Current Students

Our goal in the Career Planning Center (CPC) is to assist you in developing the knowledge and skills necessary for you to find a rewarding career.  We believe that legal careers are not “one size fits all.”  We are here to guide you in developing and executing a career plan, not to place you with a particular employer.  The CPC strongly encourages students to take advantage of our one-on-one counseling services, networking opportunities, resource library and programs. Self-assessment, clinical opportunities, and professional networking are key in your search.

Where we are/What we do…

The CPC is located on the third floor of Starr Hall.  Committed to providing students and graduates with quality information, the Career Planning Center offers advice on job search strategies, opportunities and professional development; however, the CPC is not a job placement service.  Your success in finding employment depends on many factors: most of all, the amount of time and effort you devote to networking and researching in relation to your job search, but also your academic performance (both in the J.D. and your undergraduate degree program), your professional background and experience, your interviewing skills, your connections and personal references and the economic climate.

• Individual Appointments: All students should schedule an initial counseling appointment, between November 1 and May 1 of the first year. Individual appointments are best made by emailing careers@law.uconn.edu at least one week in advance. You are encouraged to keep notes of your meetings with the CPC members to remind you of the next steps in your job search. Always try to follow up with any points that arise in an individual appointment or a drop-in session. During CPC orientation, each student will receive the Career Planning Guide which contains important job search information. If you have specific concerns regarding your individual job search strategies, the CPC encourages you to make a list and bring it with you to your appointment.

• Drop-in Sessions: The CPC holds drop-in sessions from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. These sessions are designed for quick questions, follow-ups and review of previously discussed documents. They should not be used in place of an individual appointment.

• Resume Review: The members of the CPC have put together manuals on how to draft résumés and cover letters.  We suggest using these documents as a career planning resource during your job search process. Although there is no one correct way to write a resume or cover letter, it can be useful to have someone else review these items. To facilitate this process, we offer a service whereby you can submit your resume and/or cover letter electronically for review. Simply send your resume and/or your cover letter, to: careers@law.uconn.edu

  We will make every effort to reply within a week, although occasionally this is impossible due to high volume. For this reason, please send your resume and/or cover letter well in advance of any deadline.

• Interview Programs & Career Fairs: In addition to our on-campus programs we participate in various regional fairs such as:

  • Loyola Patent Law Interview Program: Held in early August in Chicago.
  • Dupont Minority Job Fair:  Held in early August in Houston, L.A., and Wilmington.
  • Public Interest Career Reception: Held in New York City in late August.
  • Boston Lawyer’s Group Interview Job Fair: Held in Boston and D.C. in late August.
  • Lavender Law Career Fair & Conference: Held in a different city each year in early September.
  • Equal Justice Works Conference & Career Fair: Held in Washington, D.C. in October.
  • NYU Public Interest Legal Career Fair: Held in New York City in early February.
  
   

• On and Off-Campus Interviews: We run three off-campus interview programs in the early fall in Washington, D.C., Boston and New York City, and schedule on-campus interviews throughout the year.

• Panel Discussions & Networking Opportunities: Introductions to law firms, corporations, U.S. government agencies, and not-for-profit organizations.

• Workshops: Workshops run throughout the course of the academic year and included topics of general interest to most students, such as how to draft a résumé, cover letters and e-mails; how to prepare for an interview; and how to develop networking skills.  The CPC strongly encourages all students to participate in these sessions early on.

• Mock Interviews: Mock interviews are offered to help you practice your interviewing skills. Twenty minute practice interviews are conducted by employers and professional staff to allow students an opportunity to try out their interviewing skills and receive constructive feedback on how they might improve.  Prior sign-up is required.

• Online database of job postings: Employment opportunities for students and graduates are posted on Symplicity at: https://law-uconn-csm.symplicity.com/students/

• Online document library on Symplicity: Office publications are posted electronically and include information on interviewing, resume writing, negotiating a job offer, government and public interest opportunities, clerkships and fellowships.

• Job search resource library: Students may check out selected titles for two weeks.

• Additionally: Students receive monthly notification of networking events and upcoming programs.

24-Hour Cancellation Policy

If you have scheduled an appointment with the CPC, but will not be able to attend, we ask that you promptly inform our office 24 hours in advance.  The CPC recognizes that there are legitimate reasons for not being able to make a scheduled appointment at the last minute.  If you are unable to get to the meeting, please e-mail careers@law.uconn.edu or call (860) 570-5320 and ask to speak with the CPC member with whom you have the appointment.

Students can access office publications, recruiting information and job postings through Symplicity.

• Symplicity Recruiting System

Employment Statistics can be accessed below: