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 Symplicity (in the News Feed).  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.
• Advanced Legal Studies (ALS) runs programs frequently on different areas of the law.  These programs are attended by attorneys who practice in the areas 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:   
• Fundamentals of Special Education - Thursday, February 13, 27, March 13, 27 and April 3
• Understanding the Legal and Financial Issues in the Lifecycle of a Business - Friday, February 14
• Patent Ruling Leaves Lingering Questions on License Agreements - Wednesday, February 26
• Interning in New York City?  Where are you going to live?  Have an unforgettable summer living in New York City with students and interns from around the world.  Visit www.studenthousing.org/and/university or call 888-255-0296.
• Visit the Judicial Clerkship and Internship Resource Center on Symplicity for information on judicial internships and post-graduate clerkships. Scroll down the News Feed and click on the link!
• 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.

• 3L Job Search Panel - Tuesday, February 25, 2:00 to 4:00pm, Faculty Dining Room. Join us to hear from recent graduates how to conduct a successful job search campaign and learn about effective strategies for finding that permanent post-grad position. Refreshments will be served.  RSVP on Symplicity.

• Motion Session with the Hon. William G. Young - Thursday, March 26, 2:00 to 4:00pm, Walter H. McLaughlin Moot Courtroom. Sit in on a live federal district court motion session! Judge young will preside in our moot courtroom and hear cases on his regularly scheduled docket.  Observe local attorneys arguing actual cases.

• View the listing of upcoming PCD Programs on the Symplicity News Feed for additional programs. 

• Fellowship Opportunities for Students! - Students interested in doing public service internships this summer should consider applying for one of the several paid public service fellowships available through the Rappaport Center. Below is a list of the summer fellowship programs and application deadlines. Click on the links for more information:
  1. Donoghue Barrett & Singal, P.C. Health Law Fellowship - March 3 deadline
  2. Suffolk Public Interest Law Group (SPILG) Fellowships - March 3 deadline
  3. SPILG International Fellowships - March 3 deadline
  4. Consumer Law Public Service Fellowships - March 3 deadline 

  There are also many opportunities to apply for funding from an outside organization.  See our website for more information.

• New! Fair Housing Fellowship Program - Interested in a paid internship in fair housing this summer?  The Fair Housing Fellowship Program will support current Suffolk law students in good academic standing to work in public service fellowships in the fair housing field this summer.  This fellowship program will allow you to do civil rights work, make networking connections, and be paid a $7,000 stipend.  Apply by submitting  a personal statement describing you commitment to the area of housing and/or fair housing, you resume, your law school transcript (unofficial copy is fine), and a list of two references to jlangowski@suffolk.edu by February 13, 2014.  Contact Clinical Fellow Jamie Langowski with any questions. 
• Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project Info Session, February 13 - Interested in constitutional law, free speech, equal protection, due process, search and seizure? Want to infect youth with this same passion by teaching in high schools of Boston and Cambridge? An info session will be held on  Thursday, February 13, 2:00 to 3:00pm in Room 275. RSVP to rappaportcenter@suffolk.edu. Come learn the basics about the Marshall Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project - an innovative, national program combining classroom learning with teaching. Make a difference in the lives of urban high school students. Help prepare these students for national moot court competitions. Earn 6 course credits and pro bono program credit and recognition. Hear from current Marshall-Brennan Fellows about their experiences. 

• Future Public Service Lawyers: Apply for the $8,000 Fenton Awards - Are you graduating in 2014 and considering a public service career? If so, don't miss the chance to apply for the John E. ! Suffolk Law students who graduated in January 2014 or will graduate in May 2014 are eligible to apply. Students are not required to have a position secured before applying for the award. Awards will be contingent on the recipient passing the bar exam and obtaining employment with a qualifying public service employer. The Fenton Awards are the highest public service awards given by Suffolk Law - $8,000. The deadline to apply is March 17 by 10:00am on Symplicity. Fenton, Jr. Public Service Awards

Diversity Announcements    

• National LGBT Bar Association 2014 2L Summer Law Clerk Program with Liberty Mutual Insurance Group - As a Law Clerk you will provide technical support to staff litigation attorneys, perform legal research and assist in drafting and filing legal trial documents. The National LGBT Bar Association and Liberty Mutual will select one Law Clerk for Liberty's Boston litigation office and one for its San Francisco litigation office for a 10-week clerkship offering competitive pay. Details are available online.  The application deadline is this Friday, February 14.
• Goodwin Proctor invites students of color from the Class of 2016 to join them for an afternoon of programming and networking.  Attend Exploring Big Law: Understanding Differences Between Corporate and Litigation Practices on Wednesday, February 26 at 4:00pm at their offices on 53 State Street. You'll have an opportunity to hear from and meet firm leaders, engage in discussions regarding life and the variety of practices at a big firm, and learn more about Goodwin Proctor and their culture. RSVP to Tiffany Bradshaw at tbradshaw@goodwinprocter.com by February 21.  Space is limited.
• Holland & Knight invites students to attend Demystifying the Large Firm Practice: A Seminar for First-Year Law Students from Diverse Backgrounds on Thursday, February 27 from 5:30 to 7:30pm at the firm at 10 St. James Avenue, 11th Floor, Boston. A panel of Holland & Knight associates and partners will provide insight into what qualities firms are looking for in prospective summer associates, what you can do to strengthen your candidacy, and what differentiates one law firm from another. For more information or to RSVP, please contact bronagh.fay@hklaw.com.
• Summer 2014 Boston Bar Association Judicial Internship Program - Interested in an internship with a judge this summer? The Boston Bar Association's Diversity & Inclusion Section's Pipeline and Recruitment Committee helps judges get connected with potential interns in Massachusetts and other states.  This internship program will allow you to observe courtroom proceedings and enhance your legal research and writing skills. In addition, interns are invited to engage in weekly professional development seminars and meetings held at the BBA. Applications are available online and are due March 1.
• Goodwin Procter Public Interest Fellowships for Law Students of Color - For the past eight years, Goodwin has invested in a diverse legal community by offering fellowships to high-achieving law students of color.  This year, they will again offer awards of $7,500 to students of color who work in public interest positions the summer after their first year of law school. Visit their website for additional information.  The application deadline is March 14, 2014.

