Students

• Job Connections Platform. 12twenty CSM is Syracuse Law’s online platform connecting you and employers.

• Career Development. Login to access On Campus Interview (OCI) and Resume Collect programs for summer and post-graduation recruitment, externships, and fellowships, new and constantly updated job postings, announcements, career development programming, useful guides, and much more.

• 12Twenty Student Toolkit. This toolkit will help navigate you through 12Twenty, and provide step by step instructions on important features. With this new system, you will experience an increase in ease of use, functionality, communication, and ultimately, satisfaction.

• New Students. We will create a 12twenty account for you. We will send you important login details during your first semester at the law school – do not create your own account.

• Great Resume and Cover Letter. Producing a good resume and a well written cover letter is a basic requirement for a successful job search. These documents play a critical role in helping employers understand who you are, what motivates you, and what you have to offer as a potential employee.
• Helpful Guides and Easy to Use Resources. You should proactively use Syracuse Law OCS guides posted on 12Twenty: Plug & Play Resume Building Template, Resume Guide and Cover Letter & Other Application Materials to help prepare your job search application documents. We also recommend that you use an AI driven resume building platform that you can access as a Syracuse Law student:
• Purepost is a resume building software platform that helps you communicate the value of your experience into terms that are easily understood by employers. Purepost Demo Video

Practice, Practice, Practice. You got the interview! Now what? Increase your chances of success by learning more about your prospective employer, the questions you might be asked, what you should take with you to the interview, and how to make a great first impression by using reviewing our In-Person and Virtual Interview Tips Sheet and the virtual interviewing practice and learning platforms below:

Big Interview is a free virtual platform that combines training and practice to help improve your interview technique and build your confidence. Big Interview has captured over 90% of all possible interview questions, including easy, medium, and most difficult to answer questions. Most importantly, you will learn the WHY of the specific question. You will learn the STAR method of how to respond to each question. You can practice your response and replay videos. Interviewing is a skill that you can keep practicing and become an expert! Big Interview can also help you with resume writing, to negotiate, and how to navigate the first 90 days of a new job. We highly recommend you use this AI driven platform.
Big Interview Video Demo

LinkedIn Learning provides thousands of on-line courses curated based on the career interests, role, or career path of the learner. It can be a highly personalized learning experience. Click here for a full user’s guide to get you started. LinkedIn Learning Video Demo

Your 1L and 2L year is a crucial time to gain real-world legal experience. Jobs during law school provide you with an important opportunity to learn about an area or areas of the law you might want to pursue. We are thrilled to announce a range of Diversity job positions  for our 1L and 2L students. These positions not only champion the importance of inclusivity and diversity within the legal sector but also offer an exceptional opportunity to integrate practical experience with your academic learnings.

1L & 2L Diversity Programs and Fellowship Positions

Keep in mind, that the sooner you act, the better your chances!
We will be frequently adding opportunities. View job postings on the ​12Twenty system by logging in and clicking on “OCI and Job Listings”.

Should you have any questions or require assistance with the application process, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at lawcareer@syr.edu. Our dedicated team is here to support you every step of the way.

2L & 3L Students may begin applying on Monday, April 29, 2024 on 12twenty.

This program enables employers to connect with you via resume submissions, virtual interviews, or on-campus visits. They can interview you for summer roles, academic year positions, externships, and positions after graduation. Positions are added on a rolling basis.

• On-campus and Virtual Interviews are set to begin Monday, July 22, 2024 – Friday, August 30, 2024.
• Please refer to our Fall 2024 OCI FAQ page for additional information.
• See the list of Employers who have participated in our OCI Program.

1Ls & 2Ls

Please let us know if you have secured a Spring or Summer 2024 position by completing your 12Twenty Jobs & Job Offers Survey. We are excited to learn about your opportunities and are here to help you find a position.

3Ls

Syracuse University College of Law cooperates with the ABA and the National Association for Law Placement (NALP) in reporting this information. Answers are confidential and are used by the College of Law for statistical purposes only. Please refer to How to Complete a Syracuse Law Graduate Survey on 12Twenty for detailed instructions.

 Complete the survey now!

