Month: November 2019

What to do over Fall Break

Fall Break is here — now what?

Aside from relaxing, eating, and watching football (and maybe getting ready for finals?!), what else could/should you be doing?

If You Are Taking the November LSAT

  1. Keep studying!  As you know, the test is NEXT Monday, November 25.
  2. Review the LSAC’s Test Center Requirements, which can be found here.
  3. Get plenty of rest and try to eat something before you head to the exam.
  4. Once the LSAT is over, take a day or so to recover, then….

If You Are Currently Applying to Law School

  1. If you are done with the LSAT, then finish your applications!  If you have everything you need to apply then there is no reason to procrastinate. This is a rolling admissions process — file your applications ASAP!
  2. If you are waiting on Letters of Recommendation, gently remind your recommenders  that you want to submit your applications ASAP but cannot do so until LSAC/CAS receives all required letters of recommendation. Ask them when they can complete your recommendation.
  3. If you are taking the January LSAT — keep studying!  A strong LSAT score helps both with admissions and scholarships! Set some goals for how many practice LSATs you can take over break and stick to it.
  4. Attend an Open House or schedule a visit with law schools. (If you’re scheduling a visit, make sure the school is open and staffed during Thanksgiving week!) Click here to revisit our November 13 Blog, which lists several law school Open Houses both within and outside of Illinois.  Before your visit, check out this piece on how to make a good impression on a law school dean
  5. Check deadlines for Early Decision!  While many schools list November 15 as their early decision deadline, several others allow early decision applications until December 1 or even Dec. 15.  Not sure about early decision? Click here for a PLAS blog post on the pros and cons of applying early decision.
  6. Complete your FAFSA.
  7. Did you know that you can already apply for scholarships sponsored by non-university sources? Take a look at the scholarship spreadsheet with over 150 options over on our Compass page–these have a variety of due dates and many are due by the end of the calendar year, so now is a great time to apply!

If You Are Not Yet Applying to Law School

  1. Study for finals and write those papers!  Your GPA is a very important part of the law school admissions and scholarship process!
  2. LSAT Prep. In general, we advise those planning to apply to law school next fall to take the June or July 2020 LSAT (unless study abroad prevents you from doing so). You should plan to spend approximately 4-6 months studying for the LSAT–so now is the time to prepare for that process. As you plan your schedule for Spring 2020, consider not overloading on courses since the time necessary for effective preparation equates to the time invested in a rigorous 3 credit class. Remember: the LSAT is NOT like the ACT or the SAT.  It does not test what you know.  Rather, it tests how you think.  It is important to determine how you plan to study for the LSAT (on your own, using the FREE Khan Academy Prep, through a commercial prep company, etc.), and decide where you want to take the LSAT. To begin your research, go to the LSAC’s website for info on the LSAT, how to register and select a test site, and how to be successful on the test. Note – PLAS will be holding the “LSAT Boot Camp” on Monday, February 10, 2020, featuring presentations by both the LSAC and Kaplan Commercial Test Prep! Keep checking back for more info as the event gets closer.
  3. Apply for Internships — Have you thought about what you will be doing next summer?  Are you looking into internships? Internships can be a great way to build transferrable skills or learn more about the practice of law.  Do you need some suggestions on how and where to find an internship?  Check out this Internship Plan from our blog.  And remember: the PLAS Annual Internship Newsletter will be out and published on Compass on December 9!
  4. Network and conduct informational interviews. A great way to start building your professional network and get to know various legal practice areas is to meet with lawyers! Do you or your parents know any lawyers? Are any of your friends’ parents lawyers? You can also use the alumni association directory to identify Illinois alumni who are lawyers. Ask a lawyer to spend 30 minutes doing an informational interview with you. Don’t be intimidated; this is an opportunity for you to buy him/her coffee and ask about their professional life. Here’s a resource for planning your informational interview. 
  5. Complete your FAFSA
  6. Apply for scholarships! We’ve included lots of scholarships for continuing undergraduate students. Take a look at the scholarship spreadsheet with over 150 options over on our Pre-Law Compass page–these have a variety of due dates and many are due by the end of the calendar year, so now is a great time to apply.

Have a great break!

November 18, 2019 – Mark Your Calendars

As Fall Break approaches, the campus schedule of events is winding down.  However, there still are some interesting programs and events, on and off campus, before, during and after the break, so scroll down and mark your calendars!

Pre-Law Advising Services

Personal Statement and Resume Workshop – Monday, December 2, 4-5pm, 503 IUB

This workshop will cover:

  • What the personal statement is (and isn’t)
  • The role of the statement in the application process
  • A suggested plan for drafting it
  • An overview of law school resumes
  • How to make sure that your resume and personal statement complement each other.

