BALI Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Highlights Solo Legal Innovators and Their Social Missions

By Frank Zeccola 
LCD Graduate Fellow 

If you are considering starting your own solo practice in any area of law, you should take a long look at the Bay Area Legal Incubator (BALI) program, sponsored in part by Golden Gate University School of Law. The program bills itself as a “social mission incubator,” explaining that “we help attorneys accelerate the development of solo practices that have positive impact in our communities and our neighbors’ lives.”

The 2016-2017 program launched on May 27 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its shared office space in Oakland.

The BALI program, open to all licensed Bay Area attorneys, aims to close the wealth gap that places legal services out of reach for many low-income and even middle-class people. “Very few of us can afford to pay anyone, let alone an attorney, $300 per hour for some undefined, open number of hours,” BALI’s website states. To solve this problem, BALI trains and supports attorneys in “modest means” practices that include reduced or contingency-fee based legal services.

Accordingly, BALI attorneys are required to spend a minimum of half of their time taking on either pro bono or reduced-fee legal work for people of modest means with household incomes of three times the national poverty level or less.

In exchange, BALI gives attorneys a shared community, space, and resources, as well as mentorship in law practice management and substantive law.

Free Research Tools Alert: San Francisco Law Library Offers New Attorneys a Wealth of Free Top Resources to Advance Your Career

By Frank Zeccola 
LCD Graduate Fellow 

If you are just starting your career in the law as a solo or at a small firm, or even if you’re an old pro, the San Francisco Law Library offers you a range of tools—from Lexis Advance WestLaw Next, Hein Online, FindLaw, Fast Case, California Cases, and much more—completely free of charge.

This is a great opportunity for lawyers who want to do legal research for free.

Further, the library provides reference assistance through its reference and support staff to all patrons for their legal research needs—so if you need help researching an issue, just ask at the front desk.

The library collections and in-house databases are open to all. Public access computers are available up to two hours per day for free use of Westlaw, Lexis, Fastcase, CEB OnLaw, HeinOnline and other databases at the library for legal research. Borrowing privileges are available to San Francisco attorneys, law firms, judges, and government officials. An Interlibrary Loan Retrieval Program is available to solo practices, small firms, and larger law firms.

Networking Spreadsheets and Other Tactics: Organization is Key in Job Search

By Frank Zeccola 
LCD Graduate Fellow 

As I met with my counselor this week for a career appointment, he suggested I create a networking spreadsheet to brainstorm all the contacts I could reach out to, and then include additional fields in the spreadsheet for dates of outreach, notes of topics discussed with each contact, and next steps to take in further developing these relationships. This had never occurred to me and is a level of organization I’ve never achieved in any of my previous job searches.

Now that I think back on it, my prior job searches have mostly been edge-of-the-seat expeditions where I was in reactive mode—reacting to job posts, reacting to job fairs or other networking functions, reacting to leads from friends. I feel like I have never been in the driver’s seat in my own job search—and achieving a level of organization through this networking spreadsheet is an empowering idea.

Should You Start Writing A Blog? Experts Say this Could be More Valuable than Law Review in Landing a Top Job

By Frank Zeccola 
LCD Graduate Fellow 

Social media is the hottest buzz phrase of, well, pretty much all of the 21st Century so far. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social media sites have billions of users. Some popular blogs garner as many readers as best-selling authors. In the legal industry, it’s no different—especially when it comes to finding a job.

For example, popular “LexBlog” author Kevin O’Keefe has posited that writing a “law blog [is] more valuable than law review in landing a job.”

O’Keefe explains, “The things historically thought of value by law students—which law school, law review, moot court, who you know—[are] no longer as important.” The take away: “Developing an online presence via networking [is] more important” than traditional networking avenues or job search approaches.

O’Keefe based this assessment on his conversation with Michigan State University law grad Pat Ellis, who says he landed a job with a leading Detroit law firm solely because of his blog. Ellis explained to O’Keefe that one blog post of his shared on social media brought far more attention and conversations with lawyers and law professors than a law review article would.

