Public Works

Can Your Interviewer Enjoy Interviewing You?

2012-01-19T10:56:00-05:00

Reading a column today in Inc. by Matthew Swyers about what separates good interviewees from great ones, I came across this little gem: "a candidate should...engage you on a level that you will enjoy and that moves you one step closer to offering them the job."

You won't always have a sports team or a hometown in common with your interviewer. But you can always learn about their work. As an interviewer, I found myself answering the same questions all day long: "how is your internship program structured?" or "what kind of work would I be able to do?" It was boring.

What's enjoyable to interviewers, then? Having something like an equal partner in a fencing match or a band jam session. When you have to explain basic techniques, you're already on totally different levels.

Employers enjoy talking with students who know their work and are excited about it - albeit not naively. Who can name the organization's major divisions and bring up a high profile case, initiative or central mission. Who can talk about the law in a way that makes them feel that they'd enjoy getting debriefed about the status of research, and maybe even brainstorm solutions together. It's harder for 1Ls than 3Ls, but the goal is always the same: leave the room feeling like a couple of future colleagues.

3 Funding Sources for Summer Internships

2012-01-12T17:41:11-05:00

So you know about PSLawNet's Summer Funding Resources site. If you don't, you should check it out here. It's a great way to find grants to supplement your PILA application.

Here are 3 other funding sources that you should also check out:

1. The Monroe Leigh Fellowship in International Law. This is a generous fellowship funded by Class of 1947 alumnus Monroe Leigh for Virginia Law students working at summer internships in their 1L or 2L years (and for postgraduate fellowships). Total of $10,000 for 1 or 2 students. Deadline: February 8, 2012. More information here: Download Monroe Leigh Fellowship 2012.

2. Raven Society Fellowships. Another great U.Va. institution - and you don't have to be a member of this elite society to apply. Several fellowships of up to $2,500 are awarded to support innovative undergraduate and graduate research projects. Special consideration will be given to proposed projects with a distinctly interdisciplinary focus. Applications are due February 17th at 5pm. For more information, contact the Raven Society at http://www.uvaravensociety.com/ and see the attachment here: Download The Raven Fellowship 2012

3. James B. McMillan Public Service Fellowships. For students working at qualifying North Carolina public service organizations (the list is big - legal aids, prosecution, public defender, etc.), stipends of up to $3,000 are awarded. You don't apply directly to the grantor, the Mecklenburg Bar Foundation, but your employer applies. If you're interested, let us know and we'll send you the list of eligible organizations.

Good luck!

2012 February Public Service OGI - Out-of-State Employers

2012-01-09T16:18:13-05:00

Who's coming from out of state? We invited roughly 100 new employers this year to our OGI - many of whom are from the major cities outside Virginia where we know you want to work. Of those, a number of new employers signed up, and a number more told us they're very interested in U.Va. students and welcome direct applications.

Here's a breakdown of employers from outside Virginia so you won't miss any from your key cities. Starred employers are interviewing at the OGI; the others are doing resume collects:

CALIFORNIA

Bay Area Legal Aid

American Association of University Professors*

American Cancer Society

FCC, Int'l Bureau, Strategic Analysis & Negotiations Division

Federal Mine Safety & Health Review Commission, ALJ's Office*

U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights*

U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of General Counsel*

FLORIDA (Miami)

Legal Services of Greater Miami

MARYLAND

Community Law Center (Baltimore)

Maryland Office of the Public Defender (Baltimore)

Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office (Rockville)

National Labor Relations Board, Region 5 (Baltimore)*

NEW YORK (NYC)

New York State Attorney General*

The Legal Aid Society (Brooklyn) (both criminal defense and civil legal services positions)*

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, NY District

PENNSYLVANIA (Philadelphia)

U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of the General Counsel*

2012 Mock Interview Program for OGI

2012-01-06T11:00:22-05:00

1Ls and 2Ls, we're doing something new this year to get you ready for interviews with public service employers at our annual February Public Service OGI. We've recruited employers--many of whom are alumni--from major public service practice areas to conduct mock interviews. We're also offering mock interviews conducted by our counselors (me, Amanda, Molly) designed to imitate a typical interview for a particular employer of your choice.

If you're very new to interviewing and could benefit from extra counseling, consider signing up with a PSC staff member instead of an employer. We can spend more time with you and give you more than one mock interview, if that's what you need.

EMPLOYER OPTION

Date: Friday, January 27th

Interview Length: 20 minutes

Practice Areas/Times available (subject to possible minor changes):

9-10 Federal/State Government
9-11:30 Legal Aid
9:30-11:30 Public Defense
1-2 Federal/State Government
1:00-3:00 Prosecution
1:00-3:00 County Attorney (Local Government)

To sign up for a mock interview with an employer, please email Assistant Director Andrew Broaddus at publicservicelaw@virginia.edu no later than Monday, January 16th at 5 p.m. In your email, rank your top 2 choices for employers and provide your full availability during the times posted above. We will take care of providing employers your resume in advance of the interviews. All you need to do is show up at the appointed time, dressed appropriately for your interview.

If we do not have enough slots for everyone who's interested, we'll give priority to 1Ls and to those who responded first, so email us soon!

PSC OPTION

Dates: Anytime before your interview when we're offering counseling

Interview Length: Choose 30 minutes or 60 minutes

Practice Areas: Federal/State Government, Public Defense, Prosecution, Legal Aid, Local Government, and any practice area for your particular employer

To sign up for a mock interview with a PSC staff member, please request a counseling appointment on Symplicity, then choose "Public Service Center - Mock Interviews" with any of us in the PSC. You can request either 30 minutes or book two back-to-back sessions for 60 minutes total.

I hope you'll take advantage of mock interviews to get in the best shape possible for interviews. We've seen students make HUGE progress over the course of 1-2 mock interviews and think everyone can benefit from doing them.

2012 February Public Service OGI - Employer Information

2012-01-03T12:16:06-05:00

Happy New Year, everybody! Though you're not back on-grounds yet, now is the time to start preparing for our 2012 Public Service OGI, which will be held February 6-11, 2012. We know there's a number of employers who will definitely sign up by January 9th, so please check Symplicity over the next several days to see who's participating.

Every year we hear from employers that some students don't seem to know what the employer does. This is a sure way not to get the job. In my own experience as a former county attorney, I always got a few cover letters from students who thought my office prosecuted crimes. Those students never got interviews, no matter how well qualified they were. We've also heard from employers who participated in our February OGI last year that some students got to the interviews without knowing what the employer did. Not surprisingly, those students failed to impress them.

So, to make sure you avoid these pitfalls, take a few minutes to review the information below.

Key Things to Know about our Employers

Resume Collects (RC) vs. Interviews. Some employers are participating through resume collects. There are various reasons why employers choose this option over interviews. For most, it's about time and money. Unlike firms, most public service employers do not participate in single school OGIs because of staffing and cost. Many have small internship programs. We also have some new employers this year from New York and California for whom distance plays a big factor. The thing to know, though, is that your applications will get reviewed and employers will respond directly to you--not through Symplicity--if they wish to interview you.

Commonwealth's Attorneys vs. County/City Attorneys. Commonwealth's Attorneys are prosecutors. This term is specific to Virginia and some other states. Elsewhere, they're known as district or state's attorneys. On the other hand, county, city, or town attorneys work exclusively on non-criminal law matters unless they prosecute selected ordinance misdemeanors (if they do, these cases form just a small part of their jobs). Our participating county and city attorneys' offices handle a wide range of civil work on behalf of their localities--land use/zoning, employment law, police & fire, contracts, finance and bankruptcy, child protective services, and litigation, to name several areas. If you're interested in litigation experience, apply to the Henrico and Chesterfield County Attorney offices, as they both handle a large volume of litigation.