All Illinois students and alumni are welcome, particularly those who will be applying to law school this fall.

Please register by clicking on this link so that we can ensure enough seating and materials.

Career Center

The Career Center will continue to offer Resume, Cover Letter and LinkedIn reviews this week, over break and when you return from break.  Go here for the schedule for these sessions.

Harvard Law School Online Info Sessions. Interested in learning some tips about applying to Harvard Law School?  HLS has begun offering online information sessions.  Some concern the admissions process, others offer insight into campus life, student organizations, and clinical opportunities at HLS. Click here to register for these upcoming sessions, and to see the entire schedule. 

1L Year at HLS
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
6:00 – 7:00 PM Eastern

Students of Color at HLS
Thursday, November 21, 2019
6:00 – 7:00 PM Eastern

Living and Learning in Greater Boston
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
6:00 – 7:00 PM Eastern

Law School Open Houses Over Fall Break

  1. University of Chicago Law School – Monday, November 25, 1:30-4:00pm.  For more information and to register, go here.
  2. DePaul University College of Law – Saturday, November 23, 10am.  For more information and to register, go here.
  3. Loyola University School of Law – Friday, November 22, 11:15am To register, go here and scroll down the page to find the registration for the  November 22 information session.

Go here to see the November 13 PLAS Blog post for a detailed list of other law school Open Houses.

Law School Open Houses – Illinois and Beyond

If you haven’t already, NOW is the time to plan your law school visits! Here is a roundup of Open House days or visit opportunities at law schools located outside of Illinois that are popular with Illini.

Illinois Law Schools

Chicago-Kent Law School Open House/Admissions Workshop:  Preparing for a Legal Career. Saturday, November 16, 9am-12:30pm. This will be an in-depth workshop on Preparing for a Legal Career, including a mini law school class, admissions overview, and tour. Click here to register!

University of Chicago Law School Open House – Monday, November 25, 1:00-4:30pm. The programs for the Open House will give you a glimpse into life at the Law School: you will attend a class, meet with students, faculty, and staff, and take a tour of the school. Members of the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid will be available to answer any questions you have about applying for admission to the Law School or about the Law School in general. Click here for more information and to register!

DePaul University College of Law – Saturday, November 23, 10am. The faculty, students and staff of DePaul University College of Law invite you and a guest to our Open House events for prospective students. Our programs provide you with information about admission requirements, areas of concentration and financial aid. Each Open House also includes a student panel discussion, mock class, lunch and a tour of our facilities. Programs begin promptly at 10 a.m.  For more information and to register, go here.

Loyola University School of Law – Friday, November 22, 11:15am We host information sessions to provide an informal opportunity to ask questions of a member of the JD Admission team. Approximately 45 minutes will be allotted for the information sessions. These sessions are offered on select dates during fall and spring semesters. Information sessions are intended for prospective students; admitted students should select from our other visit options. To register, go here and scroll down the page to find the registration for the  November 22 information session.

Northern Illinois University College of Law Open House—Saturday, November 16, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. Includes a student panel, mock class, tour, and lunch with current law students. For more information and to RSVP visit their website here.

Northwestern University School of Law – Super Saturday – November 9.  After requesting an On-Campus Interview within your JD application (so you need to submit your application first), the Admissions Office will send you an invitation and you will be equipped to select from available slots for your interview.  Go here for more info. Note:  Early decision / ED applicants are required to complete an online video interview. Upon submitting your ED application to Northwestern Law, you will receive an invitation to our online video interview portal and guidance for completing this requirement. For additional information on the interview process, visiting the school and other questions you may have, check out the FAQs on Northwestern Law’s website here.

Southern Illinois University School of Law  The best way to really connect with SIU is the see it for yourself.  Visits are scheduled during normal business hours – Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM. Complete the information here and an admissions representative will be in contact with you to customize your visit. We appreciate 48 hours notice for any campus visit. If you have any questions, please call the Office of Admissions at (618) 453-8858.

University of Illinois College of Law – Nothing will give you a greater sense of the College of Law at Illinois than an in-person visit.  Please reach out to our Office of Admissions to schedule your visit. You may also want to browse our events calendar, in case you’d like to schedule your visit to coincide with one of our upcoming events. For more information, go here.

UIC John Marshall Law School Throughout the academic year, the Office of Admission offers open house programs for prospective students interested in UIC John Marshall. The open house programs provide an overview of curriculum, the classroom experience, and student life, and offer prospects a chance to familiarize themselves with legal education. In addition, the Law School offers guided tours to prospective students at scheduled times throughout the week. To schedule a tour, call the Office of Admission at 800.537.4280. For more information, go here.

