Career Services Blog

What I wish I had Known as a 1L

The November 1st deadline is fast approaching! Today, all you 1Ls are officially allowed to meet with the lovely ladies of Career Services to seek their unbridled wisdom and career guidance, and not just to eat their candy.

You can set up an appointment with any one of the fine ladies at Career Services by emailing MAspell@piercelaw.edu.

Before you do though, you can do some things to help them help you.
         •    Try to have a rough draft of a resume and/or cover letter when you go to see them
         •    Have realistic expectations (last time I checked, O.J. Simpson isn’t hiring legal interns for his most recent, albeit surely not his last, run in with the law)
         •    Know where you want to go and what you want to do…and be willing to stray from that!)

I am by far not the person to go to for career advice (hello unemployment! I joke, I joke, I’ll have a job by May, if it’s the last thing I do!) But I’ve been there and done that as a 1L and there are some things I wish people had told me before I started the job search.

1.    Don’t believe the myth that “nobody gets jobs their first summer”- I heard that and took it as gospel, so I didn’t even try to get a job. Next thing I know, almost all of my friends had jobs and I was hanging out in no man’s land. Not everyone will get a job, but plenty of people do. It might not be your dream job but if look and look and look, you’ll find something.

2.    You don’t have to work- Nobody holds this summer against you (your 2L summer however is a different story, or at least that’s what they tell those of us who are still unemployed). So have fun! Study abroad. Take tap dancing lessons. Sit on your parents couch and watch Soaps all day (my dream summer job). Whatever.

3.    Getting into a clinic is not guaranteed – I decided instead of working, I would do work study and take the admin clinic so I could get a class out of the way. Turns out, lots of 2Ls wanted to take it and I got lotteried (is that a word?) out. I found out in late April that my summer plans were shot and I was left with no back up plan. So have a back up plan! If you want to do a clinic, realize you might not get it. It’s done by a lottery system but 2Ls get priority so especially for the admin clinic (as 1Ls, you are only eligible for the bankruptcy and administrative clinics) which fulfills a requirement, your chances are slim to none.

4.    You can still find a job, even half way through the summer. Learn this now, the people at Career Services are your friends. These kind ladies send out emails through the late spring/early summer about job opportunities that have just come up. Most people already have jobs already, so the competition is slight, if any. I got my job for the summer (working with in house counsel for a property management group in Manchester) in early May by responding to one of these emails. I know people who have gotten clerkships with courts this way. So if you don’t have a job, there is no need to freak out ( unless you’re me and then you’ll freak out anyways, but I’m just telling you that you don’t have to. I just don’t know how to take my own advice)

5.    You can get paid- although it might not be a lot.

6.    The Ireland/China trips are a great opportunity. I wanted to go, although I talked myself out of it at the last minute so I could work and make money. I did have the pleasure of visiting Ireland for fun and got to see all my friends who were studying over there and everyone was having a great time! Especially if you have never had the opportunity to study abroad before, now it’s a great time to take advantage. You are not bound to the programs that Pierce operates, other law schools have study abroad programs in countries all over the world. The ABA has a list of approved study abroad programs- you can go just about anywhere (and maybe get some credits too)

7.    Working sucks! A very wise TA told me to take the summer off and do nothing. I failed to heed this wonderful advice.  My love of money for groceries took me in the complete opposite direction. If you have loving parents/friends/significant other who will let you crash for the summer, take that opportunity. It is honestly and truly your last opportunity to do nothing. I thought that working would be good for my “resume” (and there was that whole eating thing!) but I should’ve found a way to just relax a little. I took the last month off to go to Ireland and still didn’t feel relaxed before school started.

So, that’s all the infinite wisdom I have for you today. So go flood career services with emails begging for their infinite wisdom. I’m sure they are sick of hearing the plight of all us 2Ls anyways (just kidding…they love us! What’s not to love?)

For those of you who are interested, this is the list of books that William Morris (Bromberg & Sunstein) recommends! If you missed his presentation 2 weeks ago and are interested in trademarks or entertainment law, check these books anyways! Personally, i have time to read nothing but my tax code, but for those of you who have some time, check them out.

Thanks to the Entertainment Law Society here at Pierce Law that provided the list to Career Services! 

