Office of Career Services & Office of Public Interest Advising September 30, 2015

Harvard Law School

Introduction to Career Advising

3 Qs during the next 3 years…

1. Why are you here?

2. What do you want to do?

3. How are you going to decide?

Today’s Agenda

Resources & services

Career paths & employment data

Overview of Public and Private Sector hiring

Your 3 year & 3 month game plans

Happy hour

OCS & OPIA Services

OPIA and OCS Services

OPIA & OCS • Career Counseling • Job Search Advising • Career-related Programming • Information & Career Resources:

• websites, job banks, • podcasts & webcasts, • resource libraries

OPIA • Fellowship Advising

• Weekly emails & blog

• Recruitment Program:

PIIP

OCS • Clerkship Advising • 2 Blogs: Hire Ground

and The Bench • Recruitment

programs: EIP, FIP, SIP, ISEP,

RBP

OCS and OPIA Focus

OCS Career Advising Focus:

• Law firms

• Corporate in-house legal departments

• Business employers (management consulting firms and investment banks)

• Judicial Clerkships

OPIA Career Advising Focus:

• Government

• Nonprofits

• Prosecution and defense orgs

• Legal services

• Private public interest law firms

• International organizations

• Fellowships

Typical Career Paths

Private Sector Careers

Law Firms Large, mid-sized, small, boutiques, solo practitioners

Corporations (in-house)

Business Careers consulting, i-banking, venture capital, private equity and

entrepreneurship

Other Legal Careers Sports /entertainment organizations, publishing, and journalism

Public Sector Careers

Government (federal/state/local)

Criminal prosecution or defense

Nonprofits

Private public interest law firms

International

Understanding the Hiring Processes in the Public Sector & Private Sectors

What Public Interest Employers Look For

Practical work experience in public interest (clinics count)

Experience in their particular practice setting/issue area (e.g., environmental law, prosecution or defense)

Multicultural facility

Language skills, especially for:

International work

Client-centered work in the U.S.

Client contact (for some positions, including some law reform)

What All Employers Look For

Writing skills

Leadership

Interpersonal skills Work well as part of a team Likeable colleague Thoughtfulness about work

Professionalism

Enthusiasm

Law Firms that Recruit at HLS

Generally, are larger firms

Hire entry level lawyers (associates) primarily through summer programs that target 2Ls

Will recruit you during August 2016 (Early Interview Program) for summer of 2017 to join the firm in 2018

Predict their needs two years in advance

Will hire a few 1Ls for the summer, and for post graduate positions some 3Ls

Takeaway: If you think you want to begin your legal career at a large law firm, it is important to work at a law firm during your 2L summer

Entry Level Hiring Mechanisms for Public Interest

Fellowships (internal and external) Organization-based Portable Entrepreneurial

Government Honors Programs (federal, state, and local)

Direct hire (e.g., open, entry-level position) Most common for DA/PD positions, occasionally private public interest law firms

Far, far less common for nonprofit or government work

Recruiting Programs at HLS

Program Name

Audience

When

International Summer Employment Program (ISEP) 1Ls January and

February

Spring Interview Program (SIP) 1Ls February and March

Early Interview Program (EIP) 2Ls & 3Ls August

Public Interest Interview Program (PIIP) 2Ls & 3Ls September

Fall Interview Program (FIP) 2Ls & 3Ls September

Judicial Clerkships

Valuable extra training in addition to law school For all career paths, not only litigation

Earliest judges will start hiring next summer You’ll need 3 letters of recommendation

Get to know your 1L professors

Watch for more information

HLS Employment Data

Where 1Ls Worked (Class of 2017)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Law Firm Judicial Internship In-House / Business Public Interest / Government

Academic / Research Assistant

24%

4% 6%

64%

1%

Where 2Ls Worked (Class of 2016)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Law Firm Judicial Internship In-House / Business Public Interest / Government

Academic / Research Assistant

82%

0% 2%

16%

0%

Where Graduates Work (Class of 2015 – preliminary)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Law Firm Judicial Clerkship Business & Industry Public Interest / Government

Other

60%

24%

4%

12%

0.2%

Federal government honors programs: 7 State/local government (direct hire/fellowships): 3 DA offices (direct hire): 6 PD offices (direct hire/fellowships): 12 Nonprofits, impact (fellowships): 12 Nonprofits, legal/direct services (fellowships): 19 Private public interest law firms (direct hire/fellowships): 9 International (fellowships): 7 Union: 2 * does not include 2015 clerks who will enter public service after clerkship

Class of 2015 Public Sector Employment Breakdown*

Median Salaries by Sector (2003 – 2015)

$125,000

$135,000

$160,000

$145,000

$160,000

$35,000

$50,000 $55,000

$41,000 $35,000

$49,000 $50,000

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

180,000

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

-

Private Sector

Public Interest

(preliminary)

Educate yourself on the salary ranges for different types of practice and settings:

NALP salary guide available in OPIA and OCS

Most government salaries are available online

Make appointment with Natasha Onken or Rory Placa in Student Financial Services (SFS) to discuss your financial situation/LIPP eligibility

Consider Your Finances

Historically, approximately 65 % of 1Ls spend their first summer working in public sector or in work not related to law firms

Historically, approximately 80% of 2Ls choose to spend second summer working in the private sector at a law firm

Use 1L summer to gain legal experience and to try out an area of interest If considering public service, begin building a track record and figuring out

the right personal fit

Your 1L summer job will not impact your 2L private sector job search

30,000-Foot View

Your Three Year Plan

1L Year

Learn how to conduct a job search.

