Thursday, April 30, 2009

Listing Your Social Media
Presence on Your Resume

Today, a member of the Law School Career Services listserve posed a question about whether it would be appropriate for a student (or graduate) to list her LinkedIn profile address on her resume. This is a great question, as it requires us to think about how Web 2.0 technologies, such as social media sites liked LinkedIn, may be affecting how we present ourselves to others, including employers.

LinkedIn is a bit more professionally geared than Facebook or MySpace, and a LinkedIn profile may include information about your background and interests that is not on your resume which may be of interest to an employer. Including your LinkedIn profile address on your resume has several advantages. It establishes you as technologically savvy and comfortable in the Web 2.0 world, it suggests that you are aware that networking is an important function for an attorney and that you are capable of getting your name out there to, perhaps, attract new business, and it faces head on the possibility that an employer will be conducting some minimal online due diligence on you as an applicant. Of course, your LinkedIn profile should be as clean and professional as it can be so it can reflect positively on you.

The mechanics of listing a profile on a resume are a bit tricky. You need to be a member of LinkedIn (it's free) to view profiles and the web addresses of profiles are long and utilize annoyingly meaningless strings of letters, numbers, and symbols (unlike other social media sites, like twitter, for example). Accordingly, it is probably best to just indicate the web address of LinkedIn in general, and leave it to the employer to search for your name.

So, jump into the Web 2.0 pool. Embrace this new technology and use it to your benefit. List a LinkedIn profile on your resume, perhaps like this toward the bottom of the page:

OTHER

Community Service: Volunteer firefighter, Central Islip, NY (2002 - 2009)
Interests: Martial arts, astronomy, and foreign films
Social Media: LinkedIn profile at www.linkedin.com

Now, doing the same for Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and other social media sites presents a much more difficult question which we will address in a future article.

PSLawNet has an Updated
Federal Government Careers Website

PSLawNet, the fantastic website for those law students and graduates interested in public interest and government job opportunities, just rolled out its updated federal government careers page, which covers everything from where the internships and jobs are to security clearances and loan forgiveness.

Check out this great resource here.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

LGBT Writing Competition Provides
Scholarship Opportunities for Law Students

The National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) Bar Association today announced the launch of its eleventh annual Michael Greenberg Student Writing Competition, calling for scholarly submissions on legal topics that affect the LGBT community. The Bar Association is a national association of lawyers, judges and other legal professionals, law students, activists, and affiliated lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender legal organizations. The association promotes justice in and through the legal profession for the LGBT community in all its diversity.

The contest is open to all students enrolled in law school during the 2008-2009 academic year. Three major prizes will be awarded:

• First Place: The top prize includes a $3000 scholarship, publication in the Journal of Law and Sexuality at Tulane University Law School, and registration, airfare & lodging for the National LGBT Bar Association’s 2009 Annual Career Fair and Conference in Brooklyn, NY.

• First Runner Up: A $2000 scholarship, plus registration, airfare & lodging for the National LGBT Bar Association’s 2009 Annual Career Fair and Conference.

• Second Runner Up: A $1000 scholarship, plus registration, airfare & lodging for the National LGBT Bar Association’s 2009 Annual Career Fair and Conference.

“Today’s law students will be leading tomorrow’s civil rights battles” said D’Arcy Kemnitz, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar Association. “We are very pleased to be able to recognize, support and encourage the best and brightest student voices on cutting edge LGBT legal issues.”

All entries should be emailed to WritingCompetition@LGBTbar.org, and must be received by Monday, June 1. For additional details, including contest guidelines and a full listing of past winners, go here.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Health Insurance
for Graduating Law Students

The American Bar Association has announced that student health insurance is available for up to one year after graduation. However, you must act now!

According to the ABA statement:

Numerous graduating third year law students who are either currently unemployed or on deferred employment have inquired about the availability of health insurance from the ABA Law Student Division. For many of these law student graduates, their current health insurance will expire this summer and without employer health insurance, they will be uninsured for an indefinite period of time.

The ABA Law Student Division health insurance plan with UnitedHealthcare Student Resources (UHCSR) offers a health insurance coverage extension for up to one year from the student’s graduation date PROVIDED the student is currently carrying this plan AND there is no break (lapse) in coverage between the date of graduation and the first day of this one-year extension.