Staff Attorney's Offices and Administrative Law Judges. Staff Attorneys are either term-appointed or career attorneys who advise judges. Working for a staff attorney's office is similar to working at a judicial internship, as you will get experience handling and preparing cases for judges. Administrative Law Judges or ALJs (for example, our returning employer, the ALJ for the Federal Mine Safety & Health Review Commission) are federal judges who handle administrative cases for their agency. Internships with ALJs are also very similar to judicial internships.

Client and Witness Contact. Learning how to talk to clients and witnesses is a big part of becoming a good lawyer. You will get an excellent opportunity to do this at the legal aid organizations participating at our OGI, as well as the Public Defender and Commonwealth's Attorney's offices. While most of your client and witness interactions will center on litigation, some of it will be to help them understand the legal system and other legal assistance options.

Quick Plug for Cover Letters

It's tempting to use the same cover letter for all your employers coming to a single OGI. Don't. Remember to research your employer and hit in the first or second paragraph of your cover letter WHY YOU WANT TO WORK FOR THAT EMPLOYER. You can't do this effectively unless you know what they do.

Stuck? Need some quick cover letter advice? Email publicservicelaw@virginia.edu and get help. Or email me (Annie Kim) directly at ak5m@virginia.edu.

Enjoy, good luck, and remember that January 11th at 10 p.m. is your deadline!

Student Advisory Board

2011-09-20T11:25:58-04:00

Now that the dog days of summer, August OGI, and clerkship applications are out of the way, consider taking on one more activity this year--the Public Service Center Student Advisory Board.

The WHAT: We want a diverse group of about 10 students from the 1L, 2L and 3L classes to help advise us on our services and programs. We're interested in getting advice on how to push out information quickly and effectively to you. We know you're overloaded.

WHO: Both students committed to public service and those who aren't. We want a mix of ideas and viewpoints.

TIME COMMITMENT: 1-2 meetings per semester, catered, and an occasional email if we need your thoughts on something.

WHEN and HOW: Apply by Monday, October 3rd by emailing me (Annie Kim) at ak5m@virginia.edu. Tell us your class year and why you're interested in joining in 2-3 sentences.

Look forward to getting your emails!

JAG Corps Panel - Mon., September 19th at 11:30

2011-09-14T17:39:03-04:00

We're thrilled to have JAG Corps attorneys from all five branches of the armed forces -- Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy -- speak at the Law School this Monday, September 19th at 11:30 a.m. in WB128. And yes, PIZZA will be provided. (Please RSVP by Friday, 9/16 at 5 p.m. so we can place orders.)

JAG stands for Judge Advocate General. JAG attorneys do everything non-military lawyers do, plus work that specializes in military law. They litigate in court and in military tribunals. They advise, counsel and handle many kinds of transactions. Each branch handles summer internships and new attorney hiring differently -- and on different deadlines -- so hearing from the JAG attorneys on Monday will be a great way for you to compare and contrast and get your deadlines straight.

If you're a 3L, check out our JAG deadline calendar on the PSC website (Employment Resources/Key Internship, Fellowship and Job Deadlines for 2Ls and 3Ls).

This panel will be useful for 1Ls interested in learning more about JAG generally, plus 2Ls and 3Ls who want to get details about internships, jobs, and deadlines. Hope to see you there!

Presidential Management Fellows Program - Deadlines September 23 (Law School) and 25 (PMF Application)

2011-08-26T18:21:09-04:00

Quick Overview

As many of you know, the Presidential Management Fellows Program (“PMF”) is an excellent way to enter federal government service after graduation. The Office of Personnel Management runs the PMF program, which was created by Executive Order in 1977 to attract the most talented graduate students from all disciplines to become future federal government leaders. PMF Finalists apply for fellowships (2-year jobs) with the approximately 80 federal agencies that participate in the program.

Last year, roughly 9100 graduate students from across the country competed to be finalists and about 850 obtained them. Virginia Law had 4 PMF finalists. Our alumni PMF Fellows work in agencies such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Office of Personnel Management, and the Space and Missile Systems Center. Read more general information about the PMF program here.

Selection Process for Finalists

PMF Finalists are selected through the following structured process:

(1)    applying on-line for the PMF program;

(2)    getting nominated by their school;

(3)    taking an on-line assessment that measures leadership skills and judgment; and

(4)    if chosen as a semi-finalist, completing an in-person interview that also measures leadership skills and judgment. Read here for more information about the selection process.

For the first time in program history, the 4^th phase (in-person assessment) will no longer involve oral presentations and group interactions at an assessment center. Instead, trained staff will conduct 2-member panel interviews with semi-finalists that will last approximatley 45 minutes to an hour. Interviews will focus on behavioral questions.

Fellowship Placement with Agencies

Once chosen as finalists, students begin the placement phase. This starts with attending a PMF career fair in the spring at which many finalists find jobs with particular agencies. For those that don’t, they have 1 year from the the date they are announced as finalists to find an agency match. It’s important to remember that PMF Fellows are not guaranteed jobs. Also, jobs for PMF Fellows are typically for non-legal positions, although it’s possible to obtain a legal job.

PMF appointments last 2 years. Fellows who succesfully complete their appointments are guaranteed continued federal employment. Read here for more information.

Timelines

Come to our Public Service Center panel on the Presidential Management Fellows Program on September 9^th at 12 p.m. in WB 105 to ask your questions about the selection and job placement processes. We’ll have Susan Beall ’11, currently at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, to talk about her experiences, as well as our staff.

Read the PMF website timelines and site in full, as there are many details you’ll need to keep in mind. Here are the timelines (student deadlines in orange): Download PMF Timeline

Questions?

Email us at publicservicelaw@virginia.edu and attend our September 9^th panel at 12 p.m. in WB 105.

Good luck! We hope you’ll think about applying.

Equal Justice Works Career Fair in D.C.

2011-08-23T17:49:57-04:00

What better way to finish the week of Fall Break than a quick trip to D.C. to attend Equal Justice Works' annual career fair? The dates: October 21-22, 2011, with registration closing September 12. The cost: $25 for students. The Public Service Center will reimburse the first 20 students who register and submit their printed receipt to our office.

If you're interested in government agencies and nonprofits, this is a great chance to interview with many employers under one roof. Or, you can chat them up at "table talks" and make some contacts.

We'll be attending the EJW conference on those days and would love to see you there. Here's the link to their career fair webpage: http://bit.ly/pcYibz

Rising

2011-08-18T12:17:37-04:00

Whether you’re tiptoeing down obscure halls in the law library searching for your interview room or packing up your apartment, you’re all now in the act of rising—as 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls. It’s a busy time. I know, because in the five short weeks I've been back at the Law School as Yared  Getachew’s successor and your new Assistant Dean for Public Service, I’ve met and talked with many of you about your summer jobs and plans for future jobs. I’m already impressed by how much better you are at grabbing your job search by the horns than I was as a student—smarter, savvier, more creative.

Sitting at my desk in Yared’s old office, trying to make sense out of Symplicity, I’m reminded that I’m in the act of rising, too.

My background working as a litigator and transactional attorney with local governments (here in Albemarle and in Henrico) gives me a good sense of what it’s like on the employer’s side of the interview table. But I’ll need to learn throughout this year from all of you and from my great colleagues here at the Public Service Center and Career Services Office. Things like, what do you want to see the PSC offer this year? How can we do a better job of helping you map out your career goals and get there? Stay tuned: in the next couple of weeks we’ll be reaching out to hear your ideas. We’re also putting together a slate of exploratory speaker panels this fall to give you quick windows into the major public service practice areas.

