It's Not Too Late to Find a Summer Job!

“Often, things happen at the last minute.” ~Tom Luddy, Hollywood Film Producer

Exams are winding down. If you are still looking for that perfect summer job, there are still opportunities available. Here are a few hits from the web--hese places still have postings up for summer clerks! Take a look, but remember that only a small percentage of jobs are ever posted, so don't be afraid to approach firms or corporations that interest you.

Liberty Mutual, law clerks: From Boca Raton, to NYC, to Mineola to Springfield, MA to San Diego. At least today, there are 14 clerk jobs posted here (type "clerk" in the keyword field).
Progress Software, 2 IP law clerks: Bedford, MA No technical background required, posted on May 13 here (type "legal intern" in the keyword field)!
Conservation International, legal intern: Arlington, VA. From the Washington Post on May 13--information and application link here!
Enel North America, paid summer intern jobs in renewable energy, Andover, MA. From careerbuilder.com posted on May 2 here.
CACI, Law Clerk: Washington, DC posted April 29. Details here.
Arrow Electronics, legal intern: Melville, NY, posted April 17 here.
IBM, Law Intern: Bethesda MD, posted May 6 here.

For new postings in Buffalo, including the Paychex Legal Department (paid!) in Rochester, The City of Buffalo Law Department, and the US District Court Pro Se Staff Attorney's Office, log in to Symplicity!

Check in with the CSO for help with your summer plans. It's not too late!

Accentuate the Positive!

“They seem to be charmed by my Southern accent.” ~Actress Cleo Moore

A very wise Southern Belle once told me that you can get away with saying anything about anyone by tacking the phrase, “Bless your heart” on the end. For example, “You just must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, bless your heart!” could translate to “You are being such a [insert favorite expletive here].”

Now, I’m not suggesting that your interview technique should literally include frequent use of “bless your heart,” but it is an interesting illustration of the power of positive language over negative. It is a subtle thing, and one that your listener may not even notice overtly, but training yourself away from negative words can make your written and spoken communications sound brighter, more enthusiastic and more constructive.

Some examples: “I don’t know anything about tax law, “ vs. “I am looking forward to learning about tax law.” OR “I hate potatoes,” vs. “I prefer rice as a side dish” OR “This building is so ugly,” vs. “There is some real potential for renovation here!”

Some words to train yourself away from:
No, Not, any word with n’t
Negative adjectives, like bad, ugly, horrible, etc.
Negative verbs like hate, dislike, oppose, fight, etc.

Try it sometime! Whether it’s in a cover letter, interview, networking situation, negotiation, professional meeting or even an argument with a friend, you’ll see that it works like magic. And if you find it too challenging to manage, then bless your heart.

Loan Consolidation Presentation Link

“We often pay our debts not because it is only fair that we should, but to make future loans easier” ~François de la Rochefoucauld

On April 30, Joe DelBene from Graduate Leverage gave a very informative presentation on campus regarding loan consolidation options. Below is a message he sent me as a follow up, containing a short synopsis of his presentation and a handout. Also, be sure to consult our post on on Federal Loan Forgiveness!

"Here is a brief, 5-minute web-based seminar providing more details regarding consolidation decisions for the class of 2008. http://graduateleverage.acrobat.com/classof2008/
I have also included a copy of our presentation handout as well.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Joe
jdelbene@graduateleverage.com"

Professionalism 101: Some REALLY Basic Tips from the National Law Journal

“Why not whip the teacher when the pupil misbehaves?” ~Diogenes

OK, Diogenes has scared me into posting this. To most of us, this advice seems mostly self-evident, but serves as a good reminder anyway. Myself, I'd prefer more positive language (dos instead of don'ts) but the message is the same. Whether you're soon to be starting that first job, even interning or law-clerking for the summer, take a look, even if it's to confirm to yourself that you are much more well-behaved than others out there. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a national article about it...

Thanks to Laura Reilly for the link! May we both escape Diogenes' wrath. Remember, if you find something interesting, please feel free to pass it on, or add it in a comment!

