Five Nifty LinkedIn Tips

http://www.attorneyatwork.com/articles/five-nifty-linkedin-tips/

By Merrilyn Astin Tarlton |

If you are only using your LinkedIn profile as an online resume, then you’re missing the boat! Really. No modern professional—or wannabe professional—should be without a basic understanding of the powerful things the business networking site can do.

Yes, it’s a darn simple way to easily share your C.V. information online. And it is a practical way to track the most current contact information for your friends and colleagues. (Because they keep it current and what could be easier?) But there’s more to LinkedIn—a lot more. You can use it to build a reputation, crowd source tough problems, find a new job, gather competitive intelligence … the list is nearly endless.

Step one, of course, is to get your own personal profile up there and complete it. Step two? Turn it on and let it work for you.

Five Extremely Useful Things To Do with LinkedIn

1. Create a resume. Having filled in your LinkedIn profile information, you can quickly and easily turn it into a gorgeous and professional resume any time you want. The Resume Builder will suck your professional past into a prebuilt template of your choosing and make it look good. Then, just edit as you wish, catalog it online and share a custom link or a PDF with anyone who needs it. Which, given how gorgeous this is going to look, will be literally everyone.
2. Export your connections. Click on “My Connections” and you’ll see a complete list of all your personal LinkedIn contacts. You may wish to access this list anytime you are looking for up-to-date information about a contact. Or, just periodically dump it into your Microsoft Outlook, Mac Address Book or other email contacts list. To do this, find “Export Connections” near the bottom of the page, click it, select the format and “Bob’s your uncle!”
3. Keep track of someone (or something). If you haven’t already discovered it, there is a “Search” text box near the top of the LinkedIn screen. Type in the zip code, title, industry, name or whatever you wish to search on. Again, near the top, you’ll find a “Save This Search” link. You can save as many as three searches this way and you’ll be notified by email every time the results change for that search. You can get sophisticated with your searches, too. Say you want to locate people who have handled marketing for Geico. Just enter “Geico” and “Marketing” and search. You’ll get a list of people who have been involved in Geico marketing in the past or present—either in or outside your personal network.
4. Find someone in a company. Would an introduction to an executive with a specific company in your area bolster your marketing plan? Well then, don’t hesitate to figure out who you know who can make that introduction. Insert the name of the company into the “Search People” field, sort the results by relationship and then fine tune the results with the criteria in the left margin. To find someone in your personal network who can introduce you to a second-degree contact, just click on “Shared Connections” under their name.
5. Get found. You’ll also want to make sure that people interested in the type of thing you do will find you when conducting LinkedIn searches. Keywords and key phrases are the answer. What are the critical terms and phrases used in your practice area or industry? The more of those you include in your profile, the more likely you are to be found. If you’re not sure what keywords to use, just try Google AdWords Keyword Tool. It will tell you what terms people search.

Merrilyn Astin Tarlton has been helping lawyers and law firms think differently about the business of practicing law since 1984. She was a founder of the Legal Marketing Association, President of the College of Law Practice Management and an LMA Hall of Fame inductee. When she’s not writing for Attorney at Work, she blogs at http://www.astintarlton.com.

Having Fun on the Cheap in Big Cities

Looking for some fun things to do on a limited budget while summering in a large metro area?

PSLawNet has added a great resource page to their site with ideas in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.

https://pslawnet.org/livingfrugallyinlargemetroregions


If you have suggestions for these areas or other areas, email them here.

Project Based Public Interest Fellowships

By Leeor Neta
Assistant Director of Public Interest Programs, Golden Gate School of Law

http://ggulcs.blogspot.com/

Every aspiring public interest lawyer should consider applying for a postgraduate public interest fellowship. The summer before one’s last year of school is the time to apply!

While there are many kinds of public interest fellowships, project-based fellowships are some of the most attractive because they account for most of the fellowship opportunities—88 opportunities in the last year alone.

Project-based fellowship applications are time-consuming and complicated. Each applicant must pitch an original idea for a project, and recruit an existing organization to supervise, mentor, and train the applicant. Typically, the process requires months of preparation. At This article address two such fellowships: the Equal Justice Works Fellowship and the Soros Justice Advocacy Fellowship.

The Equal Justice Works Fellowship is the largest postgraduate legal fellowship program in the United States, and a leading innovator in this area. Last year, Equal Justice Works hosted 43 fellows from 30 different schools. The Fellowship is two years in duration.

The Equal Justice Works Fellowship application is extensive and very detailed. Applicants are required to draft a detailed statement of unmet need, project goals, timelines, and a personal statement. Applicants are also required to submit a long-form resume, two letters of recommendation, and a letter from the sponsoring agency. The applicant’s school matters little and grades are not considered at all.

The application is posted online in July. The deadline to submit the application occurs in mid-September. The office for Equal Justice Works West—located in Oakland—reviews all applications from schools in California. Equal Justice Works selects the applications it wishes to approve and “pitches” them to the companies and firms that fund the Equal Justice Works Fellowship. The funders have substantial decision-making power. Interviews typically takes place from the end of the fall through the spring.

In recent years, Equal Justice Works has supported applications in the following areas: immigration, youth (particularly special education), community development, and domestic violence.

If you’re interested in applying for an Equal Justice Works Fellowship, here are some important recommendations:

1. Applicants should choose a project to which they have a personal connection or one that is in clearly in line with the applicant’s background.
2. Because each host receives only one fellow, applicants should ask the host if it is sponsoring other applicants.
3. Because many successful projects have catchy titles, applicants should endeavor to draft such titles for their projects, e.g., the Briefcase Clinic.
4. Applicants should thoroughly research their project ideas and provide verifiable statistics supporting their statements of need.
5. Applicants should offer specific six-month milestones in the description of their projects’ goals.
6. Applicants should demonstrate how their project will offer pro bono opportunities for partner agencies.

For more tips on developing an Equal Justice Works Fellowship, click here.

The Soros Justice Advocacy Fellowship supports individuals—not just lawyers or law students—in the creation of projects that reform criminal justice policy. SJA Fellowships are 18 months in duration, and can begin in either April or September.