Judicial clerkships are postgraduate, full-time jobs which typically last one or two years. Clerks work for judges at all levels of the state and federal court systems, from trial courts to the courts of last resort. Duties vary according to the particular judge’s needs, but nearly all clerkships involve reading the parties’ submissions, conducting legal research, and writing memoranda or draft opinions for the judge’s review. Clerks often watch hearings, trials, oral arguments and mediations. Clerks see the inner workings of their judge’s chambers and the court house in which they work, which gives them a unique and valuable glimpse into the justice system.

• The College of Law strongly encourages students and alumni to consider judicial clerkships because these positions offer a close study of litigation, dispute resolution, and civic engagement. Moreover, many law clerks develop meaningful professional relationships with the judges for whom they clerk.
• The Judicial Clerkship Program prepares students for the work they will perform as judicial clerks. Students and alumni have secured clerkships at a number of federal and state courts, including the US Court of Appeals, the US District Court, the US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, the US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and courts of last resort, appellate courts, and trial courts in states throughout the country.
• Throughout the school year, the Office of Career Services hosts events to introduce students to clerkships and explain the application process. The College of Law also regularly hosts judges and court commentators for special events through, for example, the Institute for the Judiciary, Politics and the Media, the Supreme Court Preview, and the Advocacy Program.
• Judges also visit classes, allowing students to learn directly from them. Many students who are interested in post-graduate clerkships also participate in the College’s Externship Program.
• Click here to access our Judicial Clerkship Guide to learn more about these great positions.
• We also recommend to students interested in federal clerkships to create an account with OSCAR to learn more about becoming a federal law clerk or staff attorney.
• For students interested in State court clerkships, we recommend you review the Guide to State Judicial Clerkships, referenced in our Judicial Clerkship Guide.

The Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan, a hiring timeline and agreement which some federal judges follow, governs the hiring of first and second-year students.

Visit this web page to view the details of the plan. Below is a summary of the plan:

Participating judges agree that they will not consider candidates or make offers until mid-June in the summer following a student’s second year of law school. OSCAR is the gatekeeper for the plan because applications from second-year students will not be released by OSCAR until the plan opening day in mid-June. Second-year students will be allowed view-only OSCAR access during the spring semester of their second year.

Note that this is a voluntary plan: individual judges or groups of judges may choose to participate but judges are not required to do so. The roster of participating jurisdictions is being kept current on NALP’s website, here, so please refer to that page for participation information. Many judges in other jurisdictions will also voluntarily participate.

Other judges do not wish to participate in the plan. They may use the OSCAR system to notify candidates of their intentions, however, they will ask candidates to apply via paper or email before the plan opening day in mid-June.

• Lauryn P. Gouldin
• Laurie Hobart
• Jenny Breen
• Elizabeth G. Kubala
• Aliza M. Milner
• Michael A. Schwartz
• Lily Yan Hughes

As a part of our efforts to support our students in achieving their career goals, we are pleased to offer career coaching and externship counseling services. We understand that choosing a career path can be daunting, especially in today’s highly competitive job market. By meeting regularly, your Career Coach and Externship Advisor will better understand your career objectives, challenges, and successes.

Career Coach      
Barry Weiss     
Kevin Shults
Lily Hughes              

Dafni Kiritsis: Externship & JDi Advisor

Click Here to find your assigned Career Coach on 12twenty.

Your Career Coach and the Externship Advisor aim to help you identify your strengths, interests, and career goals. They will also provide you with information about various career options, job search strategies, review and enhance resumes and cover letters, and tips for creating a successful career plan to help you make informed decisions about your future.

Schedule an appointment with your Career Coach or Externship Advisor on 12twenty. We are available to meet with you in person, over the phone, or via video conference. Please be sure to include your latest resume, transcript, job search requirements (geography, types of practice and types of employers) and other factors important to you so we can better serve you when we meet. We believe that investing time in your career development can pay off in many ways, including greater job satisfaction, higher earnings, and more opportunities for advancement.

Career fairs and conferences are great opportunities to connect with employers from around the country to learn more about or to interview for summer and post-graduate employment opportunities. The Office of Career Services will send event information via email as registration opens for each event.

• Syracuse Law Career Expo
  In Person –  Dineen Hall Atrium
  Thursday, October 10th 4:00 – 6:00 PM
  

  REGISTER HERE ON 12TWENTY!
  This event, hosted by the Syracuse University College of Law Office of Career Services, provides students a chance to talk to attorneys and alumni practicing in a wide variety of practice areas. In Spring 2024 we had 65 employers participate, with over 40 alumni representatives. 