Other Programs   

• Take advantage of your school sponsored BBA membership and attend the Suffolk Law Student BBA Information Session on Wednesday, February 12 from 6:00 to 8:00pm at the BBA, 16 Beacon Street, Boston. Suffolk alumni, BBA leaders and staff will give you insights into the programming and leadership opportunities available at the BBA, as well as some practical tips for success. Pizza and drinks will be served. RSVP today!

• Registration is now open for the 2014 RebLaw Conference to be held on February 21-22 at Yale Law School in New Haven, CT.  The Rebellious Lawyering Conference is an annual gathering of law students, activists, and legal practitioners dedicated to legal work in the service of communities and social charge movements and to challenging hierarchies of race, wealth, gender, and expertise within legal practice and education. Details and registration information are available online.

• Legal Lean Sigma White Belt Certification Course - Project management and process improvement are playing an increasingly important role in the delivery of legal and law-related services.  Students are invited to learn more from Suffolk adjunct faculty member, Catherine MacDonagh, who is offering a one day introductory seminar on Wednesday, February 26 at DLA Piper in downtown Boston.  The seminar is free for Suffolk students and faculty.  If you are interested in attending, visit legalleansigma.com/id58.html, and indicate your Suffolk affiliation when registering.

• The American College of Bankruptcy First Circuit Fellows presents The Legacy of Mr. Ponzi - The Madoff and Stanford Cases on Friday, March 28 from 1:00 to 4:00pm at Boston College Law School.  Students are invited to attend this panel discussion featuring the Madoff Trustee, a Co-Liquidator of Stanford International Bank, and reporters from the New York Times and Associated Press who covered the Madoff and Stanford cases. For more information, please contact: Mark Berman, Nixon Peabody LLP, First Circuit Regent or Daniel Glosband, Goodwin Procter LLP, Chair of the First Circuit Education Programs Committee.

Recruitment Programs  

• Students are invited to participate in the LGBT Legal Career Fair for First-Year Law Students on Thursday, March 13 at New York Law School.  The Career Fair is a one-of-a-kind event targeted specifically to first-year LGBT law students, and provides an opportunity to meet informally with lawyers and recruiters from many of the area's major legal employers and to learn about employment opportunities in preparation for the fall 2014 recruiting season. Details and registration information are available online.

• Registration is now open for the 2014 Patent Law Interview Program to be held July 31 and August 1 in Chicago.  This is a nationwide interview program that targets patent law employers, rising 2L and 3L students, and students in Intellectual Property LL.M. programs.  Students with undergraduate or graduate degrees in engineering or a technical science should consider registering for the program. For more information on the program, please refer to the Loyola Patent Program website.  Online student registration will close on Monday, March 3. At this stage of registration, you will only need to enter some basic information (you will upload your resume and bid on interviews later in the semester).   

• Public Service Summer 2014 Opportunities - We are excited to announce the expansion of our summer internship programs to include new opportunities in public service for current first, second and third year evening students. There are a number of public service employers that are seeking applications for next summer. There will be one more application deadline for these employers - Wednesday, March 12. Lists of employers seeking 1LD/2LE applicants and 2LD/3LE applicants are available on the PCD website. NEW EMPLOYERS HAVE BEEN ADDED!  All students should apply through the 'FYSIP Public Service - Collection 3' session on Suffolk's Symplicity site. Please contact a PCD or Rappaport Center counselor if you have any questions and be sure to apply to as many employers as possible based on your interests to ensure your chance to gain marketable legal experience next summer!

• In an effort to identify additional paid summer job opportunities for 2LD/3LE students, PCD is pleased to announce the newly-launched 2014 Summer Law Clerk Program. We have attracted a number of small- and medium-sized law firms and in-house legal departments interested in considering you for opportunities to gain interesting and challenging legal work experience.  A list of employers accepting applications from 2LD/3LE students in the second collection, due by 10:00am on Wednesday, March 12, will be available on the PCD website in two weeks. Additional employers will be posted later in the semester for the third collection group. 

• Please notify Michelle Dobbins in the PCD (mdobbins@suffolk.edu) if you receive a call back interview or offer. This feedback is appreciated.