(Outside of Illinois) Big 10 Law Schools

Indiana University Maurer School of Law (click here to RSVP)

  • Admissions Information Session–Saturday, Dec. 7, 1-3 pm
  • Virtual Admissions Information Session– January 3, 6-7 pm EASTERN (12 -1 pm Central)
  • Individual visits can also be scheduled if you can’t attend these sessions

University of Iowa College of Law (click here)

  • Iowa Law Open House–Feb. 15, 2020 (register here)
  • Individual tours and class visits, along with self-guided tours, available

University of Michigan Law School offers individual visits here

  • Tours, classes, and appointments with an admissions counselor on most weekdays between 8 and 5; if you want to visit a class, however, we recommend avoiding Fridays because few classes are available.

Michigan State University Law School

University of Minnesota Law School 

  • Only self-guided tours and admissions counselor visits will be available during Finals & Winter Break (December 2 through January 22).

Ohio State University Moritz College of Law

  • Fall Open House will be held on November 21, 2019 from 4-7 pm. Please register here.
  • Info sessions and class observations   Visits are conducted on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays . Click here to access the schedule and RSVP

Penn State Law 

University of Wisconsin Law

  • Offers group visits and individual visits, plus an online tour of the law school  (click here)

Other (Outside Illinois) Law Schools Popular with Illini Applicants

Boston University Law School (click here)

  • BU Law Open House– Saturday, November 16 from 9:30 – 12:00 p.m.
  • Offers class visits with a posted schedule of available classes online

Emory Law (click here)

  • Offers information sessions every Tuesday and Thursday at 10:00 am during the fall semester
  • Classroom observations have ended for fall but will be available again during spring semester
  • A campus virtual tour is also available here

Georgetown Law (click here)

  • JD Information Sessions and Guided Tours offered Nov. 22, Dec. 6, and Dec. 16
  • Self-guided tours and class visits (sitting in on a law school class) are offered for those who cannot make the sessions

George Washington Law (click here)

  • Student-led tours and class visits offered through Nov. 20. Contact the school to arrange visits after that date.

Notre Dame Law School (click here)

  • Offers class observations, admission sessions, and tours for prospective students on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays

Saint Louis University School of Law (click here)

  • Preview Day, Jan. 4 from 9:30 to 2:00

UCLA  Law

  • Tours are offered on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and class visits are available by appointment. Click here to schedule.
  • UCLA Law Liveguide (online sessions with current students) recordings on a variety of topics are available to watch here

Vanderbilt Law School 

Washington University Law School (click here)

  • Open Houses will be held Friday, November 22, January 17, and February 28 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm
  • Details on scheduling individual visits, along with sample visitor schedules, can be arranged online

Mark Your Calendars: Week of November 11th

Pre-Law Events

Pre-Law 101 – LAST OF THE SEMESTER– Nov. 11, 4-5pm. This workshop is currently full–email ccaas-prelaw@illinois.edu to be added to the wait list. This workshop is designed for students who are new to pre-law or are interested in learning more about it. All Illini are welcome. We will cover: What it means to be pre-law at Illinois, course selection, majors, and extracurriculars, building a pre-law resume, and what law schools are really looking for. We will outline a four year plan to maximize your undergraduate experiences in order to make a great law school candidate. We’ll also take any questions about law school and legal careers. Incoming freshmen should attend a Pre-Law 101 prior to setting up an individual pre-law advising appointment. 

Go here to check out other upcoming PLAS Events!

Pre-Law Club: The Pre-Law Club will be hosting Ruth Wyman, a lawyer who graduated from UIUC College of Law (2004) to speak about her experiences as a law student, lawyer, her potential career as a Circuit Judge, among other topics. The event will take place on Tuesday, Nov 12th at 5 pm at 1051 Lincoln Hall. Anyone interested in attending law school is welcomed. FOOD WILL BE PROVIDED!!

Taking the GRE? We have vouchers for a $50 discount on GRE registration fees. Email Jamie at thomas99@illinois.edu if you are planning to take the GRE to apply to law school and we can provide you with one of the vouchers.

Campus Events

It’s International Week! Check out the weeklong list of international events all over campus.

Social Justice Educator Paraprofessionals–Deadline: Nov. 17. Leadership opportunity where you will have the opportunity to serve as a Peer leader on campus discussing social justice issues and topics in the following areas:

  • Design fun and engaging educational opportunities for your peers
  • Expand your knowledge about social identities and inclusivity
  • Develop public speaking and interpersonal communication skills

Click here to apply.

Law School/Legal Education Events

Midwest Law School Virtual Fair – Wednesday, November 13, 10am-2pm CST. Did you miss the Law Fair? Over 25 law schools are registered and eager to connect with prospective students in a virtual way through this fair.  To see a list of participating law schools, click on this link. Registration is FREE! Interested students should register here.

