By Ali Wruble, recruiting program manager
The end goal of a legal education, of course, is to find a legal job. How is the NDLS career office going to assist you?
The Career Development Office staff of full-time counselors — all former practicing attorneys — partners with students to create a professional development and career strategy tailored for each person. Here’s a brief list of some of what you will find from Career Development as an NDLS student:
Recruiting Programs
During each fall recruiting season, about 90 employers visit our campus for the on-campus interview program, one-on-one interviews with students for summer and permanent jobs. The jobs available are in more than 60 markets around the country. We also host off-campus interview programs in seven key markets that are consistently popular destinations for our students, including Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.
We facilitate student job fair participation around the country for both national and regional programs, and work with employers coast to coast. Chances are, wherever you want to end up after graduation, we have employer relationships and loyal alumni in that market to assist in your search.
On-campus Interview Program
During on-campus interviews, we streamline and consolidate the process of hundreds of one-on-one interviews, making it easier for employers and students to participate. While most law schools have a similar process, the NDLS program is different in several ways:
- We begin interviews two weeks before fall classes begin – this year, that’s August 7 – and we host employers through the end of November. Recruiting cycles differ for each type of employer, and we want to work with all of them.
- Many schools charge employers hundreds of dollars for a visit, but we do not believe in putting any barriers between students and employers. We ask private employers to consider a donation to our public interest law foundation, which provides stipends to students for unpaid summer internships.
- If a large national firm interviews for 20 U.S. offices while on campus, we count that as one employer, not 20. Other schools might inflate their numbers to impress prospective students. Instead, we publish the list of employers that visit and the locations for which they recruit.
Powerful Alumni Network
As you decide where you want to enroll in law school, think about one of the most important resources you will have at your disposal throughout your career – the alumni network for that school.
A Notre Dame Lawyer is anyone who graduated from Notre Dame (any school or program) and is a lawyer. It is an incredibly large network with fierce loyalty. For those within the Notre Dame family, it is a powerful asset.
At Notre Dame, hundreds of alumni in more than 60 markets help us offer the summer mock interview program. All rising 2Ls and many rising 3Ls engage in mock interviews to hone their skills and practice in a realistic interview setting.
Want to learn more about the Career Development Office at NDLS? Email me at awruble@nd.edu.
Ali Wruble joined Notre Dame Law School in 2012. Originally from Texas, she graduated from Dartmouth College in 1994 with a B.A. religion. After working with a leading immigration attorney in Chicago, she transitioned to consumer research and strategic planning in the advertising industry at DDB Chicago. Prior to joining the CDO, she managed a legal practice in South Bend for several years.
Originally published by at law.nd.edu on April 07, 2017.