Graduating law students who are not currently carrying this health insurance coverage with the ABA Law Student Division UHCSR plan may still qualify for the graduate extension by purchasing the last quarter of the health plan before graduating. Enrollment in the plan prior to graduation is an ABSOLUTE requirement of the carrier. Students may view the health plan benefits here.

For more information regarding this benefit and a pro-rated premium amount that will provide coverage for 12 months from the date of graduation, students may call UHCSR at 1-800-505-5450.

Two simple steps –

1. This program is offered to ABA Law Student Division members only. If not currently enrolled in the ABA – students may join by calling 800.285.2221 or going here.

2. If not currently enrolled in UnitedHealthcare Student Resources – students should sign up now while still a student and before graduation for the last quarter (90 days) of the current plan, in order to be eligible for the graduate extension. Eligibility requires being a law student – not a graduate; being enrolled in an ABA-approved law school and being a member of the ABA. Students enrolling (or already enrolled) must request the graduation extension which will be expire one year from the student’s graduation date. Please keep in mind that there can be no break in coverage from the original plan and the extension. UHCSR will calculate a pro-rated premium for that graduation extension coverage. For a copy of the plan benefits, go here.

"Intelligent Interviewing:
Telling Your Story, Selling Yourself"

The New York City Bar Association is hosting a program entitled:

Intelligent Interviewing:
Telling Your Story, Selling Yourself


In this competitive job market, understanding how to tell a potential employer why he or she should select you is crucial. Interviewing is a skill that can be learned and must be practiced. Come learn how to prepare for interviews and practice your interviewing skills. In this program, you will be given the opportunity to learn about different interviewing styles. Details here.

Speakers:
LORI FREUDENBERGER, Former Prosecutor
MAUREEN M. REID, Principal, Maureen M. Reid LLC
STEPHEN ROSEN, PhD, Chairman, Celia Paul Associates/
Premium Career Management for Attorneys
JULIA HERR SMITH, President, Esquire Prep, LLC

Tuesday, May 12, 2009 at 6:00 p.m.

Registration:
NYC Bar Member Price : $15.00 Register
Non City Bar Member Price : $25.00 Register

Monday, April 27, 2009

NY State July Bar Exam Application
Deadline is Thursday, April 30


If you wish to sit for the July 28-29, 2009 New York State Bar Examination, you must submit your application to the New York State Board of Law Examiners by Thursday, April 30, 2009. That is this Thursday!

To submit your application online, go here.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Interested in Elder Law?
Take this CLE seminar.

The Suffolk Academy of Law, in conjunction with the Elder Law & Estate Planning Committee of the Suffolk County Women's Bar Association, is holding a continuing legal education seminar on the "who, what, when, why, and where of guardianship proceedings" that would be useful for any student or alum whom is interested in working in elder law.

The seminar is on May 5, 2009, from 6:00-9:00 p.m., at the Suffolk County Bar Association at 500 Wheeler Rad in Hauppauge. $50 for attorneys, $35 for students. There is also the possibility of getting financial assistance if the fee would be a hardship (call 631-234-5588). To register, call (631) 234-5588 (registration at the door is an additional $10).

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Legal Research Secrets
to Make You a Better Summer Law Clerk

If you missed the Touro Law Center library's excellent program (presented by Christine Morton & James Durham) on research tips to make you a better summer law clerk, you can find a video recording of the program on the Touro Law Center intranet here. Just type in your Touro ID and password, click on "recordings" and then "events," and you will find it on the list of recorded programs.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Scholarships from the
American Association for Justice

When an organization extends a deadline for scholarships, it's a good bet that it has not yet received the number of applications it was anticipating. In such circumstances, the smart thing to do is to pounce on the opportunity.

The American Association for Justice (formerly "The Association of Trial Lawyers of America" ... go figure) has extended the deadline for all of its scholarships for law students to May 31, 2009.

To learn more about this great source of free money, go here.

Employers Using Social Networking
Sites to Screen Applicants

We are very much in favor of social networking sites and social media. However, we try to keep students and alums informed of how these tools are being used by others.