 

Annotated List of Authorities for the Entertainment/Trademark Presentation by William J. Morris
1.    Legal Aspects of the Music Industry, An Insider’s View of the Legal and Practical Aspects of the Music Business, Richard Schulenberg, Billboard Books, 1999 (The Definitive Guide to Contracts Commonly Used in the Music Industry

2.    The Business of Music: the definitive guide to the music industry 9th edition, M.  William Krasilovsky and Sidney Shemel; Contributions by John M. Gross, Billboard Books, 2003

3.    Contracts for the Film and Television Industry, 2nd edition-expanded, Mark Litwak, Silman-James Press, 1999

4.    Dealmaking in the Film and Television Industry: From Negotiations to Final Contracts, 2nd edition-expanded and updated, Mark Litwak, 2002.

5.    World Trademark Yearbook 2007, A global guide for practitioners, www.worldtrademarkreport.com; Published by Globe Business Publishing Ltd., ISBN 9781905783076.

6.    McCarthy’s Desk Encyclopedia of Intellectual Property, Third Edition, J. Thomas McCarthy, Roger E. Schechter, and David J. Franklyn, The Bureau of National  Affairs, Inc. 2004.

7.    Kirsch’s Guide to the Book Contract; Jonathan Kirsch, Acrobat Books, 1999.

8.    Literary Law Guide for Authors: Copyright, Trademark, and Contracts in Plain Language, Tonya Marie Evans and Susan Borden Evans, 2003.

9.    All You Need to Know About the Music Business, Donald S. Passman, Simon and Schuster, 1997.

10.    What They’ll Never tell you about the music business, Peter M. Thall, Billboard Books, 2002.

11.    Essential of Licensing Intellectual Property, Alexander I. Poltorak, Paul J. Lerner, John WIlely and Sons, 2004.

12.    Music, Money and Success: The Insider’s Guide to Making Money in the Music Industry, Jeffrey Brabec and Todd Brabec, Schirmer Trade Books, 2002.

13.    Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure (TMEP).
 

Come meet LGBT Practicing Attorneys!

This is a great chance to mingle, network, or whatever you want to call it. Everyone is welcome. Food is provided (please RSVP to Mary Anne Aspell before noon TOMORROW WED NOV 7th)


Room 203
Thursday November 8
11:30-1

Co Sponsored by Lamda , Career Services & SBA

I am not sure if November has officially been deemed Ethics Month, but I would like to take it upon myself to do so at this time. Please hold your applause until the end, thank you.

Due to all of my ethics related responsibilities, it has taken me some time to do a little write up of my experience at the Ethics Panel sponsored by Career Services that took place last week on November 1st.

For those of you who don’t know, I, as well as several other brave souls attempted to pass the MPRE (Multi-State Professional Responsibility Test) last Saturday, November 3rd. Please keep your fingers crossed for all of us highly ethical future lawyers and we’ll let you know how we did in approx. 5 weeks.

In the span one week, I took the Pro Res midterm, attended the Ethics Panel, and took the MPRE! Pretty amazing and hence the reason why this month of November has now been officially deemed “Legal Ethics Month.”

Now let’s get to the ethics panel! 5 lawyers attended that came from various backgrounds. Most of the attorneys that joined us were on or have been on the Ethics Committee in N.H. Needless to say, they are the ethics gurus and we were lucky to be able to hear their take on common ethical dilemmas that new lawyers face.

We had an ambitious list of topics to cover and managed to get through 6 hypothetical problems. These topics covered were how to deal with fee agreements, attorney client privilege issues, conflicts of interest, duty to report unethical conduct, how to deal with a situation where you think your supervisor is acting contrary to the ethics code. Some very difficult issues were discussed and some intelligent and insightful answers were given from professionals that have personally dealt with every single issue we discussed.

If you haven’t taken Pro Res yet, discovering how to answer these types of questions is pretty much what you will be dealing with on a weekly basis in class. Also, I suggest that if you are interested in further exploration of this topic, you should check out this article published by the ABA this month: http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/ . The article deals with the Top 10 ethical Traps that new lawyers face. Pretty fitting huh?!