The ABA Journal's e-magazine highlighted a longer article in the National Law Journal. Both give some basic professionalism tips for new lawyers. In a nutshell, from the ABA Journal article:

1. Don’t cover up mistakes. Hiding a mistake can magnify the error and prevent it from being corrected. It also may give your supervisors reason to question your
judgment.
2. Don’t abuse the staff. Hurtful words, screaming tantrums and inappropriate physical contact or intimidation are big no-no’s. Your reputation will be harmed and staffers will make your job more difficult. Bad behavior could also result in lawsuits. Learn to “play nice,” and if you blow up at someone, make sure you apologize.
3. Don’t badmouth clients and higher-ups. Your words may get back to those you criticize. Others who hear your tirades may wonder if you are making similar comments about them.
4. Don’t write angry words in an e-mail, and don’t respond to a “flaming” e-mail in kind. Assume your e-mail will be forwarded to others.
5. Don’t drink to excess. Social occasions with colleagues or clients should still be treated as business meetings.

Whew! I need to insert some positive language here. So, here are some great resources affiliated with these articles.

The National Law Journal has a great career page, and the ABA Journal has a career topic page. The ABA Journal main news page also has a weekly or daily subscription option, and an RSS feed, and even a "blawg" (law blog) directory, if you really want to keep up with the legal news!

Job Postings on myspace!!

"Out on the road today, I saw a dead-head sticker on a Cadillac. A little voice inside my head said, dont look back. You can never look back." ~Don Henley

Cheesecake, beer and diamonds. Who could ask for more! The myspace job$ section is funneling legal intern postings for Cheesecake Factory, Coors Brewing Company, Tiffany's and many others like Hewlett-Packard, Citi, and Allstate, for those of you who are turned on by printers, banking and insurance. Check out this link to a "Legal Intern" search.

I guess Corporate America is catching onto using "social networking" sites as marketing and recruiting tools! Fun's over, kids.

Dr. Strangelaw or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Law School

“Pride is a personal commitment. It is an attitude that separates excellence from mediocrity.” ~Unknown

This spring, amid all the rankings-rancor, a Facebook group popped up called Proud to be a UB Law Student! Today it has 146 members. In the midst of a situation that many used as an excuse to gripe in public forum (they bit off their noses to spite their faces, you know), these 146 stood up and spoke for all that is great and wonderful about our school. Bravo to them!

I don't understand those people who decided to use the WSJ blog to air all their pent up law school frustration! If you find good things to say to the world about UB Law, you make yourself look better, too. I’m not trying to be Big Brother, saying that people can’t voice opinions and give criticism. Our Ideas Day was a fantastic outlet for all kinds of feedback, positive, negative and innovative. Everyone complains about stuff in school, especially in a discipline that trains you to think critically. I wish everyone would also just think critically about their audience, and the impression they’re giving...that they would find sensible outlets for all their comments. Don’t you think that being at a school with really amazing Vault-survey student comments is going to be better than being at a school with snarky ones?

Since this is a career blog, let me tie this all in with interviewing and networking. In the real world, it boils down to this. Browse the Law School website—look at all the great stuff that goes on here. Make that part of your interview and networking material. Want an example of how to do that? Our own Vice Dean Alan Carrel recently addressed a reunion luncheon. I’m not a fan of rankings, but Dean Carrel would rank #1 if we measured pride among UB Law Alumni. Here is a link to his speech. I hope you will take the time to read it, not only for its content, but also because it is an ideal example of how a proud alumnus talks about UB Law.

So here’s my takeaway. Join the UB Believers. Be proud. Be proud as heck. Not just of your law school, but of your college, your high school, or any other group that you may represent. They had a part in getting you to where you are today. But remember that the relationship is symbiotic. A school only looks as good as the person representing it at that moment. The reputation of any school lives and dies by the actions and character of its students and graduates. You are our ambassador forever. You have the power to move the school forward, or hold it back, just by how you perform, behave, speak. If you excel in your summer job, your employer will come back to hire students again. If you burn bridges, you have potentially burned them for years of students to follow you. You, yes YOU. One person can make a difference.

NYS Judicial Institute Summer Internship!

