What does your digital footprint say about you?

In the United States, fifty-five million adults, nearly one third of the population, visit social networking websites at least monthly according to Forrester Research.   The explosive growth of online social networking has blurred the lines between professional and personal lives and exponentially increased the risk of inadvertently damaging one’s reputation.  The decision to post videos, photographs, thoughts, observations and experiences can create far-reaching consequences. To learn more about managing your online identity, click here.

United States Court of Federal Claims Bar Association announces the creation of its Law Student Writing Competition. The Court of Federal Claims Bar Association is a non-profit, voluntary bar association made up of nationwide members who practice law in the areas that lie within the specialized jurisdiction of the United States Court of Federal Claims. The goal of this competition is to encourage law student scholarship on current topics that lie within the jurisdiction of the United States Court of Federal Claims. The winning entries in the competition will receive cash prizes and an opportunity to be published via the Association’s website.

The United States Court of Federal Claims was created pursuant to Article I of the United States Constitution in October 1982, by the Federal Courts Improvement Act. The court is authorized to hear primarily money claims founded upon the Constitution, federal statutes, executive regulations, or contracts with the United States.

The cases before the court are diverse and involve a variety of statutes.  They include claims related to tax refunds, government contracts, Fifth Amendment takings (which can implicate environmental and natural resource issues), Federal procurement “bid-protests,” Federal civilian and military pay, intellectual property, Indian tribes, and Vaccine Injury Compensation matters.

Entries to the contest may discuss any topic that lies within the procedure, substance, or scope of the jurisdiction of the United States Court of Federal Claims. The rules of the contest are posted on the Association’s website at:

www.cfcbar.org/index.php/news

Entry deadline is

December 31, 2009.

The Oakland County Bar Association New Lawyers Council invites you to attend the annual Novemberfest at The Loving Touch Pool Hall on Wednesday, November 18, 2009, beginning at 6 p.m.  The Loving Touch is located at 22634 Woodward Avenue in Ferndale, just south of 9 Mile on the east side of Woodward.  This event is a networking opportunity and social occasion to mix and mingle with new lawyers, recent graduates, and other law students.  The cost is a donation to the Oak Park Business & Education Alliance (to learn more go to www.opbea.org).  Appetizers and food to be provided.  Attire will range from business casual to professional.  If you plan to to attend, kindly RSVP to Candice Russ cle@ocba.org by Friday, November 13, 2009.

The American Bar Association (ABA) wants to ensure that you have the tools necessary to support your career needs. The Association has reached out to law schools and career services professionals to encourage students and alumni to take advantage of several programs the ABA has developed to help legal professionals survive the economic downturn. Highlighted below are just three of the resources the ABA invites you to share…

• ABA Job Board – Allows individuals to create a profile, upload resumes and cover letters and search, save and apply for jobs. In addition, they can track the status of their applications, manage privacy settings, and be notified when jobs that match their search criteria become available.  
• Economic Recovery Resources – Provides recession-specific resources and tips on a variety of topics from job searching, to practice management, to professional development and more.  
• Financial Hardship Program – Offers reduced 2009-2010 ABA dues for those who have been laid off and are currently not working ($50), as well as those experiencing financial hardship ($100). In addition to reduced ABA dues, one Section membership is being offered at the reduced rate ($5 – participating Sections only).

Additional information is available at the ABA’s website, http://www.abanet.org/.

The Taxation Section of the State Bar of Michigan will host a Tax Court Luncheon on October 20, 2009 at noon at the Westin Book Cadillac located in Detroit.  The guest speaker is the Honorable Elizabeth Crewson Paris. The luncheon is free for the first two law students to RSVP, and $15 for additional students. To RSVP, kindly email Career Services at lawcareers@wayne.edu before October 16^th.

If you’re seeking or preparing to seek a post-graduate legal position, particularly 3Ls who have not secured employment, the Career Services Office encourages you to attend its upcoming seminar Finding Work in an Evolving Marketplace.

Within the last year, the legal market has endured an unprecedented downturn that has affected legal employers, lawyers and law students alike.  As the legal marketplace evolves, legal employers are “right-sizing” and reconsidering their traditional business models.  Law schools are re-evaluating curriculum and professional skills training.  Legal job seekers, both students and practicing attorneys, must also adapt to the new reality.   

