Students learn about public interest, research positions
—By Lori Craig
With on-campus recruiting just a few weeks away, the Career Services Office has offered first-year students a look at some of the jobs available to them.
A panel of four students on Jan. 15 spoke about their experiences working for a summer in public service. One of the best aspects of working for a public interest organization was the amount of responsibility given to them, the students said.
“I had a lot of independence,” said 2L Eugene Ngai, who worked on unpaid wage cases with Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County. “A client would be handed to me and I would be allowed to handle the case from start to finish.
“Going forward, I can say I exercised a lot of independent judgment, and I think that will reflect well later on in my career.”
Students interviewing for a public interest job should remember that the person interviewing them will likely be their supervisor, said 2L Nate Madsen, who spent last summer with Legal Services of Northern California. Pay attention to the interviewer’s level of interest, he suggested.
“I thought it was really important to be working with a supervising attorney who seemed genuinely interested in me, who seemed like someone I could work with,” Madsen said. “You want to come out of your summer with a skill set or a number of skill sets you can talk about in future interviews and use in your future job, and that’s what I was able to do.”
On Jan. 16, another group of second-year students spoke to 1Ls about being research assistants for professors or one of the USC Law clinics. In addition to building tremendous research skills, the students — including an RA to Professor David Cruz and an assistant to the USC Intellectual Property and Technology Law Clinic — found the work diverse and engaging, and the work schedule flexible.
“Working with the USC Post-Conviction Justice Project was a great opportunity, and I got to have my own clients,” said 2L Erin McLendon. She already has participated in two parole hearings, which required visiting inmates in prison to talk about their cases, working closely with one of the clinic’s directors, and helping conduct the hearings. “It was a great chance to experience criminal law.”
Noelle Formosa, an RA to Professor Elizabeth Garrett, said that during job interviews last fall, employers were impressed that she had worked so closely with a respected professor and her projects.
“They were really interested to see that I had found a project I was really passionate about and could talk with them about,” Formosa said.
Students will have the opportunity to meet and interview with several public interest employers at Public Interest Career Day on Saturday, Feb. 2 at UCLA Law School. Students may also participate in On-Campus Interviewing on Feb. 11 and 12. On Jan. 22 and 23, the CSO is offering workshops on interviewing for law firms and public service organizations.
Students should contact the Career Services Office for more information.
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