"There is hardly a political question in the United States which does not sooner or later turn into a judicial one" ~Alexis de Tocqueville

This JUST came in!! Due date May 18, but don't wait that long if you can help it. It will be on Symplicity, but you saw it here first!

THE NEW YORK STATE JUDICIAL INSTITUTE is offering unpaid Summer Legal Internships for students who are currently pursuing a Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school and have completed at least one year of law school.

The New York State Judicial Institute is a year-round center for judicial education and research designed to enhance the quality of the courts and ensure that the judiciary of this State sets the standard for judicial excellence around the country. Recognizing the importance of an informed and up-to-date court system, the Institute provides educational programs not only for its judges but for the State’s court attorneys and court personnel as well.

Law Intern Responsibilities: Assist the New York State Judicial Institute in the preparation of materials for Judicial programs. Contact program faculty to follow up on specific requests. Help develop and administer the program evaluation process and draft speakers’ biographies. Perform legal research on Westlaw, Lexis, government search sites, and the Internet. Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications: - Currently pursuing a Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.- Completion of one year of law school. - Able to work 20 hours a week.APPLICATIONS: To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume, including in the cover letter dates of your availability and number of hours you are available per week, to:

Leonie McCaulsky
Management Analyst
NYS Judicial Institute
84 North Broadway
White Plains, NY 10603

POSITIONS AVAILABLE: 2 (to start June 2, 2008)

APPLICATION DEADLINE: May 18, 2008

Comment Call #1: Do you have a cool summer job?

"Life is the only real counselor; wisdom unfiltered through personal experience does not become a part of the moral tissue.” ~Edith Wharton

We have a number of "series" posts planned for this blog, as the more observant of you could surmise by the #1 in the "Summer Ideas" post. The COMMENT CALL series is an open invitation for you to participate with your own stories, insights and wisdom! Thanks to R&W Professor Laura Reilly for this great idea!

So without much (more) ado, Comment Call #1:

Do you have a really cool summer job, internship or study abroad lined up? Tell us all about it!

Click on "# comments" below and try to include:

1. Name of your "employer"
2. Your title/function
3. What city it's in
4. Briefly, what your project will be (if you know)
5. Why you're excited about it
6. We're going to be putting out a comment call in the future asking for stories about how you found your jobs/internships, but feel free to tell us here too!

(remember this is a moderated-comment blog, so there will probably be a delay before you see your comment appear...)

As you're thinking about this, don't forget to let the CSO know what you're doing! Weren't you curious about what people did over the summer? We don't know until you tell us! Email me directly (you could even refer to your comment on here and just tell me privately who you are) or fill out the survey in Symplicity (in your profile, click on "employment" and then "add new").

And. if you would like to submit a post about your experience during the summer, e.g., a really gratifying project, or enlightening event, let me know and I will give you a guest spot!

Life After buffalo.edu...

"The moving cursor writes, and having written, blinks on." ~Dave Barry

Guilt. It's the main reason we fall out of touch. Maybe you have a friend from college that you forgot to email back...three years ago. Now it's just awkward. Or, you haven't had time to keep in touch with that professor who wrote your recommendation for law school, and now you'd like to ask her advice again.

Soon, you will have the perfect excuse to send that procrastinated email! Several people have asked me what happens to the buffalo.edu email addresses after graduation. The CIT help desk informs me that they will still be active for six months, and will continue to forward to a new address for another six months. You can also sign up for a free lifetime forwarding address through the UB Alumni Association. There's a pretty clear explanation of the policy here.

The bottom line is that you will have a year to phase out your buffalo.edu address. It's great excuse to recontact old friends, family, professional contacts, and even pending job applications. "Here's my new email address," can be a wonderful ice-breaker to rekindle all kinds of communications! I think you'll find the guilt was unwarranted, and that people will be delighted to hear from you.

We're Getting Press!

"There is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary." ~Brendan Behan

The wonderful folks at "Out of the Jungle," including our own illustrious Jim Milles, Vice Dean for Legal Information Services and Director of the Law Library, have given a nod to our humble new blog. Check out our first review at:

Out of the Jungle: New UB Law CSO blog