Office of Professional and Career Development

Suffolk University Law School

Spotlight

Weekly OPCD Student Newsletter

 

• Welcome to Spotlight, the weekly OPCD student newsletter.  Spotlight will be emailed to all students on Tuesday afternoons and will also be archived on the OPCD website.  Most items will not be repeated in future issues of the newsletter, so be sure to read Spotlight every week to keep updated on all career-related news and information. 
• Participate in the Mentoring Program!  The Office of Alumni Relations, in partnership with the Suffolk Law Alumni Association Board of Directors and the OPCD, is announcing the Mentoring Program to students to enhance the learning experience and provide students guidance as they plan their career paths. A mentoring relationship has many benefits and can help you in the short- and long-term as you plan and develop your legal career.  Visit http://www.law.suffolk.edu/offices/mentor/index.cfm to sign up. This program is open to all students graduating in 2013 and 2014. Please contact Mary Karen Rogers in the OPCD or Annamaria Mueller in the Office of Alumni Relations with any questions.
• The ABA's Criminal Justice Section, Young Lawyers Committee is seeking several volunteer law students to serve as Staff Writers for their quarterly newsletter.  The newsletter will be targeted toward law students and lawyers in their first five years of practice.  For each issue, they would like to include a review of crminal opinions issued by the various federal circuits.  Interested students will need to review a selected U.S. Supreme Court case and prepare a case summary no later than October 15th. Contact Michael Dean, Co-Chair of the Young Lawyers Committee at mdddeanlaw@gmail.com for details.
• Don't forget to check out Suffolk's Guide to Student Writing for Publication and Prizes website for a list of student writing competitions.  Student writing competitions are one way to hone your legal writing skills.
• Interested in JAG? Accepted or applying to a JAG program?  Students interested in or who have applied to a Judge Advocate General program who would like to learn about the day to day responsibilities and duties of a military attorney are welcome to speak to David Merson, Associate Director, in the OPCD. David was a prior JAG in the Navy serving both on active duty and reserve service.
• Interested in Judicial Clerkships? Contact Margaret Talmers, Judicial Clerkship Advisor in the OPCD - mtalmers@suffolk.edu.  Check out the Judicial Clerkship and Internship Resource Center on Symplicity (Announcements section) for resources, cover letter, and resume samples, announcements and more.
• Interested in careers in government and public service? The Rappaport Center for Law and Public Service can provide additional assistance. Sign up to receive their Rappaport Center Weekly Public Service Email, which includes information on programs, pro bono opportunities, and public service employment internship postings.

• Beyond OCI - Tuesday, October 2nd, 2:00 to 3:00pm, room 335. Didn't receive an offer from fall recruiting? Now what? Find out at this information session.  Co-sponsored with the Rappaport Center for Law and Public Service. RSVP on Symplicity.

• 2LD/3LE Students: Sign Up for the Pro Bono Program Today - The beginning of the 2LD/3LE academic year is the perfect time to sign-up for the Pro Bono Program.  Why?  Here's why: (1) gain practical legal experience to put on your resume; (2) build a network of professional contacts; (3) become part of the Rappaport Center community; and (4) give back to the community by helping underserved clients or groups and participating in work to improve the law. There are dozens of pro bono internships still available for the Fall Semester.  Explore our website, stop by the Rappaport Center, or contact Mia Friedman for more information.  Sign-up today!
• CPCS Information Session - Thursday, September 20th, 2:30 to 3:30pm, room 335.  Several attorneys from the Committee for Public Counsel Services will come to the law school to speak to students about the many divisions of the office, their experiences representing indigent clients, how to apply to work at CPCS, and how to improve your chances of success.  RSVP on Symplicity.
• Confronting Gang Violence: Lessons from Massachusetts and Beyond - Tuesday, October 2nd, 4:00pm. Massachusetts' efforts to end gang violence have fostered a vareity of community responses and formed some unlikely partnerships. Suffolk University Professors Erika Gebo and Brenda J. Bond, editors of the new book Looking Beyond Suppression: Community Strategies to Reduce Gang Violence, will host a panel of government, community, and academic experts and give voice to stories from the front lines. The panel features Mary Beth Heffernan, Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety and Security; Sgt. Miguel Lopez, Worcester Police Department gang unit; Andrea Perry, Executive Director of YouthConnect, Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston; and Sen. Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport), chair of the Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities Committee.  The event is co-sponsored by Suffolk University's Center for Crime and Justice Policy Research, Institute for Public Service, Moakley Center for Public Management, and the Rappaport Center.  RSVP required at http://confrontinggangviolence.eventbrite.com/.

Diversity Announcements    

• Join the Diversity & Inclusion Section of the Boston Bar Association for their Open House Reception on Monday, September 24th from 5:00 to 7:00pm at the BBA, 16 Beacon Street, Boston.  The Diversity & Inclusion Session, along with their affinity bar partners, will welcome Boston area law students to the BBA to celebrate the start of the school and program year. Food and drink will be provided.  Visit the BBA event page to RSVP and for more information.
• Constangy Brooks & Smith initiated its Diversity Scholars Awards Program to recognize the achievements of law students who have demonstrated academic achievement, a commitment to diversity in their community, school or work environment, and personal achievements in overcoming challenges to reach goals. One student selected from each region will receive a $3,000 scholarship.  Second year students are invited to apply.  More information is available at http://www.constangy.com/f-4.html. Applications must be received on or before Wednesday, November 28, 2012.
• Banner & Witcoff, Ltd. is pleased to offer the Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship for law students. This scholarship is part of Banner & Witcoff's continuing commitment to fostering the development of intellectual property lawyers from diverse backgrounds.  The Scholarship is open to all students currently enrolled in an ABA accredited law school and pursuing a career in intellectual property law. The applicant must be a member of a historically under represented group (including race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disability) and must have exemplary writing and oral communication skills.  Visit http://www.bannerwitcoff.com/about/diversity/ for more information.  Applications will be accepted through January 7, 2012.