The following is part of a description of a seminar geared to employers concerning the use of social networking sites to screen applicants:

Job applicants have long used the internet to research employers. But now, employers are using the internet to research job applicants as well. Employers aren't only using search engines to find information on applicants but are now examining social networking sites, such as Facebook or MySpace. For job applicants of course, social networking sites are places to interact with peers in any manner they choose. Entries on these sites are typically not meant for employers to view. Employers tell anecdotes of avoiding serious mistakes by using these tools. Conversely, some job applicants feel they have been denied opportunities unfairly by employers or recruiters snooping on social Web sites and viewing materials out of context or Web entries meant just in fun for friends.

Free Program to Boost
Your Government Employment Credentials


The Center for New York City Law is hosting the

The Fifteenth Citywide Seminar on Ethics in New York City Government

This year's topics:

• Misuse of Position
• Political Activities
• Post Employment
• Pre-Government Employment: Challenges to the Public Trust and Suggested Solutions
• Council Discretionary Grants: Pitfalls and Practice
• Playing the Law: The Use of Play in Developing an Understanding of the Law and its Principles

Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Click here to see the schedule.
Click here to register for this program.

The program is free unless you wish to earn CLE credits.

Monday, April 20, 2009

"Three-peat for Touro Law Center"

As reported in the April 2009 edition of the Nassau Lawyer, the journal of the Nassau County Bar Association:

"For the third year in a row, Touro Law School captured the top spot in the Nassau Academy of Law's Twenty-sixth Annual Moot Court Competition held on March 25 at DOMUS [the house of the Association]."

Congratulations go to second-year Touro students Scott MacLagan and Jessica Mannix, as well as to their coach, Professor Patricia Rooney.

Touro Finishes Ninth
in the World at International Vis Moot

The following is Professor Jack Graves' description of Touro Law Center's Moot Court Team's efforts at this year's Vis Moot Court Competition in Vienna:

A team of Touro students participated again this year in the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Vienna, Austria. This year, student teams representing 233 law schools from 59 countries met in Vienna for this prestigious event. The actual Moot was held in Vienna from April 3 through 9, though the Touro team's participation also included "pre-moot" events in Belgrade, Serbia, and Zagreb, Croatia, on the way to Vienna. Throughout every step of this journey, the performance of the Touro team was outstanding, and students, faculty, and practitioners from around the globe took notice.

This year, Touro was represented by four students: Sardar Asadullah, Han Sheng Beh, James Lucarello, and Benjamin Noren. This group was, without a doubt, the "deepest" I have ever coached in the Moot. As we moved through our practices here in New York, followed by the pre-moots in Eastern Europe, each developed into an outstanding individual and team performer, and I would have been happy to put any two of them on the final stage in Vienna for the world to see.

As with last year, the pre-moot in Belgrade was a particularly strong one (last year, three of the top four teams came through Belgrade, and last year's winner Carlos III, Madrid, also joined the group this year [Ed. Note: Touro came in second last year]), and by the close of the event, it was clear that the Touro team, along with those from Zagreb (Croatia) and Victoria, Wellington (New Zealand) were among the "teams to beat" in Vienna. From Belgrade, we continued on to Zagreb, where we joined the teams from the University of Zagreb and the University of Pittsburgh in final practices and preparations for Vienna.

We arrived in Vienna on April 2 and participated in one final pair of practices rounds on the 3rd with Loyola (Chicago), arbitrated by the two team coaches and chaired by one of the Moot's legendary figures, Bruno Zeller (an Australian law professor whose article on a model law to govern carbon trading is being published in the Touro Law Review). All four team members performed brilliantly, and were ready to for the start of "the real thing" the next day.

Throughout the four preliminary rounds on Saturday through Tuesday, the guys were absolutely brilliant. Each pair (Asadullah/Lucarello and Beh/Noren) argued once on each side of the case. When they had completed their final preliminary round on Tuesday, I was more convinced than I have ever been that this team had absolutely made the elimination rounds. As it turned out, that confidence made my life much easier Tuesday evening. The elimination round pairings are announced in the form of a bracket (a la "March madness" NCAA bracket style), but the seeds are not announced so the order of the team announcements is very random. By the time they passed 50 teams (out of a total of 64 teams that made the elimination rounds from among the 233 total participating) and still had not announced Touro, the guys were getting a bit nervous, but at the 61st slot (again, this has nothing to do with seeding, which I am sure was far higher) they finally heard "Touro Law Center" announced, and we headed out for a brief dinner celebration before what we hoped would be a long Wednesday in the elimination rounds.