Thanks for reading and “You Stay Ethical Pierce Law.” → (my shameless take on Anchorman’s famous sign off quote).  

A Day in the Life of a LGBT Lawyer!

Your always faithful and diligent Pierce Law Career Services Reporter gladly attended the Day in the life of a LGBT Lawyer panel co-sponsored by Career Services, LAMBDA, and the SBA. I was overwhelmed by the attendance at this panel. Many teachers and students attended to show support for LGBT lawyers and students as well as to learn more about the trials and tribulations that LGBT students and lawyers face in the “real world.”

This panel was eye opening to me. Discussed were issues such as when to tell your employer that you are gay, and if that is even necessary. Debates arose as to the best method of doing so and it was decided that the decision comes down to a personal choice that a person wishes to make.

Panelists Barbara Keshen, an attorney from the NH Civil Liberties Union and James Steele, a FPLC grad now working for Converse, offered their take on how to approach your sexuality in the workplace.

James suggested that you only chose a firm, or place to work that supports your lifestyle and makes you feel comfortable. If it requires discussing your sexuality with the hiring partner to determine whether the firm is the right atmosphere for you, then you should do so. He didn’t really have too much experience working in a practice where he was not out to his co-workers so he couldn’t really offer much advice on that side.

Barbara Keshen took a different stance on the debate and offered suggestions from her personal experience working in different areas of law. She has worked in an atmosphere where she was not out and in atmospheres where she was out and offered the advice that it felt much better to be herself and to be out with her co-workers. She discussed the fear of coming out for the first time, but offered that it feels invigorating and free to increase your relationship with your co-workers to the extent that you can be out and be yourself. She suggests that you take your time, move at your own pace and go with what feels right.

Other issues such as what to include on your resume, what to do if someone assumes you are straight and you are not, how to handle an interview that goes south once you mention that you are gay, or if you are asked if you are gay during an interview, etc.

Students that were unable to attend this panel and that have questions relating to topics that were covered at this panel can come to career services to discuss their questions. Also if you would like to get involved in LAMDA feel free to contact Amy Schroeder, president of LAMDA to find out when the next meeting is.

I would like to stress that LAMDA is an open club for ALL students regardless of your sexuality. It is a community designed to enhance the civil rights for LGBT students as well as increase the awareness that LGBT students are the same as everyone else. Some of my greatest friends are members of this club and not all are homosexuals. I encourage everyone to attend a LAMDA sponsored event or to join the club sometime in the future. It is never too late :)

You Stay Supportive Pierce Law! (Again, my shameless spin on Anchorman's sign-off)

• Are you a 1L?
• Are you scoping out options for this summer?
• Do you want to get out of Concord?
• Even better, do you want to get out of the COUNTRY?

    Well, if you answered yes to any of the previous questions please continue to read. If you didn’t, keep reading anyway because the information I am about to provide is quite interesting!

    I now qualify as an expert on spending a summer abroad during law school because I spent this previous summer (my 1L summer) abroad in Cork, Ireland with the eLSI program at Pierce Law. eLSI stands for the e-Law Summer Institute. This program focused on e-commerce and Internet law. It also provided an overview of the European Union political system and comparative intellectual property law.
    
    At eLSI, I attended classes with students from all over the world! My teachers were also from all over the world. We had fabulous professors from Pierce Law, the University College Cork, in Ireland, as well as a professor from England! We also had several guest lecturers that were practicing attorney’s from the US! This offered me an opportunity to learn from the various perspectives that all the individuals took on important issues in the current state of the e-law and how each perspective personally affected their home country!

    Next semester, Career Services will hold a panel on possible summer options for 1L students and I am sure there will be a panel discussing summer abroad programs. Right now, if you would like to get a jump start on your research and are interested in studying abroad this summer, check out the ABA’s website for accredited summer programs that are offered all over the world. There are programs in so many different areas of law that are offered from schools other than Pierce Law. For these programs you will have to apply for admission through the “home” school (i.e. the sponsoring school) and will need to do so soon. Here are some helpful links. Feel free to stop me in the hall!

http://www.abanet.org/legaled/studyabroad/abroad.html

http://www.abanet.org/legaled/studyabroad/foreign.html