There are two Advocacy Fellowship tracks. Advocacy Track I is designed for new and emerging leaders. Advocacy Track II is aimed at more experienced individuals with a demonstrated record of achievement and expertise in their fields. Applicants in Track I do not compete with applicants in Track II. Each year, there are 15-20 Track I Fellowships.

Like the Equal Justice Works Fellowship, the Soros Justice Advocacy Fellowship application is extensive. Applicants are required to draft a detailed proposal—including project explanation, project goals, project strategies, and a timeline. Applicants are also required to submit a long-form resume, two letters of recommendation, and a letter from the sponsoring agency. Projects must also have an advisory board. The advisory board must be comprised of a minimum of three individuals who can lend strategic guidance and substantive expertise to the project.

The application is posted online in August. The deadline to submit the application occurs in early November. A reading committee consisting of Open Society Institute staff and outside experts in the field review the proposals and nominate finalists. Finalists are invited to interview with a selection committee that also consists of Open Society Institute staff and outside experts in the field.

Soros Justice Advocacy Projects must align with the Open Society Institute’s Criminal Justice Fund priorities. While these are in flux for the coming year, the Institute has tended to fund projects that:

• Attack the excessive and economically destructive costs of incarceration
• Eliminate harsh and unjust sentencing practices
• Reform parole and probation policies and practices
• Foster new approaches to drug policy
• Combat the criminalization of marginalized populations, e.g. people with mental illness, homeless individuals, young people, immigrants
• End punitive school disciplinary policies
• Eliminate unreasonable barriers to the reintegration of people returning from prison, as well as challenge the stigmatization of people with criminal records
• End the treatment of children as adults in prosecution and sentencing
• Abolish the death penalty
• Reform police and prosecution practices
• Improve indigent defense services and systems

Applicants may propose any number of strategies to achieve the goals set forth in their projects, including: litigation, public education, strategic communications, policy advocacy, coalition-building, grassroots organizing and mobilization, and action research. As a general rule, projects must not either wholly or substantially involve direct service delivery or individual representation.

The Soros Justice Advocacy Fellowship favors projects with multiple constituencies that could be served by sectors other than the criminal justice system, e.g., youth, the disabled community, the homeless population, the LGBT community, etc. Also encouraged are applications for projects that cut across various criminal justice fields and related sectors—such as education, health, mental health, housing, and employment. The fellowship favors projects outside of metropolitan areas—though in fact, few are—and particularly favors projects based in the South and Midwest.

The quality of the Soros Justice Advocacy Fellowship applicant is extremely important, perhaps more important than the project itself. The fellowship prefers applicants who have direct experience with the criminal justice system, e.g., ex-offenders, family members of offenders, or at least applicants with connections to their project issues that predate their legal education. The ideal applicant is one with a significant professional or personal connection to the project issue, and one with connections to past fellows and host organizations.

Though not required, host organizations are highly preferred. Even so, projects should clearly originate from the applicant’s background and interests, rather than from the host’s needs. Applicants choosing not to partner with a host organization must convincingly articulate how they will achieve the project goals without the infrastructure and support of an established organization.

If you’re interested in applying for a Soros Justice Advocacy Fellowship, here are some important recommendations:

1. Applicants should demonstrate that they are familiar with existing similar work.
2. Applicants should model their applications on past successful applications and clearly demonstrate that their projects are evolutions in the field.
3. Applicants should assembly their advisory boards as early as possible.
4. Applicant should talk to past fellows as part of their research.
5. Projects should combine community organizing with legal strategies.
6. Projects should meaningfully integrate constituency members, i.e., not just as clients.
7. Host organizations should be fully committed to the goals of the Open Society Institute, but need not be Open Society Institute grantees.

Applicants who are uncertain whether some aspect of their proposed project fits within the parameters of the Fellowship program guidelines or whether the project is otherwise likely to be of interest to the program may submit an email inquiry before proceeding with the full online application process. The email should provide a brief—no more than 500 words—description of the project, as well as some background information on the applicant, and should be sent to sorosjusticefellowships@sorosny.org.

For more tips on developing any project-based fellowship, click here.

For a list of helpful resources about fellowships generally, click here.

Most importantly, you need to plan now if you want to pursue a postgraduate fellowship.

How Law Students Should Use LinkedIn

http://lawyerist.com/how-law-students-should-use-linkedin/

By Leora Maccabee
There is no doubt about it – if you are a law student and do not have a vibrant, comprehensive, and frequently-updated profile on LinkedIn, you are missing an essential tool in your job hunting, professional networking, and personal branding tool box. Kevin O’Keefe was spot-on in his post last Sunday about law students and LinkedIn.

From one law student to another, here are the five B’s to mastering LinkedIn: the Basics, Beefing up your profile; Building your network; Branding yourself; and Best practices for job searching.

The Basics:

1. Every sentence on your LinkedIn profile is an opportunity for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Using common keywords, industry terms and active language makes LinkedIn and Google searchers more likely to find you. However, a LinkedIn profile should be more chatty (read: networking) than a formal resume (read: job search). Make sure your profile is completely truthful.
2. Describe your education and employment history in detail. The “summary” is your new elevator speech. “Activities” is for personal tidbits like your love for biking or singing. Include professional skills in your “specialties” and craft a pithy “title” for your profile that reflects your status and interests. For legal confidentiality purposes, do not mention current or former clients without their consent.
3. Add links to your websites, blogs or twitter feeds that you wish to make a part of your professional brand. Your LinkedIn “status” is immediately projected onto your connections’ home pages. Update your status once-a-week at minimum. Avoid mentioning in your status any non-public aspects of cases you are working on as doing so may violate your client’s confidentiality. A professional looking photo is a “must.”
4. Create a “Vanity URL” for your public profile. On the “edit profile” page, click “public profile,” and change the link from http://www.linkedin.com/in/1234skdfjdjf to http://www.linkedin.com/in/leoramaccabee (insert your name here). This will increase your profile’s Google ranking and will be easier to promote on business cards.

