Lewis & Clark Law School Career & Professional Development Center

Graduate Resource Manual

Lewis & Clark Law School Career & Professional Development Center

10015 SW Terwilliger Blvd.

Portland, OR 97219

503-768-6608 lscs@lclark.edu www.lclark.edu/dept/lscs

Updated October 2015

GRADUATE RESOURCE MANUAL TABLE OF CONTENTS

Letter to Our Graduates

1. Tips for Balancing Job Searching and Bar Exam Preparation....................... 3 2. The Job Search for Law Graduates ............................................................... 4

3. Researching Employers..................................................................................13

4. Networking.....................................................................................................17

5. Résumés and Application Materials for Graduates........................................26

Sample Application Materials........................................................................29

• Cover letters • Résumés • Follow-up letter • Reference List

6. Interviewing Techniques and Sample Questions............................................40 7. Negotiating Salary..........................................................................................49 8. The Out-of-Area Job Search...........................................................................55 9. Tips for Succeeding in Your First Year of Practice........................................56 10. Graduate and Alumni Services Available through CPDC………................. 58 11. Loan Repayment, Forgiveness, Deferment and Forbearance ........................60 Appendix.................................................................................................... 64

• Self-assessment Packet • Sample Contacts Worksheet • Helpful Graduate Contacts • Timeline for Employer Hiring Practices

This handbook has been prepared by the Career & Professional Development Center for Lewis & Clark Law School graduates and students about to graduate. We welcome your comments and suggestions.

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Lewis & Clark Law School

Dear Graduate:

The Career & Professional Development Center is here to support you. Whether you are about to graduate, are a recent graduate, are deciding to make a career change after several years, or already have a job, please keep in mind that our office and resources, including career counseling, will always remain available to you. If, after ten years, you decide you want to make a career change, or move to another part of the country, we hope you will contact us for assistance. We continually work with alumni from around the country, and you should feel comfortable to call upon us, just as you have while a student here. All you have to do is call or email and we will be happy to set up a telephone appointment with you. You can also email us your cover letters and résumés for review.

You also have continuing use of our on-line job postings and our resource library. The Career and Professional Development Center website also contains links to many other job posting and search websites.

If you are a new graduate, congratulations! You will have filled out a graduate survey questionnaire when you picked up your cap and gown. Information from this form will help us to assist you if you are still looking for a post-graduate job. Once you are employed, please contact our office so we can update our records (and keep us in mind as opportunities come up in your firm or company). As you become more experienced, let us know if you want to be involved in Professional Development programs, as a speaker on a topic, or as a mentor. As an alumnus, you are a valuable resource for students still forging their way through law school.

Good luck with all your endeavors. The Career & Professional Development Center is just a phone call or email away. Please keep in touch!

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CHAPTER 1 TIPS FOR BALANCING THE JOB SEARCH AND BAR EXAM

Don’t try to work or strenuously job search while studying for the Bar.

Treat taking the Bar exam as your summer job. Money is an issue for many graduates, but

so is failing the Bar exam. Because many employers request bar membership before they are willing to interview you, the extra dollars may not be worth jeopardizing your bar passage. Historically, grads who have tried to do it all have had a much more difficult time passing the exam. Do some limited networking while studying for the Bar.

Most graduates get their first attorney job through some form of networking or

through contacts. Conduct some informational interviews with attorneys in your area of interest. Touch base with any employers who have previously expressed an interest in hiring you. Reconnect with attorneys you know that you haven’t spoken to in a while. Tell everyone you know that you are studying for the Bar and to keep you in mind if they hear of any job leads. Once the Bar exam is over, take a vacation and regroup.

Three years of law school and a bar exam can be exhausting and you deserve a break! It

may also be the last chunk of free time you’ll have for quite a while once you begin working.

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CHAPTER 2 THE JOB SEARCH FOR LAW GRADUATES

Whether this is your first job search or you are seeking again after some time in practice,

take a few minutes to carefully review each of the following steps. Each is important to a successful job search.

A. GETTING STARTED

1. Set Up Your Plan

Before beginning your search, it is essential that you start by setting up a plan, and then sticking to it. Your plan should have the following components:

a. A specific amount of time set aside each week to devote to your job search. Treat it with the same reverence as a job or other important commitment.

b. A folder or electronic file where you will keep track of contacts you make and the information you gather doing your research.

c. A familiarization with the services and materials available in the Career and Professional Development Center (CPDC) and through the L&C Careers website.

d. A visit to or a phone appointment with a CPDC counselor to discuss elements of your search and to help develop your job search strategy.

2. Do Your Self-Research

Once you have set up your plan, the very next step has to be what we call “Self

Research.” This is where you do your factual research to prepare yourself for the job search. As the first part of your plan, take the time to do your research:

a. First Step: Look at your résumé. For each job that you have listed, take a sheet of paper and simply brainstorm. Write down a line or two about everything you ever did on that job. Don’t write a book; just draft an outline that has three essential components: procedure, substance, and frequency.

• What was the procedural “thing” you did (draft a complaint, write a motion, prepare deposition questions, prepare jury instructions, etc.)?

• State the substance of it (i.e., motion for summary judgment in Section 1983 case, state law complaint in personal injury auto case, argued motion to suppress in misdemeanor criminal theft case based upon Fourth Amendment bad search).

• Finally, state how many times you did this, for example; “Drafted three motions to dismiss in Section 1983 civil rights case on issue of qualified immunity” or “Three Title VII sexual harassment cases, prepared questions for deposition of CEO”.

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b. Second Step: Once you have reviewed your résumé and the descriptions of the jobs you have had, start keeping track of the work you are doing now. Once a week, take 10-15 minutes (easiest at the end of the week), and write 1-2 sentences about each thing you did that week. Keep a file on your desk or on your computer and add to it each week. In this way, you will ensure ongoing research for the future; if you don’t write it down NOW, you will never remember it. You should make sure you keep this habit up at least through the first two years after graduation, as you will be gaining more responsibility on your job. Making notes as you go along will help you to keep your résumé current and up-to-date. If you are currently employed and want to change jobs, start doing it NOW.

c. Third Step: Do a self-assessment: what kind of job is going to make you happy? You want to make sure your professional life has a “fit” that is as perfect as can be with your personal life. When you begin to look at job descriptions, you will not be able to accurately assess whether or not they are worth pursuing for you unless you take a few minutes to do some critical self-assessment. If you skip this step, you may end up costing yourself a lot of emotional strain and heading up blind alleys. Resources for self-assessment:

• Complete the Self-assessment Packet in the Appendix section of this handbook.

• Schedule a meeting with a CPDC counselor or request additional self-assessment worksheets and materials.

• Schedule a meeting with one of the attorney counselors at the Oregon Attorney Assistance Program, a confidential resource available to Oregon law students and lawyers, for more in-depth self-assessment counseling and tools; 503-226-1057 or 800-321-6227 (toll free)

• Selected Resources (available for checkout from CPDC’s Resource Library) o Career Match: Connecting Who You Are with What You’ll Love to

Do, Shoya Zichy, Ann Bidou (2007) o Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career Path for You Through

the Secrets of Personality Type, Paul D. Tieger, Barbara Barron (2007) o The New What Can You Do With a Law Degree? Tanya Hanson and

Dr. Larry Richard (2012) o What Color is Your Parachute? Richard N. Bolles (2005)

3. Research Employers

Research the firms or organizations you are interested in. CPDC has excellent online and

in-office resources for finding information about prospective employers, as well as information on different areas of practice or non-traditional career options for JD’s. See Chapter 3 for a list of resources for researching employers.

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4. Create Your Contacts List

You know lots of people; you just may not think that you do. It is critical that you brainstorm a list of people that you know, and put them in alphabetical order with contact information. The last entry for each person should note how you know them - and make a note of how you met them (e.g., referred by John, etc.). Think outside the box; fellow law students, professors, undergraduate professors, friends, acquaintances, former mentors, friends’ mentors, previous employers, people you met in law school, neighbors, etc. You cannot start networking effectively without having a comprehensive list put together. See the sample contacts list in the Appendix section of this handbook.

5. Conclusion

Once you have completed these steps, you will be truly prepared. This entire process should not take you more than a few hours. If you skip this step, you will not have a clear direction for you job search. Most importantly, do NOT try and skip to doing informational interviewing without having done your research or self-assessment first.

B. MOVING AHEAD

1. Planning and Organizing Your Information Now that you have completed your “self-research”, you are ready to dig in. There are

many different ways to look for a job, and this handbook will highlight the ones that are typically the most effective. Whatever you do, however, be sure that you have an organized method for keeping track of everything related to your search. For each employer you seriously consider, you should keep track of the following in a spreadsheet, binder, or notebook:

• employer’s name, address, phone, fax, and email; name of anyone you contacted personally or name of someone who has been given to you as a contact, or who is a personal acquaintance;

• brief general description and copies of notes or other additional data; • how you learned about the employer; • employer’s hiring practices and status of any current or future openings; • application information; • dates and types of correspondence (e.g., initial application, thank you letter,

follow up and phone calls, and results). Also, be sure to keep a hard copy of your self-research handy for use in constructing cover letters and résumés.

2. The Timing of Your Legal Job Search

Different types of legal employers hire at different times. See the timetable in the

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appendix for some general guidelines. However, hiring practices can vary, from employer to employer, even within the same category. It is important that you recognize and research the hiring practices of the type of employer you are interested in. For example, most public interest organizations hire in the spring, as do many small firms and some local and state governments. Also, many employers in those categories do not hire graduates until after the results of the Bar exam are in, beginning in early September.

Most large firms hire in the fall of a student’s second year for the following summer, and

at the conclusion of the summer offer those students an entry-level associate attorney job starting in the fall after graduation. Large firms almost never hire new graduates right out of law school who have not first clerked with the firm. Most federal judges start taking applications in early September of a student’s third year in law school for jobs after graduation. However, be aware that there are judges and federal magistrates who hire judicial clerks who have a year or more of experience. These openings are advertised only when there are vacancies. Understanding these hiring variations will help to alleviate stress you may feel when others seem to be finding employment. C. JOB SEARCH TECHNIQUES - WHERE TO LOOK

There are many ways to look for specific job openings, and the following are probably the most traditional avenues for beginning your search. As noted above, be sure to keep a good record of the information you gather.

1. Job Postings

Only about one in five jobs is posted anywhere. This means that the smart job searcher is

going to use postings as just ONE tool in the job search process. a. How to Use Job Postings in General:

• Pay very close attention to the directions for submitting your materials (especially on government websites).

• Pay close attention to deadline dates and contact information; be sure to always double-check your cover letter and make sure it is addressed to the appropriate person. If no contact information is indicated, then address it to “Hiring Coordinator”.

• Double-check required application materials. • Always check the employer’s website before sending in your application

letter; most often you can find out valuable information to include in your application. Sometimes the details on the employer’s website postings will not match those you have found in the job posting elsewhere; therefore, always go with the details you find on the employer’s website posting!

• Blind Ads: Blind ads are used when an employer wants to remain anonymous for some reason, either because they want to replace an existing employee who is not performing, or they do not want a lot of unsolicited “cold calls.”

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If you are responding to a blind ad, address your cover letter to “Dear Hiring Coordinator” at the address given in the ad. Pay close attention to where the employer wants you to send your application materials. Sometimes you can figure out who is hiring by asking acquaintances in the legal community, looking at job postings in bar magazines, from online “chat rooms” or listservs, such as those from the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association or Minority Lawyers Association. Blind ads are usually the most difficult to respond to because you don’t know who the employer is and can’t tailor your cover letter as well, so pay close attention to the directions in the posting, especially what skills the employer is looking for.

b. Law School Postings:

• Lewis & Clark Job Postings: CPDC receives hundreds of job postings appropriate for JDs and law clerk positions each year. The majority of the postings are local, but many are from throughout the country and some are international. All job opportunities that come in to the office are posted on the CPDC website, under the “Job Postings” link, and on the job postings board outside the CPDC. (These postings stay on the bulletin board for only one week and then are rotated off.) Job posting passwords change every three months and you may receive the new password by contacting lscs@lclark.edu.

• BYU Job Bank: A service that allows you to access the job posting bulletins from other law schools from around the country, at no cost. See the link from the CPDC Job Postings website: https://www.law2.byu.edu/Career_Services/jobbank/. Contact CPDC for the current username and password.

• Reciprocity: If you are looking for a job outside of Oregon, remember that you have automatic reciprocity with the following law schools in the NW Consortium of Law Schools: Brigham Young University, Gonzaga, Seattle University, University of Idaho, University of Oregon, University of Utah, University of Washington and Willamette. You may obtain passwords to access these schools’ online job postings by emailing CPDC at lscs@lclark.edu.

c. Other Online Sources:

• Law firm/government/organization websites: Most firms and federal, state, and local government agencies have jobs posted on their websites. Be aware that many jobs are not posted on the websites, and you must have personal contact with someone at a state or federal agency to gain additional information. Most public interest organizations have websites, and many post job openings there. Non-profit agencies tend to advertise nearly all of their open jobs, as they seek a broad range of talent and can experience difficulties in hiring, due to low salaries.

• PSJD: The best place to look for positions with public interest jobs is PSJD, at http://www.psjd.org. Go in and create your own password and user name, and

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click on the Lewis & Clark name. PSJD is also a clearinghouse for fellowships.

• Other: CPDC maintains extensive links to other sources of online postings, by job category, through the “Career Links” link on the CPDC job postings website.

d. Publications: Although most employers have online listings, there are still several that post jobs in their industry publications or newsletters that may not be posted elsewhere. If you are interested in a particular substantive area, always check bar publications and bar section newsletters for particular job announcements. There are also specialty bulletins of all kinds containing job postings, ranging from News from Indian Country to the Journal of the Patent and Trademark Office, and many in between – many of these are available in the Boley library. Some legal employers still post jobs in the Sunday newspaper!

e. Listservs: Many legal professional organizations have member listservs, and

fellow members often circulate posted opportunities with their employer.

2. Resources Outside the Job Postings

Networking: This word does not need to be as scary as it sounds! There are many ways to do it, and you cannot be successful in your job search without it. MOST new graduates find their first attorney position through some form of networking. You must use all the resources available to you. Chapter 4 of this Handbook has extensive suggestions for different ways to network. One of the best resources for learning how to network is Guerilla Tactics for Getting the Legal Job of Your Dreams, by Kimm Walton. This book has step-by-step instructions to get you started and is in a humorous, easy to read format. We have copies available for loan in the CPDC office.

3. Utilizing Social Media in Your Job Search

Social media tools (such as LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter) can be useful tools in your job search. If you are going to use any of these tools, be sure you know the full functionality of what you can do and keep your profiles up to date. Use of social media can also backfire on you. You should treat these sources as if a prospective employer were viewing them (which they probably will). Some basic guidelines:

• Many people use Facebook to stay in touch with friends and family, and LinkedIn for

professional acquaintances. Decide whether you will make such a distinction. If not, make sure to choose appropriate security settings for your account(s).

• Assume an employer can access your information (even the information you think is

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private). Don’t put anything out there that you don’t want a potential employer to view. • Choose an appropriate picture for your home page(s). It doesn’t have to be a professional

head shot, but it shouldn’t be too casual. • The whole purpose of these sites is to connect - invite colleagues, friends, and peers to

connect with you, especially through LinkedIn. • Use these social media tools to research employers. For example, through LinkedIn, if

you identify a potential employer, you can use the “search” function to find out if they’re a member. If so, you can review their profile and learn more about them. Perhaps best of all, LinkedIn will indicate if you have any connections in common and, if so, you can approach your connection to make an introduction on your behalf.

