We know that many of you are beginning to think about your 2L summer job search. Current legal job market conditions, though improved, continue to require more than just general career advice. Whether you are interested in a career in government, public interest, or the private sector, our office stands ready to provide you with the counseling and support you need to develop a targeted individualized job search strategy.
When and How to Meet With Us
We’ve mentioned before that we are available by phone (as well as, in person, of course) during regular business hours and that the most efficient way to arrange this is through our on-line appointment scheduler. However, we also want to stress that, for those of you who are having difficulty fitting an appointment into your regular work day, you should feel free to contact the attorney-counselor with whom you are interested in meeting directly and we will do our best to arrange a phone or in-person meeting (here or perhaps in SF) after-hours, before-hours, or over the course of a weekend. You can find our contact info by clicking on the Contact Us link on the right sidebar menu.
Here is a list of the attorney-counselors specialty areas to help ensure that you receive the most relevant guidance:
Public Interest Job Search (including DA & PD careers) — Alex Lee (out until 6/22) or Melanie Rowen (out from 7/30 to 8/3)
Government Job Search — Eric Stern (out from 6/25 to 7/2)
Private Sector Job Search — Marsha Rabkin (out until 6/25), Sarah Cunniff (out from 6/25 and 6/29), Samorn Selim (out on Fridays conducting employer outreach), or Terry Galligan (out from 6/21 to 6/26)
All of us our generally around throughout July.
NOTE: the designated drop-in hours that we hold during the school year are suspended for the summer.
Remember to update your resume and send it to us for review at career@law.berkeley.edu. The longer you wait to send it to us, the longer the turnaround time is likely to be, so send it to us as soon as you can. Also, the earlier you are able to meet with us, the easier it will be to get an appointment.
Resources to Help You Prepare for Interviewing Season
The 2012 EIW/FIP webpage (click on “Jobs and Career Options” on the right sidebar menu and then on “Interview Programs” from the flyout menu) contains links to all of the information you need to start researching employers, develop a strategy, learn how bidding works, limitations on canceling or trading time slots, preparing EIW resumes, writing samples and reference lists, and more. If you missed our April Info Session, you might find it to be a useful introduction to the process. You can find a link to the webcast version (and other EIW/FIP-related webcasts) by clicking on EIW/FIP webcasts in the Strategy and Advice section of the EIW/FIP webpage. If you forgot the login for this and other CDO password protected webpages you can access it by following the “Accessing Restricted Content” link on the right sidebar menu.
Applying to Out-of-Town Firms Who Will Not Be Interviewing On-Campus
If you are interested in working at a large law firm outside the Bay area next summer (and remember flexibility is key in the current job market), consider sending a resume, cover letter, and transcript (if you think it will help you) to those out-of-the-area firms who are not coming to campus. While firms typically will not pay for you to fly to them to conduct initial screening interviews, they may be willing to meet with you if you are already planning on being in their city. Therefore, it may be particularly helpful if you can state in your cover letter that you plan on being in their city during a specific date range. It is best to try to give firms at least a few weeks advance notice of your travel plans. If you are currently working out of town, you may want to contact local firms now about the possibility of meeting with them before you return to Berkeley.
In fact, we prepared a brief (12 min.) webcast on conducting this type of outreach. Click on EIW/FIP Webcasts in the Strategy and Advice section and look for the “Out of Town Job Search” link. A good resource for identifying large law firm contacts is: www.nalpdirectory.com