Spending the first summer of law school working in public interest or in the government sector provides the chance to explore a particular area of the law and get hands-on experience that will help with future job searches, say the students who’ve been there.
Five second-year students who worked in public interest or government last summer spoke to 1Ls this week about their experiences. Through her summer job, one student was able to attend much of the recent Aryan Brotherhood prison gang capital murder trial; others helped file complaints, and all made contacts that assisted their job search this past fall.
The Jan. 10 lunchtime panel was the second in a three-part “1L summer employment options” series offered by the Career Services Office. The first panel focused on judicial externships and law firm internships.
According to panel members, first-year students considering public interest work this summer should attend the upcoming Public Interest Career Day, hosted by UCLA on Feb. 3. The event attracts organizations from California and other states and features panel discussions, a career fair and interviews with employers. Students who sign up will be entered into a lottery for the opportunity to interview with agencies. The best way to make the first contact with employers is to make the rounds at the career fair.
“Remember to bring writing samples, and talk to (representatives) at their tables,” said 2L Drew Coffin, who found his summer job with the Disability Rights Legal Center during last year’s Public Interest Career Day. “Take notes during your conversation so you can follow up after.”
To prepare for interviews, according to CSO, students should research employers (CSO and the Office of Public Service can help), determine why they want to work for the employer, know each point on their resume, participate in a mock interview, and attend the Public Service Interviewing Skills workshop on Tuesday, Jan. 23.
Working in government, like public interest, will leave students with a number of resume additions and talking points that may be crucial in future job interviews.
“Being able to tell the story of a capital murder case and being able to talk about doing misdemeanor arraignments got me a lot of callbacks, I think,” said Lauren Leahy, who worked on a capital murder case with the Los Angeles County Public Defender. “The amount of detail I was able to put on my resume about the work I did … (employers) were really impressed with that.”
The Career Services Office on Tuesday, Jan. 16, is offering its third 1L employment options panel, featuring research assistant positions and USC Law’s clinical programs.
Visit the CSO website for more information on job-search and interviewing tips.
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