• DC/ Baltimore Public Service Recruitment Fair
  The 2024 DC/Baltimore Public Service Recruitment Fair will be held virtually on Friday, January 26, 2024. Meet talented law students from seven area law schools seeking public service careers through virtual interviews, virtual table talk, and resume collection. There is NO FEE for employers to participate and you may choose to participate in all of the fair’s recruitment activities or only those that work for your organization.
• Midwest Public Interest Law Career Conference (MPILCC)
  The Midwest Public Interest Law Career Conference held Saturday, February 3, 2024, is the Midwest’s largest public interest job fair. Join students, public interest organizations, and government institutions for a day of interviews.

• The 2024 Lavender Law Conference and Career Fair
  The 2024 Lavender Law Conference and Career Fair will be held in Washington, DC from August 7 to 9, 2024! The National LGBTQ+ Bar Association’s annual Lavender Law® Career Fair is designed to achieve a sense of community and inclusion for LGBTQ+ candidates within the legal profession’s recruiting efforts. By participating in this career fair, candidates will talk directly to LGBTQ+ friendly recruiters from law firms, government agencies, LGBTQ+ rights groups, and corporate legal departments.

• The Public Interest Law Center (PILC) at New York University School of Law
  The PILC Fair provides a forum where employers and students can connect with one another, both during interviews for internships and permanent jobs, as well as more informally at information tables. Virtual Event annually held in February.

• The Loyola Patent Law Interview Program
  A two-day interview program held in Chicago each year that brings together patent law employers and law students from across the country to interview for summer associate positions and post-graduate employment. In-Person Event annually held in Chicago, IL in July.

• Southeastern Intellectual Property Job Fair (SIPJF)
  SIPJF undertakes a multi-faceted approach to ensure that students are gaining the best employment opportunities and employers are procuring the brightest future members of the IP community. Virtual Event annually held in July.

• Delaware Diversity Job Fair
  The Delaware Diversity Job Fair Committee of the Delaware State Bar Association invites you to apply to participate in the 33rd Annual Delaware Diversity Job Fair (DDJF) to be held VIRTUALLY on Saturday, July 13, 2024. The DDJF was founded by a consortium of Delaware law firm, corporate, and public sector/interest legal employers committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Delaware bar by encouraging interested law students to explore summer and full-time opportunities to work in Delaware.
  The DDJF is an invitation-only event limited to rising 2L/3LED (2026) and rising 3L/4LED (2025) students interested in summer or full-time employment opportunities with law firm, government, and/or public sector/interest employers in Delaware. The application deadline is 11:59 pm ET on Friday, June 7, 2024.  Click Here for more information and to register. Questions about the DDJF may be directed to the Job Fair Administrator at ddjf@dsba.org or (302) 651-3246. Click Here for more information.

• The Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair
  The largest public interest legal career fair in the country, bringing together hundreds of law students, recent graduates, public interest employers, law school faculty and staff, and public interest practitioners from across the United States and its territories for prescheduled interviews, informal “table talk” discussions, networking opportunities, and panel sessions on a variety of contemporary public interest topics. Virtual Event annually held in Fall.

The best place to find entry-level positions and internships in the federal government and in public policy is by checking the University of Arizona’s Government Honors & Internship & Public Policy Handbooks.  Commonly known as the “Arizona Handbooks,”  are available to our students for free.

The password for the Arizona Handbooks  is available in our Resource Library on 12twenty, or you can email us for access.

Government Honors & Internship Handbook

Law students, LLM students, and judicial clerks seeking government internships or post-graduate honors programs are confronted with the time-consuming task of determining what federal, state, or local government departments offer such programs. What applicants desire is a single, current and continually updated comprehensive source of available programs in an easy to access on-line publication.

This Handbook provides application deadlines, applicant qualifications, and details on the selection process. It also describes each employer’s mission and organizational structure, as well as deadline tables (arranged alphabetically by agency and law school class year), GS salary schedules, tips for finding housing in Washington DC and other locations, government regulations for hiring non-citizens, and information about government background checks. Although this information is publicly available, it is dispersed throughout the various governmental departments that offer these programs.

