Registration

Every student who participates in any Career Development activity must first register with the office.   This must be completed at the beginning of each academic year.   To register, please complete the following steps:

Symplicity: The Career Development Office now uses Symplicity, a web-based recruitment and database management system.   It contains all the information on the organizations recruiting at Suffolk and allows students to research employers, apply to employers, and sign up for interviews online.   You will need your ID and password in order to access Symplicity.  If you don't know yours, please see a member of the Career Development staff.  Log on to https://law-suffolk-csm.symplicity.com/students to complete your "Profile," including current mailing address, email address, practice and geographic areas of preference, and academic information, as soon as possible.   You will also have to upload your resume through the "Documents" link.  You will not be able to view job postings or apply to OCI firms until your profile is complete and your resume is uploaded.  Be sure to keep this information updated so we can contact you about panels and programs that would interest you, and notify you about specific jobs for which you may be qualified.   Detailed instructions on using the system are available in the Student Guide to eAttorney and Symplicity.  

Resume: In addition to uploading your resume on Symplicity, you should file five copies of your updated resume with the Career Development Office upon return to school in August. These resumes will be kept in your career file and are for your use. We offer this service so you can have resumes readily available during the school year.

Transcript: A number of law firms have requested that students submit transcripts along with their resumes. If you are interested in applying to firms that require a transcript, please complete a Transcript Release Form (TRF) and submit it to the Registrar's Office. Five unofficial copies of your transcript will be released to your career file for your use. You will also need to upload your transcript on Symplicity under the "Documents" link.  You can either scan your unofficial transcript or copy and paste your transcript from Campus Cruiser.  You will have to submit your transcript on Symplicity to any firm that requests one.

Summer Job Questionnaire:   Students must complete and return the Summer Job Questionnaire to the Career Development Office.   The feedback we receive from these forms is very helpful in counseling students about their job search and in planning programs for the academic year.

Recruitment Programs

Each fall the Career Development Office sponsors and participates in a number of recruitment programs for second, third and fourth year students. Over the summer all returning students will receive a package of materials from the CDO, which will include a list of employers participating in each program. Changes and updates to the program schedules will be made throughout the fall semester and will be published weekly in the CDO newsletter, Spotlight, on the CDO website under 'On-Campus Interviews,' and on Symplicity.

Information is available in binders in the Career Development Library on all employers participating in the recruitment programs. You should review these materials before submitting resumes or before making direct application to a firm, as there are often specific qualifications sought (e.g., technical undergraduate degree, accounting undergraduate degree, top 10% of class, interest in litigation, labor law course, legal services experience). In addition to the specific qualifications, you should have an interest in that particular geographic location. Also, many employers request that a writing sample and transcript be submitted along with a resume. To ensure that your application is given full consideration, check all requirements carefully.

We encourage you to participate in any or all of these formal recruitment programs, but it is extremely important for you to realize that these programs are not the only way to secure a summer or permanent position.   These programs receive much attention, but typically only the largest law firms are able to predict their hiring needs for the year, and recruit in the fall. You should take advantage of all the programs and services the Career Development Office has to offer.

A brief description of each program, as well as a listing of additional career fairs in which the office participates, is included in the following sections.

On-Campus Interviews

Many employers chose to conduct their initial interviews on-campus at Suffolk Law School.   A list of employers that will be interviewing on-campus at Suffolk is included in the summer mailing which is sent to all returning students in July. The list is separated by "sesson" name (i.e., interview week, generally OCI1 through OCI11) and includes the online bidding deadlines, the employer interview dates, the class year(s) of the students to be interviewed, and hiring requirements.

If employers are interviewing graduating students (third-year day/fourth-year evening or 3LD/4LE), they are interviewing students for permanent associate positions beginning in the fall after graduation. If employers are interviewing second-year day/third-year evening students (2LD/3LE), they are interviewing students for summer positions for the following summer. Most large law firms tend to hire new full-time associates through their summer associate programs. As a result, there are usually more opportunities for second-year day/third-year evening students to interview than for third-year day/fourth-year evening students.