Harvard Law School Online Info Sessions. Interested in learning some tips about applying to Harvard Law School?  HLS has begun offering online information sessions.  Some concern the admissions process, others offer insight into campus life, student organizations, and clinical opportunities at HLS. Click here to register for these upcoming sessions, and to see the entire schedule. 

    • Applying with Military Experience–Nov. 14, 6:00 – 7:00 PM Eastern Time
    • 1L Year at Harvard Law — Nov. 19, 6:00 – 7:00 PM Eastern Time

AccessLex, a nonprofit working to educate law students about the financial aspects of legal education, invites all who are interested to these free upcoming webinars. Click here to register and to view their full schedule.

    • Optimizing Your Law School Decisions Webinar–Nov. 13, 9:00 pm ET

Internships and Jobs

ICYMI: Did you see last week’s blogs Resume Tips for Pre-Law Students and Alumni and Job Search Guide for December and Recent Grads

International Programs in Engineering (IPENG) Communication & Multimedia Intern: IPENG is responsible for the delivery of study abroad services and resources to students and faculty in the College of Engineering. For more information, please visit www.engineering.illinois.edu/ipeng .

We are currently seeking a student intern who will create digital and print materials that will brand, position and promote International Programs in Engineering. In addition, our intern will take photos at IPENG Events as needed and maintain a strong database of images to be used across the multiple advertising platforms.  This opportunity may extend into additional semesters by mutual agreement. This part time position offer flexible hours, requiring approximately 8-10 hours per week. The starting pay is $9.00/hour. We are looking for a self-starter who can work both independently and on a team.

Interested candidates should submit resume, cover letter, and a portfolio of work as a single .pdf file attached to an email message sent to Jana Gadbury, jgadbury@illinois.edu by November 18, 2019. Please put “Communications and Multimedia Intern” in the subject of the email.

Career Center https://www.careercenter.illinois.edu/

Handshake–Looking for internships, jobs, career fairs, networking receptions, or other professional opportunities? Handshake is where it’s at! All students, not just seniors, should set up an account and start checking in on a consistent basis to see what opportunities interest you. Set up your account here.

ALL students should utilize the Career Center’s services! They offer a variety of programs to help you identify career paths through workshops, career fairs and individual meetings. Click on the link above to view all of their offerings.

Here are some of their upcoming events:

      • Creating Your Powerful Resume and Cover Letter Workshop – Monday, Nov 11th at 4:00 – 5:00 pm, The Career Center Conference Room, Room 143

      • Mind the Gap: Exploring the Benefits of Taking a Gap Year – Wednesday, Nov 13th at 4:00 – 5:00 pm. The Career Center Conference Room 143

      • Coping with Cultural Differences in Job Search–Friday, Nov 15, 4:00-5:30 pm. The Career Center Interview Suite Room 213.

      • Resume, Cover Letter, and Linked In Reviews are offered almost every day. Check the website for times and locations.

Law School Open Houses/Admissions Programs

Some schools schedule formal open houses and others require you to choose a date for a visit. Open houses are a great opportunity to visit the campus, sit in on a class, see what the students and professors are like, and a great opportunity to answer all of your questions.  Most law schools require you to register for these events.  We have listed below some upcoming open houses for law schools in Illinois, some of which will happen in the next couple of weeks and over Fall Break.

An EASY way to access law school admission offices: You can begin by checking out our list of the law schools that attended the Law School Fair .  Scroll down the page. When you click on the law school, the embedded link will take you to that school’s admissions page.

Chicago-Kent Law School Open House/Admissions Workshop:  Preparing for a Legal Career. Saturday, November 16, 9am-12:30pm. This will be an in-depth workshop on Preparing for a Legal Career, including a mini law school class, admissions overview, and tour. Click here to register!

University of Chicago Law School Open House – Monday, November 25, 1:00-4:30pm. The programs for the Open House will give you a glimpse into life at the Law School: you will attend a class, meet with students, faculty, and staff, and take a tour of the school. Members of the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid will be available to answer any questions you have about applying for admission to the Law School or about the Law School in general. Click here for more information and to register!

DePaul University College of Law – Saturday, November 23, 10am. The faculty, students and staff of DePaul University College of Law invite you and a guest to our Open House events for prospective students. Our programs provide you with information about admission requirements, areas of concentration and financial aid. Each Open House also includes a student panel discussion, mock class, lunch and a tour of our facilities. Programs begin promptly at 10 a.m.  For more information and to register, go here.

Loyola University School of Law – Friday, November 22, 11:15am We host information sessions to provide an informal opportunity to ask questions of a member of the JD Admission team. Approximately 45 minutes will be allotted for the information sessions. These sessions are offered on select dates during fall and spring semesters. Information sessions are intended for prospective students; admitted students should select from our other visit options. To register, go here and scroll down the page to find the registration for the  November 22 information session.