Beefing Up Your Profile:

1. Once you have filled in your LinkedIn profile basics, join Groups, add Applications, and get Recommendations. When you join a group, you can see the full profiles of all members, directly contact them on LinkedIn and search among the members using specific keywords (like law firm names, or locations). Join your undergraduate alumni/ae group. If your law school does not yet have a group on LinkedIn, create one. See the group I created for Northeastern University School of Law as an example.
2. Add applications to your home page (only you see it) and your profile (everyone sees it). Add the “Events” application. Add the “Wordpress” or “Blog Link” application to feed your blog posts directly onto your LinkedIn profile. Add “Company Buzz” to see who is tweeting about you or your potential employers.
3. A recommendation on your profile helps to make it 100% complete; gets you listed in LinkedIn’s “service provider” directory; and improves your professional brand. Never give false or misleading recommendations to others, and only ask for recommendations from people who knew you well in the capacity for which you are seeking a recommendation.

Building Your Network:

1. Connect backwards in history: send invitations to high school, college, graduate and law school classmates, former colleagues, family, friends and family friends, old teachers/professors, and anyone in your email address books. And then connect forwards: invite people you meet at conferences and trainings, reporters who interview you, and future colleagues.
2. DO NOT use LinkedIn’s generic language in invitations to connect. Make the subject line and the message personal and remind the individual how you know them. NEVER say “I do not know” to someone who asks you to connect with them. Doing so tells LinkedIn that the person may be a spammer. If you do not know a person, archive the message or send the person a note saying you forgot how you met, and ask him/her to refresh your memory.

Branding Yourself:

1. Brand yourself with your profile language and status updates; by creating groups; by asking and answering questions through the “Answers” tab; by giving and getting recommendations; by posting events; or by bringing your connections together (i.e. a job seeker and job hunter).
2. The “Answers” tab gives you an opportunity to answer questions in your field of interest by posting resources, links or advice. If the questioner ranks your answer as the best response, you are added to LinkedIn’s list of experts for that topic. The more “best” answers you give, the higher your rank. Subscribe to certain types of questions via RSS. Forward your questions to your connections to get their answers and simultaneously grow your relationships. As a law student, if you submit an answer to a legal question, make sure you include a disclaimer stating that your answer is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

Best Practices for Job Hunting:

1. If you’re looking for a job, once your profile is ready, go to the “Jobs” tab, and search by keyword, industry or location. LinkedIn tells you which employers are “in your network” because you are connected to people who work there either directly if they are already a connection or indirectly, if someone you know is connected to someone who works there. You can then send a note to the person you know requesting an introduction to the person at the job you are seeking.
2. Use LinkedIn to get the inside scoop on potential bosses, colleagues and interviewers by looking up their profiles. Do a “Company Search” to find out who formerly worked at the employer you are looking for and then contact that person via LinkedIn, either directly if they are already a connection, or indirectly through an introduction request if they are one degree removed from one of your connections.

Now you are ready to take the online legal world by storm! Take a long lunch break and do it.

Thinking about a Clerkship?

http://www.beyondhearsay.com/2011/06/14/thinking-about-a-clerkship/

by Anna Phillips

The holy grail of legal jobs, at least from the perspective of a law student, is that coveted big-law firm position. But with the glut of attorneys in the U.S. and the down economy, those big-law jobs are fewer and far between, as are increasingly jobs at mid size to smaller firms. So what is a recent law school graduate to do?

 

According to many Career Services advisors, the solution is to branch out: apply broadly, explore alternative legal positions, etc. One oft cited suggested alternative? A clerkship.

For me, I’ve found there to be many incentives to securing a clerkship. Forget the clerkship bonus firms offer. Nothing can compare to the experience and network a clerkship can generate. I especially encourage recent graduates to pursue a clerkship for the experience alone (and because everyone I talk to lauds working for the courts over the trying hours worked at a firm). A year under a judge — at any level — provides one with an opportunity to hone writing skills, encounter a broad range of litigation topics, and obtain a practical, working knowledge of litigation that a first-year associate would likely not obtain.

I was fortunate enough to obtain a clerkship in a district known for its patent-heavy docket, which was important to me because I eventually want to be a patent litigator. However, most clerkships are not as specialized as mine. On a daily basis, a clerk may encounter a variety of legal areas, such as habeas petitions, contract disputes, personal injury claims and criminal sentencing’s, amongst others. But, forget the high-level subject areas. Clerks have the benefit of learning the litigation ropes without all the pressure of pleasing the client or partner (although, you have to please the judge), billable hours, page limits, procedural deadlines, etc. Plus, clerks get the trial experience first-year associates never get. For example, I know fourth year litigation associates that have never stepped inside a courtroom.

Another benefit to clerking is the promise of a mentor. I can’t say I was as lucky in the world of big law. Although I have heard some horror stories regarding judge/clerk relationships, on the whole, you can’t beat learning about the judicial system from an arbiter of justice. I am fortunate to work for a judge who likes to talk things out with his clerks, so I get the advantage of learning how he thinks (which the big law firms think is a plus), as well as how to look at motions as part of the bigger picture, i.e., taking into consideration other issues that may have an effect on the case as a whole, rather than on each, individual motion. Other judges work differently. Some prefer their clerks to work on discrete projects, such as one motion at a time, without ever knowing the background of the case. Others have their clerks take ownership of their cases, but only require the clerk to present the facts of the case/motion, accompanied by their opinion or plan of attack, before the judge makes his or her decision. Because each judge works differently, when interviewing for a clerkship, be sure to ask how the judge prefers to work so that you know what to anticipate going in. It may make all the difference in the world.

Also, when “applying broadly,” don’t automatically discount magistrate judges. Each district uses magistrate judges differently, so don’t exclude them from your application process. Many magistrate judges get down “in the weeds” so to speak, meaning their clerks may obtain a more specialized training in matters such as social security, habeas petitions, or evidentiary matters.

Finally, clerks write. And write. And write. On a daily basis, I write at least one piece, whether it be an email, an Order, or an Opinion. If you want to hone your writing skills, a clerkship is the way to go. Again, you have the time to write, without having to worry about deadlines or the client’s pocketbook. I am definitely a better writer ten months into my clerkship than I was when I began.

