Category Archives: Resources

The Career Services Department Presents Career Week!

Career Week, January 28 – February 1, is a great opportunity to focus on your future career!  Join faculty, alumni, and members of the Career Services Department inyour career presentations, break-out sessions, networking, Symplicity Knowledge Bars, the ever-popular State Fair event in the atrium, and more!  Wondering where and what to practice?  Here is your chance to ask your questions and get some answers and direction.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Monday, January 28
Join the CSD counselors for information sessions at the 5th floor knowledge bar:
11:00 AM – Private Practice
1:00 PM – Alternative & In-house Careers
2:00 PM – Government & Public Interest

Tuesday, January 29
12:00 PM – “How to Gain Legal Work Experience” Panel Presentation
Representatives from Pro Bono, Work Study, Externships, Skills Lab, and Clinics will provide information about each program
Break-out sessions for more in-depth information:
10:00 AM – Pro Bono (Room 425)
11:00 AM – Clinics (Room 405)
1:00 PM – Skills Lab (Room 550)
2:00 PM – Community Work Study (Room 465)
3:00 PM – Externships (Room 405)

Wednesday, January 30
Double Coffee Wednesday in the Atrium!
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM & 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Thursday, January 31
State Fair in the Atrium!!
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
A regional informational fair where students can learn about legal communities across the country and network with the faculty who have attended school or worked there.

Friday, February 1
11:00 AM – Symplicity Information Session (5th Floor Knowledge Bar)
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM – Alumni Relations Destination Event
•   Destination Atlanta – Room 505
•   Destination DC – Room 510
•   Destination NYC – Room 520
•   Destination SC/Charlotte – Room 555
•   Destination Panhandle (Tallahassee and Pensacola) – Room 560
•   Destination Orlando/Miami/Tampa/Jacksonville – Room 565

Unable to Access Symplicity?

1st Semester 1Ls will automatically gain limited access into Symplicity after the first monthSymplicity of classes.  Students who have blocked or limited access to Symplicity need to complete the CSD Curriculum located on D2L.  If you are a second semester 1L, you have until March 8th to complete the Curriculum.  All other students who complete the Curriculum will need to contact us at careerservices@fcsl.edu in order to unblock your Symplicity account.  Remember to login to Symplicity using your C number e-mail address and the same password that you use to log into your e-mail account. 

If you are having trouble with Symplicity, please contact us at careerservices@fcsl.edu.

It’s not too late to Join the Networking Club!

Did you know that over 80% of law students obtain their first post-graduate position through networking contacts?Network

The Career Services Department recognizes how critical networking is to your success, and to foster your networking abilities, we have launched a networking initiative targeting three key markets – Orlando, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C.  The program meets monthly throughout the year to cultivate your networking skills, and you receive invaluable guidance from career service counselors, as wells as other students, as you work together to prepare a network of contacts in your target market. These efforts will culminate with a networking trip to each city to attend an event sponsored by the Career Services Department with the local bar association. Students who participated in the Networking Clubs last year gained confidence in their networking abilities and learned how to translate those skills into legal experience and job opportunities

Please join us for the next Networking Club Meeting on Thursday, January 24, 2013 at 5:15 p.m. in Room 400. Our networking clubs include students interested in developing practices in Atlanta, Orlando or Washington D.C., but the skills we are learning and discussing would benefit all students. Next week’s meeting will focus on Informational Meetings – what they are, how to land them, and how to prepare for them. Please plan on attending and bring a friend!

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays from the CSD!  Please keep in mind that our office will be closed from December 24 through January 1.  We will resume regular business hours on January 2.  Students and alumni can schedule appointments over the holidays via Symplicity. 

We have several new OCIs on Symplicity for students…  Don’t miss your opportunity to apply for a PAID spring clerkship!  There are also spring OCIs available for 3Ls to interview for full-time attorney positions and have a job lined up when you graduate! 

First Semester 1Ls: Remember that in order to gain full access into Symplicity, you will need to complete your mandatory CSD Curriculum on Desire2Learn and winter break is the perfect time to do so!  If you complete the Curriculum over break, you will receive full access to Symplicity on Friday, January 4.  The deadline to complete the Curriculum is Friday, March 8. 

We wish everyone safe and wonderful holidays!

Special Alumni Webinar: Electronic Job Search Resources, Postings and More!

The Career Services Department understands that electronic resources are an important part of your job search.  December’s webinar on Thursday, December 20th from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. (EST), “Electronic Job Search Resources, Postings and More!” presented by FCSL alum and Career Counselor, Ray Adams, is the last installment of the 2012 Alumni Webinar series and will focus on the different resources that you can use in your job search.  We will cover everything from writing into firms to job posting websites.  

As always, there will be time for questions and answers at the conclusion of the presentation. Details are below and you can register by following this link: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/337644984.  If you have questions or suggestions for future webinar topics, please send them to Ray Adams at radams@fcsl.edu.

The CSD is Ready to Assist You All Summer!

Do you want to get your resume reviewed after finals?  Have you decided you’re staying in Jacksonville for the summer and want to find out how to build on your legal experiences?  Wondering what job prospects you might have in Georgia when you graduate?  You can get these questions answered and many more when have a counseling session with one of our Counselors!  Each CSD Career Counselor has extensive experience in the legal field and is qualified to assist you in your job search, boost the look of your resume, gain a leg up on the competition seeking clerkships and externships, and guide you towards your career! 