• Keep your profile(s) relevant and up-to-date. If you started your LinkedIn account as a second year student and haven’t updated it since, what does that say to a potential employer? Think of your accounts as an extension of your résumé.

• LinkedIn, in particular, allows you to use your page as a marketing tool. You can use the “summary” section to provide a brief overview of your experience (or if you are seeking a position, what you are looking for). You can update and change your “experience” section as you obtain contract or volunteer positions. You can also attach relevant files, such as articles you have written or your résumé.

• Use the NewsFeed on Facebook, Network Activity on LinkedIn, or your Twitter account to give positive, meaningful and work related updates. Don’t send messages about your depression around a job search. Instead, send messages like “Just returned from my first day of volunteering with the Legal Aid Domestic Violence project. I can tell I’m really going to enjoy this - it’s a chance to help people and get back into court (two of my favorite things).”

• Join relevant groups. Follow discussions and contribute appropriately, or start a new discussion that might be of interest to a group. Again, you never know who might also be a member of this group - don’t rant.

• There are many webinars and resources on the Web to teach you how to use these resources professionally and to get the most from them.

D. CONTRACT AND INTERIM WORK

1. Contract Work

Prior to passing the Bar exam and being sworn in, you can do legal work so long as you are supervised by an attorney (essentially as a law clerk). After being sworn in, you can also work as a contract attorney, either while you are looking for full-time employment or as an alternative to the traditional practice. Whether you have to have Professional Liability Fund (PLF) malpractice insurance coverage to do certain types of contract work is best discussed with someone from the PLF office. You can find the phone number on the PLF website: www.osbplf.org.

Although the list is endless, some sources of contract work include:

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• Oregon Women Lawyers Contract Lawyer Referral Service. OWLS coordinates a service for lawyers who are seeking contract work and attorneys who wish to hire contract lawyers. More information is available on the OWLS website: www.oregonwomenlawyers.org/index.php,

• Your former clerking employers • Attorneys you have met through a mentor relationship or other networking

activities

Selected resources for contract lawyers: • The Complete Guide to Contract Lawyering, Deborah Guyol and Debra Arron

(1999). Available for check out from the CPDC. • Contract Lawyering and Solo Practice, Lewis & Clark Law School Graduate

Fellows Program, 2009; materials available in the CPDC office. • Practical Contract Lawyering, a CLE presented by the PLF and Oregon

Women Lawyers, 2008; materials available in CPDC office, and CD/DVD and materials are available on the PLF’s website (for free): www.osbplf.org.

• Choice of Entity for Contract Lawyers and Sole and Small Firm Practitioners, PLF, 2011, CD/DVD and materials are available on the PLF’s website (for free): www.osbplf.org.

• Sample fee agreements, disclosure and consent letters, practice-specific aids and forms, checklists, and many other helpful CLE materials and resources are available from PLF (for free): www.osbplf.org.

2. Legal Search Firms

Legal search firms are not the best resource for new graduates. They are primarily

concerned with looking for top, experienced talent who are currently working with one employer, to place them with another employer. In other words, they are looking for experienced, high level associates or partners. Typically these “job seekers” are people with substantial expertise in a particular area, and who ideally bring clients with them. Very, very rarely will a search agency be of much help to a new law school graduate, unless you have highly-developed expertise in an area of law that is highly sought after - for example, if you were an electrical engineer with a Ph.D., they might want to shop your talent to firms looking for patent attorneys in that field.

Search firms do not charge job seekers. Rather, the employers who contact the agencies pay the agency a fee once a successful hire is made, which typically is equivalent to a percentage of the jobseeker’s salary. Most large firms across the country use legal search firms, or agencies, to recruit lateral-level associates, or smaller firms that have specialty practices. Other employers who use search agencies are corporate counsel offices and boutique firms. Government offices, public interest employers and small firms, rarely, if ever, use search firms because of the cost.

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3. Legal Temporary Agencies

Unlike search firms, legal temporary agencies can be a boon to new graduates looking to find legal work in tough times. Frequently, large firms with major litigation departments and many large cases in various stages of litigation rely heavily on temporary lawyers to help with case development and trial preparation. Most often this means endless hours of performing document review, discovery preparation, drafting deposition summaries, or similar work. However, it often pays well, especially in large cities, and can provide new lawyers with legal experience and exposure to large firm practice and attorneys. Because you often create your own hours, or they run from 9-5, you can still have time for your job search. These agencies also hire paralegals and other office workers, so if there is no lawyer positions available and you are desperate, it might be a good place to start.

Temporary workers are typically paid directly by the agency, which acts as the employer. You should never be charged a fee by a temp agency. Rarely, if ever, are lawyers placed by temp agencies hired on at the firm. Firms do not view these lawyers as potential associates. However, this does not mean that you shouldn’t work hard to develop relationships with the people you work with, both other temporary lawyers and associates at the firm. Lawyers can, and do, make valuable connections into legal employment in the community, and sometimes, though not often, do receive an offer from a firm.

See Helpful Graduate Contacts in the Appendix at the back of this Handbook for a list of local temporary agencies and search firms.

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CHAPTER 3 RESEARCHING EMPLOYERS A. SMALL FIRMS

Approximately half of all new grads who enter private practice find jobs with firms of less than 10 attorneys. However, finding information about these smaller firms may be somewhat elusive. It is critical that you research any firm before applying, whether you are responding to a job posting or sending a tailored letter of inquiry about a position. The following are tips to help you find and research smaller firms:

• CPDC law firm lists: CPDC has law firm lists for the following geographic areas: o Oregon: Portland (including a general law firm list and an IP list for the

Portland metropolitan area), Salem, Lane County, all other Oregon cities o Washington: King County, 1-5 Corridor (including Cowlitz, Kitsap, Lewis,

Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, and Whatcom Counties), Eastern Washington, Vancouver

o Alaska state o Arizona: Pima/Pinal County o Idaho state o Utah state: Salt Lake City

• Specialty directories: Organizations such as the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association,

Oregon Women Lawyers, Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, or National Lawyers Guild, often publish membership lists or you may be able to access an online directory. Local Bar Associations often publish member directories or maintain an online membership directory, including area of practice. The Encyclopedia of Associations is available on Lexis and WestLaw.

• Firm websites: Use search engines, like Google or Yahoo, to help you locate firm websites.

• Lewis & Clark Alumni: Request a list of alumni from the Alumni Office and contact

other Lewis & Clark alumni who practice in that area of law. Request forms are available in the CPDC office.

• Legal research websites: Westlaw and Lexis also have online searchable databases of attorneys and smaller firms. In Westlaw, under the “Career Focus” tab, you will find guides for researching employers of all sizes.

• Martindale Hubbell Directory: A searchable online directory of attorneys from across the country. You can search by location, firm size, practice area, law school or undergrad affiliation and many other search terms: www.martindale.com.

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• Use Your Network: Seek out opportunities to meet attorneys. Attorney acquaintances can be good resources later when you need additional info about a firm. Attend bar activities and events, or alumni events here on campus. Use your existing network: the people you met in law school; professors, fellow students, past guest speakers, adjuncts, former mentors and others, can be great sources of information. Consult those people to see if they have insights about a particular firm, or to get ideas for firms in your area of interests.

B. BUSINESSES

• Other websites: Go to “Career Links” on the Job Postings webpage for links to other resources for researching corporate employers.

• Lewis & Clark Alumni: Request a list of Lewis & Clark alumni who work in

non-practicing, business positions. Request forms are available in the CPDC office. • Directories: Available from the Boley Law Library, such as the Directory of

Corporate Counsel (corporations, public utilities, non-profits) or the Yellow Book series.

• Trade publications: The Oregon Business Journal, Business Week, The Industry

Standard, MediaWeek, the Business Section of the Oregonian, etc. can provide useful research for your job search.

• Oregon State Bar sections: The Business Law Section, Corporate Counsel Section,

and Intellectual Property Sections all include attorneys who interact with the business community. Executive committee members for each section are listed on the Bar’s website.

• Business Professional Groups: Join other business professional groups: Rotary,

Association of Oregon Industries, etc. C. NON-PROFITS

• CPDC Directory of Public Services & Environmental Organizations (The “Green Book”) Contains brief information about public interest employers in Oregon and Washington. Available from CPDC.

• PSJD: The best place to look for positions with public interest jobs is PSJD, at

www.psjd.org. Go in and create your own password and user name, and click on the Lewis & Clark name. PSJD is also a clearinghouse for fellowships.

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• NW Public Services Career Fair: An annual career fair held in Portland and Seattle in early February, where public interest organizations and government agencies recruit for law clerk and attorney positions.

• Bar pro bono listings: Check the Oregon State Bar website section on pro bono,

which contains brief information about some non-profits: www.osbar.org. Look at the Multnomah Bar Association’s Pro Bono Opportunities in Oregon: http://www.mbabar.org/MBA_yls-pubs.htm.

• Lewis & Clark Alumni Network: Request a list of Lewis & Clark alumni who work

in the public interest sector. Request forms are available in the CPDC office.

• Organization websites: Use search engines, like Google or Yahoo, to help you locate organization websites.

• Other websites: Go to “Career Links” on the CPDC Job Postings webpage for links

to other websites for researching public interest employers.

• CPDC Public Interest Law Director: Schedule a meeting with the CPDC Public Interest Director for more ideas by emailing lscs@lclark.edu.

D. GOVERNMENT

• Government Honors Program Handbook: Lists hiring information for state and federal government agencies and departments. Contact CPDC at lscs@lclark.edu for login information.

• Local, state, and federal government websites: Many government agencies have informative websites. Also, www.firstgov.gov and www.ourpublicservice.org provide basic information about federal government agencies.

• PSJD: (www.psjd.org) contains listings for government offices.

• NW Public Services Career Fair: An annual career fair held in Portland and

Seattle in early February, where public interest organizations and government agencies recruit for law clerk and attorney positions.

• Other websites: Check the “Career Links” link on the CPDC Job Postings webpage for links to other websites for researching government employers.

• Directories: Check out the hardcopy directories in the Boley Law Library or CPDC

Resource Library, including the Yellow Book series, Federal Regulatory Directory, Oregon Blue Book, or the Government Honors Handbook.

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• Lewis & Clark Alumni: Request a list of Lewis & Clark alumni who work in the

agency or entity you are interested in. Request forms are available in the CPDC office.

E. ALTERNATIVE CAREERS

• CPDC Resource Library: Has books for lawyers considering alternative careers available for checkout, including:

o The New What Can You Do With a Law Degree? Tanya Hanson and Dr. Larry Richard (2012)

o Nonlegal Careers for Lawyers, Gary A. Munneke and William D. Henslee (2003) o The Academic Job Search Handbook, Mary Morris Heiberger and Julia Miller

Vick (2001) o Alternative Careers for Lawyers, Hillary Mantis (1997)

• Other websites: Go to “Career Links” on the Jobs Postings webpage for links to other

resources for researching alternative careers.

• Lewis & Clark Alumni Network: Request a list of Lewis & Clark alumni who are doing the kind of work you are interested in. Request forms are available in the CPDC office.

• Oregon Attorney Assistance Program (OAAP): If you are in Oregon, contact the

OAAP at www.osbplf.org. They provide individual counseling to attorneys interested in making career transitions and regularly feature speakers who are using their law degrees in non-traditional ways.

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CHAPTER 4

NETWORKING: Building a Professional Community A. WHAT IS NETWORKING?

Most people are afraid of the term “networking”, which connotes images of a nervous person with drink clutched in hand, frozen smile on face, trying to figure out how in the world to approach a roomful of people who seem to be happily talking to each other - talking to everyone except you. But that is not what networking means. Rather, it means talking to your friends, neighbors, mail carrier, checkout clerk, faculty, Career & Professional Development Center, business associates, and fellow alums about what you are interested in and want to do with your law degree. It means finding out who they know who can put you in touch with people in the field you are interested in. You never know who someone knows until you ask!

Networking is nothing more than another name for getting to know people and building a professional community of people who are interested in you and your job progression. It can take virtually any form you can imagine, from making “cold calls” to “working a room” at a cocktail party, to attending CLEs, working on bar projects, volunteer lawyering at a neighborhood legal clinic, serving on a board of directors, participating in civic activities, and more. In a tight job market, it has been estimated that more than 50% of all jobs are found through some form of networking. Beyond just finding a job, for those of you who intend to practice law, networking will continue for you after you begin working; it is critical for building and maintaining a law practice. B. HOW DO I ACTUALLY DO THE NETWORKING PART?

1. Set Up a Plan

a. Assess your background, skills and accomplishments, likes and dislikes. b. From that self-research, create a small “talking bio” of yourself - something you can use in conversation when talking with people; in other words, who are you? It should include, for example: • your name • why you were attracted to Oregon (or the geographic area you want to practice in) • what areas of the law interest you and how you developed those interests, (or if you

want something non-legal, what that is and how you developed that interest) • what talents you have or particular skills/jobs you have done that have led you to

think about those particular areas of law

Until you do your self-research, you are not going to be able to effectively market yourself to anyone else. c. Next, make sure that you set up a specific amount of time each week that you

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will devote to your job search, and within that amount of time, how much time you will devote to your networking activities.

2. Identify Possible Contacts

Networking occurs in all areas of your life, not just law school. Therefore, when making

up a list of potential contacts, don’t forget church activities, sports events, your partner or spouse’s job or his or her contacts, civic organizations you belong to, community and fraternal organizations, school relationships (both law and undergraduate), alumni associations, bar associations, past or current employers, business associates or contacts, your child’s school teachers, friends’ parents, PTA, sports events, ...the list is endless. Each of those primary contacts can be a valuable networking resource. From that list, put together a “core” group from which you will build a secondary and tertiary list of contacts. To begin this process, think about who you feel comfortable contacting and how that person might be able to help you with your job search (or who they might know who can help you.) As you begin to talk with people in the “core” group, your goal is to have them refer you to others, and your contacts will grow exponentially. Make a file with your “core” group names, with room for secondary contacts as well. See the sample form in the Appendix that you can use to keep track of your contacts.

3. Get Out There and Do It

As is mentioned above, there are as many different approaches to networking as there are to life. Just remember, most importantly, that networking is nothing more than becoming involved with activities and subject areas you enjoy, and talking to others about those areas. Most attorneys who find jobs and change jobs do it while gathered around a table working on projects with one another. The following is a list, though not comprehensive, of ways that you can network:

a. Join and Participate in Bar Sections or Organizations: Activities will often involve attending a board meeting or planning session, where you actually will be working together on projects, and not trying to socialize. What better way for you to get to know people, develop skills, and have people come to know your skills and work habits, than to work with them on a project of mutual interest?

Almost every organization has a myriad of projects it is involved in at any given time. Most bar groups or associations have committees for CLE planning, pro bono service, membership or events. Those are excellent committees to join, as they often need many people involved. The types of projects can run the gamut, so choose something you are interested in and will stick with - it will backfire on you if you volunteer for something and don’t follow through with your commitment.

Bar Sections: In Oregon, look in the Bar Directory or on the Oregon State Bar website for a list of sections. Sections are organized around different practice areas and are a way to meet others who share your interest in a particular area of practice. You must sign up to join sections and most have very nominal dues ($10 - $30/year), and some are free to

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new admittees. Most sections publish a periodic newsletter and sponsor one CLE program per year. If you are a member of the Bar, choose one or two bar sections that most pique your interest or pertain to your practice area, and join. Contact the executive committee members of the section (listed on the Bar website or in the front of the Bar Directory) and find out who is on the CLE committee or newsletter committee, and volunteer to help. Most sections also have listservs. This is a great way to learn more about a practice area and to keep up to date on social and professional events in a particular area of law.

