2L Resources and Timeline
2L Resources
2L Resources
Get Ready for the Entry-level Application Process
2L Timeline
2L Timeline
In order to give your job search an overarching structure, we have created a loose timeline below. The timeline covers the steps you should take during the summer and fall to secure a 2L summer job, as well as the steps you should take during the spring of your 2L year to prepare for your post-graduate job search. You will, of course, need to adjust the timeline to take into account the hiring practices of the types of organizations you are targeting.
timeline
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Throughout 2L Year
- Reflect on your interests and “best fit” work environments
- Participate in clinics
- Continue to build your public interest track record
- Talk with visiting Wasserstein Fellows/alumni/attorneys
- Build your network (internal and external)
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Summer 1L Year (Rising 2L)
June – July
- Reflect on your 1L summer experience
- Network with attorneys in your area(s) of interest to learn more about 2L summer job options and make connections
- If possible, work on developing a writing sample
- Update your resume
- If interested in summer positions with private public interest law firms and federal agencies, be aware that a small number of firms and agencies (not the majority) will begin hiring over for the summer (for example, Lieff Cabraser)
July – August
- Make an appointment to strategize with an OPIA advisor regarding your 2L summer search
- Develop a list of potential employers of interest (generally, we recommend you begin with a list of 5-8 employers; an OPIA advisor can help you determine whether your list should be shorter or longer)
- Research application deadlines for employers to ensure you don’t miss any
- Research and bid on Public Interest Interview Program employers of interest, as applicable
- If interested in 2L work with a federal agency, review OPIA’s DOJ SLIP and HP Guide and the Arizona Handbook (email OPIA for the password)
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Fall 2L Year
September – October
- Be aware of early deadlines and watch for reminders from OPIA
- Attend OPIA’s 2L job search events
- If you are having difficulty determining what you want to do, attend OPIA programs, visit with our Wasserstein Fellows, watch online webcasts of prior practice-oriented events, and consult OPIA career and specialty guides
- Apply for 2L summer positions
Note: international employers are more likely to hire late into the fall/early winter/spring
- Participate in relevant job fairs (Public Interest Interview Program, MA Law School Consortium Job Fair, Equal Justice Works Career Fair)
November
- Depending on the type of employer you are contacting, begin or continue to send applications and conduct outreach
- If you contacted or interviewed with employers in October, follow up
- Make an appointment with an OPIA advisor if you are having trouble landing a job you are excited about
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Spring 2L Year
March – April
- Make appointments with appropriate OPIA advisors
– Meet with an OPIA advisor to develop a personal post-graduate job search game plan
– Meet with Judy Murciano, OPIA’s Fellowships Director, to develop a fellowships game plan and Catherine Pattanayak or Joan Ruttenberg to develop a Government Honors Program game plan (if relevant)
- Attend OPIA fellowship sessions and post-graduate job search events
April – May
- If considering applications for project-based fellowships (Skadden, EJW, etc.), brainstorm potential fellowship sponsors, and begin to apply for sponsorship (sponsorship deadlines may begin as early as April)
- Apply for early fellowships, as relevant (for example, the Lindsay Fellowship and Aryeh Neier Fellowship)