Pitt Law Works: Volume 4 Issue 5 - September 26, 2008

 

NLRB HONORS PROGRAM:   DUE 10/15/08

http://www.nlrb.gov/nlrb/careers/pdf/attorney.pdf

The National Labor Relations Board is now accepting applications from 3Ls for its 2009 Honors Program.    This program provides a challenging position offering valuable legal and professional experience and substantial individual responsibility. In addition, it provides extensive mentoring and training to ensure your proficiency and expertise in the area of labor law.    The program is highly competitive:   Selection is based on many factors including academic achievement (G.P.A. of 3.0 or greater); law journal or other relevant writing experience; relevant labor relations and/or law courses; moot court competition, legal aid, and legal clinic experience; and summer and/or part-time employment, particularly experience dealing with labor and employment matters. Some Regional offices have special needs where specific skills, such as bilingual skills, may be a factor in selecting the candidate.  The NLRB maintains three completely separate Honors Programs, detailed below.  Application to and acceptance by or rejection from any one of the three programs has no reflection on consideration by the other two programs. Consequently, individuals interested in more than one program must apply separately to each program.

AVAILABLE POSITIONS

Board Offices. Washington, DC. Attorney Positions. Assignments will include rotations of work on one or more Board Members staffs, in the Office of Representation Appeals, the Office of the Solicitor, and/or the Office of the Executive Secretary. ( Board Description).  

Send applications to:
Les Heltzer, Executive Secretary

National Labor Relations Board

Office of the Executive Secretary

1099 14th Street, NW, Suite 11606  

Washington, DC 20570-0001

General Counsel Headquarters. Washington, DC. Attorney Positions. Assignments will include rotations of work in the Division of Enforcement Litigation and the Division of Advice. ( GC Description).  

Send applications to:
Barbara A. O'Neill

Managing Attorney

National Labor Relations Board

Contempt Litigation and Compliance Branch

1099 14th Street, NW, Suite 10700

Washington, DC 20570-0001

Regional Offices. Various Locations including: ( Field Attorney and for Field Examiner ) [1]

• Region 1 Boston, MA
• Region 5 Baltimore, MD
• Region 9 Cincinnati, OH
• Region 15 New Orleans, LA
• Region 16, Fort Worth, TX  

Send applications to:
Carole Coleman

Executive Assistant

National Labor Relations Board

1099 14th Street, NW, Suite 10302

Washington, DC 20570-0001

SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS

Candidates must submit applications no later than 10/15/08. For application instructions and to apply, see  Honors Program Application .

 LENGTH OF APPOINTMENT

Candidates hired for permanent attorney positions are subject to a two-year probationary period. In addition, all J.D. graduates are required to pass a Bar examination and be licensed to practice as an attorney within 14 months of appointment. Field Examiners are subject to a one-year probationary period.  

STARTING SALARIES

Attorneys with J.D. - GS-11 • Field Examiners with Masters Degree - GS-9 http://www.opm.gov/oca/08tables/.

   

PRACTICE AREA PROFILE:   CORPORATE LAW

Whether negotiation the acquisition of a multibillion dollar company or assisting a small Internet start-up company, corporate lawyers are involved in advising businesses on their numerous legal rights, responsibilities, and obligations.   General corporate practice involves handling a wide range of legal issues for businesses.

Corporate attorneys counsel clients and handle business transactions including negotiation, drafting and contracts reviews; they also review mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; they advise business clients on corporate governance and operations issues such as the rights and responsibilities of corporate directors and officers.     In addition, corporate attorneys assist business clients with the financial information they must provide to be owners, employees, and shareholders, including reports that must be filed with the SEC and other government agencies.   Some attorneys work as in-house counsel and act as internal advisors on business and legal issues including labor and employment, IP, contracts and liability issues.

What daily activities are involved in corporate law?