My clerkship has taught me how to write with a certain precision and clarity – although as a forewarning this blog entry may not reflect it. When writing for the court, each word must be measured carefully. From the advocate’s point of view, room for interpretation can be beneficial; the court has discretion, and some wiggle-room, to work within the gray that may be presented in the briefing. The court, on the other hand, must weigh the connotation of each word because attorneys will look for any ambiguity that may be worked to their client’s advantage.

If you want to become a better writer, a clerkship is a good way to go. Think of it as the “practical year of law school”. The Catch 22 of it all of course is that in order to obtain a clerkship in the first place, you need to be a decent writer. So, if you’re thinking ahead about a judicial clerkship and you think your writing needs improvement, think about taking a writing class beyond the requisite writing classes at your law school to sharpen those skills.

Finally, the network a clerk can manufacture is worth the year of your life alone. Remember, “it’s not the grades you make, but the hands you shake.” Lawyers always want to know the clerk because a relationship with the court makes life easier. Those days of shouldering your way between other ambitious law students to talk to practitioners are over. Instead, you’re the one being sought. And the more people you know, the better off you are when looking for that coveted law firm job.

Now, don’t take my words as a criticism of law firms, or big law, in general. I plan on moving to the private sector at the conclusion of my clerkship. What I mean to say is that a young attorney with little prior experience derives great benefit from a clerkship, bolstered by a strong writing background and knowledge of the court system. So, if you want that cushy salary and an office with a view, think of a clerkship as a stepping stone. Get out there and “apply broadly.”

Anna Phillips is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and the University of San Diego School of Law. She now clerks in the Eastern District of Texas.

Tips for Avoiding the Most Common Summer Associate Problems - Misunderstood Assignments

by Frank Kimball, http://careers.abovethelaw.com/gen/MasterYourAssignments

Mastering assignments begins with understanding what the lawyers you are working for want. You are not in law school; this is not a contest where you are graded against other students. Clients want answers — not issue spotting. Sophisticated clients already know the issues. Clients want answers based on the facts and applicable law — not theory based on policy arguments, law review articles, cases from other states, dissenting opinions, or model statutes which have not been adopted.

The most frequent problems in summer programs arise from misunderstood assignments. Common errors include:

• spending the wrong amount of time on a project
• delivering the wrong type of work product
• memoranda that speak with the voice of a law student rather than that of a lawyer and
• inadequate or excessive legal research.

Each is preventable.

If you do not enjoy research, call that truck driving school. If you do not have a natural curiosity about legal issues, you are in the wrong profession. That means a rigorous, disciplined approach to defining problems and finding answers even if it means going through scores of cases, stacks of treatises, and hitting innumerable dead ends until you are satisfied.

Know that your assignment will be delivered by an attorney responsible for coordinating projects for summer associates or the attorney for whom the work will be done. Therefore, do not leave the office of the assigning lawyer without answers to these eleven questions:

1. What kind of answer does the lawyer want — informal, oral, a short memo, or a more extensive report?
2. Does the assigning attorney want to discuss your conclusions?
3. What is the due date? Is a preliminary report or intermediate report required?
4. How much time should you spend? If more time is required, should you check back with the assigning attorney?
5. What files, memoranda, forms, or other material should you review?
6. Are there associates with whom you can speak as questions arise?
7. Should you look at the laws of one jurisdiction or do a more extensive survey?
8. Should you use LEXIS or WESTLAW?
9. Are there particular secondary sources the lawyer recommends — e.g., ALI, PLI treatises, local or state bar groups, or other specialized materials?
10. Who is the client and to what matter should your time be charged?
11. Are there any especially sensitive concerns - beyond the normal concerns of client confidentiality? Sometimes your work may be on an unannounced transaction, a case that has not yet been filed, or on a project that is especially sensitive.

Listen and take notes. When you return to your office you may realize that you forgot to ask a question or that a fact or detail seems unclear. Review the materials you were given — but do not be bashful about seeking clarification. Now is not the time to guess! Many summer associates stumble because they misunderstood a key feature of an assignment and delivered a memoranda which answers the wrong question, applies the wrong governing law assumes incorrect facts, or gives the wrong level of detail. The result? The partner is disappointed, the summer associate feels unfairly treated, and the firm or client may have a problem. All of this can be prevented — by seeking clarification.

Balance learning what you need to know versus bugging the assigning lawyer. Some summer associates come back with questions five times a day. This annoying habit suggests immaturity and signals what kind of attorney you will become if you join the firm. Remember, your job is to make the life of a partner or senior associate as easy as possible. Constantly interrupting them with questions that could have been addressed at the outset of the assignment is not helpful. Every lawyer has conflicting client matters — documents to draft, letters to write, calls to return, meetings to attend, bills to prepare, and presentations to make. If your behavior suggests pestering, immaturity, or someone who just "doesn’t get it," your summer is at risk.

Most projects will require a memorandum or other written work product. Understand the styles and formats for memoranda, complaints, briefs, opinion letters, etc. Your advisor, the summer program coordinator, and secretaries can help you. Many firms have extensive form files as well as copies of assignments from previous summer associates. Know that the assigning attorney may have preferences on how papers are prepared. Make sure you know what is expected and know when and who to ask about the specifics.

These tips are provided by Frank Kimball, a principal of The Kimball Partner Group, a Lateral Link Company. Frank has interviewed, hired, placed, or counseled more than 11,500 law students and attorneys, and is the only principal of a search and consulting firm to work as a former hiring partner at one of the nation’s twenty largest law firms.

Washington D.C. on a Budget

Expert Opinion: CAPITALizing on a Public Interest Budget this Summer in DC

June 15, 2011 at 11:39 am   

http://pslawnet.wordpress.com/2011/06/15/expert-opinion-capitalizing-on-a-public-interest-budget-this-summer-in-dc/

By Jamie Bence and Lauren Forbes

Welcome to DC, summer interns! Make the most of your summer in the District by seeing all that the nation’s capital has to offer and attending events geared towards you. You won’t have to break the bank either, as some of the most fun and interesting things to do are free! Here are a few of our favorite things, followed by a list of resources to help you find additional activities.

The National Zoo: The Zoo currently has a record number of lion cubs, a pregnant panda and baby apes. Admission is free, and if you go early, you can avoid the crowds.