Northern Illinois University College of Law Open House—Saturday, November 16, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. Includes a student panel, mock class, tour, and lunch with current law students. For more information and to RSVP visit their website here.

Southern Illinois University School of Law  The best way to really connect with SIU is the see it for yourself.  Visits are scheduled during normal business hours – Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM. Complete the information here and an admissions representative will be in contact with you to customize your visit. We appreciate 48 hours notice for any campus visit. If you have any questions, please call the Office of Admissions at (618) 453-8858.

University of Illinois College of Law – Nothing will give you a greater sense of the College of Law at Illinois than an in-person visit.  Please reach out to our Office of Admissions to schedule your visit. You may also want to browse our events calendar, in case you’d like to schedule your visit to coincide with one of our upcoming events. For more information, go here.

UIC John Marshall Law School Throughout the academic year, the Office of Admission offers open house programs for prospective students interested in UIC John Marshall. The open house programs provide an overview of curriculum, the classroom experience, and student life, and offer prospects a chance to familiarize themselves with legal education. In addition, the Law School offers guided tours to prospective students at scheduled times throughout the week. To schedule a tour, call the Office of Admission at 800.537.4280. For more information, go here.

Marquette University Law School – Open House Saturday, November 16, 9:00am-11:30am. Tours begin at 9am followed by an Information Session and Student Panel beginning at 10am.  RSVP online here or by calling 414.288.6767.

Job Search Guide for Pre-Law Students and Recent Grads

How do I find a job for my gap year(s)? This is a very common question. It has become the norm to work 1-3 years after graduating with a bachelor’s degree before attending law school, which means that most pre-law students will be job searching for a professional position during your gap year(s). This guide contains suggestions, tips, and ideas for pre-law students who are searching for gap year opportunities. 

NOTE: We have added more listings to our Jobs for December Grads over on Compass. (Need to add yourself to our Compass page? Scroll down and follow the simple instructions here.)

First: Is your resume ready? Review these resume tips from our earlier post.

Schedule time over a few months for your job search. Sit down and dedicate time in your GCal, iCal, or paper planner every week for job searching.  Job searching isn’t done in one afternoon…we suggest setting aside at least 2-3 hours each week to apply for jobs. (For example, every Sunday afternoon, or an hour a few days a week).

Cast a wide net. Apply to lots of jobs–many people will apply to 20+ jobs, especially as a new college graduate. THAT’S NORMAL. If you are applying to law-related jobs (which tend to be competitive) then you should expect to apply to even more.

Make sure you are connected to our Facebook group. We will continue to post internships and jobs as they become available. Join us here.

Identify attorneys and legal service providers in your area. Google county bar associations. For example: Cook County Bar Association or Orange County Bar Association.

    • Bar Association websites frequently have directories of attorneys, which can help you identify contacts to inquire about job opportunities, and you can then find attorney websites and monitor them for job listings.
    • Are you in Illinois? Use the Illinois Lawyer Finder to find any lawyer in any county or practice area in the state.
    • Live in another state? Whatever state you live in, you can use Martindale Hubbell to find lawyers by practice area, location, or law school affiliation. Google _____ State Bar Association to find statewide attorney directories too.
    • Many bar associations also post support staff job opportunities, so bookmark those sites and check back often.

Use effective search terms. Obviously any jobs labeled “lawyer” or “associate” or “partner” or the like are going to require a law degree. What are some legal jobs for which people with bachelor’s degrees are eligible?

    • Project Assistant
    • Case Assistant
    • Legal Assistant
    • Paralegal (as long as a paralegal certificate isn’t required)
    • Office Assistant
    • Office Support
    • Billing Support/Assistant

Apply if you meet 60% or more of the job criteria. Most applicants will not meet 100% of the job criteria, and that’s okay. Unless it says “required” you should assume it’s negotiable. Your options will be very limited if you only apply to jobs for which you meet every single preferred criteria.

Set up a professional non-University email account. Make it something simple and non-controversial…not hottiebae23 or cubsrule45. And make sure it isn’t political or religious!

Create–or update–your LinkedIn account. It’s an easy way to network, job search, and connect with people who are hiring (or people who know others who are hiring.) The Career Center offers LinkedIn reviews to help you create or improve your profile.

Clean up your social media. Many employers (and law schools too) will check your online presence, so comb through your Facebook/Insta/Twitter feeds. Check the privacy settings and remove anything that you wouldn’t want an employer or law school dean to see.

Be organized. How?

