Oct. 1, 2020 - The University of Houston Law Center's Career Development Office is presenting a variety of events and weekly career advising sessions through Zoom as law students and recent graduates seek legal employment throughout unprecedented circumstances. Law Center students and recent graduates will receive virtual professional development trainings on job searching in the era of COVID-19, networking programs, and recruiting events.
In addition to year-round individual tailored virtual career counseling appointments provided to all Law Center students and alumni, the Career Development Office is also offering class level specific virtual training sessions on job searching in the era of COVID-19, such as “2L Career Training: Job Searching in the Era of COVID-19” and “3L Career Training: Job Searching in the Era of COVID-19”. First-year students will receive the second of four mandatory sessions of the Passport to Success Professional Development Series program, comprehensive professional development trainings designed to equip students with the resources and skills to successfully identify, generate, and navigate professional opportunities. Law Center students and recent graduates are also invited to attend CDO Virtual Career Chats – LIVE!, the Career Development Office's live drop-in office hours, offered 2 p -.m. 3 p.m. each Friday.
Virtual career trainings have also focused on presenting professionally when engaging with the legal community. "Dress to Impress: Tailoring Your Look for the Legal Profession," featured alumna Mia Lorick, '14, a shareholder at Roberts Markel Weinberg Butler Hailey PC and Jamay M. Schardien, Executive Director of Career Gear Houston and Men's Attire Specialist. Panelists discussed recommended attire for legal interviews, daily attire in legal work environments, affordable professional attire shopping sources, and Career Development Office referral sources for suits and other professional attire (such as Career Gear and Dress for Success). Lorick also discussed “Suited for Success Scholarship,” a scholarship she founded to recognize an outstanding Law Center 1L or 2L student who has demonstrated a passion for and commitment to professionalism and legal excellence. The scholarship provides $500 to purchase business suits to student who are members of Law Center organizations Mock Trial, Moot Court, Black Law Students Association or the Advocates
“Networking with the legal community is even more important in this era of social distancing,” said Tiffany J. Tucker, Assistant Dean of Career Development. “The Career Development Office is working closely with numerous dedicated alumni to offer multiple engagement opportunities for current students and recent graduates.”
Numerous virtual networking events called “Lunch with a Lawyer” and “Dinner with a Lawyer” will feature attorneys who have candid conversations in a relaxed atmosphere with students and recent graduates about their practice areas and work environments. The first two Dinner with a Lawyer events featured alumni Michael F. Ryan, ’15, a labor and employment associate with Foley & Lardner, LLP, and Cory Itkin, ’05, a trial attorney with Arnold & Itkin LLP.
Additional networking events will offer students opportunities to engage with attorneys from various practicing environments. Law Center alumnus Judge Gray Miller ’78 of(U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, and his judicial law clerks will provide students with an overview of judicial internships and clerkships. The UHLC Professional Mentoring Program, which pairs law students with attorneys who offer professional development assistance, including choosing a career path, networking, and executing an effective career plan, will launch during a virtual kickoff event hosted by the Law Center’s Office of Law Alumni Relations and Career Development Office. First-year students will also participate in “Meet the OCI Employers” a virtual networking event for 1L students to meet and greet On Campus Interview (OCI) employers before OCI Session III in January 2021.
The Career Development Office is also hosting numerous recruiting programs for students and recent graduates, facilitated in a virtual environment. Three OCI sessions offer one-on-one interviews for students with primarily multi-national law firms and corporations. Several virtual career fairs will offer students and recent graduates opportunities to engage with employers from corporations, small and midsize law firms, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. The JD Advantage Career Table Talk hosts employers seeking to hire JD students and recent graduates for law-related JD-preferred careers. The Small & Midsize Firm Open House features firms with 50 or fewer attorneys seeking to employ students and recent graduates for law clerk, summer associate, and attorney positions. The Government and Public Interest Table Talk invites public interest employers to discuss internship and post-graduate employment with interested candidates.
Each virtual recruiting event will be preceded by a week of career panels featuring attorneys from each working environment to engage with students and recent graduates, share information about their organizations, and educate candidates on the advantages of these career environments.
Visit the Career Development Office webpage and Event Calendar for more information. Contact the Career Development Office at lawcareer@uh.edu or 713-743-2090 to learn more about participating in any of these career programs.
