OCS Keep

Interested in learning about using your JD to pursue a career in business? Listen to HLS alums as they candidly discuss careers in management consulting, investment banking, and other business paths.

What is BigLaw? Come hear from HLS alums as they candidly discuss the business of BigLaw, life as an associate and as a partner, and how to approach the recruiting process.

Join Betsy DiPardo for information on summer judicial internships and how to search for them. Note: OCS reviewed the content of this podcast on September…

Hear from advisers Sara Dana (OCS) and Elizabeth Shirey (OPIA) about tips to succeed in 1L summer job interviews.  In this episode, you’ll learn what to expect in terms of interview format and style, how to prepare for your interviews in advance, and how to plug in with OPIA and OCS resources to help you along the way.

Aimed at students and alumni who have secured clerkships and are wondering what to expect during their time in chambers, this pre-recorded panel discussion with four HLS alumni covers topics such as: how to prepare prior to clerking, what to expect in first few weeks in the role, types of assignments a clerk may encounter, and how to approach a post-clerkship job search.

Erica von Pechmann '16 is a Managing Associate in the Houston office of Sidley. Erica advises clients in the power and renewable energy industry, with a focus on project development and finance, as well as project acquisitions, dispositions and other investment arrangements. Erica serves on the working committee for the Houston Chapter of Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) as Director of Marketing and has been recognized by Texas Super Lawyers as a Texas Rising Star. 

Hear firsthand from the Honorable Jane Branstetter Stranch of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Among other interesting facts, Judge Stranch’s work prior to serving in the judiciary focused on labor employment, ERISA, personal injury, worker’s compensation, wrongful death, and utility law.

Christian Williams '17 practices intellectual property law as the founder and managing attorney of Bevel Law in the DC area. Prior to founding Bevel, Christian was an associate at Covington & Burling in DC where she represented top pharmaceutical companies and national trade associations.

Tammy Albarrán ’99, Chief Deputy General Counsel at Uber. Ms. Albarrán talks about her path from transactional work to litigation in Big Law, her move to Uber, how Uber’s 350 lawyer in-house legal team operates, and her recommendation for law students and alumni considering this type of work.

Hear from both Hon. David M. Lawson and Hon. Matthew F. Leitman ’93 of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan about their backgrounds and work.

Betsy Dipardo from OCS discusses the state of the legal market in Boston with Jacon McCann, a recruiter with Gridline .

Hear firsthand from the Honorable Carla Wong McMillian of the Supreme Court of Georgia about her background and work. Among other interesting facts, Justice McMillian is the first Asian Pacific American to serve on a state’s highest court in the Southern United States.

This short video shows how to update your resume, including giving tips on how to make space for your 1L summer job and ensure your resume is in a format EIP employers expect to see.

Tim Keifer ’98, practices criminal defense, DUI, and family law at his own firm, Kiefer Law Office in Madison, WI

Hear firsthand from the Honorable Rodolfo A. Ruiz II of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida about his background and work. Among other interesting facts, prior to judicial service, Judge Ruiz served as an Assistant County Attorney for the Miami-Dade County's Attorney's office. 

Sara Dana from OCS discusses the state of the legal market in Atlanta with Desha Dardenne, a recruiter from Major, Lindsey & Africa.

Hear from Michael Fridkin (HLS ’85) and Boanne Wassink (HLS ’20) about the unique advantages of working with multiple judges through the Seventh Circuit Staff Attorneys’ Office.

Joel Fleming '11 is a partner at Block & Leviton LLP, focusing on securities, corporate governance, and merger-and-acquisition litigation. Mr. Fleming is one of the top plaintiffs lawyers in the country and has recovered over $100 million dollars for his clients since joining the firm in 2014. In 2019, Law360 named Mr. Fleming as one of the top six litigators in the country under the age of 40.

After graduating from Harvard Law School, magna cum laude, Patricia Paul practiced public interest law and then was a litigation associate at Kramer Levin in NYC for more than five years. She’s been a legal recruiter doing both in-house and law firm placement since 2006. She also has leadership roles in the NYC chapters of the HLS Women’s Alliance and the HLS Association.

In this video, OCS Peer Adviser, Sophie Nguyen, will walk you through how to find alumni for networking purposes. She shows some great resources for searching alumni and discusses various ways to identify alumni of interest and how to contact them.

Engaging with HLS faculty makes for a more educational and enjoyable law school experience. More concretely, faculty recommendation letters are required in applications for certain types of jobs, including judicial clerkships.  Get insights from a panel of professors about how best to cultivate substantive relationships with them in our current environment.