    • Bookmark sites and check them regularly. (More about job sites below).
    • Subscribe to weekly (or even daily) digests of job listings based on criteria (like location) that you set.
    • Create a spreadsheet that includes the job, website, closing date, when you applied, and contact information.
    • Download job descriptions—don’t just save the links. Most job descriptions will be removed from websites after the application deadline. You’ll want to refer to the description to prepare for an interview or to follow up, so make sure you download or cut and paste a copy of it for your records.

Network. Now is the time to let it be known that you are job searching. Ask anyone you know if they know of any job opportunities–neighbors, cousins, classmates, parents, etc. Lots of hiring is done by word of mouth and personal recommendations.

Use the University’s resources. In addition to the Career Center (which you should definitely be utilizing), make the most of your department or college’s job search resources, such as:

    • Are you on Handshake? You should be. Do you actually check it? Did you know that you can set it to email you with opportunities? Employers are constantly coming to campus and holding info sessions, networking receptions, and interviews right here.
    • Attend the college/campus career fairs. You can find a list of them in Handshake. More fairs will be happening in the spring semester. (Click on Events and then Find Career Fairs).
    • Are you using your department’s career services, mentoring, or alumni connections? Many departments/majors bring in alums, offer mentors, or have lists of alumni available to you.
    • The Humanities Professional Resource Center is another great career resource.
    • The Life + Career Design Lab also offers career prep resources.

Which job search sites are helpful?

We post jobs and internships over on our Facebook page

Use Handshake!

Many law firms will post positions on Indeed or on Monster

lawjobs.com 

GoGovernment.org–Guides and helpful insight for finding and applying to entry level federal government jobs.

USAJOBS lists all federal government jobs and internships–use the helpful icons to find entry level or student opportunities.

Idealist–for public interest/nonprofit sector jobs

LinkedIn also has job listings

 

Resume Tips for Pre-Law Students & Alumni

Are you an undergrad student applying to legal jobs and internships? Or getting ready to graduate and applying to full-time legal jobs before law school? Either way, here are tips for prepping your resume.

Keep updating your resume. You should be ready to apply for positions as soon as they are posted–the earlier, the better. So your resume should be updated, polished, and ready to go at any time.

Accurately describe your degree.

        • If you are in LAS, your degree isn’t in “history” or “English”–it’s a Bachelor of Arts (or possibly science) in Liberal Arts & Sciences with a major of history or English. (Not sure what exact degree you’re getting? Click on your major in the Academic Catalog to find out which degree you’re getting.)
        • A double major is not two degrees when the two majors are in the same college. It’s one degree consisting of two majors. For example: Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences. Majors: Communication and Political Science.
        • A double degree–two majors from two separate colleges–IS two different degrees and should be indicated as such. For example: Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences. Major: History
          Bachelor of Science. Major: Advertising
        • If you have not yet graduated, then your resume should indicate “Expected Graduation: May 2020” or whenever you expect to graduate. If you have graduated, then the date should be Month Year.

Start and update a master resume. You may have multiple versions of your resume. At some point, you will gather so many work and internship experiences that you can pick and choose which to include depending on the job for which you’re applying. Having a master resume with every one of your jobs and internships, along with the primary duties of each, will let you develop job-specific resumes over time. (Also: When you apply to sit for the bar exam, you must provide a list of every job you’ve held and when, so this is a great document to have for the future.)

Be concise. Lawyers are very busy. Keep it to one page unless you have several years of post-college work experience.

Use action verbs. Drafted, presented, created, researched: these are all action verbs. Use this list of action verbs if you need ideas.

Watch your verb tenses. Is the job over? Then your verbs should be in the past tense. Are you still working there? Then it should be in the present tense.

Keep the format simple and clean. This is not an industry that enjoys creative fonts, colors, pictures, fun formats, etc.

Be specific. Go beyond the title you had to describe what, exactly, you did. Over what period of time? How many people were involved? What was the budget? What was the end product or deliverable?

Edit to perfection. Legal professionals must be DETAIL ORIENTED, and mistakes will be noticed. The resume should be 100% error free, meaning:

ABSOLUTELY NO: typos, grammatical errors, misuse of punctuation, or incorrect use of words like “there” and “their”

No need to include the following in your resume for law school or for a legal job:

      • Professional goal. Law schools/legal positions aren’t looking for this.
      • Skills overview. They will determine or infer what skills you have based on what you present elsewhere in the resume.
      • A list of specific courses you took. If they want to know that, they will request and review your transcript.
      • High school information or activities. By the time you are a junior/senior in college, this is no longer recent or relevant.

Want to know more or see examples? Visit our Pre-Law Handbook for more details on law school/legal job resumes. (Click on the Applying to Law School tab, and then on the Law School Resumes sub-tab.)

Take it to the career center and/or make an appointment with a pre-law advisor to have it reviewed. Not sure whether to include something? Talk to us and we will help you decide what is the best use of your resume space.