Having a Happy, Healthy, Holidays

By Alexander Hoyt-Heydon
Law Career Development Graduate Fellow

The holidays are a great time for networking, as many bar associations host lunches, cocktail hours, mixers, and dinners for their members. These events are excellent opportunities for anyone in the legal profession to meet and mingle with a variety of lawyers and build their networks. And with so many discounts and specials offered to law students to join these bar associations, it’s hard not to find a reason to go out and enjoy the celebrations.

Yet for all the fun over the holidays, there is always one aspect that the legal profession notoriously forgets about until the time comes for their New Year’s Resolution: personal health and well being. Wellness is an important subject of many law blogs, normally taking the form of mindfulness; and it’s no secret that every other magazine today contains at least one article about how to improve your health and longevity. With so much information out there telling you how to stay healthy, it can become overwhelming.

Legal Resource - Solo Practice University

By Alex Hoyt-Heydon
Graduate Fellow, Law Career Development

Striking out on one’s own can be an interesting experience. For many of us, we have been brought up and raised on stories of the lone wolf, the solitary hero, or even just “The One.” Movies, books, and television shows of a single person against the rest of the world are so common that they have become an inseparable part of modern living. Most of us can probably remember back to that first breath of fresh air as we stepped into our first apartment away from our parent’s house, finally on your own.

Yet even as amazing as that first breath of freedom feels, it always seems to be followed by a less then pleasurable second thought. Now what? Being on your own carries with it a lot of work and responsibility, and even the best prepared will always miss a detail or two that could lead them into trouble down the road. And in the legal world, the devil is always in those details. Luckily, for those lawyers looking to start their own solo careers, Solo Practice University has a blog full of information to help you set up and maintain that decision.

Apps to Organize Your Life

by Hampton Jackson
LCS Intern

Do you feel overwhelmed by your to-do list? If your list looks something like mine, it may seem daunting. Email professors for recommendation letters. Finalize resume and cover letter for Summer Job Fair 2015. Schedule meeting with LCD counselor. Attend an upcoming networking event. Submit applications for summer 2016 internships. Talk to mentor about clerkship in the fall. Determine final fall class schedule. Review syllabi and buy books. Register for certified student clerkship with the bar. Decide on bar associations to join. Without the help of a personal assistance, it is challenging to remember 50 things to do for school, and to remember everything else in life.

For those searching for a legal job, you have just as many things to remember. Things like: tracking jobs on LCDonline, Indeed, Monster, Idealist, and LinkedIn; scheduling informational interviews; keeping track of application deadlines; and attending networking events. So how do you make sure you send the right cover letter to the correct employer, avoid traffic and arrive 15 minutes before an interview, and remember to wish your college buddy a happy birthday?      

The answer is simple. Download one of these 4 free personal assistant mobile apps to help you organize your life.

From State Bar Section to Yosemite: How One Student Earned a Free Trip to an Environmental Law Conference

by Catherine Rucker

Cathy Rucker is a fourth-year law student at Golden Gate University School of Law. She plans to take the February 2015 Bar Exam and to earn an LLM in Environmental Law.  

The California Bar “sections” are professional groups that are linked to the California State Bar. There are 16 sections in a variety of practice areas, such as Business Law, Criminal Law, Family Law, Intellectual Property, and Labor & Employment. Each section has an annual fee, ranging from $75 to $95. However, through the enrollment form, law students can access “up to three free one-year memberships.”

After I joined the Environmental Law Section and entered the members-only website, I read about the section’s annual conference in Yosemite. I noticed that the Remy Moose Manley LLP environmental law firm in Sacramento offers several scholarships for the conference. Most of the scholarships cover the cost of the registration. However, the firm offers five full scholarships that cover registration, three nights at the Tenaya Lodge, and travel expenses.