Jazz in the Sculpture Garden: In the summer, the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden is a great place to spend a couple of hours. In the summer you can enjoy Jazz in the Park on Friday afternoons after 5 PM.

Monuments in the Dark: When the sun is out in Washington, so are the tourists — especially at the monuments. That is why it is best to see them at night. Not only will you avoid the crowds, you will also get to enjoy the beautiful lighting.

Outdoor movies for free: One of the more well-know is Screen on the Green. Every Monday night starting in mid-July, there are free movies on the National Mall (an outside area of land in the middle of the district). Bring a blanket, some snacks and a friend to enjoy an outdoor movie… for free!

Walk Up the Exorcist Stairs: If you haven’t seen The Exorcist, firstly, go see it. Georgetown alumnus William Peter Blatty wrote the 1973 thriller and he included the dark stairs in one of the most chilling scenes of his movies. On the brighter side, Georgetown athletes use the stairs to train.

More Resources

• Washington Post’s Intern Guide covers everything from Happy Hour to theater tickets on the cheap.
• NPR provides another great list of things to do, geared toward interns.
• For information about happenings on the Hill, sign up for The People’s List by sending a message to geoffrey.browning@gmail.com.

NYU Law's Guide to Living in New York City on a Budget

https://pslawnet.org/uploads/NYU_Law_-_Living_in_NYC_on_Public_Interest_Salary.pdf

A great guide to living in New York City - where to find work, housing, entertainment, etc.

Big Apple Small Budget - Making the Most of your NYC Summer

http://pslawnet.wordpress.com/2011/06/07/big-apple-small-budget-making-the-most-of-your-nyc-public-interest-summer/

Expert Opinion: Big Apple, Small Budget – Making the Most of Your NYC Public Interest Summer

   

[Editor's Note: we're reviving our Expert Opinion series this summer, so that we can bring you advice and wisdom from a broad cross section of today's and tomorrow's public service advocates. Look for an Expert Opinion post every Tuesday. Our first such post sets the bar pretty high, coming from our friend and colleague Deb Ellis at NYU Law. Thanks, Deb!]

By: Deb Ellis*, Assistant Dean for Public Service, NYU School of Law

Summer in NYC on the Cheap!

Are you a student interning in New York City this summer on a public interest stipend? There are many articles out there to help you maximize the educational value of your internship. Today we want to give you tips on how to flourish while being frugal!

While New York City has a reputation for being expensive, it also boasts numerous cheap outdoor eats, entertaining inexpensive or even free activities, and great outdoor events. NYU School of Law has compiled a “Guide to Living in New York on a Public Interest Salary” that has lots of great advice. Below are ten tips from the Guide on how to enjoy NYC while saving your cash (selected especially for folks who are here on summer internships.)

1) Ride the Staten Island Ferry

Perhaps the best-kept secret in NYC, the Staten Island Ferry is the cheapest option for that breathtaking glimpse of major sights like the Statue of Liberty, Governor’s Island, and the downtown skyline. It is FREE. It has a coffee shop on board. It also sells inexpensive beer: one NYU student calls it “the best bar in the city.” And if you’re a baseball fan, tickets are cheap to watch the “Staten Island Yankees” play in the stadium next to the ferry terminal on the Staten Island side.

2) Eat at Roving Restaurants and Farmer’s Markets

Need a great bite on the go? While you should definitely sample from NYC’s ubiquitous hot dog and pretzel carts, a gourmet food truck is a fun way to partake of great cuisine on a budget. While many trucks have semi-permanent locations, most trucks post where they’ll be on their twitter or webpage. Some great ones include Wafels & Dinges, Rickshaw Dumpling Truck, and Moshe’s Falafel.

You may be surprised to learn that NYC now hosts dozens of Farmers Markets in all 5 boroughs, http://www.grownyc.org/ourmarkets, where you can buy super fresh and delicious produce!

3) Enjoy some Gelato or Other Frozen Treats

From Grom to Il Laboratorio del Gelato there is no summer treat New Yorkers have become fonder of. Another favorite local summertime dessert is tart frozen yogurt available from the original yogurt outpost Pinkberry or one of many followers.

4) See a Play at a Discount…

Manhattan: it's not Philly, but it's not too shabby

TKTS – the Theater Development Fund’s project to help make theater more accessible – offers same day, half priced tickets to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. The line might be long, but it is worth it. There are two locations: one in Times Square and the other in the South Street Seaport. Don’t forget about Student Rush offers (each theater has its own policy so check their website) which provide students tickets for $20-$30 or the Public Theater’s free summer Shakespeare in the Park.

4) …Or a Movie or Museum for Free!

Many public parks offer a free outdoor movie series. RiverFlicks at Hudson River Park, HBO Bryan Park Film Series, and Outdoor Cinema at the Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens are among local favorites. Also, the MoMA, the Brooklyn Museum, the Guggenheim, and many more museums all have at least one free night a month, if not once a week.

5) Don’t Just Sit There … Bike, Skate, or Swing!

Renting a bike is a great way to enjoy the City; you can rent from Tribeca’s Frank’s Bike Shop to Midtown’s Central Park Bike Rental and everywhere in between. You can bike up nearly the entire Hudson River on the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway or find your own favorite path at http://www.nycbikemaps.com.

Visit Union Square Park on Wednesday nights for a free group skate or head up to Lincoln Center for a swing lesson and open dance at A Midsummer’s Night Swing for $17 – or sit and listen for free!

6) Explore NYC’s layered history

Amidst tall skyscrapers and modern plazas, layers of history wait to be discovered in all 5 boroughs. There’s no better way to get to know your neighborhood, or someone else’s, then by taking a walking tour or guiding yourself on your own. To complement your public service work, visit some of the City’s radical history sites such as:

• African Burial Ground, where free and enslaved African Americans were buried during the 17th and 18th centuries
• Cooper Union, where in 1860 Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous Cooper Union Address
• Site of Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911, which spurred the labor movement
• Stonewall Inn, 1969 birthplace of the modern gay rights movement

7) Visit a Public Park or Public Beach
Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pelham Bay Park, and The High Line are just a few of the city’s expansive, beautiful parks. Some have great summer music festivals with many free events, like Central Park’s SummerStage. You can take a free ferry to Governor’s Island and rent a bike or enjoy a homemade picnic. Rockaway Beach is a free way to beat the heat while Long Beach and Jones Beach will cost you from $ 8 – $14 per visit. For more information, visit www.nycgovparks.org.