Often, in transactional work, attorneys review and analyze the terms of the transaction, prepare the agreement and ancillary documents, negotiate the terms and prepare for/attend the deal closing.   Mergers and acquisitions attorneys hold conferences with their clients to draft letters of intent that contain the basic terms of the purchase and serves as a basis for drafting the final agreement.   The attorneys then perform due diligence, which essentially involves reviewing the acquired company's agreements, books and records, as well as completing the required antitrust compliance.   The definitive agreement is negotiated and work is done to procure financing to fund the transaction.   Prior to closing the transaction, required documents are prepared to satisfy closing conditions.   Corporate law attorneys spend a great deal of time counseling clients, overseeing legal aspects of corporate projects, educating corporations about legal implications and reviewing contracts.

What skills are most important to corporate lawyers?

• Strong communication skills are imperative in order to work with people at all levels of the organization, with the client, with the other side and with your professional peers
• Good listening skills will help identify your client's business goals
• Writing skills are key because corporate lawyers must draft contracts, briefs, and other legal documents.   Additionally, corporate attorneys need to have well-developed business writing skills
• Analytical and problem solving skills help attorneys uncover which facts are key and which are less important, when dispensing advice
• Negotiation skills and creativity are critical to attorneys in this line of work
• Organizational skills are also important when working on highly detailed transactions that often involve numerous parties
• Comfort working as part of a team, especially with non-lawyers; teaching skills also factor in as most corporate lawyers have to teach non lawyers about the legal implications of their work

What classes and law school experiences do corporate lawyers recommend?

• Take business related law school classes (corporations, tax, accounting for lawyers, corporate finance, securities etc)
• Enroll in graduate business courses, especially in accounting
• Seek out advanced legal writing courses, and opportunities to participate in law review, journal or in a writing competition
• Gain practical experience by working as a summer associate at a law firm with a corporate practice; as an intern for a corporation with in-house counsel; or for a government office that handles corporate law issues
• Become involved in bar association activities to meet practitioners and to gather information in the field through bar sponsored educational seminars
• Keep up with the latest developments in business by reading about new developments in emerging markets and about new transactions

HELP!! I NEED MORE TIME - WHAT DO I DO?

After months of interviewing, hours of research, carefully and methodically answering questions and taking extra time to proofread thank-you letters, you might find yourself being pressured to take a new job right after you receive the offer.

Like any big decision, you should think seriously about accepting a new job. After all, you spend a great deal of time at work and your career has a dramatic effect on other aspects of your life. Is there a way to buy yourself more time? Here are a few strategies to try:

1. Be straightforward.
   Ask for some time to consider the offer: it is reasonable for a candidate to ask for some time to think about this big decision. (Think long and hard about any organization that won't give you a couple of days to "sleep on it".)   Two or three days should be easy to get the organization to agree to, and asking for a week shouldn't be out of the question. However, asking for more than a week or two is pushing it. Remember, the firm or organization will want to move on and look at other candidates if you are not interested. Make sure you respect the firm's needs.   It might be important to think about the other candidates, your peers, who are anxiously waiting to hear from the same people with whom you interviewed.   Note:   If your offer is from an organization that is a NALP member, please see the attached NALP guidelines.
2. Convey your enthusiasm about the offer.
   No matter how much time you are requesting, you should always preface your request with a statement that tells the employer you are excited to be receiving the offer. For example, you can say: "I am extremely excited to hear from you and am very interested in the position. However, I need a little time to consider all of my options and think about this big decision. Can I get back to you by the end of the week?" Demonstrating your interest will ensure that they continue to feel good about the offer, even while you are mulling it over.  
3. Ask for additional information.
   Once you have received an offer, it is perfectly ok to ask to speak with someone who went through the program last year or who has the same needs as you (e.g. the mother of young children who is working at the firm).   Asking for information will buy you a little time AND will help you make more informed decisions.
   
   Be wary if you are asking for more time because you have competing job offers and just want to earn the largest salary. If you try to play this game too much, you run the risk of losing all offers. If you are talking to competing organizations, think about what each has to offer you, both now and in the long run. Remember, the firm or group with the highest salary is not always the wisest choice. Be sure you are looking at other factors, such as quality of life, opportunity for advancement and the overall health and stability of the organization.