New Attorney Organizations: The Oregon State Bar New Lawyers Division and the Multnomah Bar Association Young Lawyers Section have many active committees. If you are under 36 years old or have been practicing less than six years, you are automatically a member of the New Lawyers Division of the Oregon State Bar. To become active in this section, contact someone on the current executive board, listed on the OSB website.

County Bar Associations: Most counties have active bar associations that meet regularly and plan social events, publish a newsletter and offer continuing education classes. This is also a great way to connect with local attorneys and to find out more about local practice, if you are new to the geographic area.

Law-related Professional Organizations: For a fairly comprehensive list of organizations by and for lawyers, look in your bar directory or online at the state bar association website. Professional organizations are always eager to welcome new attorney members and may offer reduced priced membership for your first year of practice. Examples of some of the larger statewide professional organizations here in Oregon include Oregon Women Lawyers, the Oregon Minority Lawyers Association, the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association, and the Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.

There are also various Inns of Court chapters in each state. Inns of Court chapters are designed to improve the skills, professionalism and ethics of the bench and bar. Members of local chapters usually include judges, lawyers and, in some cases, law professors. Each Inn meets approximately once a month and usually features dinner or a happy hour, followed by a more formal program and discussions on matters of ethics, skills and professionalism. The format of these meetings allows new attorneys to socialize and learn about issues of professionalism alongside judges and more experienced attorneys.

b. Write Articles in Your Interest Area: Write articles in your area of interest for practitioners. Most bar sections and many professional organizations have newsletters and organize CLE programs. From the executive committee members of the Bar sections you can find out who is on the CLE committee. Offer to help with the planning, arranging for speakers, or helping speakers to write or edit their written material. For the newsletter, offer to help edit it or submit articles or solicit articles for publication. There is no better way to get your name out there and to get practitioners to notice you than by writing

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short, up-to-date articles on practical areas of the law that interest them. You can also put these on your résumé.

c. Volunteer: While you are job searching, volunteer to work a few days a week (or if you are working full time, take a few cases pro bono or co-counsel with someone in an area of law you are interested in). Volunteering is a great way to get practical hands-on experience, bolster the experience on your résumé, and make new contacts. Remember, however, that your volunteer commitment is a job, and you have to treat it as such. If you have just graduated, consider working for a local judge doing in-court work as a bailiff or doing research. Some courts have programs for volunteer judicial clerks in district and circuit courts and juvenile courts.

For opportunities in Oregon, see the Pro Bono Information link on the Oregon State Bar website (www.osbar.org) for a searchable database of organizations that accept volunteers. Also, review the non-profit and government employers listed in the “Green Book” - many organizations, such as Legal Aid, St. Andrew Legal Clinic, and the Oregon Law Center have an ongoing need for volunteers.

For opportunities outside of Oregon, look at the PSJD database available online at www.psjd.org. Many organizations are always asking for help, and you can gain good experience, make contacts with attorneys who can give you good references, and put the experience on your résumé.

You can also volunteer to help with moot court competitions at Lewis & Clark or other law schools in the geographic area to which you are relocating. This is a great way to interact with lots of attorneys.

d. Go to CLEs: The Law School sponsors many CLEs throughout the year, and you should take advantage of as many of them as you can. The Oregon Law Institute (OLI) is part of the Law School and many of its programs are free or at a reduced cost for students and alumni. Many local bar organizations or legal professional organizations (like Oregon Women Lawyers) also offer CLEs at very low prices. If you see a program that interests you, contact the sponsor and see if they will allow you to volunteer to help at the CLE in exchange for free attendance. CLEs are a great way to make contacts, because they attract attorneys practicing in that particular area of law, and those who have a keen interest in the subject matter. e. Mentor or be Mentored: If you are a new or young lawyer, be sure to sign up for a local mentoring program. For example, the Multnomah Bar Association has a mentoring program for new lawyers. Be proactive. Ask your mentor to let you know when an event is coming up that you could attend with that person, or a CLE you might be interested in. Ask to meet other members of the firm, or members of an organization, such as Inns of Court, that they are involved in. If you are an attorney, volunteer to mentor a law student.

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It is a great way to meet other attorneys at mutual events, and to meet law students who will soon be your peers.

f. Set up Informational Interviews: Informational interviews are an important component of networking, and deserve a section all their own. The following section will give you the information you need to get started.

C. INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWS

Informational interviewing is a form of networking in which you arrange to talk with a professional in a practice area of interest to you. You are not asking them for a job; rather, you are asking them for information about their firm and area of practice and any help and advice that they may have for you about your job search. Your purpose is to gain information and cultivate contacts.

The informational interview is perhaps one of the most successful networking techniques, because although you are approaching someone you do not know, you are usually approaching them through a mutual contact.

Through informational interviewing you are not just gaining information, you are beginning to build a professional relationship and network of contacts. Getting hired is often about “who you know,” and getting to know attorneys in your areas of interest can lead to getting a job.

1. How it Works Start by framing your search: what do you want to do and where do you want to do it?

If you’re not able to frame your search, do some more self-research: you must have a clear idea of what you are seeking before contacting people for informational interviews. For example, “I want to practice family law with a smaller firm in Seattle.”

Review and prioritize your “core” list of contacts based on who you think may have the best leads or contacts in your areas of interest. Talk with your contacts. Tell them what you are seeking and where, and find out if they know anyone who practices in your areas of interest that might be willing to have coffee with you and give you some advice and information that could help you in your job search.

You can also identify people you would like to meet and simply contact them. Most attorneys are flattered when recent grads want to meet and find out more about their practice, or seek their advice. However, it’s helpful in connecting if you have some commonality (alumni connection, member of the same professional organization, etc.)

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2. The Introduction

Once you have identified a person you want to talk with, contact them by phone, email or by letter and ask to set up a time to meet with them. Any of those means are appropriate but email can be convenient because it allows the potential interviewee to check their schedule before responding to your request. If you were referred by a mutual friend or contact, always mention that person in the first sentence: “Mary Smith suggested I contact you. I am Susie Search, a recent graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School. I am very interested in exploring the substantive area of environmental law, and particularly in litigation. She suggested that, with your experience, you would be an excellent person to talk with about my interests. I’m sure you would have some valuable advice for me about pursuing a career in environmental law.@

Your second paragraph should include two to three sentences about your background, skills, and interests that demonstrate that you truly are interested in the area you want to discuss with the interviewee, for example, how you volunteered at an environmental non-profit helping to prepare for specific litigation, etc.

Your closing paragraph should tell them what you want to happen next: “I would appreciate an opportunity to meet with you for 20 minutes or so and would be happy to meet over coffee or during lunch, if that would be most convenient for you. I will call your office next week to see if we can schedule a time that is convenient for you. I look forward to meeting with you, and thank you in advance for your time.”

It is best to do an informational interview in person. However, if the person seems exceptionally busy, or if you are contacting people outside the immediate area, you might want to ask for a telephone appointment, and then arrange one.

3. The Follow Up

Be sure to “keep the ball in your court.” If you don’t receive a response to your initial contact, be sure to follow up by phone the following week. Make sure that you have kept a good record of the emails that you have sent so that your follow up is well-timed.

For the follow up contact, review your email or letter just prior to your call, and prepare a crisp introduction. “I am Susie Search, referred to you by Mary Smith, and am following up on the email I sent you last week. I was wondering if you would have 20 minutes or so to meet with me and, if so, when would be a convenient time?”

Remember, if you suggest lunch or breakfast, be ready to pay.

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4. The Appointment

a. Focus on what you hope to accomplish during the interview. Remind yourself why you contacted this person and be ready to articulate how they can be helpful to you or what information you are hoping they can provide to you. This will vary from person to person so think about why you contacted this person in the first place: Did you think they would be a good mentor, could provide you inside information about a practice area or firm you are interested in, or would be a good networking contact for you?

b. Have a positive, upbeat, enthusiastic attitude. Express interest in everything the interviewee says and listen carefully. Ask follow up questions, and make good eye contact. Remember that people love to talk about themselves and lawyers especially love to talk about their challenging cases and careers, so ask questions to elicit this type of information. c. Be prepared to talk about your qualifications, in a non-bragging way that does not just repeat your résumé. Reviewing your “self-research” immediately prior to the interview will help you shine. After all, you are there to make a good impression so that they will recommend you to other people who you can talk to, or remember you when a colleague calls seeking an associate, or the hiring committee convenes to discuss additional personnel. You should be saying things like, for example, “I am very interested in family law and fostered this interest throughout law school. I was involved in (clubs, organizations, activities, did volunteer work at a family law clinic, attended CLEs, wrote articles, etc.) I have developed the following skills, or this is the work experience I have.” Make sure you bring extra copies of your résumé, writing sample, and references, not to hand out, but just in case you are asked for them. Note: it is advisable bring a professional portfolio with a legal pad and a pocket for your materials. d. Ask pertinent questions! If your goal for the meeting is to gather information, be sure to use your “self-research” to develop questions that will help you determine whether the firm / practice area/ geographic region that the person you are meeting with aligns with your career goals. If you know you are interested in the interviewer’s firm or practice area, be sure to collect information about how to obtain a job in that field or with that firm. Write your questions down: unlike a job interview, it’s okay to read from a list and to take notes. Sample questions that will help you determine if the firm /practice area is a good fit:

• What do you like best about your job? What do you like least? • What do you find most challenging? • What is your billable hour requirement; what is your average per month? • Is this typical for (this substantive area, size of firm, etc.)? • What are the typical things you do each day? • How much time do you spend going to court/meeting with clients/drafting

documents?

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• How long have you been in this position?

Sample questions to ask if you are particularly interested in the firm or practice area: • What skills and knowledge do you need to fulfill the basic requirements of the job? • How did you get your job? • What work experience has helped you most? • (If applicable) What was your first job? How, if at all, did that help prepare you for what you do now? • As someone who wants to go into this area of practice, can you recommend any organizations I should become involved in or any pro bono/volunteer activities I should pursue? • What would you recommend I do, given my background and interests, that would help me most to get a job in this field? • Who do you recommend are the best people for me to talk to given my interests?

e. Be respectful of the interviewee’s time. Twenty minutes is the preferred time to suggest for informational interviewing because it is enough time to have a meaningful conversation but isn’t too much of a commitment for a busy attorney with competing commitments. Lunch also has a somewhat built in time frame to it. Although you don’t want to watch the clock, be cognizant of the time you are taking. If the interviewee seems to be anxious to conclude the interview or is checking their watch, it’s time to conclude and leave. If things are going well and you are approaching the 20 minute mark, it’s best to say something like “I know we set the appointment for 20 minutes and I think we’re close to that time - would it be alright if I asked just a couple more questions before we wrap up?”

5. Follow-up with a Thank You Letter Make sure that you write a thank you letter after your interview, whether it was done by

telephone or in person. Additionally, if a contact suggests you call someone, introduces you to an especially effective technique, or takes the time to give you a follow up call with another lead, be sure to let that person know that you followed up on their suggestion and what a great help it turned out to be. If a lead they gave you results in an interview or new information about you becomes available, let your contact know.

The most important thing to do is to circle back and keep in touch with people you feel the most rapport with and who have been most helpful. It is best, after the initial thank you note, to wait about 6-8 weeks, then follow up with an email or note stating something like the following: “Hi Mary, I am just checking in. Thanks again for referring me to Ralph Deal at Dewey Cheatham. We met for coffee last week and he gave me some great information. I will keep you posted on my job search. Thanks again for your help and support.” That type of follow up does two critical things: First, it makes people appreciate that you are taking the time to thank them and think their advice and time are valuable, and second, it keeps your name in front of

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them. When people don’t hear back from you, they assume you’ve obtained a job and just haven’t bothered to tell them. Don’t, however, become a pest. Use this technique sparingly - once every 6-8 weeks, to let them know briefly of your progress, is sufficient. Once you get a job, be sure to send a personal thank you by email or letter to every person who helped you, stating that you couldn’t have done it without them. Everyone loves to feel helpful, and, by maintaining these contacts, you are creating a network that will someday refer you clients or keep you in mind for other professional opportunities.

6. Keep Your Records

It is obvious that your networking will be virtually useless unless you keep records of

who you contacted, who referred you to a particular contact, and the information you gathered. At the very least, your records should contain name, address, phone number, and position of your contact, name of the referral (who referred you to the person), record of contacts (meetings, telephone calls, follow up letters, résumés sent, etc.) There is an example of a format in the Appendix.

D. CONCLUSION

Remember that the job search process, and networking in particular, is a process that takes time, care and energy. You are investing in the most important thing in your life - your job satisfaction. Very, very rarely does something fall in someone’s lap; rather it is like anything else in life, you must work for it, and there are as many methods to doing it as there are individuals. The most important thing for everyone to do is to create a plan, make self-research and networking a part of that plan, and then DO it.

Sometimes you will get discouraged. However, if you set small, achievable goals for

yourself each week, you will become more comfortable with the networking process and will find that you are moving ahead with your job search. In addition, take time to reward yourself when you achieve your goals for the week: take a long bike ride, go see a movie, get together with a friend for coffee. Keep in mind that CPDC is here to provide you with moral support in addition to job search tips and leads. By using a combination of approaches when networking, you will give yourself the best chance at finding a satisfying job and will develop the skills you will need to make future job changes later on in your career.

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CHAPTER 5 RÉSUMÉS AND APPLICATION MATERIALS FOR GRADUATES

A. TIPS ON RÉSUMÉS FOR LEGAL JOBS

1. Attention to detail is crucial. Make sure you have dates for all employment periods and education, and that they are correct. Triple-check spelling and grammar (spell-check won’t catch errors such as “pubic interest”). Use the CPDC Résumé Checklist as a guide.

2. Keep it simple. Don’t use fancy colored paper or several different fonts.

Reserve italics for names of publications and keep bullets to a minimum. Keep your style consistent throughout, e.g., if you list your employer first, and your title second, keep it the same throughout the résumé. Make sure there is plenty of white space and use bold headings that are easy to read. Don’t make the font so small that it’s difficult to read (a 10.5 is the absolute limit).

3. Format is everything. New graduates should always put education first

regardless of prior professional experience. You are a new lawyer, starting a new career, and that’s what employers want to know about.

4. Always use reverse chronology. Legal employers generally do not like

functional résumés, regardless of your level of prior experience. List your education and experience from most recent to least recent.

5. Keep it to one page. Most new graduates should have a one page résumé. Some

exceptions can be made if you have had significant prior experience (meaning expertise, considerable depth, or accomplishment in a certain field).

6. Add special skills & interests. You need all the help you can get to stand out in a

tough market, and anything unique, or any special skills (such as languages), will give people another reason to want to talk to you. Put down a couple of interests that you have, but they must be true interests, not something that you have done once or twice! Don’t add Lexis, Westlaw, Wordperfect, or Internet to your résumé. Everybody expects that you already know how to use those tools.

7. Target, Target, Target! Here’s where your skills database comes into play.

Linda Green Pierce suggests, in her article The Targeted Résumé in the February/March 2002 issue of the Oregon State Bar Bulletin, that you include key words. Recruiters use these to immediately grasp your background and experiences and enter them into their databases. Résumés and job openings in a recruiter’s database may be matched almost entirely by a search for these key

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words. Even if it is not a headhunter looking at your résumé, using key words will have any legal employer honing in on them. How do you find them? Ms. Green Pierce suggests you read job postings for at least 10 or more ads in your area of interest and look for the key words employers use in describing what they are looking for, and use them in your résumé.