Attend career related programs and learn about law firms and practice areas

Listen to practice area podcasts

Meet with a career advisor anytime after October 15.

Apply for summer positions anytime on or after December 1.

Attend judicial clerkship programs

Speak to 2Ls and 3Ls

Get to know faculty

Cultivate your network

1L Summer

Obtain legal experience

Learn about the profession

Explore practice areas

Attend law firm receptions

Prepare for and participate in the Early Interview Program (EIP)

Consider applying for judicial clerkships

Private Sector Timeline: 1L Year (career exploration and job search)

1L Year

Now (and throughout the year)

Reflect on your interests

Attend programs/watch webcasts

Talk to visiting Fellows and attorneys

Get to know faculty

Talk to 2Ls and 3Ls

October – December

Meet with an OPIA advisor to discuss interests/develop job search game plan after October 15

December – March

Apply for 1L summer jobs after December 1

Most employers= December/January applications

Others (particularly international employers) = February/March

Participate in relevant job fairs (Massachusetts Law School Consortium)

Apply for SPIF funding (December)

Public Interest Timeline: 1L Year (career exploration and job search)

2L Year

Evaluate your options if you participated in EIP.

Explore other private sector opportunities outside of EIP.

Learn about different practice areas.

Attend programs on success in the workplace.

Build relationships with faculty.

Apply for judicial clerkships.

2L Summer

Secure a post-graduation offer from your summer employer.

Participate in EIP in August and/or reconsider career options.

Continue to build your network.

Continuing applying for judicial clerkships

Research and/or apply for fellowships.

Private Sector Timeline: 2L Year (career exploration, and making decisions)

2L Year

Throughout the year

Reflect on interests

Participate in clinics

Continue to build public interest track record

Talk with visiting Fellows/attorneys

Build network (internal and external)

July – September

Reflect on summer experience

Strategize with OPIA advisor

Develop list of potential employers of interest

September – November

Apply for 2L summer positions Note: a few employers may hire as early as August;

international employers are likely to hire late into the fall/winter/early spring

Participate in relevant job fairs (PIIP, MA Law School Consortium, EJW)

May – July

Meet with OPIA advisors and OPIA’s Fellowships Director before you leave for the summer

If applicable, apply to potential host organizations for portable fellowships

Public Interest Timeline: 2L Year (career exploration and job search)

3L Year

Attend career related programming including programs on success in the workplace.

Consider applying for a judicial clerkship or fellowship

Apply for private sector jobs outside the EIP process and continue to apply for clerkships.

Register for the appropriate bar exam and meet all deadlines.

Continue to cultivate relationships with faculty

3L Summer

Take the bar exam.

Continue to build your network.

Private Sector Timeline: 3L Year (Professionalism and succeeding on the job)

3L Year Throughout the year

Reflect on interests

Participate in clinics

Continue to build your public interest track record

Talk with visiting Fellows/attorneys

Build network (internal and external) July – August

Strategize with OPIA re: scope of job search/approach to applications

Apply for early fellowships and Honors programs

September – November

Applications for the vast majority of government honors programs

Some DA & PD

Large number of fellowship deadlines, including Skadden, EJW, PSVF Seed

A few early international fellowships

PIIP, MA Law School Consortium, and EJW Job Fairs

December – May Miscellaneous deadlines, both for fellowships and later

DA/PD

Some state government fellowships

Most international fellowships

PSVF organization-based fellowships

Register for the appropriate bar exam and meet all deadlines

Public Interest Timeline: 3L Year ( job search, making decisions, and preparing for work)

How are you going to decide?

Career programs and podcasts

OPIA and OCS websites

Coursework

Clinical, externship and pro bono opportunities

Student practice groups

Research work

Summer jobs and internships

Networking and informational interviews

Self-assessment and career exploration

Career advising

This is a process. Try to get a mix.

Gather Data Points Through…

The next 3 months…

October 15 When you can first meet with an OCS or OPIA advisor for career advising

December 1

When you can begin to send out your application materials.

Timing

Your game plan

1. Reflect on your interests

2. Meet with an OCS and/or OPIA advisor

3. Attend the OPIA and/or OCS 1L Job Search Programs and events

4. Listen to the Practice Area Podcasts and Career webcasts

5. Watch the Resume and Cover Letter webcast

6. Prepare your resume and cover letter

7. Read Hire Ground, the OCS blog and OPIA weekly emails

8. Speak and/or Meet with: a. Wasserstein Fellows; b. Alumni; and c. Faculty

OPIA & OCS Staff

OCS Team

Marni Goldstein Caputo

Yih-hsien Shen

Kirsten Solberg

Margie Boone Mark Weber

Ann Scibelli Orietta Barletta

Jason McCann Steve Donovan

Paula Garvin

Cassie Filios

OCS Advisors

Mark Kleinschnittger

Marj Lichtenberger

Sara Dana

3L Peer Advisors

Aaron Fields Ammanuel Gebeyehu

Shuangjun Wang

The “A” Team

OPIA Team

Alexa Shabecoff Judy Murciano Catherine Pattanayak

Renay Frankel

Sareta Ashraph Joan Ruttenberg Carolyn Stein Dan Ahearn

Nima Eshghi Virginia (Ginny) Greiman

OPIA “A” Team

Micah Nemiroff Linda Braden

Thera Webb Andrew Celis

OPIA Advisors

Final points

Your job search need not and should not be the priority right now

…but self-reflection, education & career exploration should be

Rest assured, you will have amazing career opportunities in both the public and private sectors

Happy Hour