In my scholarship application, I explained that I had served as a Student Writer for the GGU Environmental Law Journal and that I had worked at the GGU Environmental Law and Justice Clinic. Because I had participated in these environmental law activities, I was selected to receive one of the five full scholarships.

At the ELS conference, I observed that the practicing attorneys were excited to include law students. I realized that if students make the effort to join a section and to attend its events, then the attorney members are very willing to be supportive and to provide guidance. The students who avail themselves will get the benefits.

Rejection is Part of the Process – Learn and Overcome

by Andrew Artelt
LCS Intern

Rejection can make many cringe, especially law students and recent graduates. Up to this point in your life, you may have been spared from professional rejection, but it is almost guaranteed to occur at some point in your job search. However, with all the negative that rejection brings, there is a significant amount of benefit that can come as well.

In the October 2013 Edition of ABA’s Student Lawyer, Erin Binns outlines how to manage the feelings associated with rejection during a job search and improve as a candidate:

• Express Continued Interest. Be proactive! If you feel that you had a strong interview and received good feedback, keep this employer on your radar. Apply again at a future time. Employers have indicated that they are more likely to hire applicants who are persistent over time because it shows enthusiasm for the position and organization. When you reapply, you will have more legal skills and the competition will be different.
  
  
• Trust your instincts. After a strong interview in which you felt the position was yours but you did not receive an offer, reach out to the employer. Setting up an informational interview to learn about the employer’s experiences and perspectives could potentially lead you to a position in the future.
  
  
• Be patient and take action. As law students, we are used to the fast-paced environment of law school. However, the job search and hiring process can take weeks, months, or even semesters, before an employer makes a decision. To overcome this, it is critical to continually express an ongoing interest when you do not hear back and check in from time to time with the interviewing parties.
  
  
• Don’t internalize your search. If applying for multiple positions, you cannot let the feelings of frustration or disappointment that come from rejections poison your other prospects. Try not to view rejection as a personal failure. Remember, very few attorneys actually make the hiring decision; understand that while some may not appreciate a specific personality or experience, it is not a fatal flaw.
  
  
• Assess and Learn. It is extremely important that throughout the entire job search process that you take a step back, relax, and take inventory of what has happened so that you can improve. In doing this, contact LCS so that we can assist with your self-evaluation and help prepare for future interview opportunities.

Remember and recognize this simple truth: rejection is most likely a “statement of ‘not now’ rather than ‘not ever.’”

Don't be scared, LCS has you covered!

by Andrew Artelt
LCS Intern

With Halloween quickly approaching, tricks and treats abound, especially when it comes to your job search. As a future law school graduate, the job market may even be downright frightening. To add to it, your resume or cover letter may even have some unwanted cobwebs that need to be cleaned up.

Here at Law Career Services, we want to remind you of all the treats that we give out not only during the Halloween season, but on a daily basis:

• Job Postings – While working at LCS, I have been able to see the many potential job experiences located throughout the Bay Area, nation, and even internationally! It is so easy to forget to log into your LCSonline account and sift through the many job postings that are added on a daily basis. You can easily set up a Job Agent defined by geographic preference areas so that you automatically receive emails whenever a job posting in your preferred area is created. To set this up, log onto LCSonline, click “My Profile,” then click “Academic,” and finally, click “Automatic Email Notifications – Geographic Preference Areas.” Now you are set up with three geographic preference areas from anywhere in the world!
• Twitter and the LCS blog – If you’re reading this, you have found our blog. On the LCS blog, we not only post great articles written by the LCS staff, but also share networking opportunities and information regarding upcoming job fairs. Also, to make job searches even more convenient for students, LCS has created a Twitter account which has tweets about every new job that we post on LCSonline. Follow us and receive our tweets at @GGULCS.
• Handouts – Many times, we need a quick and efficient fix in our job search. For some, the issue may be a cover letter, others a resume. Either way, LCS has you covered with handouts that show many helpful tips! Come to the LCS office to see our display stand full of helpful information or access them via our electronic Resource Library in LCSonline.
• On-campus Information Sessions – LCS plans countless information sessions throughout the semester that focus on how to find jobs and different career paths. Many of these sessions are conveniently held during the lunch hour and are often recorded for those who cannot attend. These videos can be found on our YouTube page here.
• Career Counseling Sessions – The foundation of LCS is our career counseling. Our counselors were all once practicing attorneys. They have a wide variety of backgrounds that can help students find their perfect fit and assist with any job search matters that may surprise you along the way. We recommend that all students meet with an LCS counselor at least once a semester to make sure your career development plans stay on track.

