Fall quarter:

• Focus on classes and on acclimating to Law School.
• Get to know your fellow students.  Identify and contact students with information about the kind of job you would like to have for the summer.
• Join student groups that are related to your career interests.
• Take opportunities to get to know faculty members and administrators.
• Attend Career Services Orientation sessions.
• Read the OCS manual.
• Attend the Practice Tracks program held in downtown Chicago in November.
• Attend OCS and other programs that interest you.
• Regularly read Law School Briefs and the OCS Bulletin for additional events and opportunities that appeal to you.
• Prepare a resume and cover letter and meet with OCS staff to have it reviewed (you are encouraged to do so before leaving for Thanksgiving Holiday).
• Consider your options for funding your summer (being able to volunteer opens up options in government and public interest).
• Begin preparing materials for mail campaign for summer job, particularly if you want to apply for private sector positions. (remember that letters cannot be sent prior to December 1st).
• Subscribe to listservs that are relevant to your interests.
• Register with your state bar if you are required to do so.

Winter break:

• Contact your network (don't forget former employers, parents of friends, and friends of parents) and develop new contacts to discuss summer opportunities.
• Send letters for mail campaign for summer job.
• Follow-up with employers.

Winter quarter:

• Attend Career Services Introduction to 1L On-Campus Interviewing Program.
• Participate in the Winter On-Campus Interviewing Program.
• Follow-up with employers who have not responded to mail campaign.
• Respond to listings posted on Symplicity, on the PSLawNet web site, in the Government Honors & Internships Handbook, and from other sources.
• Watch for postings in the school for Mandel Legal Aid Clinic jobs and research assistantships.
• Attend the Midwest Public Interest Law Conference in February.
• Be aware of deadlines for summer fellowships and grants.
• Consider working as a judicial intern.
• Regularly read Law School Briefs, the Career Services Web pages, and the OCS Bulletin for additional events and opportunities that appeal to you.
• If you have accepted summer employment be sure to notify OCS. Make sure OCS has your summer employment and contact information including dates of employment.

Spring break:

• Contact your network to discuss summer opportunities and/or to gather information about legal practice.

Spring quarter:

• Respond to listings posted on Symplicity, on the PSLawNet web site, in the Government Honors & Internships Handbook, and from other sources.
• Watch for postings in the school for Mandel Legal Aid Clinic jobs and research assistantships.
• Attend workshops on Making the Most of Your Summer Work Experience.
• Attend Introduction to Fall On-Campus Interviewing Program.
• Sign up for job fairs of interest (many have early deadlines even though they are for next year's job search).
• If you have accepted summer employment, be sure to notify OCS. Make sure OCS has your summer employment and contact information including dates of employment.
• Regularly read Law School Briefs, the Career Services web page, and the OCS Bulletin for additional events and opportunities that appeal to you.

Summer break:

• Read the Career Services web pages for information about the fall OCI program and other career services events and activities.
• Notify OCS of any changes in your contact information over the course of the summer.
• Prepare for your second year fall job search by:
  • Updating your Resume
  • Updating your Cover Letter
  • Selecting one or more writing samples and revising or redacting them as necessary
  • Making a list of references from your summer
  • Obtaining a current transcript
• Sign up for job fairs of interest (many have early deadlines even though they are for next year's job search).
• If not participating in fall OCI, or if supplementing fall OCI, draft and send cover letters and resumes to targeted employers in late summer.
• Keep track of your work experience by creating a file that includes copies of:
  • Brief descriptions of your assignments
  • Your written work product
  • List of clients for whom you worked
  • List of attorneys with whom you worked
    

Suggested timetable for second year students

Fall quarter:

• Complete Student Summer Employment Survey.
• Revise resume to reflect summer employment.
• Participate in the fall on-campus interview program.
• Attend OCS and other programs that interest you.
• Watch for the Department of Justice Summer Law Intern Program Deadline (usually in mid-September) and other government Honors Program deadlines.
• If not participating in fall OCI, or if supplementing fall OCI, draft and send cover letters and resumes to targeted employers.
• Follow-up with any employers whom you have contacted directly.
• If interested in public service, attend the Chicago Area Law School Consortium s Public Service Employers Reception and the Equal Justice Works Career Fair and Conference in Washington, D.C. (both in October).
• Regularly read Law School Briefs, the Career Services web pages, and the OCS Bulletin for additional events.
• If you have accepted summer employment, be sure to notify OCS. Make sure OCS has your summer employment and contact information including employment dates.

