The Juris Doctor is an extremely
versatile degree, and the Office of Career
Services provides all of the resources necessary
to guide you along your own unique career
path.
From personalized career counseling
and resume drafting workshops to on-campus
interviewing programs and legal career fairs,
the Office of Career Services offers comprehensive
services that will facilitate your transition
from law school to legal practice.
Jobs The Office of Career Services maintains
current job postings for summer, academic-year,
and post-graduate employment opportunities
on a site accessible by RWU Law students and alumni.
Our office schedules interviews with employers
throughout the academic year. Each year,
law firms, corporations, and governmental
agencies throughout Rhode Island and surrounding
states visit our campus to interview students.
We host the bulk of these employers (primarily
large legal employers interviewing 2L and
3L students) during the fall semester of
each year. The list of participating employers
will be posted to our website or e-mailed
to students as reservations are received.
Although all employers are invited to interview
on-campus at any time of the year, smaller
employers typically choose to post job openings
on our website and conduct the interviews
in their own offices.
The R.I.
State Government Internship Program
Because Roger Williams is the only law
school in the state, our students are uniquely
situated to gain meaningful, hands-on, legal
experience working for Rhode Island judges,
government agencies, and non-profit organizations
through The Rhode Island State Government
Internship Program. All students, but particularly
1L students, are strongly encouraged to
participate in this program to gain practical
experience, explore their interests, and
make connections in the legal community.
Each fall, 1L and 2L students will be invited
to interview on-campus with the Rhode Island
State Government Internship Program for
both summer and academic-year internships.
Career Fairs &
Legal Career Options Day We register for several regional and national
career fairs,
affording students the opportunity to interview
in locations outside of Rhode Island, such
as New York City, Chicago, and Washington,
D.C. Some of these remote career fairs are
“specialty” career fairs (e.g.,
patent law or public interest). Our own Legal Career Options Day, which we co-sponsor
with the Rhode Island Bar Association, is
held each November and features networking
opportunities with over sixty attorneys
representing legal careers in the following
areas: academic,
alternative careers, corporate, government/public
interest, judiciary, and law firms.
Office Resources
The office
maintains its own Career Resource Library in
Suite 18 which provides students with
unfettered access to a growing collection of
career development and job search aid
materials. The library also has two computer
terminals with links to a vast network of
legally related Internet
Resources and a printer, all of which are conveniently accessible for
student use throughout the day.
One resource
with which students should become extremely
familiar is the
Office of Career Services Handbook,
available online and in hard copy form in our office. This
resource contains great resume and cover
letter samples, interviewing tips, timelines
to follow throughout the job search process,
advice on salary negotiations and much, much
more.
Individual Appointments The Office of Career Services provides
personal career counseling to prepare students
for the job market and to help them develop
a career focus. We strongly encourage you
to make an individual appointment with either
the Assistant Dean or the Director
to help you determine your career interests
and map out job search strategies. Taking
the Office of Career Services to a new level
of student-oriented operation, evening appointment
hours are maintained during the academic year, thus providing
more access to professional personnel and
resources.
Career Programs The Office of Career Services presents
career and professional development programs
throughout the academic year. Topics include
resume and cover letter preparation, interviewing
techniques, job search strategies, and career
options. To view upcoming career programs,
please click on our Events
Calendar.
Mock Interview Program Prior
to the Fall and Spring On-Campus Interview Programs, the
Office of Career Services sponsors mock interview programs in which students
have the opportunity to hone their
interviewing skills in real-life interviews
conducted by attorneys who are members of
the Young Lawyer’s Division of the
Rhode Island Bar Association. Additionally,
at any time during the year, students may
schedule a mock interview with the Assistant
Dean and the Director to polish
their interview skills and receive immediate
feedback and suggestions for improvement.
Additionally, we sponsor interview workshops each year. Click here to see our September 2007 and February 2008 worshop videos.
Alumni Connections Speaking with alumni offers students a
fantastic opportunity to connect with graduates
who practice in the geographic areas in
which they are interested. Many graduates
of RWU Law
are pleased to speak with current
students about their career paths and related
issues. Our office will facilitate connections
with the vast network of Roger Williams’
alumni located throughout the country.
Reciprocity Reciprocity allows RWU Law students and alumni to use
the career services offices of other law
schools. Reciprocity polices for ABA law
schools can be found at http://www.nalp.org/content/index.php?pid=94.
Review the policy of the school you wish
to visit and then click
here for further information.
Special Note to Entering 1L Students Pursuant to National Association for Law
Placement standards and Roger Williams University
School of Law policy, first semester students
have only restricted access to the Office
of Career Services until after November
1 and they may not contact employers regarding
employment opportunities until after December
1 of their first year. This rule is designed
to permit students to focus the first three
months of law school solely on their studies
and adjustment to law school.
First semester students may attend
Legal
Career Options Day and they may interview
on-campus in the fall with the Rhode Island
State Government Internship Program (see
above). However,
first-year students may not schedule individual
counseling appointments with the Assistant
Dean or the Director until after
November 1, nor may they participate in
any career fairs that have an application
deadline before November 1.
Further, first semester students are precluded
from attending Office of Career Services-sponsored
career programs until after November 1.
After this date, the Office of Career Services
will host a special program to welcome first
semester students and introduce them to
our team and the services we offer.
