Tag Archives: Alumni

Alumni

Resumé Facts

**ONE spelling or grammar mistake will cause your resumé to be discarded.  Check, then check again.  Have someone look it over for you as well.

**76% of resumés are ignored if the email is unprofessional.

**88% of resumés are ignored if you have a photo of yourself on it.  Please consult a Career Services Counselor to work on your resumé and reference the Career Services Handbook for examples of the correct form.  Call 256-7744 to make an appointment.

**89% of employers use social media to recruit–ensure your sites are professional and that your Linkedin account is current. 

**68% of employers will find you on Facebook.  Make sure what they find will not eliminate you from the professional employment opportunities to which you are applying.

Cover Letter Tips!

Certain words seem to show up in all cover letters.  If you want to make your cover letters to stand out, delete these words and rephrase.

1.  Hope–The firm to which you are applying wants to know about your skills and abilities, not what you are hoping will happen.  Instead of “I hope to be able to contribute my skills to your firm”, switch it up to “I look forward to speaking with you about my qualifications”.

2.  Hone–I am guilty of this.  But it admittedly is overused.  Intead of “during my internship I honed my skills”, write how your experience “developed” or “sharpened” your skills, or how your “research culminated in a report to your supervising attorney which was used during trial”.  Stated this way, there is no doubt of your abilities.

3.  Drawn–You can be drawn to a person, but a firm wants to know that you are a match for the type of work they are producing and that your mindset is similar to theirs, not that you are drawn to their firm for their reputation or location.

4.  Feel–Notice the difference:  I feel the relationship management skills I built while working at the Public Defender’s Office are a match for The Jones Firm’s commitment to outstanding client relationships.  OR  The relationship management skills I built while working at the Public Defender’s Office are a match for The Jones Firm’s commitment to outstanding client relationships.  The second example is more powerful and creative and will be more apt to get your cover letter noticed. 

Write strongly and with conviction and you will give yourself an edge.

CFAWL Networking Event May 18th!

Florida Coastal School of Law students are invited to reserve their spot now for CFAWL’s upcoming program on professional progress for students and young professionals.  This event, Developing Distinction in Women: Progressing as a Professional, Networking, and Staying Safe, Healthy and Sane Along the Way, will be limited to just 100 attendees.  Co-hosted by the Central Florida Association for Women Lawyers (CFAWL) and the Orange County Bar Association (OCBA), this event will provide students with a unique opportunity to learn about important tools essential to progressing as a professional, as well as the opportunity to network with powerful women in law and among different disciplines across various fields in Central Florida.   The program will feature key speakers and “how-to’s” on professional development and networking, plus interactive workshops on health, safety and mental health for today’s young professional women.  Speakers will include local judges and commissioners, as well as leading professionals in medicine, education and law enforcement.  This event will take place on Saturday, May 18, 2013 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the OCBA Offices (880 N. Orange Ave., Orlando, FL 32801) Breakfast will be served.  There is no cost to attend this event, but seating is limited.  To RSVP, please click here. 

Legal Diversity Career Fair

Vault.com and the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) are hosting the 8th Annual Legal Diversity Career Fair in Washington DC and you are invited to attend!

This is a great opportunity for 2Ls who have not yet committed to a firm or other employer for summer 2014, laterals interested in new positions, and rising 3Ls seeking entry-level associate positions to meet with top legal employers from firms and organizations committed to diversity. There are no fees associated with participation at the career fair and all students and laterals are welcome to attend.

For more information and to register please visit:  http://www.vault.com/legaldiversity

Date: Friday, August 2, 2013  

Location: Capitol Hilton, 1001 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036     

Time: 9:00am – 4:00pm

•Registration is required and must be completed online by July 31, 2013. After such time candidates can register on-site at the hotel.

•Employers have access to resumes in advance of the career fair and may schedule one on one interviews during exhibit hall hours. In such cases employers will contact candidates directly to arrange these meetings.