So let me say now what you already know: this year isn’t going to be easy.

Legal aid organizations across the country and even big federal agencies are cutting back in the face of uncertain, shrinking budgets. But know that we are here for you—to counsel, brainstorm, help you with your fellowship applications and networking strategies, your interview skills, your tenth customized cover letter. And if you’ve never been to the Public Service Center but are interested in public service—come. Public service isn’t one-size-fits-all. Whether you came to law school knowing you wanted to be a public defender or decide as a 3L that you’re interested in working for the federal government, we want to meet you and—hopefully—help you launch that career.

So welcome, rising 1Ls, 2Ls and 3Ls. Let’s meet this year’s challenges head-on—and rise to them.

Congratulations to the Class of 2011

2011-05-23T12:31:25-04:00

By Yared Getachew '98

It was wonderful to see our friends in the Class of 2011 receive their degree yesterday. The commencement exercises went without a hitch; the weather held up (the clouds gave way to blue Virginia skies a few minutes into the exercises), and both Chris Martin's and the AG's addresses were pretty good. We will miss all of you, especially those of you who took advantage of the PSC's services. Your class had one of highest recorded pro bono hours in the history of the program - you volunteered 13,200 hours (and this is a conservative number - it only reflects those hours you reported - many of you do pro bono work but don't tell us).

It was a pleasure and honor to serve you during your time at Virginia. Make sure to stay in touch and never hesitate to let us know if we can be of any assistance. For all questions and counseling appointments, please use the PSC's e-mail address (publicservicelaw).

Again, congratulations. Good luck in all your future endeavors.

Careers in Administrative Law

2011-03-30T16:56:00-04:00

By YARED GETACHEW

Please join the American Bar Association Section of Administrative Law & Regulatory Practice, Career Services Office, and the Public Service Center for a program on Careers in Administrative Law. The event will feature representatives (see below) from federal and state agencies and law firms, who will give an overview of career paths and opportunities available within administrative law. At the conclusion of the program, time will be allotted for students to speak individually with these representatives. Students considering internships or careers in administrative law are highly encouraged to attend. A light breakfast will be served for all attendees

Caplin Pavilion
Friday, April 8
8:30am-10:45am

If you are interested in attending this program, you must RSVP to publicservicelaw@virginia.edu by Tuesday, April 5. After the jump - list of confirmed speakers.
Careers in Administrative Law Speakers:
(1)    Kelley Drye & Warren, Raqiyyah Pippins ‘06, Associate
(2)    Marston & McNally, Kevin R. McNally ‘01, Partner
(3)    Reed Smith, Edward Mullen ‘08, Associate
(4)    Patton Boggs, Smitha Stansbury, Associate
(5)    Attorney General of Virginia, David Irwin ‘84, Senior Assistant Attorney General,
(6)    Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Deborah Leary '83
(7)    Federal Trade Commission, Aylin Skroejer ‘09, Mergers & Acquisitions Division
(8)    U.S. Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division, Lana Pettus '03
(9)    U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Jonathan J. Rusch ‘80, Deputy Chief, Fraud Section, Law '80
(10)    Virginia Employment Commission, TBA.

Skadden Fellowship's Susan Butler Plum with Chinh Q. Le '00

2011-03-17T16:07:23-04:00

By YARED GETACHEW

Please join the Mortimer Caplin Public Service Center and Professor Anne Coughlin for a presentation on the Skadden Fellowship on Thursday, March 24, at 2:00pm, in Caplin Pavilion.

The event will feature the fellowship's founding director Susan Butler Plum. Also joining her will be former Skadden Fellow and one of the most respected civil rights leaders of his generation, Chinh Q. Le '00. Mr. Le is currently Director of the New Jersey Civil Rights Division and will be addressing Professor Coughlin's Law & Public Service class immediately before this event.

Described as "a legal Peace Corps" by the Los Angeles Times, the Skadden Fellowship program was established by the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher Flom in 1988 in recognition of the need for greater funding for graduating law students who wish to devote their professional lives to providing legal services to the poor (including the working poor), the elderly, the homeless and the disabled, as well as those deprived of their civil or human rights. The aim of the foundation is to give Fellows the freedom to pursue public interest work; thus, the Fellows create their own projects at public interest organizations with at least two lawyers on staff.

Over the last 20 years, the Skadden Fellowship program has funded more than 600 outstanding law school graduates and judicial clerks to work full-time for legal and advocacy organizations. Since the program’s inception, almost 90 percent of the Fellows have remained in public interest or public sector work after finishing their fellowships.

Skadden Fellowships are awarded for two years. Skadden provides each Fellow with a salary and pays all fringe benefits to which an employee of the sponsoring organization would be entitled. For those Fellows not covered by a law school low income protection plan, the firm will pay a Fellow's law school debt service for the tuition part of the loan for the duration of the fellowship.

The Skadden Fellowship Program is one of the most competitive and prestigious public interest fellowship programs in the country. In December, 3L Jeree Harris's profound public interest and academic accomplishments were recognized with the award of a Skadden Fellowship, and numerous Virginia Law alumni have participated in the program. (For additional information on a few of our current and former fellows, please follow the following links: Amy Saltzman, Rebecca Vallas, Matt Van Wormer , Dania Davy , Michael Hollander.

All classes are invited to the presentation. However, 2Ls and 3Ls (who will be clerking for judges next year) and considering applying for project-based fellowships are highly encouraged to attend.

Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission

2011-02-08T19:56:25-05:00

By YARED GETACHEW

Please join us for a brown bag presentation with Chief Judge Robert Lesnick '77 of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission. Judge Lesnick will discuss his responsibilities as FMSHRC Administrative Law Judge and will offer advice on how students should approach their federal government job search in the current economy. The Center's staff will also be available to answer questions regarding internship and permanent opportunities with federal government agencies.

Wednesday, February 8, at noon (SL298).

Battle

2011-02-07T16:50:22-05:00

By YARED GETACHEW

In counseling sessions and through speaker events featuring prosecutors and public defenders, we have maintained that the path to charting a career toward both professions, despite the divergent outcomes that prosecutors and indigent defenders seek in their pursuit of justice, is very similar. Competition for entry-level positions, even in a flush economy, is downright brutal. But here's a reality that Virginia Law students have enjoyed for decades: 3Ls who remained steadfast in their pursuit of their dream jobs have all secured employment either through competitive 3L hiring programs or soon after they pass the bar exam. Just so everyone is clear - and I field this question each year: 3Ls and graduating students are not eligible to apply for entry-level positions with federal defender and US Attorney organizations (two exceptions for the latter - USAOs for the Southern and Central Districts of CA - see, e.g.).

So why is student preparation for both careers almost identical? The ultimate conclusion both prosecutor and public defender offices must reach when making hiring decisions is whether candidate have engaged in sustained efforts to: (1) understand substantive and procedural concepts in criminal, constitutional, and evidentiary law (take as many crim law-related courses offered at Virginia including the two key clinics); (2) hone oral advocacy skills (moot court, oral advocacy classes); (3) understand the day-to-day work of attorneys, detectives, investigators, parole and probation officers in our criminal justice system (summer internships and pro bono work); (4) show commitment to service (see 2-4 above and any volunteer endeavor - for indigent defenders, a desire to work with underserved communities is important); (5) some indicia of geographic connection; and (6) express compelling reasons to pursue either law enforcement or indigent defense work.

