Sample Career Timeline

The following is a sample list of activities to should consider in preparing for a legal career.  It is intended as an overview and is not an exhaustive list of opportunities.  We are available to visit about any of the programs listed and/or to help plan a more individualized approach to career planning.

1L Fall

October

1. Attend First Year Initiative session (part-time students)

November

1. Attend First Year Initiative session (full-time students)
2. Prepare and update resume and cover letter – be sure to put law school on resume!
3. Meet with career counselor individually to receive Symplicity (job bank) password
4. Attend Student Bar Association (SBA)/CDO Career Success Workshop for 1Ls
5. Research summer employment opportunities
6. Attend What I Did My First Summer panel
7. Attend HBA 1L Minority Program

December

1. Apply to large firms - employers are not allowed to consider 1L students until December 1st.  Have your resumes and cover letters ready to be sent on that date, but not before.
2. Apply to ABA Judicial Intern Program (minority or financially disadvantaged students)
3. Research national summer fellowship opportunities (see www.pslawnet.org)
4. Submit materials to bid for UT Public Service Job Fair (happens over holiday break)

1L Spring
           

January

1. Apply for judicial internships (to intern as a volunteer or for academic credit)
2. Submit materials to bid for TYLA Texas Off-Campus Job Fair
3. Participate in Mock Interview Daze
4. Apply to HBA Minority Summer Associate Program
5. Attend Informational Interviewing presentation
6. Attend Is Bigger Really Better? Panel
7. Attend solo/mid-sized/small firm coffee talk

February

1. UT Public Service Job Fair & Table Talk
2. Attend Public Interest Panel Discussion
3. Attend Public Interest Table Talk 
4. Register for Chicago Patent Job Fair
5. Attend Practice Around the State Panel
6. Attend HIPLA networking event
7. Arrange placement for fellowships/externships
8. Start applying for summer law clerk positions for mid and small sized firms (through targeted mailing or as posted in electronic job listings)
9. Apply to summer public interest fellowship program

March

1. Texas Off-Campus Job Fair
2. Apply for summer externships
3. Submit materials for Chicago Patent Job Fair
4. Attend Business and Industry Table Talk
5. Attend Association of Corporate Counsel of America Panel

April

1. Stay (or get) on track - meet with career counselor to revisit job search strategies
2. Attend How to be a Successful Summer Associate panel
3. Attend 1L OCI and Job Fair info session

1L Summer

Submit Materials/Applications for Interview Programs

1. Texas In Washington Recruitment Program
2. Southeastern Minority Job Fair
3. Southeastern Intellectual Property Job Fair
4. Sunbelt Minority Job Fair
5. Impact Career Fair
6. Lavender Law Career Fair & Conference

Job Fairs

1. Chicago Patent Law Job Fair   
2. Texas In Washington Job Fair
3. Southeastern Minority Job Fair
4. Southeastern Intellectual Property Job Fair           

Actions

1. Update resume with summer employment/activities and upload to Symplicity
2. Obtain transcript, create a Word file, and upload to Symplicity
3. Review/revise writing sample (10 pages or less)
4. Research interviewing employers
5. Bid for on-campus interview (OCI) employers (late July – Phase I; late August – Phase II)
6. Be sure to provide an updated resume, current telephone number, address, and summer plans to your career counselor
7. Update your Symplicity profile in preparation for summer job fairs and OCI

2L Fall

August

1. Attend minority student reception and networking event
2. Attend ExxonMobil information sessions
3. Attend Interview Skills panel
4. Attend Public Interest Fellowship Opportunities presentation
5. OCI – Phase I

September

1. Register and send applications for Lavender Law Career Fair
2. Sunbelt Minority Job Fair
3. Lavender Law Career Fair and Conference
4. OCI – Phase II
5. Impact Career Fair
6. Register and send applications for Equal Justice Works Career Fair
7. Attend SBA Alternative Routes to Career Success Workshop for 2Ls & 3Ls
8. Apply for summer government honors opportunities with federal government
9. Attend Got Government Jobs? Presentation
10. Attend government coffee talk
11. Attend Going Global panel
12. Attend international law coffee talk
13. Attend What Can I Do with My JD? Panel

October

1. Equal Justice Works Career Fair
2. Attend Life After JAG panel
3. Attend military coffee talk

November

1. Stay (or get) on track - meet with career counselor 
2. Apply to ABA Judicial Intern Program (minority or financially disadvantaged students)

