Stand Out in Today’s Competitive Job Market

I know it’s the time of the year when the only thing law students are talking about is where they will be (or want to be) working next year; so, I thought I would write about how to land the legal job you want despite today’s competitive job market.

GRADES/GPA

First and foremost, grades are not everything. This goes for everyone, no matter if you are currently in the top 10 or in the bottom half of your class. If you are ranked high in your class, my advice to you is do not act entitled or above others. Your classmates will be your future co-workers and colleagues. Also, interviewers will be less impressed with the accomplishments you’ve worked so hard for if they see or sense arrogance. On the other end of the spectrum, if you are in the bottom of your class, be happy for those who have found early success in their legal career because again, they will be your future co-workers and colleagues. Further, do not be discouraged from applying for any job you are interested in, even if there is a stated prerequisite such as being in the top 20%. Any good employer will consider much more than your law school GPA, especially if you have only completed your first year.

RESUME

Law firms will look at where you completed your undergraduate work and how well you did, if you have any work experience (legal or non-legal, including unpaid internships), if you volunteer (firms can tell the difference between “real” and “resume builder” volunteer work), if you are on any committees and if you have leadership experience. This list is not comprehensive, but I have seen all of these factors used on a consistent basis. Therefore, if your grades are not the best but you have some of these other tangible factors, make sure to adequately illustrate them in both your resume and cover letter. Remember that you are your biggest advocate, so if you don’t share your experiences a potential employer will not be able to consider them as part of your candidacy.

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Expanding the Public Policy Initiative

Marquette University Law SchoolThis is a notable week in the Law School’s public policy initiative. First, it marks the beginning of Charles Franklin’s work as professor of law and public policy—an appointment announced this past May by Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., president of the University. Professor Franklin, formerly professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, will continue to direct the Marquette Law School Poll and, more broadly, will work with Mike Gousha, Alan Borsuk, and faculty at the Law School and beyond in the continuing development of the Law School’s public policy research and outreach. Second, Craig Gilbert joins us in a sense. Mr. Gilbert, the head of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Washington bureau and the author of The Wisconsin Voter blog at the newspaper, will hold a six-month fellowship established by the Law School through its Sheldon B. Lubar Fund for Public Policy Research. This is along the lines of work last academic year by the newspaper’s Rick Romell, which resulted in an extensive multipart series in the newspaper reporting on the economic future of this region. Mr. Gilbert is especially well-regarded in both journalism and the academy (you can get a sense of that here). His project during his time as a Lubar Fellow will focus on aspects of political polarization in the region, an activity that (to bring me back to where I began) no doubt will occasion his collaboration with Charles Franklin and Mike Gousha, among others at Marquette. On behalf of all who comprise the Marquette Law School community, it is a privilege for me welcome to both Charles and Craig as they expand the contributions we make to the community even beyond our core mission of legal education.

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Is Electronic Snooping OK If You Have Good Intentions?

the conversationShould journalists or security researchers be able to access your home network and change settings without your permission, or snoop on your email and web browsing traffic, in order to further their research? I would think the answer is obviously no, even if the research is legitimate. But two stories that ran last week seem to be expressing dismay at restrictions placed on journalists or security researchers by the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act that allegedly prohibit them from doing exactly that. The issue is significant because, in the wake of several controversial prosecutions (Lori Drew, Aaron Swartz, Andrew Auernheimer (a/k/a “weev”)), there is considerable pressure building to amend the CFAA. I think it would be a serious mistake to amend the CFAA, or any other electronic intrusion statute, to permit journalists or security researchers — or possibly anyone describing themselves as such, such as bloggers or hobbyists — from accessing poorly secured home networks or private communications just out of curiosity.

Here’s Forbes privacy blogger Kashmir Hill on a security flaw in a home automation system:

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