On Tuesday, February 8, two speakers - a prosecutor and a public defender - will expound on these issues while attempting to convince you to join their side. Joseph Platania is Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney in Charlottesville and Adam Heyman is public defender at the Brooklyn Legal Aid Society, Criminal Practice. Mr. Platania is currently detailed with the United States Attorney's Office, Western District of Virginia, and Mr. Heyman recently returned from Kathmandu, Nepal where he helped represent indigent defendants in Nepal's courts.

The event will take place at 1:00pm in WB154.

2011 Public Interest Interview Week - Update 3

2011-02-04T18:13:18-05:00

By ANDREW BROADDUS

Final Interview Schedules: Interview schedules for Public Interest Interview Week are now viewable on Symplicity.

How to View your Scheduled Interviews:

(1) Log into Symplicity.

(2) Click on the OCI tab on the top ribbon.

(3) Select the tab that says Scheduled Interviews.

(4) Select “2011 Public Interest Interview Week” as the “Session”.

Should any changes to your interview schedule occur, we will e-mail you individually; however, we highly recommend that students check the interview schedule the evening before AND the morning of their interview.

Additional Employer: The Virginia Legal Aid Society will interview 1Ls and 2Ls on February 15. If you wish to submit an application please follow the steps outlined in our previous post with the only change being that you will select "2011 Public Interest Interview Week - Supplemental Session" as the "Session." Due to the late date of this employer registration, you will need to request bids for the employers by Tuesday, February 8, at 10:00pm.

After the jump - special requests and cancellations
Special Requests: Students who were not accepted for interviews may make in-person requests to the employers on the day of the interviews. These requests can only be done in the morning, prior to the start of interviews or at the end of the interviewer's schedule. We recommend students dress formally when making these requests. Students should also present a resume, cover letter, and grade report. Employers may elect to conduct special request interviews at the Law School or at another time.
Cancellations: As a reminder, the cancellation deadline has passed. At this point, you will only be allowed to cancel an interview if you have accepted another offer or if you have an emergency. If either of these situations occur, you must notify the Public Service Center immediately by sending an e-mail to the Public Service Center at publicservicelaw@virginia.edu to allow us to either schedule in an alternate candidate or to inform the employer of the absence.

Defense Intelligence Agency Recruiting Event - February 1 | National Security Presentation - Feb. 21

2011-01-28T14:37:59-05:00

By YARED GETACHEW

The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) will hold a recruitment event on Tuesday, February 1 from 9:00am-3:00pm at the Omni Charlottesville Hotel (Downtown Mall). The DIA is a Department of Defense combat support agency and an important member of the United States Intelligence Community. With more than 16,500 military and civilian employees worldwide, DIA is a major producer and manager of foreign military intelligence. They provide military intelligence to warfighters, defense policymakers and force planners, in the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community, in support of U.S. military planning and operations and weapon systems acquisition.

See here for more information about the event at the Omni. To view a list of vacancy announcements and apply for DIA position, go here (link also available on the DIA homepage). Questions about the event should be directed to recruiting@dia.mil.

____________________________

Save the date: we're putting together a panel to discuss careers in national security law and intelligence. Speakers include alumni at the Central Intelligence Agency, National Counterterrorism Center, Homeland Security, and the U.S. Army War College. Date: February 21, at noon, in Caplin Pavilion.

2011 Public Interest Interview Week - Update 2

2011-01-26T12:38:00-05:00

By YARED GETACHEW

Additional Employers: 4 additional employers will participate in Public Interest Interview Week: Charlottesville City Attorney's Office (resume collect), Fairfax Public Defenders Office, Human Rights Program, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Departmental Appeals Board (resume collect). Please note these employers will only be interviewing 1Ls and/or 2Ls.

If you wish to submit an application to these employers, please follow the steps outlined in our previous post with the only change being that you will select "2011 Public Interest Interview Week - Supplemental Session" as the "Session." Due to the late date of these employer registrations, you will need to request bids for these employers by Thursday, January 27, at 10:00pm.

Accepting and Declining Interviews: Beginning on January 28, students will be able to see if they have been selected for interviews. (This does not apply to the Supplemental Session. Students who have requested interviews with the Supplemental Session employers will be contacted separately.) To review your invitations and accept or decline interviews, please do the following:

(1) Log into Symplicity.

(2) Click on the OCI tab on the top ribbon.

(3) Select “2011 Public Interest Interview Week” as the “Session” in the upper left hand box.

(4) Employers to which you applied will assign one of three designations: "pre-select," "alternate," or "not invited." "Pre-select" means you have been granted an interview. "Alternate" means you will receive an interview if enough students who were pre-selected decline their interview. "Not invited" means you were not granted an interview.

(5) If you are pre-selected or an alternate you will have the option to accept or decline the interview. You must accept or decline by Tuesday, February 1, 10:00pm. Please note, once this deadline has passed, you will only be allowed to cancel an interview if you have accepted another offer or if you have an emergency. If either of these situations occur, you must notify the Public Service Center immediately by sending an e-mail to the Public Service Center at publicservicelaw@virginia.edu to allow us to either schedule in an alternate candidate or to inform the employer of the absence.

Interviewing with Public Interest Employers - 1L Mock Interviews

2011-01-26T12:23:16-05:00

By Yared Getachew & Andrew Broaddus

As many of you know, the Public Service Center is preparing to host Public Interest Interview Week. We have a near record level of employer participation this year and we are grateful to employers – returning and new - for recruiting on North Grounds. More than forty diverse organizations, ranging from federal government agencies to civil legal services providers will interview students for summer internship and entry-level positions.

The Center’s extensive programming last semester offered, in part, advice on how students should approach interviews with employers in the public sector. For those of you interested in honing your interview skills, the Center will host mock interviews next week, on Tuesday February 1 and Wednesday, February 2. For those of you who are not able to participate in the mocks, we will have a Q&A session on Thursday, February 3, at 1:00pm in SL294.

The Center's personnel will conduct the interviews and will simulate six types of employers indicated below:

Civil legal services providers - e.g.,Legal Aid Justice Center;

Non-governmental Organizations - e.g., International Institute for Law & Human Rights;

Indigent defense organizations (state/federal) - e.g., Fairfax County Public Defender | Federal Defender EDVA;

Law enforcement agencies (state/federal) - e.g., USAO DC, Commonwealth's Attorney's Office for the City of Charlottesville;

Local attorney offices - e.g., Albemarle County Attorney's Office; and

Federal government agencies - e.g., U.S. Social Security Administration; U.S. Army JAG.

How to request a mock interview: Beginning today, Wednesday, January 26, sign up sheets will be posted at the Public Service Center. Slots will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. The last day to request an interview is Monday, January 31, at 12:00pm. Students may interview with one type of employer - please indicate your preference on the sign up sheet. Interviews will last 30 minutes.

What to bring on the day of your interview: If you have updated your resume since your Symplicity bid, please make sure to bring your new resume. However, our general advice remains here - always bring resumes printed on stock paper ("resume paper") to all your interviews. We encourage you to do the same for your mock interviews.

What to wear: Formal interview attire.

PSLawNet's advice for 1Ls and 2Ls: Cover Letters

2011-01-20T11:33:32-05:00

PSLawNet, the online resource for law students and practitioners considering careers in the public interest just posted advice on its blog for first- and second-year law students applying for summer internship positions. The piece offers five basic tips when writing public interest cover letters. I suspect my friend Steven Grumm, Director of Public Service Initiatives, penned this post (the reflexive pronoun suggests it) and it's excellent:

Before we get to our tips list, the first, most important, universal tip is that law students should immediately schedule an appointment in their career services or public interest advising office. Your author, about 10 years ago, fancied himself a sort of rogue public-interest student who didn’t need the help of his public interest career advisor. This was really, really dumb. Only after I sent the job applications out did I see the typos (amazing how they jump out at you once the original letter has already been sent), the formatting inconsistencies, etc. These are things that a trained eye would have caught in no time. Read more.