Regardless of whether you say “Trick” or “Treat,” LCS has plenty to offer.

Benefits of Being GGU Alumni!

by Karla Jean Bacayan
LCS Graduate Fellow

Attention: Recent Graduates! There are still job search services offered by GGU even after you’ve graduated!

The Golden Gate University Alumni Association
As a member of GGU’s Alumni Association, you receive numerous benefits, including:

• Eligibility to join the online community, AlumniConnect, an alumni directory with over 70,000 graduates around the world, which is a perfect tool to network and connect with other GGU School of Law Alums. Also through the Alumni Directory, you will have the ability to update your profile with your own contact information and employment details.
• Invitations to networking receptions, awards ceremonies, auctions, reunions and other gatherings.
• Reduced cost CLEs and tuition savings on individual law classes.
• Free issues of alumni magazines, ggu and Golden Gate Lawyer.

If you have not joined the Alumni Association already, join today! For more GGU alumni benefits and services, please visit law.ggu.edu/alumni.

Continued Access to Lexis, Westlaw, and Bloomberg

Many students are aware that Lexis and Westlaw are great job search tools, but wrongly assume that their access to those resources is gone when they graduate. Spring 2013 grads can continue their Westlaw access through November 2013 by clicking here. If you need further assistance with Westlaw, email GGU’s Westlaw representative Mark at mark.cygnet@thomsonreuters.com. To extend Lexis access through Dec. 31, 2013, click here. If you need further assistance with Lexis, email GGU’s Lexis representative Alyce at alyce.perry@lexisnexis.com. As a reminder, by extending GGU Westlaw and Lexis, you are agreeing to use them solely for educational, law review, and job searching purposes. Bloomberg Law access automatically continues for law school graduates after graduation until the middle of December. Unlike Westlaw and Lexis, Bloomberg access may also be used for commercial purposes.

If you want more information about how to use these online legal research tools to find a job, come hear Research Librarian Jodi Collova describe how to take full advantage of them to land your next job interview and go in ready! Thursday, November 7, 5:30 to 6:30 pm in room 2321.

Continued Use of GGU’s Law Library

GGU’s Law Library is a great place to conduct research, get advice from knowledgeable librarians, and prepare job search materials. Although your GGU school ID won’t open the gate, GGU Alumni may still use the law library free of charge for two years following graduation with an Alumni Library Card. Alumni who graduated over two years ago may purchase an Alumni Library Card for $25 per year. Use of the law library includes access to databases from the public terminals, and access to the reading room and study spaces. Email alumni@ggu.edu for a card to be mailed to you, or bring a completed application form (pdf) to the law library’s circulation desk.

Continued Access to GGU Career Counseling Services

Law Career Services counselors and materials remain available to alumni after graduation. Services include:

• Career counseling in person and over the telephone
• Resume and cover letter review services
• Job search resources, including workshops
• Reciprocity with other ABA law school career services offices for job searches outside of the Bay Area
• Access to LCSonline job posting site
• Law Career Services books, videotapes, and computers

For information, visit Law Career Services or e-mail lawcareer@ggu.edu.

