1L Job Search E-Advising Series: Extracurriculars

We know that many of you are considering whether – and to what extent – you’d like to become involved in the myriad student activities available to the law school community. We are often asked by students interested in public service work about the value of extracurricular involvement. While we cannot offer formal career counseling before October 15, we can help you make choices about extracurriculars before then. Broad guidance on those choices can be found below, but please note that it is impossible to truly provide “one-size-fits-all” advice. Feel free to come to our drop-in office hours to have a conversation tailored to your individual goals.

Public interest employers will look for a demonstrated commitment to public interest law as evidenced through your internships, clinic work, coursework, and extracurricular activities.  Some employers will look for a specific commitment to their particular practice setting or issue area; all employers will look for demonstrated practical lawyering skills, including – depending on the employer – analytical, research, and writing skills; client counseling skills; oral advocacy skills; proficiency in languages other than English; and negotiation skills. Extracurricular activities can offer opportunities to begin exploring your interests, building your public interest experience, and developing important proficiencies for practice.

With this general background in mind, we recommend the following: