Thursday, March 27, 2008

Go West!

The 4th Annual Heartland Diversity Legal Job Fair (HDLJF) will be held August 22-23, 2008, in Kansas City, Missouri. Students who are interested in becoming part of Kansas City’s dynamic legal community should strongly consider attending this event. Students who will be returning to school in August and those graduating in May are eligible to attend the job fair, as employers will be interviewing for both summer and post-graduate positions. The job fair is free for students.

The HDLJF is the result of Kansas City's leading law firms, legal associations, and corporate legal departments coming together to encourage law students to practice law in Kansas City. The HDLJF is designed to expose law students of diverse backgrounds to both traditional and non-traditional legal employers. In addition, the event is a great way to learn more about living in this wonderful city.

The HDLJF will be held at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center. It will kick off with an evening Welcome Reception on Friday, August 22nd. The Saturday schedule includes a continental breakfast, interviewing from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and a luncheon at which participants will be greeted and addressed by Charlie Harris, current President of The Missouri Bar.

Please register as soon as possible. Students who register before June 6 will be entered into a drawing for exciting prizes. The final deadline for registering is July 1, 2008.

Students can register on-line here and find more information about the Job Fair. You may also contact Jen Kiper at 816-474-4322.

Mac v. PC in Legal Practice

In the March issue of the ABA Journal we find an article concerning the battle between Mac and PC computer formats in legal practice. Law students should be aware of what lawyers are concerned about with both formats and the kinds of computer programs many lawyers use in their practice. (Hint: If you are able to become familiar with these programs as part of an internship, clinical opportunity, or on your own, list them in a computer skills section at the bottom of your resume to alert potential employers that you are ahead of the game).

The article begins:

"The decades-long Mac versus PC battle recalls those video games in which the Big Boss Bad Guy just can’t seem to squash our nim­ble little hero.

Clever marketing and product development vie against massive market share. And with each round, the question grows: Is there a reason to switch to Apple, and is now the time?

This year the ABA Journal is letting some real advocates argue the case. Ben Stevens and Rick Georges are not only lawyers using opposing systems; they are proponents who advise on the use of technology in the law office.

They have strong opinions, and they’re not afraid to state them. No games, no rules and no punches pulled."

To read more, go here.

Monday, March 17, 2008

"Why Every Law Student Should Blog"

Brett McKay is the editor of The Frugal Law Student (The Frugal Law Student is one of several law student blogs that are highlighted in the right-hand column of this blog). He's a second year law student at the University of Tulsa College of Law and has been blogging for two years. The Frugal Law Student is an attempt to explain personal finance from the perspective of a twenty-something law student. However, the articles are just as relevant to non-twenty something, non-law students.

Each week you can find posts on frugality and personal finance. In addition, The Frugal Law Student posts articles on how how to succeed in law school, how law students can be more productive in their lives, and how to excel in legal careers.

Brett started blogging during his first year of law school at the Frugal Law Student. When he started it, he just thought it would be a fun way to share with his friends and family the ways he was saving money in law school.

But Brett says that his foray into blogging has actually helped advance his legal career. That’s why he thinks every law student should have a blog.

You can read more about why Brett thinks that law students should blog here.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Criminal Law Program

The New York City Bar Association presents:

Career Opportunities in Criminal Law:
A Program for Law Students and Recent Law School Graduates

Tuesday, March 25, 2008 6:30-8 pm

All Law & Order fans step this way! Come hear our distinguished panel of criminal law attorneys discuss the various settings in which one can practice criminal law, the skills one should develop in preparing for such a career, and the life of the criminal law attorney. Come learn what keeps these attorneys so dedicated to their work and how you can follow in their footsteps! A reception will follow and light refreshments will be served.

Speaker:

BARRY KAMINS
President, New York City Bar

Sponsored by:

Committee on Law Student Perspectives, Jodi Savage, Chair

Please RSVP to Jodi Savage, Chair of the Committee on Law Student Perspectives, at lspchairman@yahoo.com