•There is no bid process to attend the career fair.

 •Candidates should come prepared with copies of their resumes, transcripts and any other writing materials to share with employers.

•Lunch is complimentary.

 •Dress code is business attire.

 

Alumni Weekend April 19-20!

The Florida Coastal Alumni Association invites you to save the date for Alumni Weekend 2013 on April 19-20! 

Alumni from across the country will be back on campus to reconnect with each other, participate in CLE courses, tour the school and meet our students.   Don’t be left out!  Come take advantage of the CLE courses offered on Friday, April 19 hosted by Natalie Tuttle, Sarah Sullivan, Rod Sullivan and graduates Renee Maxey and Christine Bell.  Visit the Alumni Weekend homepage for more information or to register online.

We hope to see you next month!

Southeastern Minority Job Fair

 

Registration for SEMJF began on April 3, 2013 and will end on April 19, 2013. Registration is FREE! Students will be able to register in the Atrium during Coffee Wednesdays, on Symplicity, or by email. To register via email contact Amber Williams at arwilliams@fcsl.edu.

Job Fair Details

 When:            Friday, July 26 & Saturday, July 27, 2013

Where:           Hyatt Regency Suites Perimeter Northwest in Marietta, Georgia

 Log on to http://www.semjf.org/Home_Page.html to learn more about the job fair. Should you have additional questions, feel free to contact Amber Williams at arwilliams@fcsl.edu

Public Interest Research Bureau Information Session Thursday March 21st

The Public Interest Research Bureau is hosting an information session (and will be accepting applications) this week.  The Bureau accepts real-life legal issues from legal aid organizations throughout the Southeast.  Students are then selected to be part of a team that will research the issue and prepare a detailed memoranda responding to the issue. This work then gets used by the legal aid organization in legal pleadings as well as court hearings, and truly impacts the outcomes of legal aid cases.  The Public Interest Research Bureau is a fabulous way for students to gain legal research and writing experience while also learning to work with a team of other students and a faculty supervisor. 

 Join members of the Public Interest Research Bureau to learn more about what they do and how you can be a part of this rewarding organization.  Make a difference in the lives of the poor, develop critical legal skills, and acquire essential writing and research experience.  An information session will be held Thursday, March 21st at noon, in Room 250.  During the sessions, you will learn how to become a member of the Research Bureau.  Applications will also be distributed.  If you have any questions, please contact Brandy Natalzia at Brandy.Natalzia@law.fcsl.edu.

Check Symplicity!

Interested in an associate’s position with an insurance defense firm in West Palm Beach?  Or a corporate associate position with a regional law firm out of Ft. Lauderdale?  How about an associate’s position at a firm as far away as New York or Kansas, or as close as Orlando or Atlanta?  Symplicity has job postings from law firms in many different states.  As a general rule of thumb, you should check it at least once a week for any new postings in which you might be interested.  Browsing the postings also helps you get a feel for average pay and the practice areas in which firms are hiring so that you can focus your job search in those key areas.  If you have difficulty accessing Symplicity, contact our office at careerservices@fcsl.edu.

Consider a Labor or Employment Law Practice

Practicing employment law can be very complex yet very fulfilling.  It can involve employment discrimination suits, which range from race, sex, age or disability discrimation to cases which pertain to misappropriation of trade secrets or suits to enforce Non-Competition Agreements.  You might represent the employee who feels wronged, or you could represent employers against those claims.  If you defend the employers part of your responsibility would be to advise the employers how to best avoid these suits. 

These cases typically involve complicated relationships between people in the workplace and therefore may be fraught with emotion and hurt feelings.  There is a very human component to this field, so a prerequisite needed to practice in this field would be people skills.  You must develop a real trust relationship with your clients and serve as their competent advisor, regardless of the side you argue.  You should also possess excellent writing skills and ensure that you are up to date on the latest developments in the field.