at least once per year to support you in finding meaningful employment.

For Alumni: OCM welcomes alumni to take advantage of our counseling/coaching services at no charge. OCM meets with alumni at every stage in their careers. OCM can discuss all aspects of your job search including identifying opportunities, reviewing your application materials, preparing for interviews, and salary negotiations. If you are having trouble logging into SCU Law Jobs, please contact law-ocm@scu.edu.

For Current Students: More than 30% of current students found a legal job on CORE. Be sure to regularly check the website for opportunities, and apply broadly. 

For Alumni: We maintain postings for attorney positions on CORE. If you need access, please contact law-ocm@scu.edu. 

What are On Campus Interviews (OCI)?

The Virtual On Campus Interview (VOCI) program is an efficient process for some legal employers to interview our students for summer and entry-level associate positions. We will continue to assist employers with Ad Hoc OCI. For more information please email us at law-ocm@scu.edu.

Virtual OCI

  • Interview Dates: Big Law/Corporations: August 6 – 9, 2024
  • Interview Dates: Public Interest/Public Sector & Small & Mid-Size Firms: August 13 – 16, 2024
  • Employment: Primarily for summer positions for 2Ls/part-timers and a few for entry level associate positions for graduating students.
  • Types of Employers: Large firms who can predict hiring needs, but also some government agencies, local small firms, companies and nonprofits.
  • Past Participants:

Ad Hoc OCI

  • Interview Dates: Any time during Fall or Spring semester.
  • Employment: Any current class year depending on the employer’s needs.
  • Types of Employers: Any type – depends entirely on employer needs.

What is a Resume Collect?

  • Some legal employers are unavailable to recruit on campus but still want to receive resumes from students interested in their opportunities at a specific time; this is called a resume collect.
  • Instead of the employer conducting interviews on campus, the employers will call the candidates they wish to interview to their office.
  • Apply for resume collect opportunities in the same place you apply for OCI.

How to Apply

Virtual OCI (VOCI) Registration – Sign-up for the VOCI Event on CORE.

Contact Whittley Pike, Director of Career Development, at wpike@scu.edu with questions.

Have Your Application Materials Reviewed with OCM

All application materials should be reviewed by one of OCM’s Career Coaches.