First-Year Job Search Calendar

The University of Richmond School of Law is a member of the National Association for Law Placement (NALP), which governs law schools, law students, and legal employers. As a NALP member, the Law School adheres to the policies set forth in the “Principles and Standards for Law Placement and Recruitment Activities.”

Part V of the guidelines states that:

  1. Law schools may not begin offering placement services to 1L students until November 1.
  2. 1L students and employers may not initiate contact with one another regarding summer employment until December 1.

August/September

  • Focus on making the transition to law school.
  • Check out the books available in the Career Services Resource area. While NALP guidelines prohibit us from assisting with job search planning until November, you are welcome to attend the programs offered that interest you.
  • Learn to check your email daily!

October/November

  • Attend 1L Orientation to Career Services.
  • Review your Career Services Handbook.
  • Prepare your resume and sign up for an individual resume review appointment.
  • Log on to Symplicity and familiarize yourself with the software.
  • Attend your individual resume review appointment. Work with a staff member to develop an overall career plan both for summer employment and for law school in general.
  • Become familiar with the various career-related resources available. Research and identify legal employers that hire 1Ls in two or three geographic areas.
  • Begin thinking about what type of lawyer you want to be and the type of work settings you might enjoy. Identify your career goals and job skills.
  • Develop a job search “To Do” list.
  • Start building a job search network by identifying relatives, friends, teachers, lawyers, alumni, business associates, and other acquaintances you can contact to learn more about legal job opportunities.
  • Formulate cover letters for various types of employers and/or employment settings.
  • Finalize your resume and upload it to Symplicity.

December

  • Initiate contact with legal employers identified in November about summer employment after your 1st year. Organize and record this information so you will have a record of your contacts.
  • Set up "informational interviews" with individuals in your job search network over the semester break. If you need assistance with expanding your list of contacts, you may want to talk to the Career Services staff to get ideas.
  • Arrange a winter externship/job shadowing opportunity.
  • Continue developing your job search plan. Create daily “To Do” lists to help you stay on course.

January

  • Participate in a mock interview.
  • Research and identify employers of interest who are coming on-campus to hire 1Ls and submit a bid for these employers in Symplicity. Contact law firms and legal employers who are not interviewing on-campus.
  • Add to your job search network.
  • Continue to visit the Resource Room in Career Services and become more familiar with various resources. Don’t hesitate to ask for help if you cannot locate a resource in the Resource Room.
  • Sign up to participate in the Government and Public Interest Job Fair.

February

  • Revise resume to include Fall semester grades and class rank if you wish. Upload revised resume.
  • Contact smaller law firms, banks and corporations with small legal staffs, legal publishers, associations, government agencies, and public interest employers about summer jobs. (Note: Many of these employers hire 1Ls as volunteers.)
  • Contact new individuals in your job search network and follow-up with old ones. Become more acquainted with the Career Services staff and continue to seek their assistance in expanding your network of contacts to include alumni, faculty, and others.

March

  • Continue to contact smaller law firms, corporations with small legal staffs, government agencies and public interest organizations. Also contact judges about volunteer law clerk positions.
  • Submit application for summer fellowship grants for public interest groups.

April

  • Add to your job search network and contact these newly added individuals.
  • Continue to check Symplicity for jobs.
  • Be sure you have entered your summer address on Symplicity before you leave for the summer.

May

  • Continue to check Symplicity for jobs. Many employers contact us after the end of the school year.
  • "Knock on doors" and let employers, especially smaller firms and state government agencies, know you are available for part time and/or summer employment immediately.
  • Contact new individuals in your job search network and follow-up with old ones. Continue to record information regarding your contacts so you will be organized in your approach.
  • Begin 2L job search!

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