HOW TO GET A NON-LEGAL JOB WITH YOUR J.D.

Presentation by Sarah Elizabeth Rumpf

(UF Law Class of 2003)

UF undergrad (Political Science & German)

UF Law (clerked at Foley & Lardner, Dean Mead)

Practiced law in Orlando

Campaigns in Orlando, then around Florida

Campaigns nationally

Strategic communications manager at Texas think tank

MY STORY

And we'll never be royals,

It don't run in our blood,

That kind of luxe just ain't for us.

We crave a different kind of buzz.

Let me be your ruler,

You can call me queen bee

And baby I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule.

Let me live that fantasy.

- ‘Royals,” by Lorde

YOU’LL LIKELY BE HAPPIER THAN YOUR FRIENDS AT LAW FIRMS

THE GOOD NEWS…

YOU’RE NOT A NOLE.

MORE GOOD NEWS…

Translate legal skills and experience gained

for a highly specialized profession into

ones that are relevant for the job you want.

THE CHALLENGE:

Identify the key details of what these skills mean, to show why you are more competitive than other applicants and your J.D. is an asset.

THE SOLUTION:

• If you’re on law review or have high grades, use that to show your great work ethic and intellect.

• Trial team, moot court, etc. can show public speaking experience and analytical skills.

• Law College Council, Class Gift committee, etc. show leadership, dedication to the law school community, ability to manage long term projects.

TRANSLATING YOUR SKILLS

• Campaigns (candidates, issues, PACs and parties)

• Lobbying (local, state, federal)

• Public & media relations

• Journalism & communications

• Legislative & Congressional staff

• Non-profits & think tanks

• Research (includes opposition research)

• Fundraising & event planning (political, non-profit)

• Real estate development

IDEAS FOR JOBS

• Most professions have a traditional entry path.

• Law: go to law school, get clerkship, graduate, pass the bar, go to work at firm.

• What’s the “clerkship” type job for this profession?

• Many of these jobs are unpaid or low pay. Plan to balance with school or another job.

FIND YOUR DOOR

FIND YOUR DOOR • Campaign work: intern, field staff, volunteer coordinator • Legislative/Congressional staff: intern, scheduler • Think tank: intern, administrative staff, assistant staff

This might mean not clerking at a firm your last summer.

SMART NETWORKING • Goal = relationships & skills (not a pile of business cards) • Find like-minded people, join groups, attend conferences • Learn skills you can’t at law school (esp. tech-related!) • Promote the brand of “you” • Volunteer to help at events, get access to the VIPs • Seek mentors at different levels

MENTORS

• Seek out a small, focused list of people who are 1, 2, or 3 steps ahead of you on your path.

• Do your research before you contact someone. • Find a connection to a specific interest you share. • Don’t ask for a job, ask for advice about getting a job. • Remember to look sideways – for others who also

admire or work with your mentor. • The world changes rapidly – show respect and gratitude

for those you pass on the way. • Hardly anyone sends handwritten thank you notes

anymore (so you’ll stand out if you do!)

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

• Research where the work is happening. • Lobbying is Washington, D.C. and state capitals • Campaign work is mostly major cities unless you’re

established in an area or have a large district • Show whatever local connection you can (high school,

family members, business connections) • Establish a P.O. Box and Google Voice number in the area

where you want a job. • Be ready and willing to relocate quickly if necessary.

NON-LEGAL SKILLS TO DEVELOP

JOURNALISM-STYLE WRITING • Can’t compete with already crowded market for

journalism/communications majors, but you can set yourself apart as expert in a field.

• Study NY Times, local papers, Alligator. Note paragraph, sentence length, style.

• Get copy of “The Elements of Style” by Strunk & White and the AP Stylebook.

• Submit your own op-eds and letters to the editor (after researching the paper’s requirements).

• Practice, practice, practice.

NON-LEGAL SKILLS TO DEVELOP

PUBLIC RELATIONS / COMMUNICATIONS • How to write a press release, including formatting

and style, and how to create good quotes. • How to talk to reporters, how to earn positive

press, what “off the record,” means, etc. • Study local reporters, what issues they frequently

cover – how would you pitch a story to them? • Attend local philanthropic events. Notice who

hosts, sponsors, attends. Volunteer on committees.

NON-LEGAL SKILLS TO DEVELOP

RADIO / TELEVISION / PODCASTS / ONLINE VIDEO • Track down any free or cheap media training classes

you can find. • Find reporters who cover issues where you might

have a unique perspective or expertise. • Volunteer – again, this is about getting access. • Create your own content. • Get feedback from as many different people as

possible. • Find content you like and study what they do right. • Practice, practice, practice.

NON-LEGAL SKILLS TO DEVELOP

BLOGGING • Lots of free/cheap blogging platforms available. • Make sure you can access the parts you need to

customize and edit/delete any posts. • Be scrupulous about your ethics and accuracy. Don’t

write unless you know it’s true, and if you make a mistake, fix it.

• Find a unique angle or topic. • Link to other bloggers that cover similar topics. • Write, write, write.

NON-LEGAL SKILLS TO DEVELOP

SOCIAL MEDIA / TECHNOLOGY • Learn the key platforms and work to create a

following on several of them. • It takes time to build up a reputation and following

but companies and political candidates all recognize value of social media (it’s a common entry level job).

• Show interest in several diverse topics. • Be interactive with your followers. • If you can, learn how to design websites on basic

platforms like WordPress, Drupal, etc. • Video/sound editing skills are in demand as well.

THE BRAND OF “YOU”

• Know what your online identity is. • Identify strengths and weaknesses. • Show off full range of your skills: legal & non-legal. • Distinguish yourself from competition. • Create and actively use social media accounts to tell

your story online. • Is your name unique? Consider adding middle name

or nickname. • Reserve usernames across multiple platforms. • Keep branding, language, logos, photos, etc.

consistent, positive, and professional. • Make sure you have a strong “first page!”

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE FIRST PAGE

Links to content you control take up spots on the first page

“PARKING SPOT” STRATEGY

• What if it were on the front page of the newspaper?

• What if it were on a billboard?

• What if it were an exhibit in a courtroom during a lawsuit against me?

• What if my parents read it?

You can delete a Tweet, but

screencaps are forever!

SHOULD I POST?

Sarah Elizabeth Rumpf

Email: sarahrumpf@gmail.com

Blog: www.SunshineStateSarah.com

Twitter: @rumpfshaker

THANK YOU & GO GATORS!