8. Use “Accomplishment Statements.” Linda Green Pierce also suggests that you

should use brief, focused, and quantifiable accomplishment statements. For example, “Directed a team of two paralegals and three associates to obtain a judgment for...” Look at statements that will be connected to results obtained - she suggests those which are most convincing are tied to client results, such as “Money saved.....new client acquisition, costs saved, time saved, mentoring which resulted in decreased turnover, or revenue earned.”

9. Put it in PDF format. If an employer requests that you email a copy of your

résumé (or other application materials), convert them to a PDF file before attaching them to the email. That will avoid any formatting issues if the employer uses a different word processing program and prevent your employer from seeing any changes you made to your materials while editing.

10. Review the sample résumés at the end of this chapter for guidance.

B. PUTTING BAR INFORMATION ON YOUR RÉSUMÉ

It is important to put bar membership status on your résumé. However, until you are sworn in, you are not actually a member of the Bar. When your bar results are pending you can add at the top of your résumé (under your name) a notation such as “Oregon Bar Exam results pending.” Once you have been notified that you passed, you can modify the notation slightly. For example:

“Passed July 2014 Oregon Bar Exam (admission pending).” Once you have been sworn in, you can change your notation to “Attorney at Law” or “Member, Oregon State Bar, #XXXXXX.”

You should also include your bar admission results in your cover letter as the opening sentence. For example: “I was just notified that I passed the [state] Bar and will be sworn in later this month.”

There are several places you can put your bar results on your résumé:

• Add a separate heading such as “Admitted to Practice,” “Credentials,” “Bar Membership(s)” “Professional Memberships” or “Licensed” and put “State of ___ September, 2015” or “Member, ________State Bar.” If you use a separate

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heading, you can also add admission to practice in specific courts such as Federal District Court. You can also combine bar membership with credentials or licenses such as CPA, RN, etc. You can put your designation above Education, between the Education and Experience section, or at the bottom of the résumé above Skills and Interests; it does NOT belong in your Education section.

• Put a designation under your name and address, at the top of your résumé, such as

“OSB #152300” or “Member, Oregon State Bar.” C. NON-LEGAL RÉSUMÉS

If you have decided that you do not want to pursue a traditional legal job, or that you want to pursue a career that does not involve practicing law at the same time, you need to develop a résumé that is pertinent to the particular area that you are looking into. Begin by researching what qualifications such employers seek, as well as the type of résumé that is expected. There are many industry organizations that have websites that contain information on qualifications sought, what the industry does, what types of qualifications different professionals at different levels are expected to have, and the types of successful résumés that are received. In addition, there are job fairs all over the country that have many different employers, and by walking around and talking to such people you can gain a wealth of information and examples. Also, don’t forget to read many job postings in the area you are interested in, as well as doing an informational interview or two – that is really the best way to get the inside scoop on what you need to be successful in that field.

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SAMPLE APPLICATION MATERIALS

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IMA GRAD 1212 Twilight Lane Portland, OR 97219

(503) 555-1111 imagrad@gmail.com

August 5, 2015

Mr. Ralph Smith Smith, Wacked and Warped 1020 SW Fifth Avenue Portland, OR 97221

Re: Associate Position Dear Mr. Smith: I am a 2015 graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School and I recently took the July 2015 Oregon Bar exam. I have a strong interest in tax law and am especially interested in your firm because of its outstanding reputation in tax and estate planning. I am very interested in the Associate Attorney position currently available with your firm. My goal since beginning law school is to practice in the area of tax law. During my first year in law school, I volunteered with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. I gained a great deal of practical experience dealing with clients and their problems, and learned to spot issues and work with many different tax forms. During my second year, I took as many tax courses as possible, including Income Tax I, Income Tax II, and Estate and Gift Tax. Between my second and third year, I clerked for a sole practitioner doing tax work. In my third year, I took additional advanced courses including Valuation of Small Businesses, ERISA, and interned at the Lewis & Clark Legal Clinic Low Income Taxpayer Clinic. I believe my excellent interpersonal skills, significant practical experience, and tax-related coursework will make me an asset to your firm. Thank you for your consideration. I very much look forward to hearing from you regarding an interview. Sincerely, Ima Grad Enclosures: Résumé, transcript, writing sample, reference list

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Me Smith 3021 SW Terwilliger Blvd.

Portland, OR 97219 mesmith@lclark.edu 503.222.5555

August 6, 2015

Ms. Calmi Waters Earth & Water 122 Federal Way Seattle, WA 99919

Re: Associate Position Dear Ms. Waters: My interest and experience in water and natural resources law has prompted me to contact you. I am aware of your firm’s excellent reputation in those areas. I am committed to pursuing a practice in environmental and natural resources law, and therefore the associate position you have advertised is of great interest to me. Although you have advertised for an associate with one to three years of experience, as a recent law school graduate, I believe I have the experience you are looking for. At Lewis & Clark Law School, one of the country’s leading environmental law schools, I earned a certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law, which recognizes my concentration in these areas. As my résumé indicates, I gained significant practical experience in water law and tribal government working at the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. I also gained experience as a law clerk for the Natural Resources Defense Council, and in a summer internship at Earthjustice. I have drafted several complaints dealing with allocation of tribal resources, performed extensive discovery in a variety of litigation in state and federal courts, drafted policy position papers and testimony for state legislative bodies and Congress, and worked with clients and witnesses from the initial interview stage through trial. I also have developed solid research and writing skills through my work as a staff member for the school’s law review, Environmental Law, and by drafting opinions and memoranda as a full-semester extern for Judge Slammer in the Federal District Court for the District of Oregon. I took the July 2015 Washington Bar Exam and plan to practice in Washington. I am excited by the possibility of working with your firm, and believe I would make a strong addition to your team. I look forward to talking to you about this position. Sincerely, Me Smith Enclosures: Résumé, writing sample, transcript, reference list

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Clearly Qualified 2222 NW 22nd Avenue

Portland, OR 97212 clearly@lclark.edu

(503) 222-4321

October 23, 2015

Ms. Wanna Hiru Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office 600 Multnomah County Courthouse 1021 SW Fourth Avenue Portland, OR 97204 Dear Ms. Hiru: I am writing to apply for a Deputy District Attorney position with your office. I graduated from Lewis & Clark Law School in May, and recently became a member of the Oregon State Bar. I have worked hard to gain the skills and experience necessary to be a prosecutor with your office. I have always had a strong interest in the area of criminal law, particularly in criminal prosecution. My selection of courses at Lewis & Clark reflects this interest. In addition to Criminal Law and Evidence, I successfully completed Criminal Procedure, Investigatory Criminal Procedure, Moot Court-Mock Trial, Trial Procedure, and Advanced Trial Procedure. I have also completed seminar courses in Guns & Drugs and Victims’ Rights Law. In addition, I attended several CLEs during the past two years related to criminal law topics, and throughout law school have been very fortunate to have had a mentor from your office, Mary Contrary. I have also signed up to work pro bono as a “DA for a Day” with your office to gain additional skills. I have gained valuable practical trial skills during law school as well. Last year, I worked as a law clerk at the National Crime Victim Law Institute and, during my second year, I clerked at the Washington County District Attorney’s Office. I also volunteered as a CASA. I have tried six jury trials and over 25 bench trials, as well as appeared at numerous plea and arraignment hearings. In addition, I have conducted extensive negotiations with defense attorneys arranging plea agreements. I have also performed detailed case investigations, prepared countless witnesses and victims for trial, and worked with police officers in investigations. Working for the Multnomah County DA’s office, with its excellent reputation, is my primary goal. I very much look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Clearly Qualified Encls.

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IMA GRAD 5555 SW Teegarden Lane, Portland, Oregon 97003 • (503) 666-4321 • (503) 222-1234 •"imagrad@lclark.edu

August 8, 2015

Hon. Mary Smith Multnomah County Circuit Court 1021 SW Fourth, Room 200 Portland, OR 97204 Dear Judge Smith: I am writing to apply for a clerkship with your chambers beginning September 2015. It is a long-standing goal of mine to clerk for a state trial court judge. I am particularly interested in complex civil cases, such as the ones that come before your court. I have worked hard to prepare for the duties of a trial court clerk. I have gained a wide array of practical legal skills and have taken advantage of opportunities to develop my research and writing abilities. While in law school, I participated as a first-year student in the Moot Court Mock Trial course, as both a witness and as a juror. That exposure early in law school gave me inspiration to pursue a career as a trial attorney. During my second year, I took the Moot Court Mock Trial Course, where I tried a case four times, from both the plaintiff and defense perspectives. After my second year, I took the summer course at the Law School’s Small Business Legal Clinic. In addition, I took Advanced Trial Advocacy in the spring, as well as the Advanced Torts Seminar. I have also participated in several CLEs on trial and evidence issues. In addition, during my third year of law school, I worked as a certified law clerk for the Metropolitan Public Defenders Office, where I tried six jury trials and over two dozen bench trials. All of my cases required me to prepare briefs and memoranda on a variety of evidentiary issues.

My experiences have given me the opportunity to work closely with clients, witnesses, and opposing parties. I have learned valuable negotiation and professionalism skills, and am comfortable in the courtroom. I have also gained a broad range of experience in research and writing, having had to draft jury instructions, trial memoranda, and bench memoranda. I have also been fortunate to learn how to write client letters, discovery requests, and prepare trial notebooks. I am a collegial, dedicated, hardworking, and conscientious new lawyer. I have worked since I was 16, performing various jobs to get me through school. I believe I have successfully learned efficient time-management and responsibility, which I know is important in a busy trial court. Being able to clerk in your chambers would be, for me, a once in a lifetime opportunity. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Ima Grad Enclosures: Résumé, Reference List (Always enclose documents requested by the trial judge; if none are requested, then submit a résumé and reference list, no more, at first.)

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IMA GRADUATE Registered for February 2016 Oregon Bar Exam

12345 SW Terwilliger Blvd. | Portland, OR 97219 | (503) 555-1234 | grad@lclark.edu EDUCATION

Lewis & Clark Law School, Portland, OR J.D., January 2016 Honors: Best Oral Advocate, Legal Analysis and Writing Activities: Member, International Law Society

North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND B.S. Business Administration, May 2008 Cumulative GPA: 3.65 Honors: Dean’s List, nine quarters

EXPERIENCE

ABC Law Firm, Portland, OR Law Clerk, May to December 2015

Performed legal writing and research in various practice areas, including corporate, real estate, business municipal and securities law. Drafted documents, including real estate contracts and leases.

ABC Bank, Portland, OR

Audit Officer, 2001 to 2013 Conducted and participated in audits of ABC Bank subsidiaries and administrative offices. Determined compliance with corporate policies and federal and state regulations. Interviewed department staff, evaluated internal controls, and identified potential exposure. Reviewed findings with management and assisted with writing reports to Chairman of the Board. Updated audit programs, assigned risk ratings, and trained new staff members.

Credit Examiner, 1999 to 2001

Conducted loan examination for branches and subsidiaries. Evaluated loan quality and collateral documentation, analyzed financial statements, and reviewed compliance with laws and corporate policies.

Branch Operational Auditor, 1998 to 1999

Participated in operational audits of the branches. INTERESTS

Enjoy hiking, golfing and swimming, travel throughout US and Mexico

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IMAN EVENING STUDENT WITH NO LEGAL EXPERIENCE MEMBER, OREGON STATE BAR #09123

12345 SW Terwilliger Blvd. Portland, OR 97219

(503) 555-5555 iman@hotmail.com

EDUCATION

LEWIS & CLARK LAW SCHOOL, Portland, OR J.D. Candidate, January 2015 Member, Women’s Law Caucus Relevant Coursework: list a few courses here that relate to the type of employment you are seeking. UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA, Birmingham, AL B.A. Communications, May 1997

EXPERIENCE

PROPERTY MANAGER, Sherwin-Williams Company, Portland, OR 2003 - Present Performed direct sales to builders; responsible for all aspects of sales to property management firms and contractors. CO-PROPRIETOR, The Cellular Group, Beaverton, OR 1999 - 2003 Implemented telemarketing and guest speaker program for cellular mobile phone sales. COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT, Atlantic Cellular, Marietta, GA 1997 - 1999 Consulted with businesses and individuals concerning their telecommunications requirements. Developed and serviced systems. BUYER/MERCHANDISER, Lewis Lumber Company, Atlanta, GA 1994 - 1997 Purchased products and managed merchandising programs in 49 building centers throughout the southeast region. Supervised staff of assistant buyers. Developed and directed advertising, employee training and marketing programs.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES Oregon Women Lawyers Multnomah Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section - CLE committee

ADDITIONAL SKILLS & INTERESTS Fluent in Japanese and American Sign Language Working Knowledge of Spanish Avid golfer, skier and racquetball player; enjoy all types of outdoor recreation and camping.

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CRAIG EDWIN SMITH Attorney at Law

1076 Moonview Drive Portland, OR 97219

(555) 555-5555 cesmith@lclark.edu

EDUCATION Lewis & Clark Law School, Portland, OR J.D. May 2009

Law Review: Environmental Law, member Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity, member

University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT B.A. Political Science, May 2005

Dean's List, six semesters Varsity Basketball, 2001 - 2003 Worked 40 hours a week to defray educational expenses

EXPERIENCE Blaine & Hudson, Portland, OR

Attorney, September 2009 - present Practice involves commercial litigation regarding publications and printing law. Draft legal memoranda and prepare complaints. Correspond with clients; manage large and complex caseload.

Dewing Too & Much, LLC, Portland, OR Certified Law Clerk, June 2008-April 2009

Drafted legal documents for small personal injury firm. Performed discovery, prepared witnesses, drafted pleadings and memoranda. Interviewed clients, corresponded with opposing counsel and care providers.

Legal Aid Services of Oregon, Portland, OR Legal Intern, fall 2007; spring 2008

Conducted case preparation, including initial client interviews. Drafted pleadings; appeared in court on behalf of clients in FED actions.

Smith Brothers Copy Shop, Midvale, UT Owner / Operator, 2002 - 2005

ADMISSION Oregon State Bar, 2009 TO COURT Washington State Bar (Will sit for February 2010 exam)

United States District Court, District of Oregon, 2009

PUBLICATIONS Comment, Mao v. Youo: Tolling of Statutes of Limitations in Section 1981 Action: Resort to State, 12 Lewis & Clark L. Rev. 943 (2007)

SPECIAL SKILLS Danish, working knowledge INTERESTS Classical music, rare books, travel, live theater, film

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IMA LAW GRADUATE-TOO MEMBER, OREGON STATE BAR

12345 SW Terwilliger Blvd. Portland, Oregon 97219 (503) 123-4567 Imalawgra@lclark.edu _________________________________________________________________________________________

EDUCATION LEWIS & CLARK LAW SCHOOL, Portland, Oregon

J.D. May 2015 Member, Women’s Law Caucus

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA, Birmingham, Alabama

B.A. Communications, May 2011 Cumulative GPA: 3.35 Honors: Dean’s List, three quarters

EXPERIENCE

Oregon Law Center, Portland, OR Pro Bono Attorney, August 2015 - present

Conduct client intake interviews, perform legal research and writing on various poverty-law issues including landlord-tenant, domestic relations, and employment.