Guest speaker Karen R. Maheu, Esq., Vice President of Global Resourcing for Lumen Legal and a former Career Services Director, will discuss employment trends, today’s legal job market and what you need to know to land a position in this challenging environment.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

12:15 p.m.-1:15 p.m.

Barris Lounge

Lunch provided for the first 50 students!

Unable to attend the seminar? The event will be available via podcast.

The Career Services Office offers counseling and variety of other resources to assist you in your job search.  See, for example, the attached publication.  Contact us at (313) 577-3949 or lawcareers@wayne.edu to schedule an individual appointment with a career advisor.

If you have an interest in federal government employment and expect to complete your Juris Doctor requirements between now and August 31, 2010, the Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF) may be your fast track to a government career.

The PMF Program is the principal means for more than 80 federal agencies to recruit law, masters and doctoral-level students to meet workforce and succession planning needs in positions involving the leadership and management of public policies and programs.  Positions in the PMF Program do not require the traditional practice of law.  However, the knowledge and skills acquired as a law student prove beneficial in positions that require, for example, completion of business transactions and the drafting and interpretation of regulations.

This two-year fellowship includes 160 hours of classroom training, mandatory developmental assignments, optional rotations, potential for accelerated promotions, generous federal benefits and salaries that, in 2009, ranged from $50,000 to $95,000.   The PMF selection process consists of four phases: application, nomination, assessment and finalist selection, and agency placement as a Fellow.  The application and nomination phases are very simple and require only submission of an electronic application to USAJobs and submission of a nomination request to a WSU Nomination Official.  Thereafter, applicants take a three to four hour proctored written examination designed to assess critical thinking skills, writing fundamentals, and life experiences.  Applicants who successfully complete the assessment phase are designated as Finalists and invited to seek appointments to positions in participating agencies via an exclusive career fair and targeted vacancy announcements.  Upon accepting appointments, Finalists are officially designated as Presidential Management Fellows.

The PMF Program selected two Wayne Law graduates in 2008 as Presidential Management Fellows.  The Program selected another two Wayne Law grads in 2009.  Will you be a Wayne Law 2010 Presidential Management Fellow?  The application period for the 2010 PMF Program runs from October 1 through October 15, 2009.  For more details about the PMF Program, visit https://www.pmf.opm.gov or contact Diane Fears in the Career Services Office at (313) 577-8039 or dfears@wayne.edu.

The Vault Online Career Library has recently added new downloadable resources to its site. These resources provide information on employment trends, job search techniques, interviewing and networking. Using Vault, you may also access career guides on practice areas and topics such as litigation, bankruptcy, labor and employment, government and non-profit legal employers, as well as law firm pro bono programs. You may also view and download regional, practice area and quality of life law firm rankings, salary charts, career advice articles, and over 200 law firm profiles. To access Vault, go to http://www.vault.com/cb/careerlib/careerlib_main.jsp?parrefer=6099.

Though the number of women enrolling in law school and entering the legal profession has risen dramatically, women in the law still confront significant challenges relating to career development and work-life balance.  On September 3^rd the Wayne Law Alumni Association convened a diverse panel of female Wayne Law graduates at various stages of their careers to discuss these and other issues unique to women in the law with prospective law students, current law students, and law graduates.  After a light lunch, attendees received valuable, candid advice, the opportunity to mingle and network with the panelists, and the chance to win a spa gift certificate.  As an added bonus, one of the panelists shared an opportunity for a law student to clerk with her law firm.   Another “Women in the Law” panel will convene on November 11^th.  Don’t miss out on this opportunity to meet with successful female law graduates in an intimate environment, ask questions, and learn how to make smart choices for a fulfilling life and career.  

“Sometimes nerves take over and you don’t show who you are.”

If fear hinders your performance at job interviews, learn strategies to overcome your anxiety. In this article, several actors and acting coaches share the tactics they use to keep stage fright from paralyzing their performance. They also offer tips to help you deliver the best audition during your next job interview.

https://cdn.theladders.net/static/images/editorial/beating_interview_stage_fright_090819.pdf