Office of Professional and Career Development

Suffolk University Law School

Spotlight

Weekly PCD Student Newsletter

 

• Welcome to Spotlight, the weekly PCD student newsletter.  Spotlight will be emailed to all students on Tuesday afternoons and will also be archived on the PCD 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. 
• The National Association of Bond Lawyers ("NABL") is pleased to announce that it is once again offering up to five scholarships to law school students to attend its 2013 Fundamentals of Municipal Bond Law Seminar.  Designed for attorneys, paralegals, government officials and employees, financial consultants and other municipal finance professionals and market participants seeking a basic knowledge of municipal bond law and related municipal finance issues, it is open to both NABL members and non-members.  The seminar is being held April 17-19, 2013 at the Swissotel Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.  The 2013 seminar brochure and details will be available on the NABL website (www.nabl.org) in early February.  Each scholarship will include (a) waiver of the enrollment fee to the seminar, (b) complimentary hotel lodging, (c) reimbursement of roundtrip airfare, and (d) reimbursement of ground transportation to and from the scholarship recipient's departing airport and to and from a Chicago airport (limited to the cost of taxi service).  More information is available online. Completed applications are due no later than February 28, 2013. 
• 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 PCD Office. David was a prior JAG in the Navy serving both on active duty and reserve service.
• Interested in Judicial Clerkships? Contact Margaret Talmers, Associate Director for Judicial Clerkships and Internships in the PCD Office - 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.

• Auditor Suzanne Bump, November 15 - Distiguished Suffolk Law alum Auditor Suzanne Bump will speak in Professor Al Roberts' Law and Public Policy class on Thursday, November 15 at 8:30am in room 205. Auditor Bump, who also served as Governor Patrick's first Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development and, prior to that, represented Braintree in the Massachusetts House of Representatives for eight years, will discuss her career and the challenges of policy making as an elected and appointed government official. Please RSVP to rappaportcenter@suffolk.edu.
• Career Opportunities and Diversity at the Middlesex District Attorney's Office, November 15 - District Attorney Gerry Leone (SULS 1985), along with his staff and other Suffolk Law alums from the Middlesex D.A.'s Office, will be holding a panel and information session on Thursday, November 15 from 2:00 to 3:00pm in room 365. Topics will include career opportunities and internships available, what it is like to be a prosecutor and how rewarding a career in public service can be, followed by a question and answer session. Refreshments will be served. Co-sponsored by the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, the Black Law Students Association, the Christian Fellowship, Queer Law Alliance, the Suffolk Law Muslim Students Association, and the Rappaport Center.  Please RSVP to rappaportcenter@suffollk.edu.
• Visit from the SJC Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services, November 15 - Please join members of the Suffolk Law community and the Supreme Judicial Court's Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services for an afternoon of discussion on the state of pro bono at Suffolk Law. On Thursday, November 15 from 4:00 to 5:30pm in room 275, there will be a presentation on the law school's Pro Bono Program, a panel discussion with current students Dyana Boxley, Jamie Matthews, Pavan Nagavelli, Lindsay Potter, and remarks by Associate Dean Seidman and SJC Associate Justice Ralph Gants. From 5:30 to 6:00pm, there will be a reception (location tba). RSVP to Mia Friedman, Director of Public Interest and Pro Bono Programs at mfriedman@suffolk.edu.
• Presidential Management Fellows Applications, November 5-19 - The Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) program application period will open on Monday, Movember 5 and close on Monday, November 19. The entire application process, including sumission of all necessary documents, must be completed during this time period. Applicants will have two ways to find the application. At USAJOBS, simply search "Presidential  Management Fellows," or go to the PMF website and select the link found under Application Process/How to Apply.  The PMF program encourages interested students to join the PMF Listserv for important updates regarding PMF.  You can also visit Become a PMF regularly for the most up-to-date information. Hear a recording of the Rappaport Center's September 17 PMF information session, and view the PowerPoint here. Also, check out a great new PMF interactive resource.
• How to Become an Assistant District Attorney, November 29 - Representatives from the Esses, Middlesex, Suffolk, and Worcester County District Attorney's offices will be on campus for a panel discussion, moderated by Professor Diane Juliar, on how students can best prepare to become assistant district attorneys. Topics will include courses and activities that district attorney's offices look for in a resume, what options exist during law school for working with the D.A.'s office during the summer and/or school year, the application process and timeline for someone seeking a job as an ADA, and "helpful hints" for surviving and excelling in interviews. Mark your calendars for Thursday, November 29 from 3:00 to 4:00pm in room 365. Please RSVP to rappaportcenter@suffolk.edu.