After doing some initial research and determining to which firms you want to apply, you must "bid" online through Symplicity (detailed instructions are included in the Student Guide to Symplicity).  You must submit your resume and any other required materials (e.g., transcript, writing sample, references) before the due date listed for each session. Cover letters are not necessary, unless the employer requests one, and may hurt you if they are poorly written or contain errors.

Approximately one week before their scheduled interview date, employers will respond to our office with the names of the students they would like to interview.   If you have been selected for an interview, you will receive an email (at the email address you specify in your Symplicity profile) notifying you about the interview.   You must then sign up for an interview time online.   Be sure to conduct in-depth research on the employer before your interview.   Check their website, find out about cases or recent news articles on Lexis and/or Westlaw, and view the information on the attorney conducting the interviews in Martindale Hubbell.   You should also schedule a mock interview with a career counselor in advance of your firm interview.

Off-Campus Recruitment Programs

Each fall the Career Development Office may participate in off-campus recruitment programs in various cities and locations depending on student interest and the job market.   In the past, many of the large New Hampshire area law firms have sponsored the NH Legal Job Fair in Manchester.  The Northeast Law School Consortium, of which Suffolk is also a member, has had programs in Washington, DC and Philadelphia, PA.   Information on specific programs for the upcoming fall will be mailed to all returning students in July.

The application process is the same as that of the other interviewing programs:   you must apply online through Symplicity.   Please be sure that you research each firm and apply only to those in which you have a genuine interest. Since interviews will be held out-of-state, you will have to find transportation to the interviews at your own expense.

Resume Collection Only

Some employers request that the Career Development Office collect and forward resumes of interested students.   Firms then contact students directly and arrange interviews at their office. The list of collection only employers is divided into three groups (COLLECTION1 through COLLECTION3), depending on when online bidding is due.   Please be sure to submit all materials requested by the employer (e.g., resume, transcript, writing sample).

You should submit resumes to only those employers for whom you have a genuine interest in terms of type of practice and geographic location. Cover letters are important for out of state firms in order to indicate your connection to the state (e.g., you grew up in the area).

Direct Application to Law Firms

Your summer mailing packet will also include a list of law firms and other organizations that wish to receive resumes directly from students, rather than in a package from the Career Development Office. Information on these employers is included on Symplicity, but you will not submit applications online. You must include a cover letter, and any other requested materials, with your resume when writing to these employers.   If the employer has an application deadline, it will be noted; otherwise, mail your materials as soon as possible.    

National Recruitment Program

The Massachusetts Law School Consortium, of which Suffolk and the six other ABA-accredited Massachusetts law schools are members, coordinates efforts and sponsors a variety of recruitment and career-related programs throughout the year. One such program is the National Recruitment Program.

Large law firms throughout the country have requested that the Consortium collect resumes from interested students. Interviews are conducted at Suffolk and Harvard Law Schools, as well as at Boston-area hotels. The list of employers participating in this program, also included in the summer mailing, is divided into four groups or sessions (NRP1 through NRP4), each with a different resume due date.

The application process is the same as that for the on-campus interviews.   You must bid and submit resumes and other requested materials online by 10:00 a.m. on the indicated collection dates.   You will be notified by email if you have been selected for an interview.  This program uses a different Symplicity site, though.  See a member of the CDO staff if you wish to participate in this program. 

Other Recruitment Programs/Career Fairs/Job Postings

In addition to the programs outlined above, the Career Development Office also participates in the following programs and career fairs:

Minority Student Job Fairs

Boston Lawyers Group Minority Student Job Fair:   The job fair, held in September at the Langham Hotel in Boston, is designed to bring together law students of color at the local law schools and hiring attorneys to increase the number of students of color hired by member firms.   Interested students must submit a resume and transcript to the Career Development Office in July.

Delaware Minority Job Fair:   This program is sponsored by the Delaware State Bar Association's Committee for Diversity in the Legal Profession and is held in Wilmington, DE in August.   Interested students must mail a resume and transcript in April/May to participate.