2011 Public Interest Interview Week - Update 1

2011-01-17T16:01:37-05:00

By ANDREW BROADDUS

Employers are continuing to register to participate in our annual Public Interest Interview Week scheduled February 7-11. We are grateful to all employers - both new and returning - for their willingness to recruit at the Law School despite, in many cases, having received numerous applications this year. A list of registered employers is available here. Please note employers are able to register through Tuesday, January 18, so continue to check Symplicity.

Students: requesting interviews - the deadline for requesting interviews is Thursday, January 20, 10:00pm. All bids must be made by that date. Please refer to our previous post on how to request an interview.

Transcripts: Some employers have requested a transcript. As you know, you will not have all of your grades prior to Wednesday's deadline. Here's how to proceed:

Upload your current [but incomplete] grade report. If a transcript has not been generated for you, it means that you have not received any grades. You will still be able to make bids without attaching a transcript. (You must, however, attach all other documents that employers require).

The Public Service Center will contact employers to let them know that students requesting interviews may not have complete transcripts available at this time and that students will bring copies with them to their interviews.

Update No. 2 on how to accept/cancel interviews will be forthcoming. Please direct questions regarding the 2011 Public Service Interview Week to publicservicelaw@virginia.edu.

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

2011-01-17T12:32:37-05:00

By YARED GETACHEW

The Mortimer Caplin Public Service Center honors today the life and legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 - April 4, 1968). His work to secure civil and human rights for all Americans is an inspiration to all of us especially to those who dedicate their lives to public service. Meredith Jung-En Woon, Dean of Arts & Science at UVa, has written an excellent piece on her blog today to honor King's work:

On the occasion marking the birth of Martin Luther King Jr., we might pause to reflect on the early days of integration at the University of Virginia, going back now six decades. It was in 1950 that Gregory Swanson, a black attorney from Danville, successfully sued to gain admission to the Law School. For years, African-American scholars had been seeking admission to the graduate program, going all the way back to 1935, when Alice Jackson of Richmond applied to the graduate school in French. Read more (The Desegregated Heart).

BLSA Public Interest Diversity Reception: February 7, 2011

2011-01-13T16:18:09-05:00

By YARED GETACHEW

My colleagues and I at the Public Service Center have had the pleasure to work with the Virginia Law Black Law Students Association (BLSA) in its tireless efforts to host its second Public Interest Diversity Reception at the Law School. BLSA's inaugural reception in 2009 was a huge success - it allowed students the opportunity to network with representatives from several employers in the public sector and for some students, the reception led to jobs. BLSA has once again put together its now annual gathering which will take place on Monday, February 7. Below is a public service announcement by Marina Warner - BLSA's Community Service Chair. Students interested in attending should read the announcement for information regarding registration. Questions about the event should be directed to service@uvablsa.org.

BLSA Public Interest Diversity Reception

Please join UVA BLSA for its second annual Public Interest Diversity Reception on Monday, February 7 at 6:30pm in Caplin Pavilion. The reception allows public service organizations and agencies to meet with first, second, and third-year law students interested in working in the public sector. The reception is open to the entire law student body but members from the following diverse student organizations are especially encouraged to attend: BLSA, PILA, APALSA, Lambda, LALO, Women of Color, NALSA, VLW, and MLSA.

The following employers have RSVP'd, but more are expected to be added: Blue Ridge Legal Services, Supreme Court of Virginia (Office of the Executive Secretary), Legal Aid Justice Center (Immigrant Advocacy Program), Legal Aid Justice Center (JustChildren), US Army JAG Corps (Command Judge Advocate), Federal Public Defender's Office (Western District of Virginia), Supreme Court of Virginia (Office of the Chief Staff Attorney), Virginia Capital Representation Resource Center, Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression, and the Albemarle Country Commonwealth's Attorney's Office.

Students must RSVP using the following form to attend: Public Service Diversity Registration Form. The deadline to do so is Wednesday, February 2 at 11:59 pm.

Attire is business formal. Questions may be submitted to service@uvablsa.org.

Apartment exchange - summer 2011

2011-01-11T14:10:34-05:00

By YARED GETACHEW

For students seeking housing for the upcoming summer: we just received notice from NALP announcing its 2011 free online apartment exchange for law students who seek summer housing. The service will be available January 15 to May 15, 2011. A link to the exchange is available here and on the left-hand column of this blog, under Summer Housing.

Current issues in indigent defense and prison systems

2011-01-07T16:19:15-05:00

by YARED GETACHEW

This is for those of you interviewing with indigent defense, civil legal services, and law enforcement organizations. Last year, I referred to a television report in NYC discussing how state budget cuts and rising caseloads have affected the work of public defenders. The Constitution Project's recent interview with Steve Hanlon below picks up on two aspects of our criminal justice system - the dramatic increase in the number of people entering our prisons and the impact of this spike on school systems. Being conversant on these issues would go a long way toward showing employers your awareness of important issues regarding our criminal justice system and your commitment to public service. Hanlon is a partner at Holland & Knight and chairs the Constitution Project's Board of Directors.

2011 Public Interest Interview Week: February 7-11

2011-01-05T16:36:29-05:00

by ANDREW BROADDUS

The 2011 Public Interest Interview Week will be held on February 7-11 at the University of Virginia School of Law. Public service employers primarily from the mid-Atlantic region will be available on grounds and via video conferencing to interview 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls, and LLMs for internship and permanent positions. Currently eighteen employers have signed up; additional employers will continue to register until January 18. We therefore recommend that you check Symplicity on a regular basis.

How to Request an Interview:

(1) Log into Symplicity.

(2) Click on the OCI tab on the top ribbon.

(3) Select “2011 Public Interest Interview Week” as the “Session” in the upper left hand box.

(4) Select your “Default OCI Resume” and upload your resume.

(5) To review an employer and the opportunity it offers, click on the “Review” button. Please make sure to review all details pertaining to eligibility and submission requirements before signing up for an interview.

More on how to request interviews and a list of important dates after the jump.

(6) If the employer only requires a resume, on the right side of the page, you can proceed to: (a) select the resume you wish to use, (b) change the notation “No Bid” to "1", and (c) click “Apply”. Please note that while we are not using a lottery process for the Interview Week, Symplicity requires applicants to insert a bid number. (Note also that employers cannot see these numbers; bids have no bearing on an applicant's chances of receiving an interview).

(7) If the employer requires additional documents, you will need to upload them to Symplicity. Instructions for uploading documents are available here. Please note that the Symplicity system automatically uploads and updates grade reports on a daily basis.

(8) Once your additional documents are uploaded, you must once again click on the “Review” button next to the employer’s name under the OCI tab. Then use the drop-down boxes on the right of the screen to change from “No Bid” to "1" and to include the additional documents that the employer has requested. If you have no grade report yet, simply leave this empty. As noted on the grade report, the law school does not publish GPAs or class rank.

(9) Once you upload your documents click on the “Apply” button to complete your request for an interview.

Key Dates:

January 10 - 20, 2011: Students sign up for interviews. This must be completed by 10:00pm on the 20th. This is a firm date. We urge you to not wait until the last minute to sign up. The interviews will be scheduled to avoid a class conflict; however, if there are particular dates and times that we should consider, please add a personal event on your Symplicity calendar. The Personal Events tab is available under Calendar (click on “Add New.”)