 

Mark Your Calendars: Week of November 4

Pre-Law Events

Personal Statement & Resume workshop–Nov. 5 at 4:00 pm. All Illinois students and alumni are welcome, particularly those who will be applying to law school this fall. Register here. This workshop will cover:

  • What the personal statement is (and isn’t)
  • The role of the statement in the application process
  • A suggested plan for drafting it
  • An overview of law school resumes
  • How to make sure that your resume and personal statement complement each other.

Pre-Law 101 – LAST OF THE SEMESTER– Nov. 11, 4-5pm. This workshop is designed for students who are new to pre-law or are interested in learning more about it. All Illini are welcome. We will cover: What it means to be pre-law at Illinois, course selection, majors, and extracurriculars, building a pre-law resume, and what law schools are really looking for. We will outline a four year plan to maximize your undergraduate experiences in order to make a great law school candidate. We’ll also take any questions about law school and legal careers. Incoming freshmen should attend a Pre-Law 101 prior to setting up an individual pre-law advising appointment. Please register here so that we can ensure enough seating and materials.

Go here to check out other upcoming PLAS Events!

Taking the GRE? We have vouchers for a $50 discount on GRE registration fees. Email Jamie at thomas99@illinois.edu if you are planning to take the GRE to apply to law school and we can provide you with one of the vouchers.

Law School/Legal Education Events

 

Midwest Law School Virtual Fair – Wednesday, November 13, 10am-2pm CST. Did you miss the Law Fair? Over 25 law schools are registered and eager to connect with prospective students in a virtual way through this fair.  To see a list of participating law schools, click on this link. Registration is FREE! Interested students should register here.

Harvard Law School Online Info Sessions. Interested in learning some tips about applying to Harvard Law School?  HLS has begun offering online information sessions.  Some concern the admissions process, others offer insight into campus life, student organizations, and clinical opportunities at HLS. Click here to register for these upcoming sessions, and to see the entire schedule. 

    • Public Interest at HLS — Nov. 5, 12:00-1:00 pm Eastern Time
    • First Generation at HLS – Nov. 7, 6:00 – 7:00 PM Eastern Time
    • Applying with Military Experience–Nov. 14, 6:00 – 7:00 PM Eastern Time

AccessLex, a nonprofit working to educate law students about the financial aspects of legal education, invites all who are interested to these free upcoming webinars. Click here to register and to view their full schedule.

    • Applying to Law School: A Strategic Approach for Underrepresented Students, Nov. 5, 1:00 pm (ET)
    • The Road to Zero: A Strategic Approach to Student Loan Repayment, Nov. 5, 7:00 pm (ET)
    • Financing Your Legal Education, Nov. 6, 4:00 pm (ET)

Law School Open Houses/Admissions Programs

Some schools schedule formal open houses and others require you to choose a date for a visit. Open houses are a great opportunity to visit the campus, sit in on a class, see what the students and professors are like, and a great opportunity to answer all of your questions.  Most law schools require you to register for these events.  We have listed below some upcoming open houses for law schools in Illinois, some of which will happen in the next couple of weeks and over Fall Break.

An EASY way to access law school admission offices: You can begin by checking out our list of the law schools that attended the Law School Fair .  Scroll down the page. When you click on the law school, the embedded link will take you to that school’s admissions page.

Chicago-Kent Law School Open House/Admissions Workshop:  Preparing for a Legal Career. Saturday, November 16, 9am-12:30pm. This will be an in-depth workshop on Preparing for a Legal Career, including a mini law school class, admissions overview, and tour. Click here to register!

University of Chicago Law School Open House – Monday, November 25, 1:00-4:30pm. The programs for the Open House will give you a glimpse into life at the Law School: you will attend a class, meet with students, faculty, and staff, and take a tour of the school. Members of the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid will be available to answer any questions you have about applying for admission to the Law School or about the Law School in general. Click here for more information and to register!

DePaul University College of Law – Saturday, November 23, 10am. The faculty, students and staff of DePaul University College of Law invite you and a guest to our Open House events for prospective students. Our programs provide you with information about admission requirements, areas of concentration and financial aid. Each Open House also includes a student panel discussion, mock class, lunch and a tour of our facilities. Programs begin promptly at 10 a.m.  For more information and to register, go here.

Loyola University School of Law – Friday, November 22, 11:15am We host information sessions to provide an informal opportunity to ask questions of a member of the JD Admission team. Approximately 45 minutes will be allotted for the information sessions. These sessions are offered on select dates during fall and spring semesters. Information sessions are intended for prospective students; admitted students should select from our other visit options. To register, go here and scroll down the page to find the registration for the  November 22 information session.