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

LCS subscribes to several job search resources, expanding your access to hundreds of job opportunities beyond what we post on LCSonline. Take a look at the Job Search Web Resources handout, located in the Resource Library of LCSonline (search keywords "job search"), for instructions on how to access these resources. Some of the resources include:

• BYU Job Bank: Access job bulletins from over 100 ABA-accredited law schools from around the country.
• Environmental Career Opportunities: Listings for environmental jobs requiring (or highly benefited by) a JD.
• Government Honors & Internship Handbook: Listings and application deadlines for law student and entry-level attorney positions with government agencies nationwide.
• Lexis Advance: Recent graduates can have extended access to Lexis Advance after graduation. This new ID will be active until December 31, 2013 for educational, bar review and job search purposes only.
• PSJD: An online clearinghouse for law students and lawyers to connect with public interest job listings and career-building resources.
• Public Policy Handbook: Lists of opportunities with agencies and organizations involved in the development and execution of public policy.
• Vermont Guide to State Judicial Clerkships: Learn the judicial clerkship hiring procedures for state courts across the US.

- Susanne Aronowitz

Recent Addition to the Resource Library

The following resource is now available in Law Career Services:

Careers in Animal Law by Yolanda Eisentein

One of the fastest growing legal disciplines, animal law is concerned with protecting and improving the lives of animals through city ordinances, state and federal laws, international treaties, and cases that impact animals. Over 100 law schools in the U.S. now offer animal law courses, and more lawyers than ever before are looking to start animal law firms or incorporate animal cases into their practices. The first book of its kind, Careers in Animal Law will help you:

• Gain an overview of the field from a practicing animal lawyer and professor of animal law
• Forge a successful animal law career with firms of all types and sizes, government agencies, major corporations, or nonprofit organizations
• Strike out on your own as a solo practitioner of animal law
• Learn career tips from a series of animal-lawyer profiles
• Understand evolving trends in legislation, litigation, and academia that will change the face of animal law in the decades to come

Law students interested in animal law, seasoned attorneys seeking a new direction, or any lawyer interested in building a satisfying career will benefit from reading Careers in Animal Law.

Present Yourself Like A Lawyer

by Bailey Bifoss
LCS Graduate Fellow

Up until now, many of us have presented ourselves as eager law students, ready and willing to provide support to employers in exchange for lessons in the tools of the trade (and often little else, save maybe a meager stipend). However, as graduation fades into the past, we must present ourselves in a way that makes us stand out in a post-graduate job search. Present Yourself Like a Lawyer, Not a Student, by Erin Binns, outlines strategies to define yourself as a ready-to-practice lawyer on your resume, in your cover letters and during interviews. The following are some of her tips:

Resumes

• Once you are admitted to practice, make certain to include a statement of your bar admission on your resume. Prior to being admitted, you can note the state and date for which you sat for the exam and the fact that results are pending.


• Affiliate with professional organizations and add them to your resume.


• Clean house on experiences and accomplishments that pre-date law school. An emphasis on undergrad and nonprofessional experiences highlights your lack of legal experience.

Cover Letters

• Ditch language that singularly touts your writing and research skills. Although these serve as a valuable foundation, employers want to hire someone with diverse, practical skills.


• Highlight your capacity to do rather than to support.


• Draft cover letters with a focus on your experience and skills rather than the fact that you obtained these skills as a student.

Interviews

• Be ready to discuss your business skills and savvy if applying for law firm positions. The business of law is often ignored in law school, but is critical to success as a for-profit lawyer. Even those of us without a background in business can highlight our “people skills” as an advantage.


• Articulate an interest in a long-term relationship with the employer.

How Do I Compete Against People with Experience?

• Employers often consider a range of experience levels when hiring. Unless you know the employer wants someone with zero years of experience, you’re not helping yourself by reminding the employer you haven’t practiced yet.


• Employers look beyond your immediate capacity to do the work when hiring you as a permanent employee. Employers consider the following characteristics as important traits of new lawyers: strong moral character; intellect; good judgment; work ethic; potential to develop clients; evidence of practical legal skills; and enthusiasm.

Ms. Binns offers effective examples of the above strategies in her article. To read the article in full, and for many other resources, please stop by Law Career Services.