Amigo Law Firm, Portland, OR

Law Clerk, September 2014 - May 2015 Performed legal writing and research in various practice areas, including corporate, real estate, business municipal and securities law. Drafted documents, including real estate contracts and leases.

Legal Aid Services of Oregon, Portland, OR

Summer Legal Intern, May 2013 - August 2014 Performed client intake. Drafted pleadings and legal memoranda in bankruptcy, family law, and unemployment. Represented clients in unemployment hearings.

Northwest Environmental Defense Center, Portland, OR

Volunteer Law Clerk, October 2012 - April 2013 Performed legal research and writing in the areas of endangered species and wetlands preservation. Prepared comments for presentation to legislature on preservation of old-growth forests

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES & INTERESTS

Member, Multnomah Bar Association, Young Lawyers’ Division Member, Oregon State Bar New Lawyers Division, CLE Committee Enjoy hiking, golfing, traveled throughout the United States and Europe

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IMA LAW GRAD

1515 Mockingbird Lane Portland OR 97123

(503) 555-4545 ima@lclark.edu

June 6, 2015 Mr. James Smith Smith & Associates 233 SW Fifth Avenue Portland OR 97204 Dear Mr. Smith: I greatly enjoyed talking with you this past Wednesday and want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with me. As we discussed, I am very interested in the prospect of joining your growing tax practice. I enjoyed meeting your support staff and your three associates. I believe I possess the legal skills and education you are seeking in an associate and that I would be an asset to your office. If I can provide you with any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future. Sincerely, Ima Law Grad *Note: The best thank-you letter touches on something you discussed with the interviewer and reiterates your interest in the job. If you interviewed with more than one person, you can write separately to thank each or write one thank you, asking the hiring partner/main interviewer to extend your appreciation to the other attorneys you met.

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IMA LAW GRAD 1515 Mockingbird Lane

Portland OR 97123 (503) 555-4545 ima@lclark.edu

REFERENCES Joe Hudson, Attorney at Law Blaine & Hudson 614 SW Sixth Avenue Portland, OR 97204 (503) 555-3210 jhudson@bhlaw.com Susan Felstiner, Clinical Professor Lewis & Clark Small Business Legal Clinic 310 SW 4th Avenue Suite 1000 Portland, OR 97204 (503) 768-6941 sfelstiner@lclark.edu Amy Bushaw, Professor Lewis & Clark Law School 10015 SW Terwilliger Blvd. Portland, OR 97219 (503) 768-6640 bushaw@lclark.edu

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CHAPTER 6

INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES AND SAMPLE QUESTIONS A. HOW TO IMPRESS YOUR INTERVIEWER (In 30 Minutes or Less)

Some people naturally stand out in a crowd. Sometimes that's good and sometimes not! When it comes to a legal job interview, you want and need to stand out in a "good" way: by impressing the interviewer with who you are and what you can offer that no one else can.

The underlying assumption is that you have done thorough research on the employer and on your interviewer. Being prepared is a vital part of presenting yourself and your skills in the best light possible. But to really stand out, there are several strategies you can use to impress your interviewer.

1. Demonstrate Enthusiasm in the Employer, the Position, and in Yourself: Enthusiasm is contagious, and you want the employer to be enthusiastic about you and what you have to offer the firm. Part of coming across as enthusiastic is to know the employer, know yourself, and be able connect what the employer does with what you have to offer. While every person does, in fact, have something special to offer, it is the inability to get this message across to the interviewer that sinks some applicants. Being low key and calm is okay, but being upbeat and excited about the employer, your law school experience, and the employment experience awaiting you is really impressive. Don't underestimate the power of an enthusiastic approach.

2. Ask Good, Original, Leading Questions: Time and again interviewers say that

the "do you have any questions" section of the interview ends an otherwise good interview on a less than positive note. Why? Because the applicant is not prepared to ask interesting, leading questions. Ideally, you will have asked some questions during the "discussion" section of your interview. When an interview really becomes more of a discussion (with both the interviewer and applicant asking questions) it usually becomes less stressful. No matter how many questions you have asked, be prepared to ask questions at the end of the interview! Even if the interviewer answered the questions you were planning to ask, dig deep and come up with some interesting questions. Even better, assure yourself that your questions won't be answered in advance by preparing questions that are not too common. Your research on the employer may lead you to great questions, as may research on the area of practice in which you are interested (maybe via an online search of the practice area).

3. Be Prepared to Answer the "Common" Questions: It is so easy to read through

the list of commonly asked interview questions in the CPDC Handbook and say "I know how I will answer that question." But will you really be able to under the

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stress of an interview and will you be able to answer it succinctly and in the most positive light? To be on the safe side, practice answering out loud or run through the questions and your answers with a friend. Make sure you are prepared the next time an interviewer asks you to "tell me a little bit about yourself" or "why did you decide to go to law school." Your answer should be both sincere and place you in the most positive light possible.

4. Know How to Sell Yourself Quickly: Before you walk through the door for your

interview, figure out how, if you had to, you could sell yourself to the employer in two minutes. Why? Because many interviewers make a decision about an applicant within the first two minutes of the interview. The decision is usually based on how well the applicant and the interviewer "click". The interviewer has a responsibility to their law firm or organization to recommend applicants who would fit into their office culture well and who they would want to interact with their clients. Clients want to see a confident attorney or law clerk; your ability to sell yourself in an interview is viewed as an indication of how you will come across to the client. If you have an interview, you can safely assume they are pleased with your credentials. Now you have to sell your personal attributes and your unique qualifications. Don't be overly obnoxious in selling yourself, but be proud of what you have accomplished and your special personality traits.

5. Know Your Interview "Weaknesses" and How to Manage Them: In an

interview you should maintain good eye contact, control nervous habits, maintain an even and strong voice, have a firm handshake and answer the question asked. Identify any problems you may have in those areas. For example, some people let their voice trail off at the end of a sentence (as a transition or to signal the completion of an answer). This can be distracting to an interviewer and be seen as a sign that the applicant is not very confident in their answer. If you think you don't have any distracting habits or you don't know what they are, consider doing a mock interview or having yourself videorecorded: it can be very revealing!

6. Be Considerate: Remember that your interviewer may have already conducted

several interviews or had a day full of stress on client matters. Be observant. Stay enthusiastic even if the interviewer seems out of steam. Also, be aware of your time constraints. Don't, however, keep looking at your watch - just be conscious of how long you are talking.

7. Be Professional: Make sure your email, telephone, address and other contact

information is current! But perhaps most important of all, make sure it is professional. Don’t have an email address that reads something like bunny3@hotmail.com. Make sure it reflects your name or is otherwise professional. Likewise, check your outgoing cell phone and home phone messages. Make sure your voice is crisp and professional, and that you clearly state your full name. Don’t have music or other noise in the background, and don’t have children on the message.

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While preparing for an interview, make sure to think about what you would be looking for if you were doing the interviewing. The interviewer has a great deal of responsibility--be sure that you are ready to convince them that you are the best candidate for the position.

B. INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Always be prepared to discuss in detail everything on your résumé: skills, interests, past work experience, or articles written.

The Ten Tough Ones

1. What is your class rank? Why aren’t your grades higher?

For everyone not in the top 25-30%, you will have to be prepared to answer this question, and the more exclusive the firm, the greater the possibility that those outside the top 1% will have to answer it. Be honest and straightforward; some of these responses may be true for you: Your goal was to have a balanced approach to law school (work, volunteer activities, family, etc.); you would have loved to have been first in the class, but did the best you could; your grades reflect only how well you do on timed written examinations and multiple-choice, not on how well you research and write (perhaps you got high marks on papers, if so, say so); your former employers, professors, etc. would say that you had strong research and writing skills.

2. Why weren’t you on law review?

Perhaps you didn’t grade on or did not choose to write on. Perhaps you felt you were more interested in gaining practical legal experience clerking in a law office than performing editing and cite-checking in a more academic environment. When offered those choices and given your limited time as a student, you took the “real world” route.

3. What would your former supervisor say were your greatest weaknesses? What do you perceive your greatest weaknesses are? Firms look for certain qualities: initiative; independent, rational thinking; integrity; diligence;

ability to complete tasks in a timely manner; punctuality; ambition. You may be able to say: “Well, my supervisor might say I take things a little seriously.” (you are diligent); “I am sometimes overly enthusiastic and take on large projects (too many projects) that keep me working later than I wanted to in order to make a deadline.” (ambition); “I am always at work before she is.” (punctual). Resist the urge to play “true confessions” (“I smoke/drink too much:” “I have a hard time meeting deadlines.”) An employer is assessing your answer in light of the qualities they are seeking in a candidate.

4. What are your greatest strengths?

Many people have trouble with this because they feel like it’s bragging. What firms are looking for here are qualities you have that would fit with what they are looking for: diligence, punctuality, timeliness, ambition, sense of humor, etc. Think about the type of work the employer does, and the type of qualities needed to excel in that position. Then, think about which

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of these strengths you possess and how you have demonstrated them in the past. State the strength, then provide an example of how you have demonstrated that strength: “Well, I believe that I have a strong work ethic, for example, I make it a point to always arrive early and make a list before I start my day, and check it at the end of the day to see what tasks I have not completed and arrange a list for the following day.”

5. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Of course, the firm is looking for you to say you will be with them! But no one truly knows where they will be. Some good responses are to think seriously about the firm, your background, and some strong interests you have developed in law school, and then combine them in your answer. For example, if interviewing with a tax and business law firm, you can say: “I went to law school not really having a strong idea of the area I wanted to practice in, but after taking a tax and introductory business course, I became very interested in those areas, and focused some of my clerking experiences on them. I would hope that I could be practicing tax and business law as a senior associate or partner in a small firm just like this - for me that would be ideal.”

6. What is it about your background that would make you fit with our firm?

Often you will get this, or a variation of it, when someone is intrigued with you, or you have been referred by someone, but your background doesn’t necessarily fit exactly with what the firm does. You must be prepared to talk about how your varied experiences have given you a depth of knowledge, transferable skills and relevant experience that you can bring to any employer.

7. Why do you want to work here?

It is astonishing how many interviewees overlook this question. Every employer wants to know details about why you want them in particular; this is especially important if you are interviewing in a particular department at a large agency or firm; you must be prepared to articulate why you want to work for the overall firm or agency, but most particularly, why you want to work for that department. Here is where you can draw upon your employer research, background, experiences, classes in law school and goals and put them all together in your answers.

8. Why do you want to be a lawyer?

This feels like a trick question, and isn’t always asked, but what the interviewer wants to know here is, what is it about the profession that gives you passion or a sense of purpose? Make sure you tie your answer in to the goals of the employer: e.g., if it’s a small plaintiffs’ personal injury practice, perhaps you say that no other profession in the world has the ability to help people transform their lives, or to keep the system honest and working.

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9. What is the toughest professional problem or issue you have faced, and how did you resolve it?

Pure and simple, they want to see your problem solving skills, and how you got yourself out

of a tough situation. You will be faced with them at work, it is just a matter of when. Be prepared to discuss a work-related situation that was difficult (even if it was just a cranky customer at the front counter), and how you worked to resolve it. The employer wants to see indications that you have the skills they are seeking.

10. What do you want to be paid?

Large firms rarely, if ever, will ask you this question, because they have a tiered system for new hires for the most part, and the starting wage is usually posted on their website or in the NALP Directory (www.nalpdirectory.com). However, often you will be asked this, sometimes even in the first interview, by small and mid-size firms. See Chapter 8 for in-depth information on negotiating compensation; you absolutely must be prepared to deal with this question!

Other Random Questions

• Tell me about yourself. How would you describe yourself? Don't just repeat your résumé or offer an autobiography. What they're really asking here is, "What in your background makes you a good candidate for this job?"

• What are your long-range and short-range goals and objectives? Discuss the connection between your goals and the position you're interviewing for or type of law you are interested in.

• What made you decide to go to law school? Highlight a strength or talent; show your commitment to the legal profession, interest in employer's practice areas, etc.

• Why did you choose your law school? Answer with positive aspects of your experiences, not negative.

• Why should I hire you? Highlight significant past experiences and abilities that match what the employer is looking for.

• Which courses have you enjoyed most in law school? Least? Why? • Where do you stand in your class? Be sure to answer before launching into an

explanation of why it isn't higher. • Do you know/have any idea about which area of practice you would like to specialize in? • In what sort of environment are you most comfortable? Ideally, your favorite

environment will be similar to the employer's with whom you are interviewing. Find this information out by conducting thorough research.

• What was the most difficult decision you had to make in life and why was it so difficult? • I see from your résumé that you _________ (play baseball, speak French, are interested

in real estate, etc.) This is not a statement where you answer yes or no; the question is inviting you to tell me more about your baseball team, French speaking abilities or interest in real estate.

• How has your legal education prepared you to work here? To be a lawyer? • What qualities/qualifications do you have that will make you a successful lawyer?

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• What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort? • How do you determine or evaluate success? • What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why? • Describe your most rewarding law school experience. • What do you do when you are not in law school? • Why do you want to work in this city/state? This is especially important if your résumé

does not reflect any connection to the area. • If you weren't practicing law/in law school, what else would you do (with your

education)? • Why are you changing careers? • Would you explain Lewis and Clark's grading system? Fact sheets are available from the

Registrar and in CPDC. • Why did you choose that particular topic to write on for law review? Let’s talk about it.... • What are you currently reading? • Would you prefer to work on one case for an entire year or on 12 cases during the same

period of time? • What did you like best about your last job? What did you dislike most about it? • How did you get along with your co-workers/secretary/boss in your last job? What three

words would she or he use to describe you? • What would you prefer doing full time: counseling clients, research, negotiation,

litigation? • What have you learned from participation on a journal or in a clinical program? • Do you have any other outstanding job offers? If so, where? • Tell me about your greatest law related accomplishment. • What else do you think I should know about you? From your preparation beforehand, you

should have an additional strength or accomplishment to highlight here. Don't say there isn't anything else - you're more interesting than that!

• Do you have any questions that I can answer? This usually signals that the interview is beginning to come to a close. Have several good prepared questions. Don't ask anything that you could have found out by reading information that is publicly available. Even inexperienced interviewers can spot a canned or "recommended" question a mile away! In some way, personalize your questions, and make them your own.

Some Situational Questions:

• How would you handle a client who called upset about...? • How would you handle a situation where a client wanted you to do something you were

concerned was unethical? • What would you do if you knew a witness was going to lie on the witness stand? • Describe what course of action you would take if an opposing party served you with a

subpoena to your own deposition, telling you that your responses to a discovery request broke the attorney-client privilege and inserted you into the lawsuit.

• Be prepared to discuss any hypothetical situation involving some substantive law either in the area of the firm’s specialty or to which you profess superior or in-depth knowledge.

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Some Strange, But True Questions: • If you were a color, what color would you be? • If you were a book, what would your title be? • Do you prefer cats or dogs and why? • Which Justice of the Supreme Court/historical figure/comic character do you most

identify with and why? C. THE HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION

In some interviews (e.g., with a Public Defender or District Attorney office) you can expect a hypothetical question that tests your knowledge of the law. One basic key is to avoid becoming flustered by the question. Remember that there is no right answer. The interviewer is testing your ability to think and reason on your feet. The following suggestions are offered by the NALP/BLSA Northwest Law Student Job Fair Interview Preparation Packet. Step 1: Don't rush. Don't jump to give your conclusion. Take a few seconds to think. You can

restate the question to be sure you understand it. Step 2: Identify different modes of attack. The question is loaded (on purpose). There should be

at least two good arguments supporting at least two different and conflicting conclusions. Don't ignore either side.