Winter quarter:

• If your career goals have changed or you are still seeking employment, make an appointment with an OCS counselor.
• Attend OCS and other programs that interest you.
• If considering public interest, attend the Midwest Public Interest Law Conference.
• If you have accepted summer employment, be sure to notify OCS, fill out your Summer Employment Report, and input your Summer Contact information via the web.
• If applicable, complete the Chicago Law Foundation summer grant application.
• If interested in a judicial clerkship, monitor the judicial clerkship listserv for updates and announcements regarding the clerkship application process.
• Regularly read Law School Briefs, the Career Services Web pages, and the OCS Bulletin for additional events.

Spring quarter:

• Attend OCS and other programs that interest you.
• If considering a post-graduate fellowship, attend the fellowship workshop.
• If considering a clerkship, attend a judicial clerkship orientation meeting, review the clerkship manual, and subscribe to the judicial clerkship listserv.
• Monitor the judicial clerkship listserv for updated information about the judicial clerkship application process.
• Sign up for job fairs of interest (many have early deadlines even though they are for next year's job search).
• If you have accepted summer employment, be sure to notify OCS.
• Regularly read Law School Briefs, the Career Services Web pages, and the OCS Bulletin for additional events.

Summer break:

• Notify OCS of any changes in your contact information over the course of the summer.
• If applying for judicial clerkships, prepare all application materials and provide a list of judges to the faculty members who will be preparing your letters of reference.
• Read the Career Services web pages for information necessary to participate in the fall OCI program and other career services events and activities.
• If applicable, work on post-graduate fellowship applications
• Prepare for your third year fall job search by:
  • Updating your resume
  • Updating your cover letter
  • Selecting a writing sample and revising or redacting as necessary
  • Making a list of references from your summer
  • Obtaining current transcript
• Sign up for job fairs of interest (many have early deadlines even though they are for next year's job search).
• If not participating in fall OCI, or if supplementing fall OCI, draft and send cover letters and resumes to targeted employers.
• Keep track of your work experience by creating a reading file that included copies of:
  • Brief descriptions of your assignments
  • Your written work product
  • List of clients for whom you worked
  • List of attorneys with whom you worked

Suggested timetable for third year students

Fall quarter:

• Complete Student Summer Evaluation Form.
• Update resume to reflect summer employment.
• Participate in fall OCI with employers that interest you.
• Complete fellowship applications.
• Complete applications for government Honors Programs; the DOJ's Honors Program deadline is usually mid-September.
• If not participating in fall OCI, or if supplementing fall OCI, draft and send cover letters and resumes to targeted employers.
• Attend the Bar Examination orientation session.  Watch for bar application deadlines.
• If interested in public service, attend the Chicago Area Law School Consortium's Public Interest Reception and the Equal Justice Works Career Fair and Conference in Washington, D.C. (both in October).
• Regularly read Law School Briefs, the Career Services web pages, and the OCS Bulletin for additional events.
• If you are still seeking employment, make an appointment with an OCS counselor.
• If you have accepted a judicial clerkship, be sure to notify OCS and to complete a Judicial Clerkship Acceptance Form.
• If you have accepted employment, be sure to notify OCS and fill out your graduating student employment and contact report.

Winter quarter:

• If interested in public interest, attend the Midwest Public Interest Law Conference.
• Work on Bar Exam application.
• Attend OCS and other programs that interest you.
• Regularly read Law School Briefs, the Career Services web pages, and the OCS Bulletin for additional events.
• If interested in a judicial clerkship, monitor the judicial clerkship listserv for updates and announcements regarding additional openings.
• If you have accepted permanent employment, be sure to notify OCS and fill out your graduating student employment and contact report.
• If you have accepted a judicial clerkship, be sure to notify OCS and to complete a Judicial Clerkship Acceptance Form.

Spring quarter:

• Attend OCS and other programs that interest you.
• Regularly read Law School Briefs, the Career Services web pages, and the OCS Bulletin for additional events.
• If interested in a judicial clerkship, monitor the judicial clerkship listserv for updates and announcements regarding additional openings.
• If you have accepted a judicial clerkship, be sure to notify OCS and to complete a Judicial Clerkship Acceptance Form.
• If you have accepted permanent employment, be sure to notify OCS and fill out your graduating student employment and contact report.