SPOTLIGHT ON HARRISBURG

Want to work in a state capital? Although Harrisburg may be considered a "small city," its location to other major metropolitan centers, such as Baltimore (80 miles), Philadelphia (110 miles), Washington D.C. (125 miles), New York City (170 miles) and Pittsburgh (200 miles), together with Central Pennsylvania's dynamic business community, makes the region an ideal place for individuals or families seeking a certain "quality of life" while maintaining an exciting business and cultural environment.   You have the option of residing in downtown Harrisburg, its suburbs, or the nearby communities of Lancaster, York, Gettysburg, Hershey and Carlisle, without having a demanding commute to work.   The Pennsylvania State Bar Association (http://www.pba.org/) is based in Harrisburg

A quick check on Martindale Hubbell revealed over 100 Pitt Law Alums working in Harrisburg as partners in law firms, administrative law judges, regulatory agency counsel, associates at large firms, and in a whole host of other traditional and nontraditional legal work environments.

NALP's General Standards:

Timing of Offers and Decisions

Below is a summary of NALP's General Standards for the Timing of Offers and Decisions.   Complete copies of the Standards are available on NALP's website at http://www.nalp.org/.     If you have any questions regarding these Standards please check with the Career Services Office.

Note:   The NALP standards only apply to those employers who are NALP members.   NALP members are listed in NALP's National Directory of Legal Employers (2008-2009 Edition) available in the CSO or at http://www.nalpdirectory.com/

A. General Provisions

• All offers to law student candidates ("candidates") should remain open for at least two weeks after the date of the offer letter unless Paragraphs B or C apply.
• Candidates are expected to accept or release offers or request an extension by the applicable deadline. Offers that are not accepted by the offer deadline expire.
• A student should not hold open more than 5 offers of employment at any one time. For each offer received that places a student over the limit, the student should release an offer.

B. Full-Time Employment Provisions

• Employers offering full-time, post graduate positions to candidates not previously employed by them should leave those offers open for at least 45 days following the date of the offer letter or until December 30, whichever comes first. Offers made after December 15 for full-time, post graduate positions should remain open for at least two weeks after the date of the offer letter.
• Students may request that an employer extend the deadline to accept the employer's offer until as late as April 1 if the student is actively pursuing positions with public interest or government organizations. Students may hold open only one offer in such circumstances.
• Employers offering full-time, post graduate positions to candidates previously employed by them should leave those offers open until at least November 15 of the candidate's [3L year].
• Employers offering candidates full-time, post graduate positions and having a total of 40 attorneys or fewer in all offices are exempted from the provisions of this section. Offers made on or before December 15 should remain open for a minimum of three weeks. Offers made after December 15 should remain open for at least two weeks.

C. Summer Employment Provisions for Second and Third Year Students

• Employers offering summer positions to candidates not previously employed by them should leave those offers open for at least 45 days following the date of the offer letter or until December 30, whichever comes first. Offers made after December 15 for the following summer should remain open for at least two weeks...
• Students may request that one employer extend the deadline to accept the employer's offer until as late as April 1 if the student is pursuing positions with public interest or government organizations.
• Employers offering summer positions to candidates previously employed by them should leave those offers open until at least November 15.
• Employers offering candidates summer positions and having a total of 40 attorneys or fewer in all offices are exempted from the provisions of this section. Offers made on or before December 15 should remain open for a minimum of three weeks. Offers made after December 15 should remain open for at least two weeks.

D. Summer Employment Provisions for First Year Students

• Law schools should not offer career services to 1Ls prior to November 1.
• Prospective employers and 1Ls should not initiate contact with one another and employers should not interview or make offers to 1Ls before December 1.
• All offers to 1Ls for summer employment should remain open for at least two weeks after the date made.

CSO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

JOB SEARCHING BEYOND OCI:   FOCUSED COUNSELING SESSIONS

Thursday September 25th-Friday, October 3rd     (By appointment)

Perhaps you weren't interested in the types of employers participating in Fall OCI or maybe it didn't work out as you had planned.   It is easy to feel left out of the Fall job searching hustle and bustle.   And it is all too easy to feel disappointed about Fall OCI and give up on your job search.   Now is a great time to meet with a CSO counselor to help you focus/refocus your energies on your job search.   2L and 3L students can stop by Room 235 to schedule an appointment or email dschoch@pitt.edu.   If your schedule does not permit a meeting during this time period, students are welcome to schedule an appointment on another date.  

