Applying For the Legal Job

If you are interested in an on-campus job, typically the application process is simple: You check the job postings, find one you are interested in, make a phone call, and start working. The application process for a research or administrative assistant will involve a bit more screening. The professor or faculty member who needs an assistant will want to find someone whom the professor feels is compatible, smart, and responsible, so the professor may even conduct interviews. The process, however, will usually be pretty informal.

Most other types of legal jobs will probably require sending the prospective employer a resume and cover letter. Based on your resume and cover letter, the prospective employer will decide whether he or she wants to interview you. Basically, the employer will want to see whether, on paper, you are qualified for the job. Some of the qualifications will be tangible-experience, education, grades, and skills; other qualifications will be intangible- personality, character, interests, and attitude. Therefore, it is important to be able to convey all of this information in your resume and cover letter. You can't get the job if you can't even get in front of the employer for an interview!


Once you are selected for an interview, the process can vary depending on the formality of the job for which you are applying. In some cases, the prospective employer will simply want to talk to you on the phone, tell you a little bit about the job, learn a little bit about you, and then hire you on the spot. In other cases, the process will entail a screening interview and then a "callback" interview. As a rule, however, the application process for jobs during the school year is not as rigorous as the process for summer jobs.

GENERAL APPLICATION PROCESS

1. WRITE YOUR COVER LETTER.

Your cover letter should be tailored to the job you are applying for-do not send a 'form" cover letter! The general purpose of the cover letter is to convey information to the prospective employer that is not apparent from your resume. Your career services office should have sample cover letters that you can look at to get a sense of the general format. The most important thing to remember is that you want the reader of your cover letter to come away with a sense of who you are, why you want this job, and what you have to offer. Depending on the job you are applying for, your prospective employer may have stacks and stacks of resumes to review. Your cover letter may be your only chance to distinguish yourself, so use it!

2. WRITE YOUR RESUME.

Again, your career services office should have copies of sample formats for resumes. Your resume should be neat, organized, concise (limit it to one page), and grammatically perfect. There are no excuses for grammatical errors or misspelled words on a resume. Have a law school friend or someone from your career services office review your resume before you send it out.

Don't hesitate to toot your own horn on your resume-think of it as your one and only opportunity to brag about all of your accomplishments without feeling pompous!

3. INTERVIEW FOR THE JOB.

The most important advice about interviewing is this: Be yourself! Of course, you want to highlight your strengths and minimize your weaknesses, but you can do that without pretending to be someone that you are not. An interview can be stressful enough without feeling like you have to convince your interviewer that you know everything there is to know about computers when you don't even know how to turn one on! Also, don't be defensive about your apparent weaknesses. Be confident and secure, and answer every question truthfully and honestly (in the best light possible, of course). Chapter 11, "Interviewing," will provide you with much more detailed information about how to interview successfully.

So, there it is, everything you need to know about working during the school year in a nutshell! As mentioned earlier, working during law school is not for everyone. If you carefully prioritize your responsibilities, needs, and interests before you embark on the job search, however, working during law school can be one of the most rewarding and educational experiences that you have during your entire law school career.

HOW MUCH TIME WILL THE JOB TAKE?

Consider your potential time commitment before taking a job. Beware of "snowball" jobs-jobs that start out manageable and then grow and grow until you are overwhelmed. A good way to avoid this type of avalanche is to make clear to your employer from the outset that you are a law student with limited availability and a demanding school schedule. Instead of saying, "I can work about 10 to 15 hours per week," say, "I am only available on Mondays and Wednesdays between noon and 5 P.M." YOU should also plan ahead of time for exams and holidays, making sure your employer knows from the outset that you will need flexibility around midterms and finals, or around whatever other school-related crises may occur.

Another thing you should consider is how much commuting time will be involved in actually getting to your job. You may only be working 10 hours a week, but if it takes you an hour to get to work and an hour to get home every time, your hours away from home quickly add up.

Also, don't forget sanity time! If you are working all day and going to classes at night, you might soon realize that you have no time to do anything in between but eat and sleep. And when did you plan to read those 100 pages for Civil Procedure?

The number of hours you can realistically work each week will depend largely on your schedule. During the first year, you will be lucky if you can squeeze in five hours per week for any non-law school activity. In the third year, you may find that you can easily work 20-plus hours per week. Before you agree to work a set number of hours, you should sit down and figure out exactly how many hours a week you will need for classes, studying, and free time. Then plan your work schedule accordingly. You may find it helpful to go to two or three weeks of classes before you start work so that you fall into a comfortable schedule.

See 6 Things Attorneys and Law Students Need to Remove from Their Resumes ASAP If They Want to Get Jobs with the Most Prestigious Law Firms for more information.