As a unique element of the Moot, Wednesday at the Dachgeschoss (it's on the top floor of the Juridicum [or school of law] at the University of Vienna, where the Moot is held) is hard to truly understand without being there. However, it's worthy of at least an attempt to describe the extraordinary level excitement that permeates the place on Wednesday of the Moot. For 32 teams, this process actually starts on Tuesday night after the announcements (there is only space for 32 teams to argue at a time, so half of the 64 team bracket begins Tuesday night, while the other half begins on Wednesday morning at 8 AM). However, Touro's half of the round of 64 began early Wednesay morning. Thus, you have teams and coaches from 32 law schools, along with 48 arbitrators (at this stage the quality of the arbitrators begins to reach a pretty elite group) all gathering at the Dachgeschoss. At the end of each round, the chair of a given panel of arbitrators walks out into the center of this circle of students, coaches, and other arbitrators, where he or she announces the winner of the round. Temporary bedlam ensues, as one team predictably celebrates and the other mourns, and the celebrants quickly begin to get ready for the next round (there is typically about an hour between the announcement and next round). In theory, this can go 4 rounds on Wednesday (as it did last year for Matt and Lena, who argued in every round).

In the first elimination round, Sardar Asadullah and Ben Noren argued, as Claimant, against the team from McGill University (Canada). With no disrespect to the McGill team, it wasn't close. Sardar and Ben were simply awesome, putting in their best round to date and the arbitrators predictably reached the same conclusion, unanimously choosing Touro as the winner of the round. The second elimination round (the round of 32) progressed in a similar manner, with Han Sheng Beh and James Lucarello arguing, as Respondent, and solidly defeating the team from the University of Muenster (Germany). So far, all had gone just about perfectly, and each team member had enjoyed the experience of arguing in the Dachgeschoss on Wednesday and then hearing "Touro" announced as the winner of the round.

By the round of 16, only 3 U.S. law schools remained: Columbia, Tulane, and Touro. We knew that the competition was going to stiffen considerably. Touro was paired against the University of Victoria, Wellington (New Zealand)a school with an outstanding program of mooting and a very strong record in the Vis Moot (a 2nd place and a 3rd place in the past 5 years). This was the same school that Matt and Lena beat last year in the semi-finals, so they also knew they'd drawn a tough opponent for this round. The round was predictably well argued and predictably close. When it was over, I told the team I thought it was essentially a coin flip. Unfortunately, the coin landed on the other side, and the Victoria, Wellington team moved on to the round of 8 (the 4th of the Wednesday rounds). We were not at all surprised to see Victoria, Wellington find its way to the final stage the next day and win the team oral rounds. While losing is never fun, it definitely removes a bit of the sting to know you lost only to the best in the Moot.

So, when all was said and done, Touro had finished tied for 9th in the world (with 7 other teams falling in the round of 16) out of 233 law schools from 59 countries and tied from 2nd in the U.S. (with Columbia, behind only Tulane, which fell in the round of 8). James Lucarello also received an individual award, recognizing him as one of the best in the world, for his oral argument scores in the preliminary rounds.

Perhaps even more remarkable is the combination of outstanding performances by Touro students in this event over the past 2 years (2nd and 9th in the world, with half of the team members winning individual awards). In this relatively short time, Matt, Lena, Sardar, Sheng, James, and Ben have garnered the attention of the world of international commercial arbitration such that the mention of our law school in this context now evokes an expectation of outstanding professional international advocacy. Few of these people knew anything about Touro before we became involved in the Moot. Now, they all know a good deal, and it is all very positive.

I hope to see another strong group of Touro students "step up to the plate" again next year to defend this honor and further develop Touro's reputation as a school that is serious about training and developing commercial lawyers and advocates who will excel in today's ever growing international commercial law community.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Update: Touro and Two
Other American Law Schools
Left Standing at International
Vis Moot Court Competition

The Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, held in Vienna, Austria, is a competition for law students from across the globe. The Moot involves a dispute arising out of a contract of sale between two countries that are parties to the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. It is the premiere international moot court competition, and Touro Law Center Professor Jack Graves has shepherded teams from Touro for the past several years.

