CDO Small Firm Week (September 14-18, 2009)

SMALL FIRM WEEK IS COMING!

September 14-18, 2009

The CDO presents its first Small Firm Week the week of September 14, 2009 featuring panel discussions, presentations and an exciting speed networking event.

The purpose of Small Firm Week is to promote the wonderful opportunities small firms offer to students and graduates.  Did you know…

…that the largest entry level law firm market in Florida is the small firm market?

…firms of 10 attorneys or less comprise of 73% of Florida Bar membership?

…according to the ABA, 86% of law students expect to practice at a small firm?

Small Firm Week Events

Monday, September 14:  Networking Workshop – 12:30 p.m. – Room 109

Networking is an important aspect to any job search but especially the small firm job search.  Learn key techniques so that you can be an effective networker!

Tuesday, September 15:  Speed Networking Event – 6:00 p.m. – Student Lounge

During this event, participants can refine professional networking skills and forge connections, while gathering information about the legal profession.  Speed Networking is a way to help avoid first-impression networking nightmares, while getting to know area practicing attorneys at the same time.   Participating attorneys include those at large and small firms as well as government agencies and public interest organizations.

The evening will consist of a series of round robin “Flash Sessions” lasting approximately eight minutes in length followed immediately by a reception.  To attend, please RSVP to Sarah Klein at sklein1@law.miami.edu.

Wednesday, September 16:  Small Firm Panel Presentation – 12:30 p.m. – Room 109

Come hear from partners and associates at small firms.  Topics to be discussed include exploring advantages of working in a small firm, how to search for openings, how to best prepare to work for a small firm and what benefits the Florida Bar’s General Practice, Solo and Small Firm section can provide

Thursday, September 17:  Flying Solo with Spencer Aronfeld – 12:30 p.m. – Room 110

Join Spencer Aronfeld (JD ‘91), a successful alumnus and one of our most dynamic speakers, as he gives his annual, highly acclaimed presentation, “Flying Solo: Everything You Need to Know About Opening Your Own Shop.” This is a fun, energetic and extremely informative program, which is one of the most popular with students each and every year.

We hope you will join us throughout the week!

Government and Capitol Hill Job Opportunities List Serve

The Tom Manatos Job List is a list serve featuring opportunities in government and specifically focusing on jobs on Capitol Hill.  Students and alumni may join the list serve to learn more about such opportunities by emailing subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

ABA Teleconference for Law Students and Recent Graduates on Government Opportunities

Want to explore career options in government, regulatory and administrative law?

Join a free teleconference with the experts at the American Bar Association to learn new ideas…

THURSDAY SEPT. 24, 2009 4-5 P.M. EASTERN TIME DIAL IN FREE:  1-800-504-8071 ACCESS CODE: 6621582#

LIMITED TO 96 PARTICIPANTS

Featuring Jim O’Reilly, Author of the upcoming “ABA Guide to Careers in Government and Administrative Law” in dialogue with you and Lyn Stewart-Hunter, Arizona ’10, ABA Law Student Division Liaison to the ABA’s Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice.

Pre-conference questions may be sent to the program director at james.oreilly@uc.edu.  Time for oral questions will be included in the dialogue after the presentation.

This Week at the CDO (Week of September 7, 2009)

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Fall On Campus Interview (OCI) Program Interviews (Phase II) begin.  Interviews will be held in the CDO and the Law Library.

U.S. Department of Justice Honors Program and Summer Law Intern Program Application Deadline is at midnight.  Applications must be completed online.

NYU ISIP Workshop for International LL.M. Students,12:30 p.m., Room 216B

Back to Business Networking Opportunity for Students and Alumni, 6:00 p.m., Level 25 at the Conrad Hotel, 1395 Brickell Avenue, Miami, FL

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Fall 2009 Judicial Internship Program Mandatory Orientation, 5:30 p.m., Room 110

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Post Graduate Fellowship Opportunities Informational Program, 12:30 p.m., Room 108

Lavender Law Career Fair, Brooklyn, NY

Friday, September 11, 2009

Rocky Mountain Diversity Career Fair, Denver, CO

Coming Up Next Week:  The CDO’s Small Firm Week, including panel presentations, dynamic speakers and a speed networking event.

Great Networking Opporunity for Students and Alumni

“Summer’s over so dust off your business cards.”

Time to get back into the swing of things!! Join JGB Communications for a glass of wine and some hors d’oeuvres and mingle with various professionals from Miami-Dade. There’s no agenda, no cause, no group, no organizations – just good old networking, food and drink.

Join JBG on Tuesday, September 8th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Level 25 at the Conrad Miami. The address is 1395 Brickell Avenue, and the cost is nothing. Please RSVP at info@JBGcommunications.com.

Fall Career Expo for University of Miami Students and Alumni

Not interested in practicing law but want a chance to meet with non-legal employers?

The Fall Career Expo at the University of Miami is just around the corner! On Wednesday, September 16, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., hundreds of recruiters representing many industries will be at the BankUnited Center to network with YOU. Come learn about full-time and internship opportunities available in these companies.