Other Programs   

• TODAY!  The Federal Circuit Bar Association (FCBA) is sponsoring a webinar panel titled "Diverse Career Paths."  The panel, directed to law students and lawyers with 1-5 years experience, will explore the development of the careers of four successful intellectual property law attorneys. The webinar will be held on Tuesday, September 18th from 3:00 to 4:30pm. Student groups interested in free internet participation should contact Greg Glofak at glofak@fedcirbar.org.
• The Women's Bar Association of Massachusetts Solo and Small Firm Committee will present Going Solo: Is it Right for You? on Wednesday, September 19th from 5:00 to 7:00pm at Suffolk in Suite 410.  Making the decision to go solo is not an easy decision for anyone. If you have thought about going solo, but don't know how or want some advice from practicing solo attorneys who have started their own law firms and lived to tell about it, then this is the event for you. Discussion topics will include: raising starting capital, developing practice areas, advertising, getting and managing clients, incorporating pro bono work into your practice, and many more.  RSVP at www.womensbar.org/calendar.  Students attend FREE!
• The New Lawyers Committee of the Womens Bar Association will present Investing in Yourself: Maximizing the Return on Your Time and Energy on Thursday, September 21st at 6:00pm at Edwards Wildman Palmer, LLP, 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston.  All students, male and female, are welcome to attend this career guidance panel and networking reception, which will follow.  Please RSVP.
• Advanced Legal Studies (ALS) runs programs frequently on different areas of the law.  These programs are attended by numerous attorneys who practice in the area of the specific presentations.  The programs are practical and give law students insight into the real world practice, as well as nuts and bolts of interesting and emerging areas of law.  These programs are free or at a minimal cost for students. These are great networking opportunities and wonderful ways to help you decide which area of the law most interests you.  Students are asked to register for programs in advance.  Some of the upcoming programs include:
• Hot Topics in E-Discovery - Friday, October 5th, http://www.law.suffolk.edu/academic/als/coursedetail.cfm?cid=765 
• Negotiating a Disposition in a Criminal Case: Avoiding Cliffs, Reaping Benefits - Thursday, October 11th, http://www.law.suffolk.edu/academic/als/coursedetail.cfm?cid=767
• Ten Critical Issues Under the New Uniform Trust Code - Friday, October 12th, http://www.law.suffolk.edu/academic/als/coursedetail.cfm?cid=770  
• The Emory Public Interest Committee (EPIC, Emory Law School's public interest student group) announces their conference entitlted "And Justice for All? Criminal Justice in the South."  The conference will be held on Saturday, October 13, 2012 at Emory University School of Law, and it will broadly track the core stages a crminal defendant goes through as s/he moves throughout the justice system: pre-trial, and post-conviction. The conference seeks to engage participants in a meaningful and balanced dialogue concerning the flaws within the Southern justice system, as well as possibilities for alternatives and reform. Information is available at http://www.law.emory.edu/academics/conferences/2012-epic-conference.html, and registration is now open.
• Students are invited to attend the ABA's Forum on the Construction Industry's fall meeting in Boston on October 18-19, 2012, "Construction Counseling, Pulling Together For a Winning Strategy." This is one of three national programs put on by the Forum per year and will attract 300 to 400 construction attorneys from around the country. It is a great opportunity to learn, network and enjoy an informative program. The program brochure with full details on the program and registration information can be found at http://www.imageserve.com/boston2012/ead2.html. 

Recruitment Programs  

• We continue to receive additions and changes to the fall recruiting lists that were emailed to returning students over the summer.  A complete list of changes and additions is available on the OPCD website. 
• New This Week:
• LeClair Ryan will be interviewing 2LD/3LE students at Suffolk on September 27th for a summer associate position in their Boston office. Bidding is due by noon on 9/19 (NRP4 Session on the Consortium Symplicity site).
• Ernst & Young has posted four resume collections for their Boston office: Tax - Transfer Pricing Staff (job posting #9118), Tax - Transfer Pricing Intern (job posting #9119), National Tax TCIAS Staff (job posting #9116), and National Tax TCIAS Intern (job posting #9117). See the Suffolk Symplicity site for details.
• Upcoming bidding deadlines:
• Wednesday, September 19th at noon - GOV/PI #2 Session on the MLSC Symplicity site (four additional employers!)
• Wednesday, September 19th at noon - NRP4 Session on the MLSC Symplicity site
• Wednesday, September 19th at 10:00am - OCI5 Session on the Suffolk Symplicity site
• Please notify Michelle Dobbins in the OPCD (mdobbins@suffolk.edu) if you receive a call back interview or offer. This feedback is appreciated.