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Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Preparing for the 2013 Recruitment Programs

On July 3rd, the Recruitment Instructional Packet was emailed to all rising 2LD/3LE and 3LD/4LE students. The first Recruitment application deadline is July 16th. Each year our office receives many questions from students about this program. Please find our answers to the most frequently asked questions below.

Q:  What is the Recruitment Program?
A:  The Recruitment Program (RP) includes a variety of public interest, government, law firm, and judicial employers seeking 2013 summer and post-graduate associates and clerks.  RP begins in July and will continue throughout the Fall semester.  

Q:  How do I apply for the Recruitment Programs?
A:  If you are applying for an on-campus interview, resume collection, or off-campus interview, apply through the CSO’s Symplicity site.  If you are applying for the National Recruitment Program, or the Government and Public Interest Interview Program, apply through the Massachusetts Law School Consortium’s (MLSC) site.  For detailed, step-by-step instructions, please refer to the Recruitment Instructional Packet, which was emailed to your New England Law account on July 3rd, and can also be found under the “Job Search Handouts” tab on the CSO’s Symplicity site.


Q:  When I’m in Symplicity, and I click on the “OCI” tab, it says something about a summer survey and I can’t find the participating employers.  Where do I go from here?
A:  Every Fall, all 2LD/3LEs and 3LD/4LEs are required to complete summer surveys and update their profiles including the Transcript Waiver and Interview Policy Acknowledgement before they are able to view the OCI section.  When prompted to complete the summer survey, click “Add New” and fill in the required survey fields.  After you submit your survey, you should automatically be taken to the OCI section.  


Q:  My grades aren't great.  Should I even bother applying to big firms?
A:  You should be realistic when applying to large firms.  They typically are very strict about their grade requirements and most likely will not interview students who do not meet the standards which they have set. That said, occasionally there are exceptions to that general rule when a student exhibits better than average grades with special skills or highly relevant experience. However, there are plenty of other legal job opportunities that are not heavily grade driven.  Review the Job Search Timelines section in Part I of the Recruitment Instructional Packet for more information on law firm, government, public interest and judicial clerkship employers.

Frequent Resume Mistakes and Questions: Part II 
Tips for Writing the Perfect Cover Letter
Frequently Asked Questions About Writing Samples


Have more questions about preparing your application? Read our blog entries on resumes, cover letters, and writing samples:  
What are Memorandums? Frequent Resume Mistakes and Questions