De- Stress In The Great Outdoors
After long days in an office or court room, relax beside the Hudson River at one of the summer’s many outdoor yoga sessions. Additionally, Bryant Park offers free Tuesday morning and Thursday evening yoga and Open Air Yoga offers classes in Battery Park City in the morning and Central Park in the evening for $12.

9) Buy At a Discount
These days Kmart, JCPenny, Target, Marshalls, Ikea, and Costco can be found in multiple boroughs. Go with a friend and stock up for savings or hit their clothing departments for low cost professional wear. Trader Joe’s has also opened up several outposts in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Finally, do your research and sign up for group coupon sites; there are great deals to be had all summer long.

I hope that these tips help you have a fun, relaxing, and memorable summer in New York City!

*Thanks to Dana Wax and Vesna Petrin for assistance with this article.

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Interested in Working with the Department of Justice? Tips from PSLawNet & the DOJ

Expert Opinion: DOJ Hiring and Careers

Take it from those who know! The folks at the Department of Justice share some insights with the PSLawNet Blog about opportunities at DOJ.

1. What are the traditional points of entry for attorneys into the Department of Justice?
The good news is there are multiple points of entry into legal positions at the Department of Justice. Many law students (more than 1800 annually) enter the Department as volunteer legal interns and many of those same interns rejoin the Department at some point in their career. The same holds true for the 100 to 120 law students who participate in the compensated Summer Law Intern Program. The Attorney General’s Honors Program, which is the only way you can enter the Department as a graduating law student, is the entry point for anywhere from 150 to 200 law students every year, and another 600 – 700 experienced attorneys join the Department annually. In other words, wherever you are in your legal career, there is an opportunity to join the Department.

2. How about for attorneys who no longer wish to practice? Are there employment opportunities for them? If so, could you talk about how attorneys apply for them?
Law school and legal work experience gives you valuable skills that are transferable to a wide range of professions, not just practicing law. There are more than 120,000 individuals working for the Department and only 10,000 works as attorneys. Based on these numbers, we have many opportunities for attorneys who no longer wish to practice. The types of positions vary widely, and include jobs such as investigator, administrator, program analyst, paralegal, program manager, and human resources specialist. Most of these positions are available through the competitive service and all of them are advertised on USAJOBS.

3. Steering back to hiring, we’re keeping ourselves abreast of the efforts that Office of Personnel Management’s application reform process. To what extent are these reforms affecting DOJ attorney hiring?
The purpose of the hiring reforms is to streamline the hiring process, and make it simpler for job applicants who wish to serve their country through federal sector employment. Through a more efficient and user friendly hiring process, the DOJ will be better able to hire quality, mission-critical personnel such as those who carry out the Department’s important law enforcement mission. Attorneys and non-attorneys alike serve to benefit from the enhanced transparency and efficiency brought about by OPM’s hiring reforms.

4. We also know that the federal government has imposed a hiring freeze at all agencies. How has the freeze impacted hiring at DOJ?
In light of budget reductions, all Federal Agencies, including DOJ, have taken additional steps to ensure there continued ability to comply with critical mission requirements. Proposed expenditures, not just hiring, are being carefully reviewed with these requirements in mind. All future experienced career attorney positions as well as entry level attorney opportunities through the Attorney General’s Honors Program will continue to be posted on DOJ’s attorney vacancy web site (www.justice.gov/oarm) in normal course.

5. Turning now to those who are selected for an interview, what are three pieces of advice you’d give a candidate?
The Department of Justice is a mission driven organization. We are interested in talented candidates who demonstrate that they want to contribute to the overall mission of the Department, as well as the specific mission of the individual office. Our three interview tips:

1. Do your homework. Have a clear understanding of the mission and work of the office. Consult the web, career services, alumni, and other contacts.
2. Have a clear and persuasive answer to the question: “Why are you interested in working with us?” Be able to draw a clear connection between your skills and experience and the work of the office.
3. Know who you are and what you bring to the table. DOJ values authenticity, integrity, enthusiasm, and confidence.

6. Programs like the Presidential Management Fellowship have recently become an increasingly attractive route for law graduates not wanting to practice. Has DOJ made any PMF or similar program placements recently?
The Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management does not manage the Department’s Presidential Management Fellowship program. However, PMFs with law degrees are welcome to apply for the Attorney General’s Honors Program provided they meet other eligibility requirements. In addition, PMFs qualify for many non legal positions in the Department.
http://pslawnet.wordpress.com/

Two New Guidebooks Now Available from Career Services

The Career Services Office has published two new Guidebooks:

Guide to Judicial Clerkships 
Guide to Alternative Careers 

Hard copies are also available in the CSO. If you are outside the area and would like a hard copy, email James.  Please include your mailing address and indicate which book you would like; we will send them to you.

The Keys to Finding a Legal Job

http://www.law.com/jsp/lawjobs/newsandviews/LawArticle.jsp?id=1202495548681&rss=careercenter

Jill Backer All Articles

New York Law Journal

May 31, 2011

There is no doubt that this is a challenging market for both entry-level and lateral attorneys. However, there are certain steps that you can take to make yourself more marketable and prevent being overlooked by potential employers.

To land that job you must build a skill set that is attractive to the type of employer you desire, and you must perform a proper and thorough search.

BUILD YOUR SKILLS
Crafting the right resume is an art. Whether you are in law school or already practicing, there are a myriad of ways to build the resume you need.

If you are a law student, there is no such thing anymore as "taking the semester off from working." You must work every semester at some type of legal employment to be competitive.

Each internship/fellowship/clerkship/externship improves your skill set and contacts in your practice area. It also showcases your work ethic and diligence.

For more seasoned attorneys, the old adage, "you need a job to get a job" has never been more true. You must work while you are looking for a job.

Pro bono. Both students and graduates alike should take advantage of pro bono opportunities, especially if you are seeking to be hired in an area of law in which you have little or no experience/exposure. For example, if you are a litigator and really want to change over to the transactional side, getting some pro bono experience might be your only way of gaining that necessary experience for your resume.

