Feature Story: NDLS Career Services Office
“All the factors that one considers when deciding which law school attends ultimately culminates in gaining employment after graduation, whether that be in a firm, public interest, academia or a judicial clerkship,” says Sean Walsh, third-year transfer student to Notre Dame Law School. “I chose Notre Dame specifically because of the job opportunities that would be available to me after graduation. I wouldn’t have that had I remained at my original law school.”
For many students, the NDLS Career Services Office (CSO) provides a place to start that job search. Upon entry into law school, many students are unclear as to what area of law to pursue and even what outlets are available to them to utilize their law degree. “The CSO listened to my concerns and directed me to several alums in different markets, which enabled me to evaluate all of my choices in a clear manner,” says second-year law student Katherine Kirkpatrick.
The CSO maintains a comprehensive database of legal employers and job postings in Symplicity, Notre Dame’s online job bank for students and alumni. “Symplicity is an easy, user-friendly system that I have found quite enjoyable to use,” said Sean Lyttle, a second-year law student who will be working as a Summer Associate with the Las Vegas office of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schrek in Denver. “Symplicity allowed me to tailor my search in a variety of ways to make sure I was using my research and interview time as efficiently and effectively as possible. Thanks to leads on alums and firms, I was able to secure a position in a state in which I have no prior connections.”
Throughout the year, various on- and off-site job fairs for students are coordinated and administered by the CSO staff. Notre Dame students enjoy an on-campus interview program success rate that is almost double that of the national average. A large majority of students utilize the OnCampus and Off-Site Interview Programs. “This summer, I was able to get multiple offers from the OSIP job fair for NDLS students in New York,” said Kirkpatrick. “I interviewed with 11 firms in one day before my second year of law school started. All of the firms had already expressed interest in hiring NDLS students, so the CSO organized everything.” This fall, the CSO is also planning a new “early interview week” component. “By starting our interviews earlier, we will help our students maintain an advantage in a very competitive job market,” said CSO Director Carla DeVelder.
For those students who chose to go into public interest law, the CSO offers a summer stipend program to aid them in these typically unpaid positions. “Our summer stipend is quite unique in its size and scope,” explains DeVelder. Last summer, the program provided funding to over 100 students working in pro bono positions. “This program is incredibly meaningful for our students who are getting wonderful experience while giving back, and it’s very valuable to public interest and public service employers who need quality law clerks but do not have funds within their budget to pay them,” says DeVelder.
Unlike universities whose alums have little-to-no relationship with their alma maters upon graduation, Notre Dame Law School—and the University as a whole—produces alumni who remain active and engaged. “The ability to tap into a deep pool of alumni who return to campus each fall to interview students is an enormous advantage over many other law schools,” says Walsh. Kirkpatrick believes NDLS alums are proud of their law school alma mater, and feels as though they have a vested interest in seeing current graduates land prestigious positions. “I look forward to doing the same thing,” she said.