January 21 - January 26: Employers pre-select students for interviews and students are scheduled for interview slots.

January 27 - January 30: Students accept or decline interviews. For any interviews that are declined, we will schedule alternates identified by the employers and notify those students.

February 4 at noon: Interview schedules finalized. Students selected as alternates should also make sure to review the schedules on this date.

February 7: Interviews begin.

If you have questions about this process or encounter difficulty please stop by the Public Service Center or contact us at publicservicelaw@virginia.edu or 434-924-3883. Good luck and best regards.

Mortimer Caplin Public Service Center

Rwanda and Yugoslav Tribunals - January 5, 2011

2011-01-04T10:11:01-05:00

By Yared Getachew '98

This is a reminder that the Virginia Human Rights Progam and Caplin Public Service Center will accept applications for summer internship positions with the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) until tomorrow, January 5. Application information for both programs is available in the PSC's December 10, 2010 announcement.

Please note the January 5 date is an internal deadline. As Professor Hurwitz and I indicated at the December 13 session, students may apply directly to the tribunals (deadlines fast approaching).

NOTE: Students/graduates interested in receiving information about summer and career opportunities in human rights law should Ms. Cindy Derrick in the Human Rights Program.

Rebellious Lawyering Conference: February 18-20, 2011

2011-01-03T12:19:19-05:00

I took a couple of days off last week (Happy New Year everyone) and upon my return to work this morning found an e-mail from our friends at Yale Law School alerting us to the upcoming Rebellious Lawyering Conference (Reblaw) in New Haven. Reblaw is one of the better conferences for public interest-minded law students - the event offers a terrific array of panels, keynote speakers, and opportunities to network.

Last year's conference featured panels and workshops on domestic and international advocacy in juvenile justice, human rights, custody, forensic science, FOIA, advocacy skills, conducting client interviews, domestic violence, and others. This year's schedule will be posted soon on the conference blog.

Registration (see also here) costs $30. The Mortimer Caplin Public Service Center will pay the registration fee for students on a FCFS basis. (Contact me with questions). The conference offers travel and lodging assistance (free housing but check important sign-up dates).

Please direct questions about the conference to the conference organizers here:

rebellious.law.questions@gmail.com.

FCIP no more?

2010-11-17T15:06:46-05:00

By Yared Getachew '98

Over the past year or so, we have advised students interested in pursuing entry-level non-PMF, non-honors positions to consider a little-known program, the Federal Career Intern Program, created under Executive Order 13162. In a blog posting, I recommended this terrific entryway into occupations that allow for exceptional formal training and development with some agencies, including the DHS, EPA, and DOJ. However, it looks like this hiring program is on hold.

On November 2, 2010, the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) ruled that the FCIP violates civil service rules at least as it relates to veterans' preference. In its final Order, the Board determined:

[The FCIP] is inconsistent with the Civil Service Rules that govern placement of positions in the excepted service under 5 U.S.C.§ 33201(1) - a law relating to veterans' preference - because it allows an agency to invoke an appointing authority reserved for "positions . . . for which it is not practicable to hold a competitive examination" after the agency holds a competitive examination that yields highly-qualified preference-eligible candidates.

If the named defendants in this case - the Office of Personal Management and the Department of Veterans Affairs - appeal the Board's decision, we will let you know. In the meantime, please continue to remain vigilant for opportunities posted on the government's clearinghouse, USAJobs. And continue to visit us at the PSC.

DOJ CRM

2010-11-16T13:49:00-05:00

By Yared Getachew '98

Last week, Jennifer Rickets 88' gave us an excellent overview of the Department of Justice's volunteer internship program and the responsibilities of the Civil Division.

This Friday, November 19, at 12:00pm in WB126, Jonathan Rusch '80, Deputy Chief, Criminal Division, Fraud Section, will offer a presentation about summer volunteer internship opportunities in his division. DOJ - CRM enforces federal criminal laws except those specifically assigned to other divisions. The division's sections and the 93 United States Attorney Offices oversee criminal matters under more than 900 statutes. There are numerous sections, offices, and units in the division. Please join us with your questions.

First Amendment Writes 2010 - November 8, 2010

2010-11-08T00:09:32-05:00

By Yared Getachew

I happened to be on the Downtown Mall earlier today and as I passed by the Jefferson Theater saw a flyer announcing an event co-sponsored by our friends at the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression. On Monday, November 8, at 6:30PM, the TJ Center and The Music Resource Center will present First Amendment Writes 2010: Annual Poetry and Songwriting Competition. Below is the write-up on the Jefferson's site:

First Amendment Writes is the performance component of a truly unique songwriting and poetry competition designed to celebrate the creative heights that can only be achieved when artists are free to express themselves on any theme, subject, or idea. Twenty finalists (10 songwriters and 10 poets) will perform their original works in hopes of being selected to receive a $500 prize from a highly distinguished panel of judges [ ]. Past judges have included Boyd Tinsley of Dave Matthews Band, and former National Poet Laureate Rita Dove. Now in its 5th year, First Amendment Writes 2010 will for the first time allow the audience to choose their favorite song and poem for a $300 prize. Read and hear past winners of the contest [here].

The TJ Center has employed Virginia Law students for summer internship positions since the mid-90s (I was one of those fortunate enough to snag a summer internship at the Center after my 1L year). This promises to be a great event. Tickets cost only $5.00.

Public Interest Resume Templates (in Word)

2010-11-03T11:53:44-04:00

By Yared Getachew

Class of 2013: By now, you have read the Public Service Center's and Career Services's guides on how to prepare a legal resume. I realize all of you have prepared a resume in the past but to the extent you wish to use one of our templates, I have attached 5 below. My colleagues and I will discuss public interest resumes and cover letters during our presentation and Q&A session on November 4 (and other dates TBA).

Download 1 PSC Sampe Resume Garamond No School Activity

Download 2 PSC Sampe Resume DUAL ADDRESS

Download 3 PSC Sampe Resume Book Antique DUAL Address

Download 4 PSC Sampe Resume INDENTED

Download 5 PSC Sampe Resume Experienced TcCen Font

Public Defender turned Human Rights Advocate: October 28, 2010

2010-10-27T11:17:40-04:00

Please join the Virginia Law Human Rights Program and the Mortimer Caplin Public Service Center for a discussion with Brooklyn public defender Adam Heyman '03 regarding careers in indigent defense and how US-trained lawyers (and law students) may assist post-conflict nations in their efforts to strengthen their judiciary.

Adam recently returned from Kathmandu, Nepal where he worked for International Legal Foundation (ILF), a New York-based NGO. ILF helped establish a public defender office in Kathmandu to provide representation to indigent defendants before the country's courts. Please read more about Adam's efforts in KTM here and here. I will also briefly discuss my own experience in this area - how my legal training and practice allowed me to represent victims of violations of international humanitarian law.

The event will be held in Caplin Pavilion on October 28, 2010, at 11:45. Pizza will be provided for the first 30 students. Many thanks to Professor Deena Hurwitz and Human Rights Program Coordinator Jessica Lee for helping organize this event.

Partnership for Public Service Webinar

2010-10-20T18:14:22-04:00

Today's webinar Federal Internships: Find and Apply for Summer 2011 was highly informative. Partnership offered several handouts, including its powerpoint presentation, "resources for students and jobseekers," "finding a federal internship," "sample internships," and a summary of internships at the US Department of State. Virginia Law students interested in reviewing these handouts may stop by the Public Service Center after Monday, October 25.