Recent Addition to the Resource Library

The following resource is now available in Law Career Services:

2011-2012 Guide to Internships & Fellowships in Reproductive Rights & Justice
This one-of-a-kind tool can help guide interested law students toward summers, semesters, or careers in reproductive justice advocacy. Public interest and career service counselors, professors, mentors, and students alike can use the Guide to identify, target, and apply for pre- and post-graduate professional training opportunities. The Guide contains listings for legal internships and fellowships at 75 non-profit organizations across the country. The opportunities range from local grassroots education to state court litigation to federal policy advocacy to the analysis of international legal norms. Each entry in the Guide includes information about the organization's mission, contact and application information, and details about internship projects and requirements. Please be aware that LSRJ cannot guarantee that the responses we received from organizations during the summer of 2011 will still be up-to-date when students apply. If you find inaccuracies or internship opportunities we have not identified, please let us know and we will be sure to update our entries accordingly.

Recent Additions to the Resource Library

The following books are now available for checkout in Law Career Services:

Lawyers, Lead On: Lawyers with Disabilities Share Their Insights
This inspiring book contains letters of encouragement and advice from lawyers with disabilities to law students and new lawyers with disabilities. The writers share their perspectives on work and disability, based on their own experiences of success and setbacks.

Inside a U.S. Embassy: Diplomacy at Work, The Essential Guide to the Foreign Service, 3rd Edition
Inside a U.S. Embassy is widely recognized as the essential guide to the Foreign Service. This all-new third edition takes readers to more than fifty U.S. missions around the world, introducing Foreign Service professionals and providing detailed descriptions of their jobs and firsthand accounts of diplomacy in action.

In addition to profiles of diplomats and specialists around the world—from the ambassador to the consular officer, the public diplomacy officer to the security specialist—is a selection from more than twenty countries of day-in-the-life accounts, each describing an actual day on the job. Personal reports from the field give a sense of the extraordinary challenges—the coups, the natural disasters, the civil wars—and rewards of representing America to the world.

Inside a U.S. Embassy includes new chapters on the highly competitive Foreign Service entrance process, Foreign Service life outside the embassy, and briefings on topics such as handling high-level visits and service in war zones.

Getting a Job: A Study of Contacts and Careers by Mark Granovetter
This classic study of how 282 men in the United States found their jobs not only proves "it's not what you know but who you know," but also demonstrates how social activity influences labor markets. Examining the link between job contacts and social structure, Granovetter recognizes networking as the crucial link between economists studies of labor mobility and more focused studies of an individual's motivation to find work.

This second edition is updated with a new Afterword and includes Granovetter's influential article "Economic Action and Social Structure: The Problems of Embeddedness."

Recent additions to the Resource Library

The following books are now available to GGU Law alumni for checkout in Law Career Services:

Excellence in the Workplace: Legal and Life Skills
This book deals with fundamental lawyering skills (such as analysis, research, writing, oral communication, and time management) as well as with characteristics of emotional intelligence, effective interpersonal relationships, models of professionalism, conflict and stress management, and generational differences. It also offers practical advice for building a successful career (such as creating a career plan, assessing a job offer, negotiating salaries, money management, and work-life balance). Successful lawyers tell us this is the book they wish they'd read when working at summer jobs during law school, or in their first jobs after graduation.

Typography for Lawyers
by Matthew Butterick
Based on the popular website, Typography for Lawyers is the first guide to the essentials of typography aimed specifically at lawyers. Author Butterick, a Harvard-trained typographer and practicing attorney, dispels the myth that legal documents are incompatible with excellent typography. Butterick explains how to get professional results quickly and easily with the tools you already have. Topics include special keyboard characters, line length, point size, font choice, headings, and hyphenation. The book also includes tutorials on specific types of documents like resumes, research memos, and motions.

Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier
Many lawyers view social media as a passing fad, but lawyers who dismiss social media do so at their peril. This cutting-edge guide shows lawyers how to use a practical, goal-centric approach to social media. By enabling lawyers to identify the social media platforms and tools that fit their practice, lawyers can implement them easily, efficiently, and ethically. Written by lawyers, this book is designed with both novice and advanced users in mind.