We will be open during finals and throughout the summer to work with each of you!  Simply submit a Counseling Appointment form on our website at www.fcsl.edu/careerservices, schedule your appointment on Symplicity or call us at 904.680.7744 to get started.  Setting yourself up for success during and after law school starts here!

Join the Jacksonville Bar Association!

The Jacksonville Bar Association is offering Florida Coastal students the opportunity to join for a reduced student membership fee of $25 for the current year, which runs from July 1st through June 30th.  There are many benefits to joining the Jacksonville Bar Association.  You can enroll in the JBA Mentoring Program to obtain insight and guidance from experienced attorneys.  Also, you will receive all publications and emails regarding bar activities and can attend all bar events, including the monthly membership luncheons and CLE programs.  These are all great opportunities to network and to learn more about the local legal community.

If you plan to practice in Jacksonville once you graduate, you should consider joining the Jacksonville Bar Association while you are still a student.  If you plan to practice outside of the Jacksonville area, the CSD will assist you in identifying the voluntary bar association that will be most advantageous in your job search.  To join the Jacksonville Bar Association, complete the membership application at https://www.jaxbar.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=4.

Important Information for 1Ls!

Thank you for attending your 1L Career Services Department Orientation. This is a very busy time for you, as you approach finals. We know that you can sometimes feel overwhelmed. We just want to take a few minutes and remind you of a few key events coming up.

  • Orientation – If you have not completed the mandatory CSD Orientation, please contact Tara Block (tblock@fcsl.edu) to schedule a make-up immediately.
  • Symplicity – Symplicity is now available for limited use by all students. Until you complete your CSD Curriculum, you can access Symplicity to edit your profile, record pro bono hours (or other legal work experience) and sign up for events. To access Symplicity, go to https://law-fcsl-csm.symplicity.com/students. Log in using your complete c number e-mail address and the password you use to access your school e-mail. If you have any problems, contact Abby Lee (alee@fcsl.edu).
  • Starting Line – The Starting Line is scheduled for Thursday, November 17th from 5:00 pm until 7:30 pm. For more information including what to wear, who will be there and what questions to ask, please visit www.fcsl.edu/startingline. You can RSVP for the Starting Line on Symplicity under the “events” tab.
  • Career Handbook – Make sure that you picked up a Career Handbook. We have had some reports that a few pages were left out of a few books. While we hope this is an isolated problem, please check your book and make sure that all of the pages are accounted for. If you find that your book is incomplete, please contact Tara Block (tblock@fcsl.edu).
  • CSD Curriculum – The approximate 3.5 hour CSD Curriculum is currently available on Desire2Learn (https://mycourses.fcsl.edu/). Once you log in using your Florida Coastal username and password, click on the 1L CSD Curriculum 11-12 course. Then click on the Content tab at the top left corner to view the videos and quizzes. If you have trouble logging in contact helpdesk@fcsl.edu. If you have questions regarding content, please e-mail Abby Lee (alee@fcsl.edu).
  • Appointments – Beginning next week, if you have completed the Orientation, you will be able to schedule an appointment with a counselor in our office through Symplicity. Although our office encourages you to wait to meet with us until after exams are over, you can now beginning making appointments if you would like to.  

We want to wish you Good Luck with finals! We look forward to working with each of you in the future. If you have any other questions, please contact our office at careerservices@fcsl.edu or (904) 680-7744.

Symplicity Now Available to ALL Students!

The Career Services Department is happy to announce that from this moment forward ALL students will have restricted access to Symplicity prior to the completion of their 1L CSD Curriculum (or as 2Ls and 3Ls that never completed the curriculum). All students will be able  to log into Symplicity at https://law-fcsl-csm.symplicity.com/students with their Florida Coastal log in information and edit their profile. They will be able to record pro bono hours and other legal work experience. Each student will also be able to sign up for events through Symplicity. Upon completion of the 1L CSD Curriculum, the student will gain additional rights such as:

  • Accessing Job Postings
  • Applying for OCIs
  • Making Appointments
  • Access to the Document Library (includes password protected sites)

If you have limited access to Symplicity and you believe that this is a mistake, please contact Abby Lee at alee@fcsl.edu.

1L Orientation!

First Semester 1Ls, the time has come for you to learn all about the CSD and how we may begin to assist you throughout your law school career and beyond!  1L Orientation is your introduction to our career services offerings and an important step towards your committment to your legal career.  Orientation sessions are listed below by section and run from Noon to 1:00 p.m.  Lunch will be served! 

  • Section A: Thursday, Nov. 3, Room 455
  • Section B: Tuesday, Nov. 1, Room 365
  • Section C: Tuesday, Nov. 1, Room 405
  • Section D: Thursday, Nov. 3, Room 425
  • Section E: Tuesday, Nov. 1, Room 550
  • Section F: Tuesday, Nov. 1, Room 425
  • Section G: Thursday, Nov. 3, Room 250
  • Section H: Tuesday, Nov. 1, Room 250
  • Section I: Thursday, Nov. 3, Room 465

If you have any questions, please e-mail Abby Lee at alee@fcsl.edu.  We look forward to seeing you at Orientation!