Diversity Announcements    

• Harter Secrest & Emery, LLP will award one 1L law student with (1) a $7,500 scholarship to be applied to the student's second year tuition and (2) a paid 10-week summer associate position between the student's first and second year of law school.  First year students who are members of populations historically underrepresented in the legal profession are encouraged to apply.  Details and application information for the HSE Diversity Scholarship are available at http://www.hselawcareers.com/law-student/diversity. Applications are due no later than 5:00pm on Friday, January 18, 2013. 
• The Asian American Bar Association (AABA) Law Foundation awards scholarships to law students who have demonstrated a commitment to serving the needs of the Asian Pacific American community, and who will continue to serve the needs of the Asian Pacific American community through pro bono, public interest, and/or public service legal work. A connection to the Chicago area is preferred. This year, the AABA Law Founcation intends to award one scholarship of $5,000 and one scholarship of $2,500 to law students who have exemplified that commitment.  Application instructions are available online.  Applications and supporting materials must be submitted by March 1, 2013.

Other Programs   

• The National Association of Women Judges and the Women's Bar Association present Branching Out 2012: Opportunities to Make a Difference in the Three Branches of Government on Thursday, November 15 from 4:30 to 6:00pm at the John Adams Courthouse, One Pemberton Square, Boston. Keynote speeches will be followed by panel discussions with successful women working in the legislative, executive and judicial branches. Panelists will include state senators, state representatives, trial and appellate judges, and cabinet members.  Panelists will be available for questions during the networking reception to follow the discussion.  There is no entrance fee, but preregistration is required.  Register at branchingout12@gmail.com.
• A reception celebrating the release of Breaking Barriers: The Unfinished Story of Women Lawyers and Judges in Massachusetts will be held on Monday, November 26 from 5:30 to 7:00pm at the MCLE Conference Center, Ten Winter Place, Boston. Join MCLE | New England and the Women's Bar Association of Massachusetts, along with the book's editors - Hon. Patti B. Saris, Hon. Margot Botsfor, and Barbara F. Berenson, Esq. - and its nearly 100 contributors in celebrating the publication of this unique account of Massachusetts' women's progress in the legal profession.  Available now at www.mcle.org.
• The Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association is presenting Women in the Courtroom: Adressing the Challenges Facing Women as Litigators on Wednesday, November 28 from 8:00 to 11:00am at the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse.  The program is free for MassDLA and Defense Research Institute Members and $30 for non-members.  A continental breakfast will be served.  Register at www.massdla.org.
• 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:   
• Trials and Tribulations of Estate Administration under the MUPC - Friday, December 7th, http://www.law.suffolk.edu/academic/als/coursedetail.cfm?cid=771

Recruitment Programs 

• Bidding is now open for the Massachusetts Law School Consortium's Government and Public Interest Recruitment Program to be held at Suffolk in January.  This is a great chance to apply to government and public interest agencies for a summer or post-graduate job and is one of the most important opportunities of the year for students to find public service jobs and internships. A list of participating employers is available on the PCD website.  Students must upload application materials to the Consortium Symplciity site and bid for employers by noon on Thursday, December 6.  
• Please notify Michelle Dobbins in the PCD (mdobbins@suffolk.edu) if you receive a call back interview or offer. This feedback is appreciated.