Professional Development

1L/2L Virtual Writing Workshop w/ Faegre Feb. 8

Getting Started: How to Approach a New Legal Writing Assignment

Hosted by Julie Schrager, Legal Writing Coach & Advisor and Mary Hershewe, Associate, Product Liability and Mass Torts

As law students and as lawyers, you will regularly be taking on new cases or matters. Many of them will require you to research and write about new issues – topics you don’t know anything about. In this presentation, we’ll discuss strategies to help you get started when you receive a new assignment, including identifying the issues, figuring out an effective research strategy, organizing your thinking, and outlining your memo or brief.

Julie Schrager is Faegre Drinker’s legal writing coach and advisor and has been working with summer associates and newer lawyers for fifteen years.  Before that, she practiced law at a large D.C. law firm and at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston and taught legal writing at Chicago-Kent College of Law.

QUESTIONS? Please contact Julie Schrager at julie.schrager@faegredrinker.com

Thursday [2.8] | 12PM | Join | Need a space? Rm. 201

Quick Drive to Chicago? Perkins Coie Winter Open House for 1Ls

1L Winter Open House!

Perkins Coie looks forward to welcoming 1L students at the upcoming winter open house in Chicago. Please join us for food, drinks, and conversation with our lawyers and recruitment personnel.

We look forward to seeing you!

Chicago Office | Thursday, February 8, 2024 | 5 PM – 7 PM | RSVP

Questions? Please contact Jill Connolly via email. 

So, You’re Thinking West Coast…

Please join Gibson Dunn on February 13 for an inside look at our California offices, and to learn more about our firm, our culture, and the many opportunities a career at Gibson Dunn can offer you.

You will hear from our California lawyers about their different paths to practicing in the Golden State and why you should consider Los Angeles, Palo Alto, San Francisco, and Orange County as you search for the law firm that is a perfect fit for your strengths and passions

Tuesday, February 13, 2024 | 5 PM – 6 PM CT | RSVP

Summer Associate Hub – Spring 2024 Live Virtual Law Firm Series & Networking Opportunities

If you are looking to network and hear from BigLaw attorneys, please see the information below for a virtual event series this semester, hosted by Summer Associate Hub.

BigLaw firm attorneys will participate in panel discussions and each session will include breakout rooms hosted by each firm, for students to network and ask questions.  And raffles for free prizes.

The series starts next week!

–New York Law Firm Showcase on Mon, Feb 5 and

Litigation Practice Area Showcase on Tues, Feb 6.

Here is the link to RSVP for any events in the series:  https://summerassociatehub.com/events/

This is a great way to prepare for law firm networking events and the 1L and 2L recruiting process: you’ll be more well-versed on what these terms means, learn what different types of attorneys do every day, and be better able to choose which practice areas and locations interest you.  There will also be raffles and free giveaways for free prizes and swag!

You’re Invited! Cleary Career Series | Kick Off Feb. 7

Cleary Gottlieb invites you to join us for our
Cleary Career Series

Cleary Gottlieb is excited to invite you to our Cleary Career Series, a variety of virtual events designed to introduce you to the firm, our attorneys, and the work we do. These sessions, open to first-year law students, are a great way to learn about a range of topics, including practice area features, office spotlights, as well as guidance as you prepare for and navigate your job search. We invite you to join as many or as few sessions as you would like, and you may request recordings of programs that you are unable to join live. Please see below for more details about these opportunities, as well as a link to register for the programs. We look forward to having you join us!

View full series offerings:

Register For The Cleary Career Series HERE

Brooks Kushman Writing Competitions February 2024

Brooks Kushman is conducting two writing competitions in February: (1) an intellectual property litigation-focused legal research and brief writing competition on the 17th and (2) a patent prosecution-focused claim drafting competition on the 24th

$25k Scholarship opportunity for graduate students interested in wilderness conservation

The Wilderness Society, a leading conservation organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. and with offices around the country [wilderness.org], offers an annual scholarship, available to qualified graduate students. We award $25,000 each to two currently-enrolled graduate students to support their research and preparation of a paper on an aspect of wilderness. T. A. Barron created the Gloria Barron Wilderness Society Scholarship in honor of his mother, Gloria Barron, a dedicated educator and tireless advocate for wilderness protection.  