Step 3: Don't hedge. We all know the question is loaded. We all know there are several good

arguments. Step 4: Begin your response by identifying what you believe to be the different arguments. Give

them in order of palpability. Then go back to the first argument and outline it. If there is time, outline the next argument, etc.

Step 5: Don't get nailed. If there's a weak point in one of your arguments, so what? No lawyer is

expected to make airtight arguments on an unfamiliar question extemporaneously! If challenged, be assertive. Say, "Yes, that is a weakness in that argument. Perhaps it could be strengthened with some research." Immediately go to your next argument.

The name of the "Hypothetical Question Game" is: "Think Like a Lawyer." D. QUESTIONS FOR THE EMPLOYER

Always make sure you check an employer’s website before preparing questions! Obviously there are many more targeted questions, but these can give you a start. 1. General Questions

• What qualities do you believe make a successful associate in your firm? • What types of skills and accomplishments would you expect from me after one year? • What type of supervision and responsibilities are given to new associates?

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• Describe your training program. • How soon would you anticipate that I will be doing (memoranda, briefs, interviewing

clients, handling my own caseload, handling litigation)? • How much client involvement will I have, and what will it involve? • What kind of outside activities do the lawyers participate in? (county and state Bar, clubs,

boards)? Would new members of your firm be invited to engage in community activities? To what extent?

• What do you enjoy about your particular practice or area of the law? What do you find most challenging?

• What do you personally feel the firm's strengths and weaknesses are? • How many associates have you hired in the past 10 years? Are they all still here? For

those who left, why did they leave? • What is the firm's management style and structure? • How would you characterize the atmosphere of the firm? • What are the firm's expectations from new associates in terms of business development?

Do you offer training? • Explain your training and evaluation program to me. How are the results of evaluations

communicated to the employee? What role does the employee play? • What types of programs do you have for professional development of your employees? • What is the level of interaction between associates and partners? Describe it. • What areas of the firm are growing and how varied is the client base? • How much support staff, and what type do you have? How do you work with them? • How does the firm determine what type of work a new associate is to be assigned? How

is the work of the new associate supervised? • Does the firm require its attorneys to specialize? When does the decision to specialize

occur? Is the decision made by the new associate, the firm or both? • How soon does the new associate get direct client contact and substantial responsibilities? • What are the criteria for advancement? To what extent is the development of new clients

a prerequisite to advancement? • What is the specialty of the interviewer? What type of work does he or she do in a normal

day? How long has the interviewer been with the firm? Did the interviewer work for someone else before joining the firm? Was the interviewer a law clerk for the firm?

• From my research, I see that you are involved in the (e.g. tax) area. Could you tell me how you got interested in this area and a little bit about what your practice is like?

• What are the firm's expectations with respect to further growth? • What made you join the firm/agency? • What is the expectation for billable hours for new associates? Is that for hours actually

billed, or for receivables? Are billed hours discounted? Explain to me how the billing expectation is arrived at.

• How many years, on the average, does it take to become a partner? 2. Large Firms (These will vary greatly depending upon if you are interviewing with a

partner or an associate at the level you are looking to enter into. Usually you can ask an associate more detailed questions on quality of life issues, etc.)

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• What flexibility is there within this firm to allow transfer between one specialized department to another?

• What do new associates and laterals tell you their biggest challenges are? What do they like most about the firm?

• What opportunities for pro bono are there? What are some of the projects your attorneys are working on?

• Describe for me the programs the firm has in place for attorney professional development. Does the firm have a mentoring program and how are mentors/mentees matched?

3. Corporate Law Departments

• What is the department reporting chain, and to whom does the chief legal officer report? • When do promotions occur? How often? • To what extent do the in-house attorneys perform non-legal work? • To what extent (and in what areas) is outside counsel used? To what degree do in-house

attorneys interface with retained counsel? • Are your salaries competitive with law firms? (Not a first interview question) • Describe how the attorneys work with their “clients” in the corporation.

4. Government Agencies

• How does this agency interact with other related government agencies? • Describe for me how you interact with your “clients.” • What for you are the benefits and drawbacks of working for this agency?

5. Public Interest Organizations

• What are your funding sources? Is the position one that requires yearly funding? • What is the percentage of direct representation to impact cases? • Describe your client population. How do they come to you? What resources do you have

for outreach into the community? • What types of support services are available, e.g., access to national clearinghouses,

networks with similar groups, etc.

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CHAPTER 7 NEGOTIATING YOUR SALARY

From new graduates attempting to negotiate a salary for their first legal job, to a seasoned associate seeking to move to another firm or anticipating an annual review and salary increase, the vast majority are unprepared to negotiate their compensation, and simply end up accepting what they are offered. So when do you negotiate? Nearly all large firms still have lock-step salaries for entering first-year associates. Those salaries are usually publicized in the NALP directory (www.nalpdirectory.com). Most mid-size to small firms, however, do not advertise starting salaries and are open to negotiation. Even in large firms, after the first couple years, you will be negotiating salary. In addition, for most public interest jobs, there is usually a little leeway to negotiate, and even in many government jobs, you can negotiate between certain levels of pay. This is not meant to be a thorough guide to every detail of negotiating salary - you still must do your homework. However, the following tips will help you be well-prepared.

If attorneys continue to remain uncomfortable about negotiating salary and benefits, and do not perform the necessary research and analysis, they are guaranteed one thing: the very real possibility that they will be underpaid for years to come. Remember that this negotiation involves three essential things: A negotiator who is well-prepared with all of the facts, figures and background knowledge possible relating to the issue at hand (including as much knowledge as possible about the employer); a firm grasp of both her drop-dead bottom line and “opening figure;” and a willingness to listen and compromise.

So, how do you prepare to negotiate a compensation package? Where do you start looking, and what do you need to know? When do you start thinking about salary and compensation?

1. Do a Financial Self-Assessment Immediately: As soon as you even begin thinking about looking for a permanent job after law school, or begin thinking about making a lateral move, or in your firm know when your annual review date is, begin to prepare! First, what are your basic requirements? Be sure to analyze your personal costs carefully and honestly - what will it cost you per month for the following basics:

• Rental market or housing market for you and any family members; renters’ insurance and liability insurance;

• Medical, dental, vision care; cost of health, life, disability insurance for you and dependents;

• Groceries and sundry items for your household, including number of meals eaten out; • Professional clothing per year, including dry cleaning costs or laundromat; • Automobile insurance, payments, repairs and parking; mass transit; • Professional liability and bar dues, bar section dues, continuing legal education classes

to meet minimum requirements (many employers will cover those costs); • Child care or dependent care costs; • Entertainment, gym and club dues, gifts, travel, computer software or equipment; • Educational loans, car loans, credit card debt payments, personal loans.

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You can get information on several of these costs from a number of sources, many of

them online. For example, the Chambers of Commerce of most cities and towns will be happy to talk with you over the telephone or mail you information on many local costs, including housing, cost of living, or mass transportation.

Once you have analyzed your basic costs, then you must decide what standard of living you are willing to accept. Too many people put as their bottom line the bare essentials necessary for living, and then when they accept an offer that barely covers those, quickly become resentful and depressed. It is unrealistic to believe that even though you land your dream job that you will be happy in your personal life with a salary that gives you no room to breathe. Make sure you build in some breathing room in your budget for you to be minimally happy. It is a very personal thing. For instance, those wanting a public interest job may be very willing to make lifestyle changes such as shopping at second-hand clothing stores, using mass transit vs. a car, eating meals out only once a month and sharing housing, while a person wanting a job with a large firm is not willing to compromise on any of those. Whatever you choose, make sure that you know your absolute minimum bottom line not just to survive, but to be reasonably happy.

2. Do an in-depth Skills Self-Assessment: You are selling yourself. It is your job to convince your employer that you will be profitable to the firm. Every law firm anticipates that a new lawyer will not become profitable until probably the third year of practice; for small and medium-sized firms an investment in an associate is much more risky than for a large firm. Thus, you must be prepared to speak intelligently and in depth about your skills, and how those will bring value to the firm. Do a self-analysis of every job that you have ever had: What are the things you did every day? How many pleadings did you draft, and in what substantive area? What types of pleadings? How many motions or cases argued, depositions taken, jury trials done, jury instructions drafted, memoranda written and in what substantive areas? What are your abilities as a rainmaker? What Bar sections, community and service organizations are you involved in? Analyze your non-legal skills as well: supervisory, clerical, etc. Get several different samples of your own work, from pleadings drafted to motions and memoranda and briefs written. Prepare a reference list for yourself to draw upon that also includes subordinates, supervisors, colleagues, attorneys you have co-counseled or second-chaired cases with, judges you have appeared in front of, and opposing counsel. You absolutely cannot market a product without knowing that product inside out and backwards, including all of its attributes, benefits and flaws. What makes you think you can sell yourself without doing the same? If you are already working for a firm, keep a weekly list (your billing records can be a good source of information for this) of major projects you have worked on, and a file for documents you have drafted. Keep track of every single professional or community organization you belong to, and of your activities: speeches given, CLEs presented, projects completed, etc. and update your résumé with these regularly, not just when you want to use your résumé.

3. Know your Market: Law firm salaries vary throughout the country depending on geographic location, as well as the size of the firms. Additionally, firms that are the exact same size also will have varying compensation rates depending upon the substantive area practiced and the method of payment accepted from clients. And within large firms, often attorneys with the same level of experience, but working in different departments, receive different salaries.

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You must know exactly what you are dealing with in order to be able to negotiate.

Type of Firm: First, analyze what type of firm you are looking at: Is it plaintiff or defense-oriented? What are the substantive areas practiced? What is the size of the firm? What is the geographic location? You should figure most of this out before you go in for your first interview. Analyzing the type of firm is critical, because this often determines what it is likely to pay. For example, most insurance defense firms pay less than comparably-sized firms doing exclusively or primarily business transactional work; a plaintiffs’ personal injury firm or private criminal defense firm with a contract to do public defender work will usually pay less than a small general practice firm of the same size that primarily generates billable hours. Plaintiff-oriented firms generally pay less base salary to begin with but offer larger bonuses or salary jumps after a year or two, because most of their income is contingent-fee based, while defense-oriented firms may pay more to begin with because they are billable-hour based, but tend to have a less-dramatic salary increase year-to-year.

Billable Rates, Methods & Firm Finances: This is information that you usually cannot get from looking in a book. Thus, you need to be prepared to ask these questions in your second interview or salary negotiation session in order to get the answers you need. For example, ask about the firm’s fee arrangements:

Fixed Fee: The firm charges a set amount for a type of service, regardless of the hours spent on the project. This type of billing method is most often used by firms doing criminal defense work contracted by the state; in civil practice, firms representing insurance companies sometimes agree to a set fee per case, regardless of whether the case settles or goes to trial. Increasingly it is being used by businesses for routine matters. Ask about the percentage of fixed fee cases as a part of the whole, and the percentage of fixed fee cases that settle versus those that proceed to litigation. (e.g., if there are a lot of cases that go to trial, this obviously reduces the profit margin).

Billable Hours: With this method, the firm charges a set rate per hour. Usually, attorneys keep detailed time sheets and record their activities by the tenth of an hour. How much of the firm’s work is billable hours? What are the rates? Do they vary by type of client or type of matter? What rate do they bill out their first year associates or the level of associate that you will be entering? Do associates in different departments of the firm charge different rates? If so, why? Is there a sliding scale? Does the firm do write-offs or mark downs? (e.g., you work 12 hours on a case, enter 10 on your timesheet, and the firm only bills the client for 5) How much pro-bono work is suggested or required, and does this count toward an associate’s billable total? Be very sure that you always ask whether the firm bills you out at the hours you record on your timesheet, or whether they do discounting. This can make a significant difference to you. For example, if a firm says you are required to bill 1800 hours, is that 1800 discounted or non-discounted hours? Contingent Fee: This method is just what it says: the fee is contingent upon winning the case. The attorney keeps track of her work on a fee-generating case (such as a Section 1983 case), and if she wins, she collects her fees. Or, in a personal injury case, the attorney fee agreement stipulates a certain percentage of the total gross award or settlement, usually on a

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sliding scale. For example, the attorney may collect 33% of the total before a case is filed, 40% after filing up to 10 days before trial, and 45 or 50% if the case goes to trial. Virtually all personal injury and other tort cases are contingent fee cases. Typically, many small firms hiring associates pay them a base salary plus a percentage of all profits they bring in. Ask about the percentage of contingent fee cases the firm has. If the associate is going to be doing only contingent fee cases, is there a required minimum income from those cases? Does the associate get a percentage of each case where money is brought in? What about a percentage of each case the associate brings in on his or her own? (Then the percentage should be higher.) What is the base salary, and how soon are bonuses or salary increases given? What are the increases in salary, bonuses, or increases in percentages based on, and how often are they reviewed?

Firm Finances: In order to get an idea of what a firm can pay, it is helpful to get a rough estimate of what the gross annual or monthly receipts are. Once you get information on the type of billing, and who is doing what in each firm, that is relatively easy. However, that is not the only thing to consider - you must also look at the firm’s overhead and what adding you to the mix will do to the profitability of the firm. You cannot negotiate well with a small firm without an understanding of firm finances, and firm overhead.

You can figure overhead by using some simple estimating of your own. What does it cost the firm, approximately, to rent out space in a building, pay x number of secretaries, purchase or lease equipment, pay payroll taxes, advance costs for cases, pay professional dues, insurance and benefits, and utilities each month? You can get this information often very quickly by calling a sole practitioner or the sole practitioner’s section of your Bar organization, which may have done some research on office overhead, then multiply it by the number of people in the firm you are looking at to get a rough estimate. Or call a commercial realtor for information on rents, the legal secretaries’ association about average salaries, an insurance broker regarding the cost of insurance, the state employment division regarding payroll taxes, etc.

The PLF also has excellent information for people interested in sole or small firm practice. Be aware that small firms doing a lot of contingent work often need to keep a lot of capital tucked away for the months when there may be little income coming in, so large profits can be very deceptive.

4. Benefits/Additions to Salary: You need to ask what benefits will be included, which could include any or all of the following:

• Medical, dental, vision insurance for you and perhaps for your dependents; • Short/long term disability insurance; • Paid vacation and sick leave; • Paid or unpaid parental or dependent care leave; • Retirement (and whether there is an employer contribution plan); • Costs for professional conferences (CLEs) and number covered each year; • Parking or bus pass; • Payment for time studying for the Bar or Bar review courses; • Professional liability premium payments, and yearly bar dues. • Profit sharing • Expense accounts for entertaining clients or participating in bar activities; • Paid meals when working late;

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• Sabbatical policy; • Promotion to partner or senior associate; • Travel reimbursement; moving or relocation costs; • Club (fitness, social) memberships; • Also, increasingly, small firms may offer to pay part or all of a new associate’s

monthly student loan payments in exchange for the associate’s agreement to work for a specific time period, like two or three years. After that time, the loan is forgiven; if the associate quits before the time is up, she must pay it all back.