Last year, the team from Touro bested all American teams and all but one foreign team to reach the world finals. Touro came in second place, with Carlos II University of Madrid winning the Moot.

This year, the Moot is underway with 233 teams from 58 countries participating. Touro beat Meunster in the Round of 32, and now will go up against Wellington in the Round of 16. Columbia and Tulane Law Schools are the only other US law school left standing in the competition (51 other American law school teams have fallen, including teams from Harvard, Hofstra, University of Pennsylvania, NYU, St. John's, Georgetown, Cornell, Cardozo, Brooklyn, and Fordham).

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Opportunities with the United States
Department of Homeland Security

As you may know, most of the Career Services Office was in Washington, DC last week to attend the annual NALP Educational Conference. While the Conference fired us up with a number of new ideas, one of the more important aspects of the Conference was our ability to network with employers. One of the employers, the United States Department of Homeland Security, made it a point, and followed up with an email, to invite Touro students and alums to its website to look at employment opportunities.

You may look at the Department's primary career page here, and its General Counsel career page here.

What are law students
doing on their laptops in class?

Answering one of the most contentious questions in legal education today, New York University Law School students fess up here, using Billy Joel's We Didn't Start the Fire as their inspiration.

Monday, April 6, 2009

And Speaking of Social Media...

This looks good:

Top 100 Twitter Feeds for Law Students.

Social Media and Law Students

We think that law students who use social media (blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) thoughtfully and responsibly can help carve out a niche for themselves which may lead to future employment opportunities. We are aware, however, that some law school career services offices are troubled with students using social media websites because information about online identities could be used against students by prospective employers. For example, we know of one local government employer who, as part of its application process, demands access (username and password) to all social media websites to which an applicant belongs.

One Iowa student, Laura Bergus, is blogging about her "adventures in pushing my law school to get real about social media." Her two part post is here and here. Laura is currently conducting a survey of law students to gather information on how students already use social networking resources. She hopes to publish a "Best Practices Guide" for law schools and law students.

Finally, check out the Social Media Law Student blog. It's pretty good.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Non-Traditional Careers for Attorneys:
A Program for Law Students and
Recent Law School Graduates

Non-Traditional Careers for Attorneys: A Program for Law Students and Recent Law School Graduates
When: Tuesday, April 14, 2009, 6:30 PM - 8 PM
Where: NYC Bar Asociation, 42 West 44th Street

Have you discovered that you don't want to practice law? Are you still trying to figure out what you want to be when you grow up? Would you like to merge your love of the law with other passions? If so, come hear our panel of attorneys who have followed their dreams and are living life to the fullest.

Moderator:
Jessica Silverstein
Legal Recruitment Specialist

Speakers:
Jeff Googel
Agent, William Morris Agency

Diana Hird
Founder, Hird Associates; Playwright, A Real Live Cuban and Handout

Rafiq R. Kalam Id-Din II
Founder & Managing Partner, Teaching Firms of America Charter Schools

Hillary Mantis
Author of "Alternative Careers for Lawyers" and Career Consultant

Sponsored by:
Committee on Career Advancement and Management, Tanya Gill, Chair; Committee on Law Student Perspective, Jodi Savage, Chair

Members of the Association, their guests and all other interested persons are invited to attend. There is no fee for attending the program, but registration is necessary. Please RSVP to Jodi Savage.

Research Skills
Training Session for Students

A Cookie with the Librarians: Research Skills for Summer Jobs and Clerkships

Two librarian / lawyers, Christine Morton and James Durham, will provide cost-effective, in-depth research suggestions for your summer job. The session will highlight free web sites for New York legal research, subscription databases available to you as a Touro student, and guidelines for using Lexis and Westlaw in an employment setting. Chocolate chip cookies and beverages are provided to the attendees.

In this economy, every advantage helps. This program can give you great skills that will help you stand out from the pack.

Monday, April 6, from 2:30 - 3:20 p.m. in the FCR (Faculty Conference Room / located next to the cafeteria).

Please RSVP by email.