Most bar associations have some type of pro bono opportunities for practicing attorneys. There are several websites catering to this, but check out these two for starters: www.probono.net and http://www2.nycbar.org/citybarjusticecenter/probono-overview.

Academics. Students and graduates also need to take advantage of the potential to academically augment their resumes. This means attending CLEs and presentations pertinent to your area of interest.

If you are a law student, this means that you take every course available in your area and add these courses to your resume as "relevant coursework." For graduates, a little known fact is that most law schools will allow their graduates to audit particular classes for low or no fees. I have seen graduates audit classes to expand their knowledge in a particular area, bolstering their credentials in their field or moving into a new one.

Anyone in the law can benefit from attending CLEs and bar association presentations to help boost their knowledge of a subject area as well as meet similarly minded people in that practice.

Another way to gain expertise in a given area is to write on the topic. There are many writing competitions sponsored by bar associations and other legal organizations. The best way to establish yourself as an expert is to be published in that area of law. It is also a great booster to your resume to show your skill.

CONDUCT THE RIGHT SEARCH
Once you have built a credible and competent resume for your area of choice, you must continue to be proactive.

In today's fast-moving society, most people, especially students, are used to instant results. However, jobs searches are rarely about quick anything, especially in the legal market. In this buyer's market, employers do not need to be solicitous or even responsive to you.

I often hear students say that they applied to a number of employers and did not hear anything back. More often than not, employers are beginning to put disclaimers on their job ads that say, "You will only be contacted if we think you are right for the position." Again, just because you hit "send" and apply for the position does not mean the employer owes you anything.

Also, be cognizant of the fact that some legal employers have very long hiring cycles that can stretch out as much as six months for a permanent position. You have to have the patience and persistence to weather the job search.

You need to devote significant time to your search; make finding a job your "part-time job" while you are searching. What I mean by this is that you need to put in the hours both in quality and quantity on a consistent basis. You can't apply to a couple of jobs a month and expect something will hit within a few weeks.

If you are in law school, your job search should be a consistent part of every week to the tune of between four and eight hours per week. This four- to eight-hour span should include both networking and actually applying to jobs.

As a new graduate (and at any subsequent level of your career), you should be doubling those hours to eight to 16 hours per week. This is especially important as a new graduate, post-bar exam. This type of commitment and consistency is the activity level necessary for a successful job search.

Resume. There are many components to actually applying for jobs. A good resume highlighting your skills in the best light possible is critical.

A good resume takes all of the skills you have built and the things you have done and condenses them into a concise and professional document. You may have more than one version of your resume that, while including the same entries, emphasizes different strengths. You would then use the resume best suited to the specific position. I have seen this done well with students who intend to enter the financial services world, which often uses bullet-point resumes that are not as acceptable in the legal market.

It takes time and energy to develop your resume substantively and in the proper format. I highly recommend the utilization of your law school's career center for resume review. Those staff members know what is acceptable by legal employers and can make your resume the best it can be.

By the way, gimmicks, weird fonts, strange "interests," etc. are not going to get you positive attention from legal employers. Simply state your credentials and skills.

Research. Researching is a time-intensive process that is made infinitely easier by way of the Internet. Nearly every organization has a website, even the smallest firms, but if you cannot find a particular employer's website, try Martindale or Google for any pertinent data. Researching the firms to which you want to apply will enable you to build your knowledge base and later help you prepare for the interview process that (hopefully) follows.

While you are on the Internet researching individual employers, be sure to review all job boards both at your law school (yes, even for experienced attorneys) and public sites including those that are not specifically legal, such as Monster.com and the nytimes.com.

Cover Letter. Now that you have thoroughly researched the employers in which you are interested, you can use your research to create a well-tailored, well written cover letter for each one to which you are sending your resume.

Many job applicants make the mistake of thinking that cover letters are "one size fits all" documents that can be written broadly to appeal to every employer. This is a huge mistake and these letters can be spotted (and discarded) by employers immediately. What these generic cover letters tell employers is simply that you are so disinterested in them that you didn't even take the time to write a cover letter.

Generic cover letters show no attention to detail, and that is one of the prime characteristics employers look for in a lawyer. An article I read recently in The Wall Street Journal[FOOTNOTE 1] cited an employer that asked all applicants to put the phrase "Green M&Ms" in the subject line of their application emails. This request was specifically made to weed out those who could not follow directions and pay attention to detail. Out of 300 applicants, only 75 followed this explicit direction.

Again, attention to detail and the reading and following of directions are supposed to be significant qualities of attorneys and cannot be overlooked when hiring. You may be eminently qualified for a position, but your documents can sometimes be a barrier to your entry. You must spend time and energy making sure your cover letter and resume are perfect.

AND IF YOU DO NOTHING ...
The absolute worst thing you can do for yourself, whether you are currently in law school or a graduate looking for a job, is nothing.

No one is coming to your living room to offer you a job. You need to be out there networking, sending resumes and educating yourself. The "deer in the headlights" or "head in the sand" approaches to a job search are rarely successful.

The job seekers who allow themselves to be mired in persistent negativity will find that this thinking is rarely useful to them. Remember what Henry Ford said: "Whether you think you can or you can't, you're right." Even people who are well connected will not be successful without putting in the requisite energy and time.

To conduct a proper job search, you can also not discount your attitude and focus. You need the whole package to get you where you want to be and must consider the search as a part-time job. The reward for all of this work will be a job!

Jill Backer is associate director for employer relations at Brooklyn Law School.

::::FOOTNOTES::::

FN1 Sarah E. Needleman, "When It's Time to Take on Help," The Wall Street Journal, Jan. 17, 2011, available at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704323204576084410469403434.html target="new".

What Bar Exam Takers Can Learn from Marathoners

http://lawyerist.com/what-bar-exam-takers-can-learn-from-marathoners/

What Bar Exam Takers Can Learn from Marathoners

by Josh Camson on May 30, 2011

Last week I hobbled my way across the finish line for my first full marathon. Three weeks before the race I injured myself. The cause of the injury is clear in retrospect, and I learned some important lessons about future training. Luckily for you, I realized that the lessons I learned from training (poorly) for a marathon can help you succeed when studying for the bar exam this summer.