The Wilderness Society recently completed a strategic plan that identified two priorities: (1) Make public lands a solution to the climate and extinction crises by securing a resilient, continental network of landscapes and eliminating climate-changing emissions, and (2) Transform conservation policy and practice so all people benefit equitably from public lands. We are seeking applications from graduate students who’s work supports these priorities. Within this context, we are particularly interested in research projects that focus on one of three areas: (1) Conservation on and management of Bureau of Land Management lands, (2) Conservation of Old Growth Forests, and (3) Conservation in the Arctic. Proposals that focus on one of these three areas will be given priority. Within these three areas, research proposals can address topics as wide as biodiversity protection, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and the social and ecological context of landscape conservation, among others. 

Applicants for the Gloria Barron Wilderness Society Scholarship must: be currently enrolled in an accredited graduate institution in the United States at the time of application; have strong academic qualifications; and have academic and/or career goals focused on making a significant positive difference in the long-term protection of wilderness in the United States. The scholarship is open to applicants from any graduate discipline, including sciences, law, social sciences, etc. 

For more information on the Scholarship and how to apply, click here. The deadline to apply for the 2024 cycle is April 15, 2024. 

Invitation to Participate in the Delaware Diversity Job Fair (DDJF) 1L Fellowship-Deadline Monday, January 29

DDJF 2024 1L FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

The Delaware Diversity Job Fair Committee (DDJF) of the Delaware State Bar Association (DSBA) is excited to  announce its 2024 1L  Fellowship.  The  Job  Fair  was  founded  by  a  consortium  of Delaware  law firm, corporate, and public sector/interest legal employers interested in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Delaware bar by encouraging interested law students to explore summer and full-time opportunities to work in Delaware.

The employers of the DDJF are dedicated to expanding diversity and inclusion in the legal profession within the First State. We strive to make the remarkable professional opportunities afforded by the practice of law in Delaware accessible to all interested candidates. Our signature job fair has facilitated the recruiting of diverse talent into traditional 2L summer associate programs and post-graduate positions for 30 years. We recognize the imperative to keep expanding the pipeline and are happy to extend our recruiting efforts to first-year law students through the DDJF 1L Fellowship for positions in Delaware for summer 2024. The Program is not just a vehicle for finding summer employment but an opportunity to join and help build a more diverse and inclusive legal community.

All first-year students at ABA-accredited law schools with a commitment to practicing or living in Delaware and a demonstrated connection to diversity in the profession are encouraged to apply. Part- time, evening, and joint-degree students are eligible to participate in the Program if they: (i) will have completed the equivalent of at least one year of law school, but less than two years, by May 2024, and will  graduate  in  2026;  and  (ii)  have  no  time  obligations  that  may  interfere  with  a  full-time commitment to the summer employer.

The 1L Diversity Fellowship Committee will evaluate candidates on their: academic record; leadership; oral and written communication, research, analytical and organizational skills; sensitivity to professional and ethical concerns; maturity, judgment, and integrity; commitment to the practice of law; commitment to hard work; demonstrated interest in the type of work practiced by the employers in the Program; ability to instill confidence in others; ability to diagnose and plan solutions to problems; initiative;  professionalism;  relevant  work  experience;  and  extracurricular  activities  and  interests, along with other indicia of their potential for success.

The application includes: (i) completed application form (attached); (ii) current resume; (iii) unofficial transcripts from law school, college, and post-graduate programs (if any); (iv) law school writing sample; (v) list of activities and honors, noting leadership positions (optional); (vi) brief personal statement; and (vii) other information the Committee requests or is relevant. Submit your application no later than January 29, 2024  by  11:59 PM, online at https://law-dmpd- csm.symplicity.com/students. Questions regarding the 1L Fellowship Program may be directed to the Committee at dediversityfellow@gmail.com.