2L Spring

January

1. Submit materials for UT Public Service Job Fair
2. Submit materials for TYLA Texas Off-Campus Job Fair
3. Apply for summer judicial internships
4. Participate in Mock Interview Daze
5. Attend Is Bigger Really Better? Panel
6. Attend small/mid-sized/solo firm coffee talk

February

1. UT Public Service Job Fair
2. Register for Chicago Patent Job Fair
3. Arrange summer fellowship/externship placement
4. Attend Public Interest panel discussion
5. Attend Public Interest Table Talk
6. Attend Practice Around the State panel
7. Attend HIPLA networking event
8. Apply for summer law clerk positions for mid and small size firms (through targeted mailing or as posted in electronic job listings)

March

1. TYLA Texas Off-Campus Job Fair
2. Apply to summer public interest fellowship program
3. Apply for summer externships
4. Submit materials for Chicago Patent Job Fair
5. Attend Business and Industry Table Talk
6. Attend Association of Corporate Counsel of America panel

April

1. Attend Nuts and Bolts of Judicial Clerkships informational
2. Attend coffee talk with judicial clerks
3. Attend How to be a Successful Summer Associate panel
4. Request recommendation letters for judicial clerkships

2L Summer

Submit Materials/Applications for Interview Programs

1. Southeastern Minority Job Fair
2. Southeastern Intellectual Property Job Fair
3. Sunbelt Minority Job Fair
4. Impact Career Fair
5. Texas in Washington Recruitment Program

Job Fairs

1. Chicago Patent Law Job Fair   
2. Southeastern Minority Job Fair
3. Southeastern Intellectual Property Job Fair
4. Texas In Washington Recruitment Program

           
Actions

1. Update resume with summer employment/activities and upload to Symplicity
2. Obtain transcript, create a Word file, and upload to Symplicity
3. Be sure to provide an updated resume, current telephone number, address, and summer plans to your career counselor
4. Update your Symplicity profile in preparation for summer job fairs
5. Register and send applications for Impact Career Fair
6. Prepare for judicial clerkship applications
7. Apply for state appellate clerkships (August)
8. Review/revise writing sample (10 pages or less)
9. Research interviewing employers for OCI
10. Register and send applications for Impact Career Fair
11. Bid for on-campus interview (OCI) employers (late July – Phase I; late August – Phase II)

3L Fall

August

1. Attend minority student reception and networking event
2. Attend ExxonMobil informational sessions
3. Attend Interview Skills panel
4. OCI – Phase I

September

1. Apply for federal judicial clerkships (Tuesday after Labor Day)
2. Apply for Equal Justice Works (and other post-grad) Fellowship
3. OCI – Phase II
4. Attend Interview Skills Panel
5. Register and send applications for Lavender Law Career Fair
6. Sunbelt Minority Job Fair
7. Impact Career Fair
8. Apply for government honors attorney programs
9. Attend Presidential Management Fellowship presentation
10. Attend Got Government Jobs? Presentation
11. Attend government coffee talk
12. Attend Going Global panel
13. Attend international law coffee talk
14. Attend What Can I do with My JD? Panel

October

1. Apply for Presidential Management Fellowship
2. Equal Justice Works Career Fair and Conference
3. Lavender Law Career Fair and Conference
4. Attend Life After JAG panel
5. Attend military coffee talk
6. Attend 3L Plan of Attack presentation

November

1. Stay (or get) on track – meet with career counselor

3L Spring

January

1. Submit materials for UT Public Service Career Day
2. Submit materials for Texas Off-Campus Job Fair
3. Clerk or intern part-time
4. Begin attending networking events for HBA, HYLA, TYLA, AWA, etc.
5. Fill out your graduate survey
6. Mock Interview Daze
7. Attend Informational Interviewing presentation
8. Attend Is Bigger Really Better? Panel
9. Attend small/mid-sized/solo firm coffee talk
10. Attend Snack Break with the 3Ls

February

1. Attend UT Public Service Job Fair
2. Attend Public Interest panel discussion
3. Attend Public Interest Table Talk
4. Attend HIPLA networking event
5. Attend Bridging the Generation Gap presentation
6. Attend Practice Around the State panel

March

1. Attend Texas Off-Campus Job Fair
2. Submit materials for Chicago Patent Job Fair
3. Attend Association of Corporate Counsel of America panel
4. Attend Business and Industry Table Talk
5. Attend Law Practice Management program with the State Bar
6. Attend Where the Jobs Are presentation

April

1. If you haven’t already, fill out your graduate survey
2. Meet with career counselor and update areas of interest for possible employment opportunities