Our Services
The Office of Career Services provides a broad range of programs to help students and graduates as they explore career opportunities while also serving employers both nationally and internationally.
One-on-One Counseling
An indispensable component of our services is individual counseling, which allows us to tailor the information and advice we provide for individual interest and qualifications. Students work with one or more of five Attorney-Counselors who assist them throughout their law school experience on issues ranging from how to translate their legal interests into a career path to identifying their options to figuring out where to apply, and anything in between. We also work closely with our graduates to provide counseling and networking assistance to those considering a career move.
Career Counselors have daily drop-in hours for quick questions or are also available for appointments.
"My career counselor met with me during my first year of law school and actively participated in my 1L summer job search. As a result of her expertise, I worked as a summer associate in a large Philadelphia area firm."
- Tasheika, 2L
Early Interview Week
Early Interview Week (EIW) occurs in late August, before school begins, during which time most interviews of upper-class students occur. During 2009 EIW, over 400 employers conducted over 5,000 interviews with approximately 400 students.
"Perhaps the most invaluable resource that Michigan's Office of Career Services provides is the unparalleled, and extremely well run, early interview week program, where every top law firm in the country comes! My four-day, twenty-two interview marathon yielded nineteen callback invitations; many of my friends met with equally phenomenal success, despite the tight legal market."
- Sherif , 2L
On-Campus Interview Programs
In addition to Early Interview Week, OCS hosts a Fall and Winter Interview Program. In the 2008-2009 academic year, over 700 employers from 35 states, Washington, D.C., and five foreign countries interviewed our students on campus. Nearly all of the American Lawyer Top 100 firms, the American Lawyer Global 100 firms, and the American Lawyer list of Best Places to Work firms visit the Law School or request resumes of Michigan Law students. And while our on-campus interview list is impressive, our students also independently arrange for interviews with and receive offers from the handful of national firms that do not travel to our campus.
In addition to these on-campus interview opportunities, over 1,500 other employers from throughout the United States contacted the Law School last year to post job openings and to request student resumes. For those employers that are unable to visit campus we provide the option of conducting interviews with our students via video conferencing.
Informational Programs and Speakers
In addition to one-on-one counseling, we present numerous panels, workshops, and informational sessions for students and graduates to learn about various career paths. We invite lawyers from all types of practice areas to come to campus and speak to our students about their careers and about opportunities with their organizations. Past programs have addressed opportunities practicing International Law, Intellectual Property, Entertainment Law, and Sports Law, to name just a few. The OCS Market Series, offered each year, brings consultants from across the nation to Ann Arbor to talk about the state of legal hiring in the most popular markets, including New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and California.
Judicial Clerkships
OCS provides a variety of services to help our students secure judicial clerkships. Typically, 15 percent of Michigan graduates on average have accepted prestigious judicial clerkships in federal and state appellate and trial courts.* Since 1991, Michigan Law has placed 27 graduates in United States Supreme Court Clerkships. Over 50 percent of our tenured and tenure-track faculty members have served as law clerks and they generously make themselves available as mentors and advisors throughout the application process.
*At Michigan, like other law schools across the country, fewer students are choosing to apply for clerkships right out of law school, but rather waiting a few years before pursuing and then accepting a clerkship as an alumnus.
Library and Online Resources
OCS has a comprehensive collection of specialized guides, many of which are written by Law School staff, readily available to use in the Office or to be borrowed. These resources include directories, periodicals, and audio and videotapes covering such topics as interview techniques, judicial clerkships, graduate programs and post-graduate fellowships, teaching opportunities, and public interest organizations.
Our online resources and useful links provide myriad resources as well and are readily available any time, any place through the Web. Our Web based toolkits and career guides specifically tailored to 1Ls, 2Ls, and 3Ls students are an invaluable resource. Further, the office maintains an online list of available jobs and sends job announcements out to various e-mail groups that students can join. An online job posting for alumni is also available.
Mock interviews and Resume writing assistance
Local attorneys volunteer to hold mock interviews with students. These sessions are videotaped and then played back to be critiqued.
In addition to a resume writing workshop, the OCS staff meets students on an individual basis to go over their resume and cover letters. This one-on-one counseling can provide invaluable feedback as students begin their job search.
University of Michigan Law School students and alumni interested in using the career resources or accessing job listings of another law school should contact the Office of Career Services to arrange for a letter of reciprocity. Alumni and students from other law schools wishing to use our services should review our full reciprocity policy.
"Michigan's Career Services office really cares about students and goes to great lengths to prepare us for the job market. I've received terrific career advice from the attorney-counselors on staff. They helped me through the job process by critiquing my resume, providing useful resources, and reviewing my interview selections. With their help, I received a number of job offers on both coasts. It is only when I talk to friends at other top law schools and hear about their non-existent career counselors, do I truly appreciate how lucky we are to have such a great Career Services office."
- Kim, 2L
Office of Career Services
210 Hutchins Hall
625 S. State Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1215
Phone: 734.764.0546
Fax: 734.764.5228
E-mail: lawcareers@umich.edu