MN Minority Recruitment Conference:   This is a recruitment program sponsored by the Twin Cities Committee on Minority Lawyers in Large Firms and is held in September in Minneapolis, MN.   Students must submit a resume and application form to the Career Development Office in June to participate.

Northeast BLSA Job Fair:  The job fair, held each year in September in Brooklyn, NY, promotes diversity in the legal profession by providing a centralized forum for an application and interview process so that private firms, public interest organizations, and government agencies can draw upon the very large and rich pool of candidates who annually register.   Information is mailed to students in the spring; you must register in May to participate.

Heartland Diversity Legal Job Fair:  Held in September in Kansas City, MO.  Information is available on their website.

Government/Public Interest Programs

Equal Justice Works Annual National Public Interest Law Career Fair:   The career fair is held annually in October in Washington, DC and provides a unique opportunity for students and graduates to collect information and interview with representatives from civil rights organizations, consumer and environmental advocates, government agencies, legal services offices, and other representatives of the public interest law community. Information on employers is sent to the Career Development Office in August. Students and graduates contact employers directly to arrange for interviews at the fair.

Fall Government/Public Interest Recruitment Program:   This program is held annually in October at Boston College Law School and is sponsored by the Massachusetts Law School Consortium.   Government and public interest employers will interview students for both summer and permanent positions. A list of participants is available in August. Online bidding and resumes are usually due early September.

Spring Government/Public Interest Recruitment Program:   This is a second Government/Public Interest Program sponsored by the Massachusetts Law School Consortium and held at Suffolk in January.   This program generally attracts over 50 federal, state and municipal agencies, as well as public interest organizations. A list of participants is available in November. Online bidding and resumes are usually due in December.

www.PSLawNet.org:   This database of thousands of great public service and pro bono experiences nationwide lists both volunteer and paid positions for the fall and spring semesters and the summer.

Miscellaneous

AIPLA Job Fair:   The American Intellectual Property Law Association holds a job fair in connection with their Annual Meeting in October.   In order to participate, you must join the AIPLA as a student member.  

Lavender Law Conference and Career Fair:  Participating firms, corporations, and public sector employers express a commitment to the hiring, retention, and promotion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students and lawyers.  Students must register in September.

Patent Law Interview Program:   The Patent Law Interview Program is held annually in August in Chicago, IL.   It brings together patent law firms, as well as large law firms, corporations and government agencies with patent law departments, with law students who have undergraduate or graduate degrees in engineering or a technical science. The program is open to students who preregister in March.

IMPACT Career Fair for Law Students and Attorneys with Disabilities:   Law students and graduates from law schools across the country are invited to submit materials directly to employers for prescreening for summer clerkships and attorneys positions.  Details are available at www.law.arizona.edu/Career/IMPACT/welcome.cfm.

Job Postings:   The Career Development Office continually receives notices for full-time, part-time, and summer employment.   These listings can be viewed on Symplicity with your login information.

Information on all of the programs, including preregistration materials and deadlines, is available in the Career Development Office.

Other Programming

The Career Development Office offers a number of other programs and services to Suffolk students and alumni in addition to the recruitment programs. For specific information, please check the calendar of events on the CDO website, Spotlight (the office's weekly newsletter), the electronic bulletin boards located throughout the Law School, and the bulletin boards outside the Career Development Office.

Workshops: The Career Development Office offers numerous workshops on resume preparation, interviewing skills, and job search strategies throughout the year. Students are encouraged to attend a resume workshop before making an appointment with a career counselor.

Career-Related Panels: Each semester, Career Development sponsors a number of interesting and informative panels addressing specific practice areas and/or issues relevant to the legal job search. Panels usually consist of successful Suffolk alumni who are enthusiastic about their work. Students who are interested in exploring a variety of fields within the law are encouraged to attend these panels.

Mock Interviews: If you wish to fine tune your interviewing skills, make an appointment with a Career Counselor to participate in a mock interview session. In doing so, you will be formally interviewed on videotape. Together, you and your counselor can assess your skill level and make suggestions for improvements.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: If you would like to learn about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and how this personality assessment tool may help you determine your best niche inside or outside the legal employment arena, make an appointment with a career counselor for more information.