"THE CAREER COUNSELOR IS IN"

Q &A Pressing Job Search Questions Wednesday, October 1 12:30 - 1:30, Student Lounge

Pam, Jen and Mary will be in the student lounge to answer your "quick" questions (for more involved questions we will schedule an appointment with you for a later date).   So, bring your pressing questions, a hard copy of your resume and your laptop and we'll provide some support and direction in your job search efforts. (And snacks - we'll provide the snacks).

ALL STUDENTS CSO OPEN HOUSE

Thursday, October 2nd, CSO Resource Center (2nd Floor), 9:00-10:30am

The Career Services Office welcomes ALL students to our Fall Open House.   Stop by and enjoy some juice, coffee and breakfast treats.   Or come in for the chance to win door prizes.     CSO staff will be on hand to talk with you about your career development and anything else that is on your mind.       This open house will also serve as a Kick-off for job searching beyond OCI.   Counselors will be on hand to demonstrate how to best use CSO resources in your job search.    Also, 2L and 3L students, don't forget to sign up for our Beyond OCI focused individual counseling sessions.  

COVER LETTER WORKSHOP

2L and 3L Students - RSVP Required by October 2nd

Tuesday, October 7 1:00-2:00pm Room 111

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to you because I struggle to craft effective cover letters, yet I am seeking a job for the summer.     As a student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, I do not feel I have any skills or experience to offer; however I would very much like to begin my career in Los Angeles...  

If you dread writing cover letters; don't know what to say; or know why you should take the time to write them in the first place, this session is for you.   We will briefly review what purpose cover letters serve.   We will also go over cover letter do's and don'ts.   And we will provide an opportunity for you to try your hand at cover letter drafting.     If you are a 2L or 3L student interested in attending, please RSVP to Mary Thinium at thinium@pitt.edu by Thursday, October 2nd.

TO WHOM DO YOU REFER? REFERENCES BASICS

What is a reference?
An ideal reference would speak expertly on your strengths, skills, accomplishments and personality -- in the most flattering light for you.   Employers are trying to find out what type of skills the applicant has and to make sure the candidate has been honest throughout the process.   In other words, employers are trying to confirm that you are as great as you said you were during your interview. Employers also verifying salary, employment dates and position while trying to get a sense for the applicant's personality and potential "fit" within the organization.   Note:   most employers don't check personal references, so lining up professional or academic references who can attest to your skills and personality is key.

Who are good references?
A good reference is someone who has knowledge of your day-to-day skills. You want someone to speak about your professional accomplishments positively. A person isn't likely to decline a request to be a reference, so although it may seem obvious, but don't pick someone with whom you've clashed or someone who only knows you well enough to speak vaguely about you.  Also, while listing the vice president may look good as a reference, she may not be the best person to speak to your skills. Instead, look to your co-workers, clients, or immediate supervisors who can speak positively about your work and professional potential.  Finally, don't use the same references for every job:   just as you adjust your resume and cover letter, tailor your reference list to reflect who has the best knowledge about the job to which you are applying.
 
Do I ask someone to be a reference?
Yes. Before you submit your references, make certain you have their permission. Help prepare them to talk about you and their relationship with you because it doesn't sit well with employers when your reference has to take few moments to remember you and your skills.   When you ask a professional reference whether your can use the person, say which jobs you're applying for and what skills are important to the organization. That way, your reference will be able to relate pertinent skills to the employer.   And keep in touch with someone you've asked to be a reference to update them on your job search progress.

How do I know a reference is saying good things about me?
You can't. But if you take some time to coach a reference, your chances are much better.   Remind your reference what you've accomplished professionally. One way to do this is to ask your reference if they would like a copy of your resume.   Providing a copy of your resume also helps to insure that your references are up-to-date on your accomplishments.

How many references should I have?
Approximately 3; preferably two professional and one academic.