2010 EJW Fair - Ace your interviews

2010-10-18T12:11:02-04:00

By Yared Getachew '98

Students participating in the upcoming 2010 EJW Conference/Career Fair Public Interest 2.0 in Bethesda, MD are invited to attend a presentation co-sponsored by the Virgina Law Public Interest Law Association (PILA) and the Public Service Center. Wednesday, October 20, 3:30pm in SL294.

Students who attended last year's event will share their experience interviewing with employers in job fair settings. I will offer advice as well. Students participating in the fair to attend conference sessions only are welcome.

Anne Coyle '98 | Federal Career Intern Program

2010-10-13T22:40:17-04:00

By Yared Getachew '98

Many thanks to Anne Coyle '98, Assistant Regional Counsel, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 for her presentation today. Thanks also to those students who came to hear Anne's talk on internship and entry-level opportunities at EPA Region 5.

3Ls: during her presentation Anne mentioned the FCIP - the Federal Career Intern Program as an alternative entryway into the EPA (and other federal agencies). I mentioned a blog posting I wrote last year on this program. Please find it here.

2011 Presidential Management Fellows Presentation

2010-10-11T11:00:15-04:00

By Yared Getachew '98

Reminder: today, at noon, in WB101, the Public Service Center will give a presentation on the nuts and bolts of the PMF Program application process. Smitha Dante ’10, Program Analyst with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, will offer a frank assessment of the application and appointment process. Also joining us will be Lauren Roscoe '10, Presidential Management Fellow with the United States Department of Homeland Security, Customs & Border Protection, and Alice Beauheim '09, PMF finalist.

Photo credit: OTS

Education Pioneers: October 15, 2010

2010-10-08T16:28:40-04:00

By Yared Getachew

Education Pioneers is a national nonprofit that tackles the most critical public education challenges by recruiting business, law, education and policy professionals and matching them with partner organizations. These partners include, among others, charter schools, research organizations, college preparatory programs, and legal services and advocacy programs.

The Fellowship Program is a full-time, 10-week summer internship program where Fellows work as project consultants on a critical education issue under the guidance of an education leader. Fellows work with 100 partner organizations in Boston, Chicago, DC Metro Area, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area. The Program includes training on complex urban education issues as well as access to and collaboration with local education industry experts and professionals from a variety of backgrounds.

On October 15, at noon, in SL258, John Troy, Managing Director for the DC Metro Area, will present information about the program and the application process. Food will be provided. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to publicservicelaw@virginia.edu by October 12 at 5:00pm. For additional information about the Fellowship Program, please visit Pioneer's page here.

Education Pioneers - UVA Law

Equal Justice Works Conference & Career Fair for 1Ls

2010-10-05T11:01:00-04:00

By Yared Getachew

Dear Members of the Class of 2013:

Equal Justice Works (EJW) is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization that focuses on public interest careers for lawyers. Every year, in October, the organization hosts a conference and career fair in Washington that brings together the largest gathering of public interest and government employers to recruit second- and third-year law students (and recent graduates) for internship and permanent positions. The conference also features conference programing sessions that offer, among other things, advice on opportunities outside the classroom that students can pursue to prepare for a career in public interest law. This year's event will take place on October 22 and 23 in the Washington, D.C. area (Bethesda, Maryland). The last date to register is October 12.
Conference: The 2010 Conference features several sessions that offer advice on how law students may prepare for careers in the public interest. 1Ls may participate in all conference sessions.
Table Talk: Under NALP's Principles and Guidelines, first-year law students are not eligible to interview with employers until after December 1. However, 1Ls will be able to attend the conference and informally talk to employers during "Table Talk." Table Talk is essentially an open period where employers avail themselves to meet with students on a first-come, first-served basis. 1Ls may approach the employers during this time, inform them of their 1L status, and ask about their work, and whether they accept applications from 1Ls after December 1. EJW offers the following advice with regards to Table Talk protocol:

You are encouraged to pick out to whom you would like to speak before Table Talk begins. Keep in mind that several employers may have long lines of students waiting to speak to them. Plan ahead and strategize to maximize your time with all employers . . . Do not use this time to conduct an extensive interview. You should have a quick, 30 second introduction and "selling point" about yourself. Most employers want to meet as many students as possible during this time, so be courteous to your fellow students and keep your face time as short as possible. See full text here.

In light of this limited opportunity to interact with employers, 1Ls should carefully weigh the benefits of attending this event. If you are interested in attending, do so here (registration fee is pre-paid as part of the Law School's membership in EJW).

1Ls with questions are encouraged to visit the EJW forum to post questions, find answers, and connect with other students and professionals attending the Conference and Career Fair.

Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia: September 22, 2010

2010-09-17T11:09:00-04:00

By Yared Getachew

UPDATE: many thanks to James Whitehead '04 for his excellent presentation. I use this opportunity to thank James and his colleagues at the PDS, especially Jennifer Thomas, Director of Legal Recruiting, for the office's annual visits to the Law School and its efforts to recruit our students, year after year, for summer internship, winter pro bono, and entry-level positions.

________

Please join us for a presentation on how to secure internship and permanent positions with public defender offices on Wednesday September 22, 2010 in WB126 at 12:00pm. Our guest is James Whitehead '04, staff attorney at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS).

Home to some of the grittiest public defenders in the country, the PDS receives hundreds of applications for a handful of available attorney positions each year. To many, PDS has become the national standard-bearer and the benchmark by which other public defender systems measure themselves.

PDS provides one of the most comprehensive criminal defense training programs of its type. The office has also developed innovative approaches to representation, addressing the problems clients encounter when returning to the community following incarceration. Throughout the years, PDS attorneys have earned the admiration and respect of opponents, colleagues, judges, and clients alike.

James Whitehead is a terrific presenter and I hope students will turn out for his talk. He just completed a rotation in Appeals and will return to the Trial Division next month where he began his career.

Pizza available for 30 attendees.

Federal Election Commission: Tuesday, September 21, 2010

2010-09-17T00:47:58-04:00

By Yared Getachew

Please join us for a brown bag presentation on careers in election law and campaign finance on Tuesday, September 21, 2010, at 12:00-1:00pm in WB101. The speaker is Adav Noti, Esq. of the Federal Election Commission's (FEC) Office of General Counsel.

The FEC is an independent regulatory agency established by Congress in 1975 to: (1) enforce the Federal Election Campaign Act; (2) disclose campaign finance information; and (3) oversee public funding of presidential elections. The Office of General Counsel consists of five divisions - Policy, Enforcement, Litigation, General Law, and Office of Complaints Examination. The OGC hires law clerks each summer.

Mr. Noti is an attorney in the Litigation Division.

U.S. EPA Enforcement & Compliance Talk: Monday September 20, 2010

2010-09-16T17:20:52-04:00

By Yared Getachew

Please join the Mortimer Caplin Public Service Center for a brown bag presentation on careers in environmental law and practice on Monday, September 20, at noon, in SL262. Our guest is Michael Walker of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

In addition to discussing the work of the EPA and current developments in federal environmental compliance, Mr. Walker's presentation will focus on how students can successfully pursue and land internship and permanent positions in environmental law.

Mr. Walker serves as Senior Enforcement Counsel for Administrative Litigation in the Office of Enforcement & Compliance. Mr. Walker is also Director of the agency's National Enforcement Training Institute.

Pizza provided for the first 30 attendees.

How to effectively use the new USAJobs: September 16

2010-09-14T13:44:42-04:00

By Yared Getachew

In January of this year the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) launched an upgraded version of USAJobs, the federal government's one-stop clearinghouse for civil service jobs and internships with federal agencies. On Thursday, September 16 from 12:00-12:30pm (EST) Partnership for Public Service will offer a 30-minute webinar on how to effectively use website's search features. I strongly recommend this session to all students and graduates seeking opportunities with the federal government.

