Career and Professional Development Requirement

The Career and Professional Development Requirement seeks to provide students with the skills and perspectives employers indicate they are looking for in new attorneys. The Requirement has the following specific objectives:

Objectives

  1. Engage students with the Office of Career Development and Student Services and begin long-lasting professional relationships.
  2. Provide students with the resources and tools necessary to identify and obtain appropriate employment.
  3. Prepare students for life as a successful legal professional through skills training and opportunities for self-assessment in those areas identified as being essential for new attorneys.
  4. Give students the tools needed for ongoing self-care and lifelong professional development.
  5. Details

  1. Three types of programs will be offered:
    • Job Search Skills
    • Career Exploration (such as Life of a Lawyer lunches, practice-area panels, employer site visits, etc.)
    • Professional Development
  2. All programs will be run through the Office of Career Development and Student Services. Programs sponsored by student organizations or journals will not qualify for credit except as noted below.
  3. Graduation Requirements:
    • First-year students are required to attend the Boot Camp, one Career Exploration program, and two Professional Development programs. First-year students are also required to complete a self-assessment to help plan for the next three years.
    • 2L and 3L students are required to complete four qualifying programs of choice (Job Search Skills, Career Exploration, or Professional Development) during each academic year, with a minimum of one credit obtained each semester
    • Part-time and dual degree students must complete all requirements prior to graduation
  4. An optional Professional Development Certificate will be awarded to students who attend six programs beyond basic requirements:
    • Solely for purposes of the certificate, attendance at a program approved for CLE credit, including law school symposia, counts toward fulfillment of requirements.
    • Students will receive one credit for each CLE program attended, regardless of duration of program.
    • Current 3Ls (Class of 2018) are required to attend only three additional programs to receive the certificate
  5. The Office of Career Development and Student Services will be responsible for tracking student attendance, and will communicate with the Associate Dean and the Registrar regarding individual student completion of the requirement (or failure to complete).
  6. Because this is a graduation requirement, please note that it is an offense under the Honor Code to misrepresent one’s own or another attendance or absence from such an event. This would include signing in for an event and then leaving before the conclusion of that event.