Pitt Law Works: Volume 4 Issue 2 - September 5, 2008

TIPS FOR SHINING DURING AN INTERVIEW

Job seekers are going to great lengths to stand out from the crowd and land the jobs they really want.  However, it's most likely the simple things that will add up to success and help you outshine your competition. Here are some suggestions:

Know yourself.   You need to know yourself and the legal world well.  Spend as much time learning about your craft as you do looking for a position.  Then determine what skills are most important.  Write them down, rehearse your pitch and refer back to them often during the interview.  This will show the interviewer that you know yourself and have clear goals and objectives - both highly desirable attributes. 

Know your prospective employer.  Use every available source to find out as much as you can about the employer.  Your knowledge of the organization you're interviewing with will help demonstrate your sincere interest in working for them.  Be ready to answer the question, "Why do you want to work here?"

Prepare for the interview.  One of the most common interview questions and often the first is, "Tell me about yourself." Other popular interview questions include: "What is your greatest strength?" and the dreaded "What is your greatest weakness?" There's no reason to wing it during the interview.  In her book, Guerrilla Tactics for Getting the Legal Job of your Dreams, Kimm Walton devotes an entire chapter to mastering tough interview questions.

Keep the conversation flowing.  Ask relevant and insightful questions throughout the interview.  The give and take of dialogue will show the interviewer your interest in the organization and fit for the position.  It is important to have balance, however:  while you don't need to wait until the end of the interview to ask questions, do NOT hijack the interview by barraging the interviewer or putting him on the spot. 

Build rapport.  Likeability and personal chemistry are most crucial elements of the job interview.  How do you build rapport? Appearance is critical:  A polished and self-confident image sets the stage for a great first impression.  Wear professional attire (yes, that means a suit) that looks good and feels comfortable.  Your facial gestures are also important.  Smile upon greeting your interviewer and try to relax.  Maintain good eye contact; speak enthusiastically, calmly, sincerely and professionally.

Listen carefully.  Oftentimes during a job interview candidates are so busy selling themselves that they forget to listen. It is easy to forget, too, that your first task is to show how you can help the organization.  You should listen as much as you speak, because demonstrating your interpersonal skills and your ability to meet an employer's needs will go a long way to getting the job.

Drive home your experience and qualifications with a story.  When explaining your skills, painting a mental picture for your interviewer will make your experience more relevant and memorable.  Give examples of a problem or situation you faced and describe the actions you took to resolve it.  Finally, describe the end result of your actions in measurable terms, including why your strategy was effective.

Let your character shine through.   Employers are looking for personal qualities, such as honesty, focus, willingness to think creatively, or a gift for making work pleasant for the people on your team.  Determine what aspects of your character set you apart from others, how these fit in the organization's culture and work environment and share this with the interviewer.

CIVIL LITIGATION

Litigation involves the process of preparing cases for trial and, if necessary, presenting the case at trial and conducting appeals.  Over 90% of all civil cases are settled without having a trial.  As an advocate for a client, the litigator must develop the best legal theories possible and gather the facts to support those theories; the goal is to achieve the best result at trial or the most favorable settlement without going to trial.  Some litigators are generalists who work in diverse areas of the law.  Others focus their practice on such areas as tax, patent, antitrust, labor and employment and torts.  No matter what their focus, litigators must have strong oral and written communication skills; must be able to work effectively with their clients, expert witnesses and opposing counsel; and must have strong analytical skills that allow them to take creative approaches in representing their clients' interests.  Because such a large percentage of cases settle, it is also critically important that litigators have excellent negotiation skills.

Where do civil litigators work?

Most civil litigation attorneys work in law firms.  Some are employed by boutique firms that specialize in a particular type of litigation, such as IP or employment law.  Other civil litigators work in the litigation department of a mid-size or large law firms.  The federal and local government also hires civil litigators to work in, for example, the civil division of the US Attorneys Office or for a municipality, such as the City of Pittsburgh Law Department.  Other civil litigation attorneys work in-house for public interest organizations, corporations, insurance companies, financial institutions and other businesses. 

What skills are most important to civil litigators?

• Strong writing skills are critical to success in the field
• Oral advocacy skills are also important to the litigator: it might be a while until recent graduates try a case, but they may be called upon to go to court to argue a motion that they've written
• Negotiation skills are very important: many legal problems can be avoided or minimized through negotiation and diplomacy
• Litigators need to be detail-oriented: they need to be able to apply details to the big picture
• Because litigators are often working closely with their clients, expert witnesses, and other attorneys, they must be skilled at working with people

What classes and law school experience do civil litigators recommend?