Interval Training

When studying this summer, it’s easy to get sucked into the bar exam. You’ll make the bar your only focus and exclude everything else. Don’t do this. Let interval training help. For runners, interval training means working extremely hard for bursts at a time, and then taking a break. This same approach works wonders when studying. One of my favorite habits last summer was to study at my local pool. I would force myself to do a certain number of difficult multiple choice questions in a subject I didn’t like, and then reward myself with a swim. Or I might lock myself away all day without breaks, but then get together with friends to see a movie or, more likely, go to the bar. These little breaks help you to clear your mind. When you’re running around in circles about the rule against perpetuities, a break can help you come back and see things more clearly.

The Right Equipment

I own at least three pair of running shoes that I rotate through. Not to mention my GPS watch, fancy running clothes, hats, jackets, etc. Clearly, I’ve got more equipment than I need. But what equipment do you have for the bar exam? First and foremost is probably your computer. Check your state’s rules to see what special procedures there are for laptops. Download the software early and make sure you know how to use it. The last thing you want on test day is to freak out over a software problem. If you’re hand writing your test, see what the requirements are. Can you use whatever color ink you want, or does it have to be blue? How many pens are you bringing to the test? Bring more.

What about clothing? Some antiquated states still require test takers to wear a suit. Others allow any clothing you want, but require soft soled shoes. Look these things up now and sort them out in advance. These will not be the things you want to think about the week before the test. Do you like to have a watch with you? Make sure they’re allowed in the room.

When I run a race, I always set all of my gear out a few nights before the run just to make sure I have everything. You should be doing this as well. Create a checklist and put everything on your kitchen table to make sure there is nothing you’re forgetting. And remember your computer’s power cord. You can thank me later.

Hill Work Beats Speed Work

When you run up hills, you are preparing your body for a more intense race than you will (hopefully) have to run. Hills build strength and contribute to your speed as well as your overall cardiovascular health. You will do the same thing this summer to your brain. I recommend that when studying for the bar, you take an hour here and there to really challenge yourself. Open to the hardest questions in your worst subject area and slog through them. It’s OK if you get them wrong. But read the right answers and see why you got them wrong. Take notes accordingly.

As you work your way through these incredibly difficult questions, you’ll be fine tuning your brain for the big day. When you sit down to your exam and see that there are only a couple very difficult questions, the rest of the test will seem easier. The ten minutes you spent on that elaborate contracts question will help you breeze through four or five easy questions in as much time.

Rest Days are Critical

A lot of runners make the mistake of running or cross training every day of the week. Some of your fellow test takers will do the same thing. Luckily, you read this website and now you know that you should not study all day every day. Your brain, like any muscle, needs to rest. So take an afternoon to read a crappy novel. Or go out Saturday night with your friends. It will be OK. Rest will make you stronger and help you from being burned out.

Nothing New on the Big Day

You know what you like to eat for breakfast. You know how much water you should be drinking so you don’t go to the bathroom constantly. You know how to approach multiple choice questions, essay questions, and performance exams. You’ve studied and prepared for this bar exam. So don’t foul it up on the big day. Don’t have a big breakfast if you’re used to a Pop-Tart. If you always draft an outline of your essay questions before you write, don’t skip it now. You’ve invested time and energy into your preparation. Let it pay off and knock the bar exam out of the park.(photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/klimenko/4611557934/)

Josh Camson is an ethics enthusiast and fitness freak. He reads and writes about legal ethics and prosecutorial misconduct. In his spare time, Josh is a runner.

Use Twitter to Get a Job: 4 Steps

http://moneywatch.bnet.com/saving-money/blog/so-money/use-twitter-to-get-a-job-4-steps/536/?tag=content;col1

By Farnoosh Torabi |

When it comes to social networks and job-hunting, Twitter trumps Facebook, according to Dan Schawbel, author of Me 2.0, Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success. “Twitter is the best place because it’s public networking,” says Schawbel. Facebook, meanwhile, is just too personal a space to approach someone you don’t know and with whom you share no friends. “I’d never say to send resumes to hiring managers on Facebook…It’s like infringing on people,” he says.

The second edition of Schawbel’s book came out in October (2010). It has an extra 60 pages, including a chapter on how to use social networks to land a job. After another round of disappointing unemployment data Friday morning, I decided to pick his brain for more advice on Twitter to boost your chances of landing a job. Here are four steps.

1. Craft a Specific Network

Make a list of the top three to five companies in specific locations where you’d love to work, says Schawbel. Then head to Twellow.com, a sort of Twitter Yellow Pages that helps you find people based on keywords in their bios. For example, type in “Accounting California” or “Microsoft PR” and Twellow gives you a list of Twitter users who have those keywords in their bios. From there you can narrow down the most appropriate people to follow.

2. Organize Your List

Before reaching out to folks you’ve located via Twellow, create a Twitter list that includes all their names. Perhaps you want to call it “People I Need to Network With,” says Schawbel. Those you are following on the list will be able to see that you’re keeping track of them and it may spark some positive interest on their end.

Just remember that these folks will be able to see the name of your list – so choose something flattering, like “Accounting Industry Pros,” instead of a more stalker-ish “Accountants to Keep Tabs On.”

3. Ready, Set, Retweet

You’re ready to make contact. “The best way to begin engaging is to retweet,” says Schawbel. If, for example, you see someone on your list sharing a cool article on the industry, retweet it. It’s a way of casually introducing yourself and showing interest. It’s like being at a real networking event and you overhear a conversation that interests you. You may want to jump in somehow. Retweeting is the equivalent of jumping into a conversation and saying, “I totally agree. Hi, I’m Farnoosh, by the way.”

4. Direct Message

After a few weeks of conversing on Twitter and introducing yourself to your select network (with them hopefully tweeting back to you), the time may now be right to send a direct message via Twitter or add them on LinkedIn to advance the conversation and talk about sending over a resume or a link to your Web site. Only at this point is it appropriate to bring Facebook into the picture. “Once they already know you from Twitter, it’s much easier to connect on Facebook.”