Career Expo is absolutely free and only open to current UM students and alumni. You don’t have to pre-register.  Simply show up with your CaneCard (or other picture ID), plenty of resumes, and dress professionally (mandatory)!

Want to know which companies are coming?  View the current list of companies online. Keep in mind that this list is updated frequently, so keep checking the website.

Post-Graduate Fellowship Opportunities Meeting

All students interested in a post-graduate fellowship should attend the following information meeting to learn more about the opportunities available:

The Career Development Office and the HOPE Public Interest Resource Center present the Post Graduate Fellowship Meeting on Thursday, September 10 at 12:30 p.m. in room 108.

Before the meeting, learn more about the many opportunities by reviewing the “Prestigious Awards and Fellowships” guide available at http://www6.miami.edu/honors-program/PAF_Booklet_Links.pdf.  This guide, produced by the Office of Academic Enhancement, contains great information on fellowships and awards, many of which are open to law students.

Equal Justice Works Career Fair and Conference – Registration Open for Students and Alumni

Students and alumni interested in attending the 2009 Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair can now register online to attend the event taking place October 24 and 25 in Washington, DC.  Currently, over one  hundred employers from government agencies, non-profit organizations and public interest law firms are participating.

To register, you must sign up and submit your resume and cover letter no later than Friday, September 11, 2009.

Please read the following instructions – note that there are separate instructions for students and alumni.

Student instructions:

  • Signing up for a Symplicity account is free. Most student registrations to attend the Conference and Career Fair will be free. To sign up, create a Symplicity account at https://ejw-csm.symplicity.com/students/. If your school uses Symplicity, you will still need to create a new account.
  • Confirm your email address by clicking on the link that is emailed to you.
  • Update your profile information under “Profile”
  • Upload a cover letter, résumé and transcript, if applicable. Please note that you may not upload writing samples into the system. Bring these to the interview with you.
  • Register to attend the Career Fair under “Events.” You must register in order to be admitted into the Conference and Career Fair. A Symplicity account does not constitute as registering.
  • Submit applications to employers through Symplicity

Alumni instructions:

  • Log onto the Symplicity website at https://ejw-csm.symplicity.com/students/
  • Click the register button.
  • Enter your personal information including name, school address, permanent address, and academic information.
  • When entering the Academic Information, in the field labeled “Year In School”, enter DEFERRED ASSOCIATE.
  • Choose yes to receive notifications.  All important updates and reminders will be sent to you via email.
  • Choose yes to include your resume in the resume book.  This ensures that your resume will be included in the resume packet that employers receive when they begin reviewing resumes.
  • Review the information you have entered and then click the Submit button.
  • You will receive an email from careerfair@equaljusticeworks.org to confirm the email information you entered.  Once this email is received, click on the link included to confirm your email address.  This will automatically prompt another email to be sent to you that includes your username and password information.
  • You are now ready to apply for available positions.
  • You will need to log into the Symplicity website again using the URL  above and the username and password information provided in the SECOND email you receive.
  • Click on the documents tab to upload your resumes and cover letters.
  • Click on the jobs tab to see a list of organizations that have available deferred associate positions.
  • Click on the actual organization name to get more information about the job description and to apply.
  • On the left side of your screen, you will see a section titled, “Application Status.” This is the section where you would upload your resume and cover letter that you previously saved to apply for the position.

 

*PLEASE NOTE YOU MAY ONLY UPLOAD 10 DOCUMENTS AT A TIME.  ONCE YOU APPLY FOR THE POSITION, YOU MAY DELETE THE DOCUMENT WITHOUT AFFECTING YOUR BID.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email careerfair@equaljusticeworks.org.

For more information and for tips on how to have a successful Conference and Career Fair, visit our website at www.equaljusticeworks.org.

First Annual Speed Networking Event

First Annual Speed Networking Event

Join the Career Development Office, Tuesday, September 15 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. in the Student Lounge, as we host the

First Annual Speed Networking Event

What it is: A forum in which students can refine professional networking skills and forge connections, while gathering information about the legal profession. The event will allow for optimal connections to be made within a minimal amount of time. Speed Networking is a way to help avoid first-impression networking nightmares, while getting to know area practicing attorneys at the same time!

 

How it works: The evening will consist of a series of round robin “Flash Sessions” lasting approximately eight minutes in length followed immediately by a reception.

PLEASE RSVP by Thursday, September 10th to Sarah Klein: sklein1@law.miami.edu or stop by the CDO to sign up.

 

Dress is business casual.

The Florida Bar Board of Examiners, Facebook and You

Last month we blogged about the pitfalls of social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace.

Recently, the Florida Bar made an announcement regarding the Florida Bar Board of Examiners’ (FBBE) plans to visit Florida Bar candidates’ Facebook and MySpace sites.

For tips on how to avoid social networking pitfalls, see our previous blog posting on this topic.