• Take civil procedure, evidence, and classes related to the areas of litigation in which you are interested
• A negotiations class can help you prepare for the constant negotiation you are involved in as a litigator; it can also help students see more creative ways to obtain results
• A basic accounting class: monetary damages are frequently hotly contested issues and litigators need to know how to read a balance sheet
• Legal writing classes, law review/journal and writing competitions: no litigator can be successful without the ability to communicate effectively orally and in written form.
• Moot court competition and trial advocacy class give you a chance to practice litigation skills
• Clinical programs give you a chance to work on real cases with real clients: this has several benefits. First, you can advocate on behalf of underrepresented individuals or underserved causes. Also, you learn what litigation practice is all about
• A Summer associate position with a litigation firm/department can help you gain an insider's view of the litigation process and to gain contacts in a practice area
• Investigate judicial clerkships at either the local or federal trial-level courts: working as a law clerk gives future litigators a chance to see litigation from the bench's point of view. Law clerks also see how decisions are made and what works/what doesn't when arguing before the court
• Participate in bar association activities to help develop contacts. Be kind and professional (at the very least) to your classmates, as they can be a great source of information and, in the long run, can become contacts and can provide referrals

DRESSING FOR THE JOB INTERVIEW

Well, your resume worked and now you have an interview. You have done your homework. You can answer anything the interviewer throws at you. The big day arrives and a final important choice must be made. What should you wear?

How you look has everything to do with the first impression you make.   A law student who dresses too casually for interviews sends the signal that she does not take the interview or the job seriously.  We understand that many firms and public interest organizations have adopted casual dress policies and that you may not frequently wear your suit on the job.  However, employers are more likely to trust you with a position of leadership if they can "see" you in it.

ALWAYS:

• Look clean and neat. Make sure that your hair is done appropriately. Women - do not wear wild hairstyles.  Men - get a trim of head and facial hair.
• Avoid perfume or cologne as many people are allergic.
• Cover any tattoos and avoid flashy jewelry. Limit pierced jewelry to ears only. Do not wear body jewelry unless it is a part of an ethnic tradition.

MEN

• Wear a suit or sport jacket with color coordinated trousers in neutral or dark colors - blue, black or gray is best
  • NEVER fasten the bottom button of your suit coat
  • ALWAYS unbutton your jacket when you sit down to avoid having the shoulders ride up
• Wear a tie - even if you will never wear one after you get the job
  • Learn to tie a tie properly
  • ALWAYS button your top shirt button
  • NEVER go into an interview with your tie loosened
• Shoes should be leather (or leather like)- clean and polished - black is best; remember to wear a belt or braces as well
• Wear a pressed dress shirt in a light color
• Avoid wearing more than 2 patterned garments at a time (eg if you are wearing a pinstriped suit and a paisley tie, wear a solid shirt)
• Make sure your nails are trimmed and clean

WOMEN

• Wear a classic suit (a jacket with skirt, dress or trousers). This is not a time to be provocative or sexy. Some appropriate colors are navy blue, black, dark green, dark red, burgundy, or gray.
  • Caveat:  trousers are generally acceptable unless you are interviewing with a judge or older interviewer.  Get in the habit of wearing a skirt or dress as some local rules of court contain prohibitions against women wearing pant suits when they appear in court.  (Really!)
• Avoid wearing clothes that are tight, revealing or trendy. It may be the very latest fashion but it will not impress the interviewer
• Wear a shirt or blouse with a modest neckline; avoid wearing a blouse that gaps or bunches across the front
• Wear appropriate undergarments, ie those that do not show through your blouse or suit pants
• ALWAYS wear nylons under a skirt or dress and appropriate footwear with pants.  Leave the open-toed shoes and stiletto heels for another occasion
• Fingernails should be trimmed and polish should be a light color that will not distract the interviewer

Even after you are successful in getting the job, you should continue to pay attention to your wardrobe.  Interviewing is only the beginning in the role clothing will play in your career:  even after you have the summer position, you might like to be considered for advancement or full time employment.  The impression you leave on the job every day will be added to your performance when the boss looks around for someone to hire.

