Links These pages contain links to sites that law students may find helpful for career planning and job search purposes. Included below are links to sites containing legal job listings, general job listings, and guides to other job search sites.* |
One obvious benefit of conducting a job search on the Internet is speedy access to information 24 hours a day at virtually any location you choose. In addition, hundreds of major employers now list their job openings on the Internet. Most job banks offer free access, and searching their listings is easy.
However, while the computer is a powerful and useful tool, its use as a means of communication is impersonal. Most employers and firms still require an in-person interview before making final hiring decisions. There is also a possible loss of privacy for persons who choose to post their resumes on-line. And finally, the reach of Internet job banks does not extend to the "hidden job market" (those job openings that are not advertised).
One way to use the Web is to visit sites containing job information. Some sites are more comprehensive and better organized than others. For example, the National Law Journal's Law Employment Center allows you to search for listings by practice area and geographic location. Other sites are more modest in scope and sophistication, and simply present listings that cannot be searched by categories.
Most major law firms, as well as many small to mid-size firms, Fortune 500 companies, and government agencies at all levels have Web sites. They usually contain information on career opportunities, including positions available and the names, phone numbers, and addresses of contact persons. Many firm Web sites serve as both a firm resume and marketing brochure and contain more current information than that found in the printed materials.
A number of sites offer resume posting services. Some charge fees, some don't. Most tout their service as the "wave of the future" in legal recruitment that law students (and graduates) can't afford to miss. As with so many other aspects of the Internet, the jury remains out on that claim. Legal employers still overwhelmingly rely on traditional recruiting methods to meet their hiring needs. So, for the time being, the prudent job seeker will use the Internet as a supplement to traditional career planning methods.
Sample Resumes*
First Year Day
Second Year Day
General Evening Division
General Upper Division
*These are PDF files requiring the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader.®
To download this free plug-in, click here.
Many sites contain job banks with large numbers of employment listings on the Internet. See the links section on this page for quick access to job banks, employer web pages and career related websites.
Publications on the Internet Job Search
For students and graduates who want to learn more about the Web and the Internet's other components, the following publications are useful
(*available for viewing in our Office):
The Lawyer's Guide to the Internet* by G. Burgess Allison (Section of Law Practice Management, American Bar Association, 1995).
Hook Up, Get Hired! The Internet Job Revolution* by Joyce Lain Kennedy (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1995).
The Guide to Internet Job Searching by Margaret Riley (NTC Publishing, 1996).
The Lawyers Guide to Job Surfing On the Internet (Career Education Institutes, 1998).