5. Where to Look for Information: Now that you know what to ask and look for, where

do you find the information? Always give Career & Professional Development a call. Every other year, Career & Professional Development surveys our alumni who have graduated within the past seven years and compiles an Associate Survey Salary, including information about salary, billable hours for different practice areas and types. In addition, we can often call our colleagues in other parts of the country for information on firm salaries. Also, there are several publications that have basic information about salaries in most cities. Several state bars conduct member surveys, and even though the information is outdated sometimes, it gives you a place to start. Also, nothing substitutes for calling as many friends or colleagues as you can in similar-sized firms, and ask them. Most people will tell you; if they don’t, the worst they will say is “no.” This is especially useful if you are an associate in a firm trying to negotiate a raise - be sure to identify as many people as you can who work in similar-sized firms, and ask for information. Tell them which other firms you are talking to; tell them that you will keep individual names confidential, but that you will share firm information with them once you have gathered it. This is often a powerful incentive for your colleagues who want to know what the salaries are out there, and if they are competitive!

6. Negotiating the Salary: Usually, the appropriate time to discuss salary is at the time

of a job offer. However, you need to be prepared, should the subject come up during the interview.

a. Employer Makes the Offer: Typically, the employer will make the initial job offer, which should include not only starting salary but the other benefits that will be offered. Evaluate the offer based on your research - is this within the going rate for employers of this type/size/location/practice type? Evaluate the offer as a whole as well as the sum of its parts; sometimes, employers offer a lower starting salary but excellent health benefits. It is fine to ask the employer for time to think about the offer for 24-48 hours. If you do decide you want to counter offer, negotiate on the basis of your qualifications, skills and experience and how that is worth more to the employer than what they have offered you. Make the business case for yourself that you are worth more to the employer - that by hiring you and paying you x amount more, the employer will make money. Do not base your counter offer on your needs or wants (i.e., “I can’t live on that!”). If the employer’s offer was below the going rate, you can negotiate from the basis of market rate: “I did some research and believe that the going rate for entry level positions for this size of firm is more in the 50,000-$55,000 range.”

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If the employer is unwilling or unable to budge on salary, consider asking for a non-monetary concession: would they be willing to give you an extra week of vacation or perhaps agree to review your salary in six months? At that point, the employer is that much more invested in keeping you satisfied and may be in a better financial position to grant you a slight raise. There is a non-specific realm of reasonableness that you must keep in mind. If the employer has offered $40,000 per year, you cannot counter with $80,000. If you’re really that far apart, it may be time to say “no thank you” and wait for an offer that better meets your salary requirements.

b. Employer Asks Applicant for Their “Salary Expectations:” In salary negotiations, it’s always preferable for the employer to make the first move. That way, you don’t end up “low balling” yourself by offering a number that was below what the employer was going to offer you!

Sometimes, an employer will ask you what your salary requirements are or what salary range you have in mind. Turn the tables and ask them “what salary range did you have in mind when you posted the position?” or “I would expect to be paid the market rate for my level of experience” or “what does the firm typically pay an associate at my level of experience?” If it’s early on in the interview, you can also say something like “I’d like to talk a little bit more about the job and how I might fit the position before we begin discussing compensation.”

With very small firms that may not have hired an associate before (or in a very long time), they may have no idea what the going rate is. Help them out by providing them with a range indicated by your research: “My understanding from talking to Career & Professional Development and some local firms is that small firms typically pay around $60,000 per year. A salary within that range would be acceptable to me, depending upon the other benefits and terms of employment.”

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CHAPTER 8

OUT-OF-AREA JOB SEARCH

A. AFTER GRADUATION • Contact CPDC before you leave the area to let us know where you are looking. We

may have specific resources we can refer you to. • Renew your contacts with former employers, friends, and law and undergraduate

alumni. Get in touch and let them know you are coming back to the area and will be looking for employment.

• Make additional local contacts while studying for the Bar and set up lunches. Get to know your fellow bar exam studiers and get tips or information on the local market.

• Research local Legal Temporary agencies in the area. These can usually be found in the phone book, Sunday newspaper under “legal” or on the state bar association website. Contact them and find out how to sign up for work.

• Research opportunities for volunteer or pro bono work. Use PSJD to locate out of state organizations, www. psjd.org.

• Find out how to join the Young or New Lawyers Division in your local bar association and what other professional organizations are in the area. Find out if they have reduced or free memberships for new graduates (many organizations do.)

• Contact the local courts to find out about trial court clerkships, “floater” clerks or temporary jobs with the judicial system.

• Attend CLE’s or any local bar association meetings or events, so you can begin to meet, and get to know, local attorneys.

• Do contract work. Advertise your services in local bar publications. • Continue to do informational interviewing with alumni and other local contacts. • Attend any job fairs in the area. • Keep in touch with CPDC throughout your job search.

B. USING CPDC IN YOUR OUT-OF-AREA JOB SEARCH

• Finalize your résumé, cover letters, and reference list, and have CPDC review them. • Ask CPDC to request reciprocity on your behalf with other law schools’ career

services offices in the area. Remember, you have automatic reciprocity with law schools in Oregon, Washington, Utah, and Idaho so no request is needed. Just contact CPDC for current job passwords and information.

• Look at other law schools’ job bulletins. Look at the BYU Job Bank link from the CPDC website, which contains job bulletins from schools across the country - contact CPDC for current password information.

• Pick up a law firm list for cities in Washington, Utah, Idaho, Alaska, or Arizona. • Contact the Alumni Relations Office to locate Lewis & Clark alums in the

geographic area in which you’ll be looking, lawalum@lclark.edu or 503-768-6607. • Check the CPDC Resource Library and the Boley Library, for directories and other

out-of-state resources. • Keep in contact with CPDC, for ongoing counseling and materials review.

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CHAPTER 9

TIPS FOR SUCCEEDING IN YOUR FIRST YEAR OF PRACTICE

No matter how well you’ve prepared yourself for your first attorney position, this will be

a tough year, with a steep learning curve. The following are suggestions for surviving (and thriving) in your first year on the job.

1. Do your best work. You are building your professional reputation from day one. Make it one of an ethical, conscientious attorney who can be trusted to provide excellent work product and outstanding client service.

2. Listen. In meetings with your supervising attorney, when accepting an

assignment, when a judge is talking to you, when a client is talking to you, when meeting an attorney at a CLE or social event, when attending trainings. There is always something new to be learned by listening to others.

3. Observe. Watch court hearings and related proceedings. Sit in on client

meetings. Note how other attorneys conduct themselves. Find models of behavior in other attorneys that you want to emulate.

4. Keep your perspective. You will get boring mundane assignments -

everyone does, no matter how many years they’ve been practicing. Being a lawyer doesn’t mean every day is a thrill ride. The boring assignment you do well today could lead to a better assignment tomorrow.

5. Know your limits. Although you want to be an enthusiastic employee and

should express willingness to take on additional responsibilities or assignments, don’t over commit yourself. You’ll do yourself no favors by taking on additional assignments and doing a poor or inadequate job.

6. Learn the culture of your new employer. What are the values? What roles

do other people play in the organization? Learn by listening and observing.

7. Get along with people, especially administrative staff. Avoid conflicts.

Treat everyone in the office with respect.

8. Return client phone calls within 24 hours. Nothing angers a client more than feeling ignored. Even if you don’t have an answer for them, call and tell them. Give them a date by which you’ll have a response for them.

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9. Don’t go it alone. Keep in touch with law school friends and make friends with other new lawyers. If your employer does not provide a formal mentoring program, find a mid-level associate or junior level partner who can be available to you on a regular basis, to answer your questions and provide you with information and support. Many local bar associations also offer new attorney mentor programs.

10. Take advantage of new attorney brown bags lunches and training

opportunities. These are excellent forums designed to provide basic practice information and are often taught by attorneys who are leaders in their field of practice.

11. Accept the fact that this will be a stressful year. Know that you will feel a

little lost this year, and that those feelings will pass.

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CHAPTER 10 GRADUATE AND ALUMNI SERVICES AVAILABLE THROUGH CPDC

Our services are available to you throughout your career - just contact us!

Career & Professional Development (503) 768-6608 or lscs@lclark.edu Alumni Network Career & Professional Development maintains a list of alumni in many geographic locations throughout the United States, including information about their substantive practice areas. Alumni who want to practice in an area outside of Portland can be put in contact with these alumni. To request a list of alumni, complete the request from in the CPDC. Career Counseling & Planning Because your career is such an integral part of your life, and you have invested so much, we believe that it is very important for us to offer our alumni ongoing assistance with career planning. We are available to do individual career counseling appointments, give you pointers on your job search, assist with mock interviews, help with networking contacts, and help you research the best employment situation for you, whether it be working in a traditional "lawyer" job, or in an "alternative" career using your J.D. We can help you hone the skills you need to conduct successful interviews, to develop fruitful contacts, and to recognize the strengths and experience you bring to a particular employer. We recognize that your needs change over time, and we are available to meet with you as needed. Career & Professional Development Handbook The Career & Professional Development Center of Lewis & Clark Law School offers students and alumni one of the most comprehensive handbooks of any law school in the country. During your first year, you should have received a binder with over eight chapters containing valuable, up-to-date information on application materials, interviewing, how to survive your summer clerkship, on-campus interviewing, and much more. This handbook should be a valuable tool throughout your law school career and beyond. Fax, Résumé Paper, Computers, Video-interviewing, and Phone State-of-the-art laser printers and computers are available in CPDC for students and alums to print professional-quality résumés and cover letters. A free telephone is available for interviews or long-distance employment related calls, as well as a computer and space to use to conduct Skype/video interviews. We also will fax job-related materials for you. Job Postings Our office receives numerous job postings for student and graduate positions, from legal employers in Oregon and from around the country. All current job postings can be accessed through the CPDC website. The current week's jobs are also posted on our bulletin board outside CPDC. Students and alumni can access the website job postings with a password available from the office. Please contact the office either by phone or e-mail to request the current password.

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Reciprocity CPDC has established reciprocal agreements with the career services offices of many other ABA-accredited law schools around the country. These agreements allow students and graduates to use the other schools' career services' offices when seeking permanent or summer employment in another geographical location. Reciprocity policies vary from school to school, so it is important to check in with CPDC at least two weeks prior to your departure, so that you are clear about a particular school's policy and so we can write you the necessary letter of introduction. Reciprocity is generally closed at all law schools from August 1 through November 30. Resource Library CPDC maintains a resource library for our students and alumni. The Boley Law Library also has useful resources under the "career" section. Résumé & Application Material Review Students and alumni can email résumés, and any other application materials, to CPDC for review. CPDC professionals will review your materials, make notes, give you written feedback, and return them to you, usually within 24 hours. We will be happy to review your materials as often as you wish. During our especially busy seasons (during on-campus interviews in the fall and right after classes begin again in the spring) it is best to get your materials in as early as possible before any deadlines to allow ample time for review and feedback.

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CHAPTER 11 LOAN REPAYMENT, FORGIVENESS, DEFERMENT AND FORBEARANCE

In the past, law school debt was often a factor in a job search. The good news is that there are several options available to help you manage repayment of your law school debt no matter what your salary is. Students with additional questions about any of these options are encouraged to contact Bill Penn, Director for Public Interest Law, (wcpenn@lclark.edu). A. LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAMS

There are many loan repayment programs available to graduates who work in public service. After you graduate, they work by providing a forgivable loan to help pay your student loans; if you stay in the qualifying employment for the specified period of time, the loan is forgiven. Here are a few of common loan repayment programs you should investigate:

• Lewis & Clark’s Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP): Lewis & Clark Law School’s LRAP helps JD graduates take public interest jobs without having to worry about covering law school loan expenses. There is no set cap on the amount of assistance an individual graduate can receive, and graduates are often granted up to 100 percent of law school loan servicing costs or the amount that would be required to pay under Income-based repayment or Pay as You Earn (mentioned later) depending on funds available. To qualify, you must:

• Be using your Lewis & Clark law degree to help under-represented people or causes at a government, non-profit, or tribal office

• Have a yearly salary below $45,000 • Apply within the first three years following graduation

For complete information, go to http://law.lclark.edu/programs/loan_repayment_assistance/

• State Bar LRAP’s: Many state bar associations have loan repayment assistance

available to attorneys who practice in that state. These programs will vary from state to state.

The Oregon State Bar has an LRAP. To qualify, you must:

• Be employed as a licensed, practicing attorney within the State of Oregon with civil legal aid organizations, other private non-profit organizations providing direct legal representation of low-income individuals, as public defenders, or as deputy district attorneys

• Have a yearly salary below $65,000 • Have more than $35,000 in educational debt

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For more information on Oregon’s LRAP, go to http://www.osbar.org/lrap

• Employer sponsored LRAP’s: Some employers provide Loan Repayment Assistance Programs for the benefit of their employees with student debt. Such programs exist at some non-profit and government employers, and are typically designed with the goal to recruit and retain qualified staff. Federal agencies are authorized by statute to set up loan repayment assistance programs to recruit and retain highly qualified employees. In fiscal year 2011, 10,134 employees working in 34 different federal agencies received loan repayment assistance benefits (the Department of Justice provided benefits to 199 attorneys and the Securities and Exchange Commission provided benefits to 310 attorneys). Because those decisions and the amount of an agency’s LRAP are determined agency by agency, review the specific agency websites for information about federal employer LRAP options. The Legal Services Corporation provides a listing of loan repayment assistance programs offered by its grantee organizations including abstracts of program characteristics and program administrator contact information: www.lsc.gov/about/factsheet_lrap.php

• John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program (JRJ) for public defenders and prosecutors. JRJ is administered by the Department of Justice, which has delegated coordination of payments to a governor designated agency in each state. State, tribal, and federal public defenders, and state and tribal prosecutors who work full-time qualify. Public defenders must work for a governmental unit or for a nonprofit. Those working on public defense contracts at private firms or consortiums are not qualified. Attorneys may receive up to $10,000 per year up to a lifetime maximum of $60,000. “Double-counting” of years in which an individual receive a JRJ award toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness is allowed.

B. LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAMS

The following programs will offer significant relief for new graduates struggling to manage loan repayment. More detailed information about both programs, including tax implications and repayment calculators, is available on the Equal Justice Works website: www.equaljusticeworks.org and www.askheatherjarvis.com

College Cost Reduction and Access Act - Public Service Loan Forgiveness: The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program is one of the most significant breakthroughs for public interest lawyers in a generation. Public Service Loan Forgiveness provides loan forgiveness after 10-years of public service employment. Per the department of treasury, this forgiveness is not taxable.

To qualify for loan forgiveness, a borrower must:

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$ Make monthly loan payments for ten years (120 payments) while working full-time in qualifying public service employment

$ Must not choose an extended repayment plan. Qualifying monthly payments include only those made on time as part of Income Contingent Repayment (ICR) plan; Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan; Pay as You Earn plan; Standard Repayment plan based on a 10-year repayment schedule; or a repayment plan where the monthly amount paid was not less than the monthly amount required under Standard Repayment over a 10-years.

$ Be employed in full-time paid work in the government; a 501(c)(3) nonprofit; an AmeriCorps position; the Peace Corps; or in limited situations, for a private “public service organization.”

$ Have federal student loans (like Stafford loans, GradPLUS loans and consolidation loans) held by Federal Direct Lending. Graduates may consolidate non-Direct loans before counting time.

Income Based Repayment: You do not have to be working in the public service sector to reap the benefits of Income Based Repayment (IBR). IBR can help any grad, regardless of the type of work you are doing and can substantially reduce monthly student loan payments. To qualify, a borrower must be able to make smaller payments under IBR than they would under a standard 10-year repayment plan. A formula is applied that determines the amount of your monthly payment, based on your income to debt ratio. Payments are set at 15 percent of your disposable income. In addition, after 25 years of payments any remaining loan balance is dismissed no matter how you are employed. Currently, part or all of this forgiveness is taxable depending on the graduate’s situation.