FEATURED AREA:  WEST VIRGINIA

When job searching, think about states that are a short driving distance from Pittsburgh, such as West Virginia. The Mountain State is known for its tumultuous history and spectacular outdoor recreation. It is also where the Golden Delicious apple originated and where Mother's Day was first observed.  Novelist Pearl Buck, TV Star Bob Denver ("Gilligan"), Olympic Gymnast Mary Lou Retton and pilot Chuck Yaeger (first person to fly faster than the speed of sound) are all West Virginia natives.  Did you know that West Virginia is home to some of the world's best-known companies, such as Toyota and Amazon.com? The state also nurtures such innovative firms as Philippi, West Virginia-based Extreme Endeavors, which specializes in bioelectric telemetry research, and MD Biotech, Inc., a bio-imaging company that focuses on discovery and development of automated medical screening and diagnostic equipment.  West Virginia is also the nation's top coal producer and ranks high in production of oil, natural gas and hardwoods.  As a result, it is a great spot for attorneys looking to practice in land use, mineral/mining rights, IP and environmental law, among other practice areas.

West Virginia has only one law school in the entire state.  What does this mean for Pitt Law students?  West Virginia employers look to hire Pitt Law students and graduates. Employers from cities such as Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown and Wheeling seek Pitt Law students and graduates. Visit http://www.wvbarassocation.com/ to contact officers from the Young Lawyers Division to find out what it's like to practice in West Virginia!

STUDENTS ACCEPTING OFFERS OF EMPLOYMENT- WITHDRAWAL FROM OCI

If you have accepted an offer for full-time employment after graduation or have accepted a summer associate position for the Summer 2009, please let us know immediately by stopping by the CSO to complete an employment form.  If you already submitted materials for OCI, we need to remove your name from OCI consideration.  We will contact the employers you submitted materials to in order to let them know that you have withdrawn from the process.  Please note that there is NO penalty in doing so provided that you have accepted an offer of employment. 

SUMMER 2009 GOLDMARK INTERNSHIP

www.legalfoundation.org

 

LOCATION: NORTHWEST IMMIGRANT RIGHTS PROJECT, Access to Justice for Detained Immigrants, Tacoma, Washington

 

BACKGROUND: Through its federally funded Legal Orientation Program, the Tacoma office of NWIRP assists unrepresented immigrants at the Northwest Detention Center through rights presentations, individual intakes, special sessions, a variety of pro se workshops, and, under separate funding, direct representation. Each day, 25 to 70 individuals are seen by NWIRP attorneys.

 

POSITION: The intern will participate in every aspect of the work performed by attorneys at the Tacoma office. In addition, the intern will provide direct representation to include immigration court appearances, client and witness preparation, oral argument and legal research and writing.

 

The internship is open to law students who have completed their second year prior to the summer of 2009 and to recent law school graduates. Applicants must be proficient to fluent in Spanish and should possess excellent written and oral communication skills. A good sense of humor, a demonstrated interest in immigration law and a commitment to advancing and defending the legal rights of low- income immigrants and refugees are highly desirable qualities.

 

The intern will give "Know Your Rights" presentations to groups of detainees, conduct intakes with individual detainees, identify legal issues and potential forms of relief as a result of the intake, conduct workshops to assist detainees with applying for relief, draft pro se briefs and conduct extensive legal research. The intern will also assist with tasks that keep LOP up and running such as review of court dockets, appointment scheduling and creating application packets.

 

An attorney mentor will be assigned plus the supervising attorney will ensure proper guidance is received. The intern will have access to all attorneys in the office. Work product will be reviewed by one or two attorneys depending upon filing status.

 

PROGRAM:  The intern will receive a stipend of $8,000 for the ten-week internship. However, the intern is responsible for housing and transportation.

REPORTING: The intern will write a final report on the outcomes gained from the internship.

SUBMIT ALL OF THE FOLLOWING WHEN APPLYING:

1. Current Resume

2. Copy of your current Unofficial Transcript (online print outs not accepted)

3. Application letter explaining in at least 500 words:

Why you want to aid equal access to the civil justice system for the poor;

Why you are interested in this particular placement; and

Why this particular placement will be enhanced by your skills.

RETURN ALL OF THE ABOVE APPLICATION DOCUMENTS TO:

Goldmark Internship Committee c/o LFW 1325 Fourth Avenue, Suite 1335

Seattle, WA 98101-2509 or by email dtheories@legalfoundation.org

APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 5:00PM ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2008.