Monday, August 31, 2009

Equal Justice Works Job Fair: Student Registration from August 31 - September 11

The Equal Justice Works Public Service Career Fair will be held on October 24 and 25, 2009, in Washington, D.C. The Fair (and associated conference) provides a remarkable opportunity for students (first-year students may not interview) and alums to interview and network with scores of public service legal employers.

Student Sign Ups Open Monday, August 31!

Students interested in attending the 2009 Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair may sign up for a Symplicity account and submit their cover letter and resume beginning Monday, August 31.

Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the registration instructions and tips.

Signing up for a Symplicity account is free. Most student registrations to attend the Conference and Career Fair will be free. To sign up:

1. Create a Symplicity account here. This registration is separate from your JACOB account at Touro.
2. Confirm your email address by clicking on the link that is emailed to you.
3. Update your profile information under "Profile."
4. Upload a cover letter, résumé and transcript, if applicable. Please note that you may not upload writing samples into the system. Bring these to the interview with you.
5. Register to attend the Career Fair under "Events." You must register in order to be admitted into the Conference and Career Fair. A Symplicity account does not constitute as registering.
6. Submit applications to employers through Symplicity.
For more information and for tips on how to have a successful Conference and Career Fair, visit Equal Justice Works' website here.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

100 Great Interview Questions

Monster’s SalesHQ.com site, a community for sales professionals, has published a list of 100 interview questions which candidates should be prepared to answer. While not all of these questions would be appropriate in a legal interview, knowing how you would answer them will help you answer other questions you might be asked and also keep you more comfortable and confident during an interview.

Go here for all 100 questions, but a few of the more interesting/challenging/are you kidding me? questions are reproduced below.

Tell me about yourself. (I know, not really a question, but still.)

Why do you want this job?

What are you most proud of?

How would you describe your work style?

What can you do for us that other candidates can’t?

How do you want to improve yourself in the next year?

Can you describe a time when your work was criticized?

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned in school?

Sell me this pencil.

If I were your supervisor and asked you to do something that you disagreed with, what would you do?

What kind of goals would you have in mind if you got this job?

List five words that describe your character.

If you had to choose one, would you consider yourself a big-picture person or a detail-oriented person, and why?

Back to School—Another Degree May be the Key to Your Career?

The New York City Bar Association Presents:

Back to School—Another Degree May be the Key to Your Career
Tuesday, September 22, 2009 6:00 PM

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

"Many attorneys either have another degree they aren’t using in their current practice or have thought about going back to school for an additional degree. While there are good reasons to pursue another degree and such additional education can be the source of career inspiration, it is not the right path for everyone in every case. Come hear panelists who have earned degrees in other disciplines share their experiences and views on when it makes sense to go back to school and which types of programs (full-time, part-time, online, certificate programs, etc.) may be right for you and your circumstances. The panel will also address the impact that additional non-legal education can have on your career, including targeting a job search, enhancing your effectiveness as an attorney, or changing careers entirely."

Moderator:
ELENA KASPI, President, Lawscope Coaching

Speakers:
STEPHANIE L. JONES, Vice President and General Counsel, WEA Enterprises, Inc.

FRANK LORD, IV, Herrick, Feinstein LLP

STEVEN J. RIZZI, Foley & Lardner LLP

New Grads: A perfect opportunity to expand your network of contacts

The New York City Bar Association is commencing its program series for law school grads and new lawyers with its annual Young Lawyers Connect Kickoff Reception. Here's the Bar Association's description:

"Please join us to celebrate the launch of the second annual First Thursdays Series – the monthly social events where young attorneys can build their personal and professional networks. Meet fellow attorneys, CPAs, and other young professionals while enjoying beverages from Heartland Brewery, Glenrothes, and Root:1 wines, hors d'oeuvres, and the chance to win great door prizes."

Thursday, September 10, 2009 6:30-8:30 PM

$15 for City Bar Members
$30 for Non-Members

Click here to register online for this event.

For more information about the Bar Association's Young Lawyer's Connect series of programs, go here.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Five Impediments (to Overcome) When Working a Room

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NYS Loan Forgiveness Program Now Extends to Public Interest Lawyers

Previously, this program only applied to attorneys working in a District Attorney's office.

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For more information about the program, go here.

To apply for the program, go here.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Touro Professor Jonathan Ezor's Webinar: "Twitter from a Law Prof's Persepctive"

Touro Law Center Professor Jonathan Ezor's Webinar, "Twitter from a Law Professor's Perspective," is now available free online here.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Fordham Law School Bans Reed Smith from OCI for Five Years

Fordham Law School has banned the megafirm Reed Smith from interviewing on campus for five years for withdrawing from its commitment to interviewing students after students had submitted applications and the interview schedule had been prepared.

More from the National Law Journal:

"... Fordham University School of Law Dean William Michael Treanor found the timing of Reed Smith's decision to pull out of on-campus interviewing at the school to be unprofessional. And, in response, he banned the firm from interviewing on the campus for five years. The Legal Intellingencer obtained a copy of the memo, sent to students Wednesday, from the law school.

According to the memo, Reed Smith informed Fordham that it would be pulling out of recruiting after the school had already issued its interview schedule to students. That meant some students used up a valuable interview slot. Treanor said Reed Smith still planned to have a 2010 summer program but was withdrawing from interviewing at a few schools.

* * *

Treanor began his memo by talking about how ethics and professionalism are at the heart of the legal profession. He concluded the memo by writing that the school expects its students to act with the utmost professionalism and it expects employers to do the same.

Michael B. Pollack, global head of strategy at Reed Smith, said this certainly isn't a situation the firm was looking for and he suspects the ban isn't a good situation for the firm or the students. He said he hopes Treanor would reconsider."

For the full article, go here.

NYS Bar Partners with Courts to Create Pro Bono Clerkship Program

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Monday, August 17, 2009

The Nassau County Bar Association WE CARE Diversity Law School Scholarship

The Nassau County Bar Association is providing the WE CARE Diversity Law School Scholarship to a deserving Touro Law student scheduled to graduate in May 2010.

Please submit a resume and one page essay explaining how you plan to promote diversity as you come into the profession in Nassau County. The essay is due on August 28, 2009. Please send the essay as a Word document to Touro's Director of Student Services and Scholarship Aid Marie Koch at mkoch@tourolaw.edu or deliver a hard copy to the Office of Student Services, room 302.

*Prior recipients are not eligible for this scholarship.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Student Debt Relief Webinars

Connecticut Changes Bar Exam (NYers no longer can take it at the same time)

The Connecticut Bar Examining Committee recently voted to change the essay portion of its Bar Examination.

Beginning in February 2010, up to half of the essay portion of the exam will be drawn from the Multistate Essay Examination as produced by the National Conference of Bar Examiners. As a result, the CT Bar Examination will no longer be administered on Wednesday and Thursday, but will instead be administered on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Thus, it will no longer be possible to sit for certain bar exams concurrently with CT, such as NY; however, individuals will now be able to sit concurrently in other jurisdictions where this was previously impossible, such as MA. More information can be found here.