Pay as You Earn: Pay as You Earn (PAYE) offers even lower income-related payments than IBR. Qualifying is similar to IBR: graduates must pay less under Pay as You Earn than they would under a standard repayment plan. Under Pay as You Earn, loan payments are set to 10% of disposable income, and loan forgiveness is granted at the 20-year mark. Payments under PAYE qualify toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness. In order to select PAYE, your loans must be held by Federal Direct Lending (you can consolidate with Direct to qualify), and you must meet two tests. You must have had a zero federal student loan balance on October 1, 2007 (or you must have paid off any balance that existed before taking new loans), and you must have had at least one federal student loan disbursement after October 1, 2011. PAYE applies to all qualifying graduates regardless of where or what kind of work they are doing. Under the current tax code, any amount forgiven after 20-years may be taxable in part or in full depending on the graduate’s situation.

10% of income plans for all: Both IBR and PAYE are in the process of increasing access to payment plans that only require a graduate to pay 10% of disposable income. First, IBR will allow all new borrowers who took their first student loan after July 1, 2014 to pay 10% of disposable income for no more than 20 years; this is often referred to as “new IBR”. Second, new regulations are due in December 2015 to expand the availability of the PAYE plan to all borrowers; keep an eye out for new qualification requirements and terms.

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C. OTHER ASSISTANCE - DEFERMENT AND FORBEARANCE

Additional information on deferment or forbearance, contact your loan lender or EdFund (www.edfund.org). You must apply for, and be granted, these options by your lender.

Deferment: If you are unable to pay your student loans due to unemployment, economic hardship or a return to school, deferment allows you to postpone loan payments for up to one year at a time, for up to a total of three years. Grads who have federal Stafford or Grad PLUS loans are eligible for deferment. You must continue to make your loan payments until a lender approves your request; otherwise, your loan could become delinquent or go into default. Forbearance: If you don’t qualify for a deferment, you may ask for a forbearance, which allows you to temporarily postpone or reduce payments, or extend your payment term. A forbearance may be granted for economic hardship or an unexpected personal problem (such as a health issue). In most cases, forbearances last for up to one year at a time. You may reapply if your circumstances warrant, and the lender may choose to grant you another forbearance for up to a year.

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APPENDIX

• Self-assessment Packet (Two Step Workplace Values Exercise, 26 Lawyering Effectiveness Factors Inventory, Practice Area & Setting Interest Inventory)

• Sample Contacts Worksheet • Helpful Graduate Contacts (Oregon) • Timeline for Employer Hiring Practices

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Self-assessment packet Today's date: _

Two Step Workplace Values Exercise

To begin, rate the importance of each of the workplace values on the following list. We've left a few blank lines at the end of our list in case we have missed something that you consider essential.

Rate the degree of importance that you place on each of the following workplace values using this scale:

1= Work values that are very important to me 2 = Work values that are reasonably important to me 3 = Work values that are not important to me at all

I am interested in jobs and careers that include:

helping those in need mental challenge/mentally demanding/problem-solving opportunity for balance between work life and family life flexibility in work structure intellectual status, an acknowledged "expert" in a given field

order and structure high degree of competition integrity and truth rewarding loyalty and dependability having self-respect and pride in work stability and security strong financial compensation and financial rewards being recognized for quality of work in a visible/public way having a positive impact on others and society using creativity, imagination; being innovative variety and a changing work pace professional development and on-going learning and growth friendships and warm working relationships teamwork and work groups glamour, prestige, respect. or a level of social status routine, predictable work projects deadlines and time demand/pressure challenges clear advancement tracks/opportunities for advancement tranquility, comfort, and avoidance of pressure dealing with the public/day-to-day contact with the public using cutting edge or pioneering technologies or techniques opportunities for supervision, power. leadership, influence making decisions, having power to decide courses of action respect, recognition, being valued autonomy, independence, freedom precision work with little tolerance for error

adventure and excitement

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Self-assessment packet Today's date: _ Your second step is to now narrow down your list to the five core values you consider most important-- that you can't live without in your job/workplace -- and write them below:

1. 2. 3. 4.

5. _______________________________________________________________________

Workplace values are a critically important, yet often overlooked factor when trying to determine what is most and least important to you in your job and career choices. An awareness of your work values allow you to take action steps to explore and identify settings, practice areas and types of work that are in alignment with what truly matters to you. And ideally you can use this awareness to help judge the level of "fit" with any future job, employer, or career change.

Values are often actual work being performed and its societal or personal purpose or meaning, such as creativity or helping others. Extrinsic values are external factors, such as prestige, compensation and leisure time. Completing a values inventory will help you to address issues that are not quite as obvious to measure as skills or interests, but just as important.

Adapted from Randall Hanson. Quintcareers.com

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Self-assessment packet Today's date: _

26 LAWYERING EFFECTIVENESS FACTORS

1. Analysis and Reasoning: Uses analytical skills, logic, and reasoning to approach problems and

to formulate conclusions and advice.

2. Creativity/Innovation: Thinks “outside the box,” develops innovative approaches and

solutions.

3. Problem Solving: Effectively identifies problems and derives appropriate solutions.

4. Practical Judgment: Determines effective and realistic approaches to problems.

5. Client Relationship Building, Advising and Counseling: Able to develop relationships with

clients that address client’s needs.

6. Fact Finding: Able to identify relevant facts and issues in case.

7. Researching the Law: Utilizes appropriate sources to identify issues and derive solutions.

8. Speaking: Communicates issues in an articulate manner consistent with issue and audience.

9. Writing: Writes clearly, efficiently and persuasively.

10. Listening: Accurately perceives what is being said both directly and subtly.

11. Influencing & Advocating: Persuades others of position and wins support.

12. Questioning and Interviewing: Obtains needed information from others to pursue issue/case.

13. Negotiation Skills: Resolves disputes to the satisfaction of all concerned.

14. Strategic Planning: Plans and strategizes to address present and future issues and goals.

15. Organizing and Managing (Own) Work: Generates well-organized methods and work products.

16. Organizing and Managing Others (Staff/Colleagues): Organizes and manages others work to

accomplish goals.

17. Evaluation, Development, and Mentoring: Manages, trains, and instructs others to realize their

full potential.

18. Developing Relationships: Establish quality relationships with others to work toward goals.

19. Networking and Business Development: Develops productive business relationships and helps

meet the unit’s financial goals.

20. Community Involvement and Service: Contributes legal skills to the community.

21. Integrity & Honesty: Has core values and beliefs; acts with integrity and honesty.

22. Stress Management: Effectively manages pressure or stress.

23. Passion & Engagement: Demonstrates interest in law for its own merits.

24. Diligence: Committed to and responsible in achieving goals and completing tasks.

25. Self-Development: Attends to and initiates self-development

26. Able to See the World Through the Eyes of Others: Understands positions, views, objectives,

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and goals of others.

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Self-assessment packet Today's date: _

26 Lawyering Effectiveness Factors (Skills) Inventory

Circle the number corresponding to your level of experience with each of these factors.

1 = little or no experience with this factor 2 = moderate experience with this factor 3 = lots of experience with this factor

Writing 1 2 3

Problem Solving

1 2 3

Able to See the World

Through Eyes of Others

1 2 3

Creativity/ Innovation

1 2 3

Fact Finding 1 2 3

Questioning / Interviewing

1 2 3

Strategic Planning

1 2 3

Influencing & Advocating

1 2 3

Passion & Engagement

1 2 3

Organizing & Managing Own Work

1 2 3

Researching the Law

1 2 3

Listening 1 2 3

Providing Advice & Counsel

1 2 3

Managing Others 1 2 3

Integrity / Honesty

1 2 3

Self-Development

1 2 3

Analysis & Reasoning

1 2 3

Speaking 1 2 3

Networking & Business

Development 1 2 3

Evaluation, Development&

Mentoring 1 2 3

Diligence 1 2 3

Stress Management

1 2 3

Negotiation Skills 1 2 3

Developing Relationships

within the Legal

Profession 1 2 3

Community Involvement &

Service 1 2 3

Practical Judgment

1 2 3

Identification, Development. and Validation of Predictors for Successful Lawyering, Marjorie M. Shultz and Sheldon Zedeck, Principal Investigators

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Self-assessment packet Today's date: _

Practice Area & Setting Interest Inventory

Please check those practice areas which currently pique your interest.

! ·Administrative Law & Regulatory ! Practice ! Air, Sea, & Space Law ! Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) ! Animal Rights ! Antitrust/Competition Law ! Appellate Law ! Banking and Commercial Finance ! Bankruptcy Law ! Business Law ! Children's Advocacy/Juvenile Justice ! Civil Litigation ! Civil Rights/Civil Liberties ! Communications/Media Law ! Community Economic Development ! Constitutional Law ! Consumer Protection ! Corporate Practice ! Criminal Law ! Cyberspace Law ! Disability Law ! Drug Law ! Education Law ! Elder Law ! Election Law/Voting Rights ! Employee Benefits ! Entertainment & Sports Law ! Environmental & Energy ! Law Ethics ! Family Law ! Food and Drug Law

! Government Contracts ! Health Care Law ! Housing/Homelessness ! Immigration/Refugee ! Insurance Law ! Intellectual Property Law ! International Law ! International Human

Rights/Development ! Labor and Employment Law ! Legislative Practice ! LGBT Law ! Litigation, General ! Migrant Worker Advocacy ! Military Judge Advocates I JAG ! Municipal Finance Practice ! National Security Law ! Poverty/Legal Services ! Prisoners' Rights ! Privacy Law ! r Public Defense/Death Penalty ! Real Estate & Property Law ! _ _Securities Law ! :Tax Law ! Telecommunications .Law ! Tort Law ! Trade Law ! Trusts and Estates Law ! White Collar ! Women's Rights

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Self-assessment packet Today's date: _ Choose three to five practice settings to explore further: Practice Settings within the law include:

Academic ! General Counsel's Office ! Law School Administration ! Law School Faculty

Alternative ! Investment Banking ! Journalism ! Entrepreneurship

Associations: ! Professional Associations ! Bar Associations ! Trade Associations

Businesses & Corporations ! In-House Counsel ! Government Affairs

Government: ! Federal Government ! State Government ! Local Government

International ! Non-Government Organization ! Government ! Law Firm

Judicial ! Trial ! Appellate

Law Firms ! Large ! Medium ! Small

'Non-Profit ! Legal Service ! Public Policy ! Advocacy

Prosecutor/Public Defender Offices Solo Practitioner

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CONTACT WORKSHEET

This format is the “one person per page” format; in other words, you have a separate page for each primary contact and list the people they refer to you on the same page, so you can easily keep track of connections. Primary Contact (the person you know)

Name: Title:

Company: Phone:

Address:

How I know this person:

Contact:

Follow-up:

Secondary Contact (The person you’ve been referred to)

Name: Title:

Company: Phone:

Address:

Comments:

Contact:

Follow-up:

Secondary Contact (The person you’ve been referred to)

Name: Title:

Company: Phone:

Address:

Comments:

Contact:

Follow-up:

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HELPFUL GRADUATE CONTACTS

CAREER & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTER: lscs@lclark.edu (503) 768-6608

LEGAL STAFFING RESOURCES:

Boly Welch

www.bolywelch.com

(503) 242-1300

Legal Northwest

www.legalnorthwest.com

(503) 242-2514

Staffing Solutions

www.staffingsolutionsllc.com

(503) 295-9948

LEGAL SEARCH FIRMS:

Northwest Legal Search Inc.

www.nwlegalsearch.com

(503) 296-9500

Rondone Kemp

www.rondonekemp.com

(503) 778-7600

Stayer Legal Search

www.stayerlegalsearch.com

(503) 968-0901

MULTNOMAH BAR ASSOCIATION, YOUNG LAWYERS DIVISION: www.mbabar.org (503) 222-3275

OREGON ATTORNEY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM:

www.oaap.org (503) 226-1057 OREGON CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYERS ASSOCIATION:

www.ocdla.org (541) 686-8716 OREGON STATE BAR, NEW LAWYERS DIVISION: www.osbar.org (503) 620-0222, x426 OREGON STATE BAR PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY FUND:

www.osbplf.org (503) 639-6911

OREGON TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION: www.oregontriallawyers.org (503) 223-5587, x103

OREGON WOMEN LAWYERS (OWLS):

www.oregonwomenlawyers.org (503) 595-7826

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Timetable of Current Hiring Practices for Legal Employment after Graduation*

EMPLOYERS

WHEN TO APPLY

QUALIFICATIONS

HOW TO APPLY**

Private Large Firms: Clients are primarily institutional and corporate

Recruit 2Ls in fall for summer positions. Most associate positions filled from these summer clerks. Occasionally hire 3Ls in fall of 3L year; rarely, if ever hire new grads who did not clerk for them.

Strong GPA, law review or moot court, or other distinguishing honors/awards preferred. Particularly true of very large and national firms in metro areas.

Apply through CPDC collection system or, if requested, send materials directly to firm. For lateral positions, send materials to the recruiting director.

Private Small- & Mid-Size Firms: Clients are individuals, small businesses; some boutique (specialty) firms have large corporate clients

Anytime, especially spring or after bar exam. Most hire as needs arise. May not be able to predict their needs to accommodate earlier hiring. May fill from law clerks.

Legal and other experience may count more than grades. May have specific course, experience, language, etc. requirements. Bar admission may be required.

Some participate in the fall or spring recruiting programs. Some rely on job postings. Most openings filled by word of mouth. Network! Send requested materials.

Government: Federal, State, Local

Practices vary widely depending on needs and budget. Most federal agencies and state Attorney General offices hire in the fall of 3L year; state and local throughout the year or after bar exam. Many will take apps from new grads after bar exam. Research each agency.

Depends; usually like top 50%. State and local usually require bar admission. Federal and state honors program often require strong academic credentials.

Follow instructions in the Government Honors Handbook, available in CPDC. For offices not in the Handbook, check their websites for application information.

Public Interest Organizations:

Timing varies: many hire as needed or when budget allows. New grads usually hired in fall, after bar exam, or spring after February exam.

Related experience and demonstrated commitment often outweigh academic consideration. Bar admission may be required.

Some on-campus recruiting, some job fairs, some rely on job postings. Send requested materials.

Corporations: Corporate In-House Counsel, including CPA firms, banks, insurance companies, etc.

Very rarely hire new graduates, except if specific credentials, such as patent work. Some hire after bar exam for students who may have clerked during school.

Strong GPA. Some may require specialized course work & technical degrees for patent. In-house counsel positions often require 3-5 years law firm experience.

Virtually never post for entry-level positions. Usually obtain positions through networking. If they post, it is for more experienced positions; often post on corporation website.

Judicial System:

Early fall of 3L year for most federal courts; spring of 2L for most state appellate courts; a few may accept applications through 1st semester of 3L year. State trial courts hire any time from end of

3L forward.

Federal and state appellate clerkships are often more competitive and require top academic credentials and law review. State trial courts are more flexible in selection criteria; like student trial experience.

Federal & state appellate usually require a cover letter, résumé, transcript, writing sample and letters of recommendation to be sent directly to each judge; state trial courts usually like cover letter, résumé, references.

Fellowships:

During fall of third year for most; spring of second year for some.

Fellowships are often competitive but qualifications vary.

Send requested materials.

*This table represents a general overview of hiring practices. Individual employers may vary. **For unsolicited applications, generally send cover letter and résumé (and possibly reference list); otherwise send requested materials.