Funding Your Summer or Fall Internship

by Leeor Neta
Assistant Director of Public Interest Programs

Now that most of you have secured positions for the summer (and some of you even have positions for the fall), I want to take this opportunity to talk to you about funding your internship.

There are four places for you to look:

1. Apply for a PILF grant: To provide students with support so that they may pursue work in public interest agencies, The Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF) sponsors an annual fundraising auction. The proceeds from the sale of tickets, auctioned items and the raffle are used to provide grants to Golden Gate law students doing public interest work during the summer and fall (for HLP students). The grants vary in accordance with student income and employer resources, but generally provide support for living expenses and/or transportation. The 2011 grants are expected to average approximately $2,000. Last year, PILF awarded 12 grants for a total of approximately $22,000. Please go to www.pilfhome.blogspot.com for more details on the auction.

2. Equal Justice Works Summer Corps: Summer Corps is an AmeriCorps-funded program that in 2011 will provide 700 law students with the opportunity to earn a $1,132 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award for dedicating their summer to a qualifying legal project at a nonprofit public interest organization. The amount of the education award has increased from $1,000 to $1,132 in 2011. More Summer Corps funding opportunities mean more opportunities for law students to get involved in the public interest field. The 2011 Summer Corps program will be the largest class to date. Also, note that the Summer Corps Standout Program was started in 2009 to recognize members for their innovative approach to meeting the needs of an underserved or marginalized person or community. Winners received an article promoting their service on the Equal Justice Works public interest blog and more! If you have any questions about Summer Corps, please contact summercorps@equaljusticeworks.org.

3. Explore PSLawNet: PSLawNet is the nation’s largest online resource for public service legal careers. Go to www.pslawnet.org and register. Then click on “Career Central” and “Financing a Summer Job” (http://pslawnet.org/summerfundingresources). There are many funding sources listed there. Don’t miss your chance to apply for these scholarships!

4. Workstudy and loans: Please be sure to apply for workstudy. Also, to the extent grants, scholarships and workstudy do not afford you enough funding for the summer, you should also consider applying for a living allowance loan. Gaby De la Vega, our director of financial aid, can discuss these options with you in detail.

For those of you who still need to find summer employment, make sure to apply for Spring Recruitment. The deadline is TOMORROW! Many employers—including prominent public defender offices—have received few resumes. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!

Recent Additions to the Resource Library

The following books and directories are now available to GGU Law alumni for checkout in Law Career Services:

Building Career Connections: Networking Tools for Law Students and New Lawyers
by Donna Gerson
From a working definition of networking to step-by-step instructions on how to cultivate and maintain relationships, this book helps law students and new lawyers tap the power of networking and informational interviewing to enhance their professional opportunities and leverage the value of their law degrees. This is a great book for those entering the workforce, re-entering the workforce or trying to switch careers or jobs. It gives great advice and how-tos on important strategies such as networking and informational interviewing. The book even gives advice on how to make it through a daunting networking function where you show up without knowing anyone. This is a good book for those who don't already have these talents well-developed and are faced with the daunting task of having to employ them in their job search

The 6Ps of the BIG 3 for Job-Seeking JDs: 60+ Ways to Get Hired Using Social Networking
by Amanda C. Ellis
A job search campaign, like a political campaign, is comprised of various pieces. One piece that can no longer be ignored in either campaign is social networking. Social networking alone cannot win elections or jobs, but it can contribute significantly when performed correctly. To get hired using the three most popular social networking sites Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter (collectively, the Big 3 ), job-seeking lawyers and law students should incorporate the following six elements (the 6Ps ) into their job search campaign: Professionalism, Profile, Privacy, Performance, Practice, Protocol. The book teaches law students and lawyers how to incorporate the 6Ps; outlines over 60 ways to use the Big 3 sites to get hired; and provides over 200 examples of lawyers and law students using the Big 3 sites, including profiles of legal professionals who successfully used social networking to get hired.

Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time
by Keith Ferrazzi
The youngest partner in Deloitte Consulting's history and founder of the consulting company Ferrazzi Greenlight, the author quickly aims in this useful volume to distinguish his networking techniques from generic handshakes and business cards tossed like confetti. At conferences, Ferrazzi practices what he calls the "deep bump" - a "fast and meaningful" slice of intimacy that reveals his uniqueness to interlocutors and quickly forges the kind of emotional connection through which trust, and lots of business, can soon follow. That bump distinguishes this book from so many others that stress networking. Ferrazzi may overstate his case somewhat when he says, "People who instinctively establish a strong network of relationships have always created great businesses," but his clear and well-articulated steps for getting access, getting close and staying close make for a substantial leg up. Each of 31 short chapters highlights a specific technique or concept, from "Warming the Cold Call" and "Managing the Gatekeeper" to following up, making small talk, "pinging" (or sending "quick, casual" greetings) and defining oneself to the point where one's missives become "the e-mail you always read because of who it's from."

Beyond the Big Firm: Profiles of Lawyers Who Want Something More
by Alan B. Morrison and Diane T. Chin
This succinct paperback will fill a major information void for students and recent graduates who are interested in a legal career outside the typical large, corporate law firm. "Beyond the Big Firm" offers more than 30 engaging profiles of lawyers who have chosen to follow nontraditional legal careers, in a wide range of subject areas, practice settings, and types of work. This distinctive book explores the many possibilities open to graduates of law school through the use of profiles -- written primarily by students interested in public interest law -- of lawyers who made "alternative" career choices. The editors of this informative compilation are long-time public interest lawyers; the actual authors of the profiles are primarily students who capture the personalities of their subjects in a way that is sure to resonate with the audience because they share the same questions about career choices. The subjects of the profiles have been out of law school 10-15 years, they represent 18 law schools, and they work in 15 states. The lawyers profiled have jobs in governments, non-profits, and small private firms; both civil and criminal law are covered, including prosecutors and defense counsel. Some of the fields that the lawyers work in are civil rights, civil liberties, immigration, personal injury, and human rights. In addition to the fascinating lawyer-profiles, special features include: a special resources chapter to help students determine and follow their career choice; a final chapter with mini-profiles of 3 lawyers who are not practicing law, but for whom their legal training is vital to their work; and short essays by current and former Stanford Law School deans.

BNA's Directory of State and Federal Courts, Judges, and Clerks 2011 Edition
This directory is an invaluable reference providing current and complete contact information on the nation's judges and clerks, as well as comprehensive details on the structure of federal, state, and territorial courts. The Directory covers the Supreme Court of the United States, U.S. Courts of Appeals, U.S. District Courts, all state courts of general jurisdiction, U.S. Bankruptcy Appellate Panels, U.S. Bankruptcy Courts, the U.S. Tax Court, the Federal Judicial Center, and the U.S. Sentencing Commission.

Law Students for Reproductive Justice Guide to Internships & Fellowships in Reproductive Justice
This one-of-a-kind tool can guide you toward summers, semesters, or careers in reproductive justice advocacy. Career counselors and students alike can use it to identify, target, and apply for pre- and post-graduate professional training opportunities. The guide contains listings for legal internships and fellowships at over 70 non-profit organizations across the country. Each entry includes information about the organization's mission, contact and application information, and details about internship projects and requirements. Their approaches range from local grassroots education and state court litigation to federal policy advocacy and analysis of international legal norms.

Summer Makeover

With the fall semester rapidly approaching, it is time to freshen up your job application materials. To assist you, LCS has improved and updated the resume and cover letter handouts (two of many handouts available in LCS and on LCSonline). As always, don't hesitate to reach out to our advisors for individual assistance getting your resume and cover letter wardrobe in order! - Marcie Areias