Research Employers:
Researching employers is an important step in the application process. In spending time to research employers, you can identify targets, learn how to apply, and gain insight that will impress interviewers.
If you are researching law firms, the nalpdirectory.com is a great place to begin. After typing in the firm’s name, you will see information like the primary practice areas, number of lawyers, and a narrative about the firm. Martindale.com is also a good resource for identifying firms, and you can filter based on cities, practice areas, firm size, etc. Another good site is Vault.com, but it is mostly limited to information regarding larger firms.
For government positions, usajobs.com lists open government positions and PSJD.org has public interest postings and helpful public interest career building resources.
For all types of employers, the employer’s website is likely to provide the most insight. Spend a half hour reading the mission statement, the practice areas, attorney profiles, information about internships and/or summer associate programs, and blog postings. The employer will likely tout its recent successes, and you can learn about significant clients, hot topics, and changes in the law. This information is useful in deciding whether the employer is a place where you want to apply, and will also help you stand out in an interview.
Try also searching Lexis, Westlaw and Bloomberg for representative cases, attorney names and news stories about the employer. You can also use Lexis and Westlaw to research jury verdicts that may reveal the type of cases that the employer handles.
Lastly, informal research and intel from your network can be invaluable. Ask upper classmen, professors, alumni and make an appointment with a Career Strategists.
Create Your Application Tracking Sheet:
Tracking your progress over the summer is a great way to stay organized and on top of your job search strategy. What better way to do this than by creating an individual application tracking sheet. You may have used this to helps you along the way, if not, reach out to the office and ask for a template to start tracking early.