Even if you don’t know exactly what kind of law you want to practice, be prepared to articulate to prospective employers your goals, skills and experience.
The Basics
- Update your practice area preferences on your online career-development system, McGeorgeCareersOnline (MCO).
- Review the CDO Career Map in conjunction with your 3L Timeline. These two documents will help you understand your career-planning options and priorities during your three or four years at McGeorge.
- Update and review your application documents with a career advisor.
- Go to go.mcgeorge.edu/cdo for career-planning resources, including handouts, a list of job-search websites, and more.
Programs to Attend
- Participate in our Fall and Spring On-Campus Interview Programs (OCI): Despite popular myth, OCI is NOT solely for the top 10% of the class!
- Attend professional conferences. Apply for travel and registration funding (up to $150) through the CDO.
- PI/PS Day at Hastings Law School (San Francisco).
- Attend the CDO’s “3L Job Search Strategies” workshop to learn about the various methods you should use to find a post-graduate position.
- McGeorge Public Interest Career Night.
Opportunities to Consider—Ask Your Career Advisor About These
- Post-Graduate Judicial Clerkships.
- Post-Graduate Fellowships.
Ways to Get Legal Experience During Law School
- Pro Bono Project: Get involved in short-term or long-term legal volunteer projects. See www.lawstudentprobono.org.
- On-campus clinics.
- Externships {make sure to ask the Field Placement Office about the Semester in Practice program).
Networking Opportunities
- Join the American Bar Association (ABA) and/or local bar associations such as the Sacramento County Bar Association (SCBA) or the Capitol City Trial Lawyers Association (CCTLA).
- Find a mentor on the CDO’s Alumni Mentor Network on MCO.
- Begin attending MCLE trainings and Pacific McGeorge Young Alumni Programs in order to strengthen your professional network.