Public Policy Handbook

This resource provides students with an interest in public policy administration and analysis with resources for internships and after-graduation positions with think tanks, advocacy organizations, federal agencies and other institutions engaged in policy analysis and implementation.

The Handbook lists hundreds of programs in areas of policy such as health care, national security, civil rights, constitutional law, etc. Details about the programs include deadlines, desired applicant qualifications, the application and selection process. It describes each employer’s mission and organizational structure, provides links to employer web sites, deadline tables, and searches by city, topic area, and organization name.

We are excited to offer you a quick-and-effective way to strengthen your job search this year!

The LawFit® Career Assessment is a scientifically based, online self-assessment customized to help law students make better career decisions including:

• Identifying career starting points by narrowing your potential career options from an overwhelming number to a more manageable number of law practice area choices AND general careers that match your natural preferences and interests.
• Making your career counseling time more clear, efficient, focused and productive by identifying your values, motivators and preferred work environments in addition to legal practice and general practice areas — in an organized format.
• Learn more with our LawFit Career Assessment Guide and Information Sheet.

Email The Office of Career Services at lawcareer@syr.edu to request a code to take the LawFit Career Assessment. 

Making a Reciprocity Request to Another Law Schoolink

During the job search process, having access to the resources of other law schools’ career services offices may be helpful, particularly if another law school is geographically located in the area in which you’re searching.

Most law schools will consider granting “reciprocity” to another law school’s student (i.e., a Syracuse student) if that student’s law school is willing to reciprocally grant access to the first law school’s students. The College of Law participates in this reciprocal arrangement. To learn which law schools would be willing to consider your request for reciprocity, check the NALP website.

Once you have identified a target school, complete and submit the necessary Reciprocity Request Form. The Office of Career Services will send a letter of request on your behalf to that law school. You will receive a copy of the request letter and of the requested school’s response either granting or denying reciprocity. Once you have been granted reciprocity at one school, we cannot make another request on your behalf for three months from the date reciprocity is granted.

Watch our Reciprocity Video

Reciprocity Requests from Other Law School StudentsLink

Reciprocity requests from students at other law schools will be considered individually by the Office of Career Services and are usually granted on a one-to-one basis. Requests for services must be made in writing—preferably via email—by a Career Services official from the student’s law school.

The following services will be provided to students from other law schools to the extent that the reciprocating school provides in-kind career services:

• Remote access to our online job postings for three months from the date reciprocity is granted.
• On-site access to our online job postings and hard copy resources for 3 months from the date granted.
• Please refer to our Reciprocity Policy.

LimitationsLink

• Reciprocity does not include counseling services or participation in our on/off-campus interview program.
• Reciprocity will not be offered between July 15 and November 15.
• Please ask your students to wait for confirmation before contacting our office.

Please direct all inquiries to the address below:

OFFICE OF CAREER SERVICES
Dineen Hall, Suite 214
950 Irving Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13244-1030
P: (315) 443-1941
F: (315) 443-3086
lawcareer@syr.edu

• Career Services: We are here to help
• Practice Your Pitch!
• Pro Bono Recognition Program
• Let’s Talk About…Social Media
• What are YOU doing next Summer?
• Externships
• Reciprocity
• Fall OCI
• Spring 2024 OCI

• Request a Transcript
  
• Bar Examination Websites

• Non-Discrimination Policy. Syracuse University College of Law does not discriminate and prohibits harassment or discrimination related to any protected category including creed, ethnicity, citizenship, sexual orientation, national origin, sex, gender, pregnancy, disability, marital status, political or social affiliation, age, race, color, veteran status, military status, religion, sexual orientation, domestic violence status, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression or perceived gender. Title IX prohibits harassment or discrimination based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, or gender identity. Titles VI and VII prohibit harassment or discrimination based on race, national origin, or color. Sections 503 and 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibit discrimination or harassment because of disability. In addition, New York law prohibits discrimination or harassment based on these and other protected categories.

• NALP Recruitment Principles. We also adhere to the NALP Principles for a Fair and Ethical Recruitment Process. Students are encouraged to promptly report any misrepresentation, discrimination, harassment, including sexual harassment, or other inappropriate conduct by employers in the recruitment process to the Office of Career Services and/or the appropriate authority.