Register for the event here.

Best places to work in the federal government webinar: Today

2010-09-08T09:16:39-04:00

By Yared Getachew

Last week, Partnership for Public Service released its 2010 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government rankings (PDF brochure here), a comprehensive rating and analysis of of employee satisfaction and commitment in the federal government. The rankings - the 5th in the series - surveyed 290 federal organizations (large, small, and subcomponents) are based on responses of more than 236,000 employees. The highest scoring workplace categories are employee skills/mission match, teamwork, pay, and training and development.

The webinar - offered primarily for career advisors - will take place at 2:00pm this afternoon and will guide users on how to effectively navigate the Best Places website. Students interested in participating may register here.

Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship Program: 2011-2012

2010-09-07T11:29:00-04:00

By Yared Getachew

3Ls: The PSC does not formally counsel students interested in pursuing opportunities in human rights and international law - the Human Rights Program at Virginia is an excellent resource for those who seek internship and permanent opportunities in those fields. However, every now then, given my personal interest in the area, I will highlight opportunities that could be of interest to our students and graduates.

The fellowship opportunity with the Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship Program was posted on Symplicity yesterday. The application deadline for the 2011-12 fellowship year is October 15, 2010.

Justice will not accept late submissions

2010-09-06T10:11:05-04:00

By YARED GETACHEW

2Ls and 3Ls - the deadline to submit your applications for the SLIP and Honors programs is tomorrow, September 7, 2010. See here for submission timelines for various U.S. time zones.

Indigent defense in KTM - part 2

2010-09-03T09:38:08-04:00

By YARED GETACHEW

Following is another dispatch by Brooklyn public defender Adam Heyman '03 from Kathmandu, Nepal. In April 2010, Adam took a sabbatical from the Brooklyn Legal Aid Society to work in Nepal with the International Legal Foundation (ILF), a New York-based NGO established in 1997 to ensure that reconstruction efforts of post-conflict justice systems includes indigent defense. In 2009, ILF helped establish a public defender office to provide representation to indigent defendants before all courts in Kathmandu. Adam summarizes one of his current assignments: the Chitwan Project. All disclaimers stated in the previous posting apply.

By Adam Heyman

On June 28, 2010, we traveled to Chitwan National Park in central Nepal to assess the status of potential legal violations in poaching cases. Currently, the Warden of Chitwan National Park and the District Forest Officer, the two sole authorities as directed by the Wildlife Act of 1972 to decide poaching cases, are extremely overworked with many other park duties to also administer the adjudication of such cases in an effective and timely fashion.

As a direct result, ILF-Nepal discovered that there are over one hundred and twenty-five Nepali citizens accused of poaching detained in the Chitwan Park and the Bharatpur jail whose cases either have seen no action in over one year and/or whose rights to counsel, a fair trial and other such fundamental rights have been clearly violated. In fact, many of these accused Nepali citizens have been incarcerated for periods between 2-5 years without a trial and counsel. ILF-Nepal decided to represent twenty-one of these people accused of poaching (the others either already had lawyers or were unable to provide documentation of their cases), filing writs of habeas corpus with the Appellate Court in Hetauda on July 8, 2010, arguing for the immediate release of these clients.

On July 11, 2010, ILF-Nepal won the show cause hearing for all 21 writs. At the final hearing on July 27, 2010, the court ordered an additional round of arguments. Present at the hearing were the Warden, three government prosecutors and the District Forest Officer. The writs were publicized not only in newspapers but also on the radio. A week later, after additional legal argument from both sides, the Appellate Court made its ruling. While it denied our writs and did not release any of our clients, it ordered the Warden and the District Forest Officer to decide each of the 21 cases within 90 days, or else face contempt charges. It was a great victory as it not only made the Warden and District Forest Officer aware of our clients' right to counsel and speedy trial, but it also brought awareness to the general lack of due process in these poaching cases.

Unfortunately, after the 90-day directive, the Warden decided to rubber stamp convictions on some of the cases, without having witness examinations. He simply started convicting our clients based solely on their police confessions, in clear violation of the law and the Nepal Supreme Court precedent. We filed injunctions at the Appellate Court at the end of August in Hetauda to stop such blatant violations of our clients' rights to a fair trial and due process, but our petitions were denied.

Currently, we are working on each individual trial to prepare for the final hearings. We are on a very tight deadline, as the Warden is trying these cases as an expedited pace due to the Appellate Court's directive. We are hopeful that after such abuse of power, the Warden's convictions will be overturned on appeal. The work that we have begun in Chitwan National Park is the first of many new projects that ILF-Nepal is handling. We have also been granted a contract to begin training court-assigned public defenders nationwide, which is a huge step forward in providing zealous and effective representation to indigent clients in criminal cases. I hope that the awareness that we have brought to the Chitwan cases will aid in affording due process to all people accused of crimes in Nepal.

Photograph of park courtesy of GNU documentation license. All other photographs taken by Adam Heyman.

Philadelphia District Attorney: September 27, 2010

2010-09-01T14:54:30-04:00

By YARED GETACHEW

Please join us for a brown bag presentation with the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office on September 27, 2010, at noon, in a room to be soon announced. Our guest is Kelley B. Hodge, Chief of the DA Office's Municipal Court Division. Ms. Hodge will discuss her career path and offer advice on what it takes to become a prosecutor in large urban DA offices. Following a Q & A session, I will follow with brief remarks and advice to upper-class students interested in pursuing careers in prosecution and law enforcement.

The Philly DA's Office is one of the largest prosecutor offices in the nation. Organized into 5 divisions - Trials, Investigations, Juvenile, Law, and Narcotics, the office has a staff of more than 600 who prosecute more than 75,000 cases each year.

This session is open to ALL students.

New York County District Attorney's Office: September 24, 2010

2010-08-31T22:32:00-04:00

By YARED GETACHEW

Please join the Mortimer Caplin Public Service Center for a brown bag presentation with Tom Wornom ('83) from the N ew York Co unty District Attorney's Office on September 24, 2010, 12:00-1:00PM in SL258.

Tom Wornom is Chief of Special Prosecutions and will discuss the day-to-day work of Manhattan district attorneys and will offer advice on how students should apply and prepare for internship and permanent positions in Manhattan and with other boroughs in NYC.

All classes are welcome.

Veterans Affairs Law and Practice: September 6, 2010

2010-08-25T16:04:10-04:00

By YARED GETACHEW

Please join the Office of Judicial Clerkships and the Mortimer Caplin Public Service Center for a brown bag presentation featuring James Ridgway '97 of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims on September 6, at 5:00 - 6:00pm in SL258. Mr. Ridgway will introduce students to the field of veterans law and offer extensive information on internships and careers with major veterans service organizations, including the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

Mr. Ridgway is Chief of Staff to Judge Alan G. Lance, Sr. of the veterans claims court. He graduated Order of the Coif from the Law School and prior to his appointment clerked for then-associate Judge Kenneth B. Kramer of the CAVC from 1997 to 1999. Between his two periods of service with the court, Mr. Ridgway was an Assistant State's Attorney in Chicago where he was a trial attorney in Child Abuse and Neglect and Juvenile Delinquency courtrooms. While in Chicago, he also taught Appellate Advocacy at Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

This session is open to ALL students. Pizza provided to those who confirm by September 3 at publicservicelaw@virginia.edu (simply indicate "veterans affairs confirm" in subject line) [deadline passed].