Northern Illinois University College of Law Open House—Saturday, November 16, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. Includes a student panel, mock class, tour, and lunch with current law students. For more information and to RSVP visit their website here.

Northwestern University School of Law – Super Saturday – November 9.  After requesting an On-Campus Interview within your JD application (so you need to submit your application first), the Admissions Office will send you an invitation and you will be equipped to select from available slots for your interview.  Go here for more info. Note:  Early decision / ED applicants are required to complete an online video interview. Upon submitting your ED application to Northwestern Law, you will receive an invitation to our online video interview portal and guidance for completing this requirement. For additional information on the interview process, visiting the school and other questions you may have, check out the FAQs on Northwestern Law’s website here.

Southern Illinois University School of Law  The best way to really connect with SIU is the see it for yourself.  Visits are scheduled during normal business hours – Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM. Complete the information here and an admissions representative will be in contact with you to customize your visit. We appreciate 48 hours notice for any campus visit. If you have any questions, please call the Office of Admissions at (618) 453-8858.

University of Illinois College of Law – Nothing will give you a greater sense of the College of Law at Illinois than an in-person visit.  Please reach out to our Office of Admissions to schedule your visit. You may also want to browse our events calendar, in case you’d like to schedule your visit to coincide with one of our upcoming events. For more information, go here.

UIC John Marshall Law School Throughout the academic year, the Office of Admission offers open house programs for prospective students interested in UIC John Marshall. The open house programs provide an overview of curriculum, the classroom experience, and student life, and offer prospects a chance to familiarize themselves with legal education. In addition, the Law School offers guided tours to prospective students at scheduled times throughout the week. To schedule a tour, call the Office of Admission at 800.537.4280. For more information, go here.

Marquette University Law School – Open House Saturday, November 16, 9:00am-11:30am. Tours begin at 9am followed by an Information Session and Student Panel beginning at 10am.  RSVP online here or by calling 414.288.6767.

Internships and Jobs

This week on our blog we will be posting guides to job searching and internship resources! We’ve been posting job opportunities for December grads over on our Pre-Law Compass page and on our Facebook page. Follow us on Facebook to make sure you don’t miss any postings! We will be posting summer internships too.

International Programs in Engineering (IPENG) Communication & Multimedia Intern: IPENG is responsible for the delivery of study abroad services and resources to students and faculty in the College of Engineering. For more information, please visit www.engineering.illinois.edu/ipeng .

We are currently seeking a student intern who will create digital and print materials that will brand, position and promote International Programs in Engineering. In addition, our intern will take photos at IPENG Events as needed and maintain a strong database of images to be used across the multiple advertising platforms.  This opportunity may extend into additional semesters by mutual agreement. This part time position offer flexible hours, requiring approximately 8-10 hours per week. The starting pay is $9.00/hour. We are looking for a self-starter who can work both independently and on a team.

Interested candidates should submit resume, cover letter, and a portfolio of work as a single .pdf file attached to an email message sent to Jana Gadbury, jgadbury@illinois.edu by November 18, 2019. Please put “Communications and Multimedia Intern” in the subject of the email.

Career Center https://www.careercenter.illinois.edu/

Handshake–Looking for internships, jobs, career fairs, networking receptions, or other professional opportunities? Handshake is where it’s at! All students, not just seniors, should set up an account and start checking in on a consistent basis to see what opportunities interest you. Set up your account here.

ALL students should utilize the Career Center’s services! They offer a variety of programs to help you identify career paths through workshops, career fairs and individual meetings. Click on the link above to view all of their offerings.

Here are some of their upcoming events:

      • Finding Your Internship Workshop – Nov. 4, 4:30-5:30pm, Career Center Conference Room (143)
      • Peace Corps Drop Ins – Nov. 5 & Nov. 8, 10:30-12:30, Career Center Resource Room
      • Resume, Cover Letter, and Linked In Reviews are offered almost every day. Check the website for times and locations.

Scholarships

Udall Scholarship Information Session–Thurs, Nov. 7 at 3:30 OR Fri, Nov. 8 at 3:00 in the Illini Union Bookstore Building, 5th Floor.

The campus seeks to nominate sophomores and juniors for the prestigious Udall Scholarship. The Udall awards $7,000 to sophomores or juniors who are taking action to address environmental concerns and are committed to a career related to the environment. Students must be US citizens, US nationals, or US permanent residents. A successful applicant will have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and demonstrate leadership and a commitment to service. The University of Illinois may nominate up to six students for the Udall Scholarship. The campus deadline is February 6, 2020 to be considered. If you are interested in applying, please plan to attend our Udall sessions.  Please note that there are special awards also for Native American students interested in tribal policy or health care (no need to be related to the environment).*

For more information, contact the scholarships office at topscholars@illinois.edu or visit our website at www.topscholars.illinois.edu