Professional and Career Development Center

• Initial Career Counseling Sessions
• Timelines: Employer Hiring & Student Preparation
• Resume & Cover Letter Development
• Targeted Employment Campaign
• Reciprocity
• On- and Off-Campus Interviews
• Mock Interviews
• Licensed Legal Intern Program
• Pro Bono and Public Interest Law Program
• Judicial Clerkships
• Employment Status Forms and Instructions
• Bar Exam Registration and Preparation

Initial Career Counseling Sessions - back to top
Students are encouraged to make contact with our office during their first year of law school to develop a basic assessment of overall career goals. There are many timelines and guidelines to be considered in developing a successful career strategy and early attention to these details aids in successful searches. Then, throughout a student’s academic career as well as after graduation, ongoing contact with the office and resources as needed is encouraged and recommended. The following areas can be discussed during a counseling session.Students who desire assistance to establish a career plan and strategy are encouraged to make contact with a law career counselor in the first year of law school and then as needed during their academic career.


Timeline of Hiring and Student Preparation and Activity - back to top
Navigating the legal employment market can be quite frustrating if knowledge about the specific hiring timelines and practices of various employers is unknown. What may be more frustrating is pursuing a job search in what is called a non-practicing or non-traditional field. While the hiring process is subjective, there are some basic rules of thumb that can be followed. .

• Click here for Career Timeline Full Time Division.
• Click here for Career Timeline Part Time Division.
• Click here for Career Hiring Practices of Employers.

Resume & Cover Letter Development - back to top
An often overlooked aspect of one’s career plan and strategy is the development of professional documents that convey the qualifications and intentions of the applicant. The ability to customize these resumes and cover letters for positions in the legal profession is a critical skill that is many times ignored until the “last minute.” The PCDC specializes in helping students develop compelling documents and provides useful word processing tips.

Resumes, Cover Letters, and Other Correspondence Examples

Key to abbreviations:

CL = Cover Letter, COL = Other Correspondence (letters requesting informational interview, accepting offer, declining offer, general networking, etc.)

R = Resume, TYL = Thank You letter

• Reference & Recommender Letter Samples
• Resume & Cover Letter Checklist
• Interviewing Tips
• Cover Letter Formula
• CL - OSCAR Federal Judicial Clerkship Application
• CL - Federal Judicial Clerkship Application
• CL - 1L Evening Student Summer or Part-time Position
• CL - 1L Student Public Interest Summer Volunteer
• CL - 1L Student Specific Job Opportunity
• CL - 2L Student On-Campus Interview
• CL - 2L Student Out-of-State Summer Associate
• CL - 2L Student Summer Law Clerk Position by Referral
• CL - Recent Graduate Previous Alumni Contact
• COL - 1L Student Informational Interview
• COL - 2L Student Networking Appointment
• COL - 3L Student Informational Meeting by Referral
• COL - Recent Graduate Accepting Offer
• COL - Recent Graduate Follow-up Contact
• COL - Upcoming Graduate Declining Offer
• R - 1L Student Active in Community and School
• R - 1L Student Public Service Interest
• R - 2L Non-traditional Student Corporate Experience
• R - 2L Student Top and Bottom Headers
• R - 3L Student Dates on Left
• R - 3L Student Divided Text Tables
• R - 3L Student Two Pages
• R - Recent Graduate with Legal Experience
• TYL - Informational Meeting
• TYL - Interview #1
• TYL- Interview #2

For assistance with the development of these documents or your strategy for contacting employers please contact the Professional and Career Development Center.

Targeted Employment Campaign - back to top
Employers are interested in hiring individuals who demonstrate the ability to take charge of their careers. They look for evidence that a student has done the necessary homework to know who the employer is, what they do, and how the student sees them self fitting in. This requires skills to advance a targeted employment campaign that develops a marketing strategy for the student (including preparation of resume, cover letter, and interviewing skills) and also identifies and produces research on potential employers which shows the employer that the student knows not only what they want to do but also where and how. A targeted approach includes using all available resources, e.g. jobs databases, networking contacts, career development mentor contacts, etc. The Professional and Career Development Center specializes in helping students identify and develop targeted employment campaigns that work and result in the student having the skill to find employment in law school and throughout their career.

Reciprocity - back to top
We cooperate and participate with ABA-accredited/NALP member law schools across the country to aid and assist in the job search process.  OCU LAW students and graduates can request reciprocal privileges that may be available from other law school career service departments. Reciprocity requests are processed through the PCDC.

• Click here to submit your information to the PCDC.
• Click here for OCU LAW Reciprocity Policy.

On- and Off-Campus Interviews - back to top
On-campus interviews
Some employers elect to conduct initial job interviews at law schools. These employers tend to have very competitive hiring criteria. Fall on-campus interviewers target 2L Day and 3L Evening students. Spring on-campus interviewers target 1L Day and 2L Evening students. These opportunities are listed in the law career jobs website. Students wishing to apply to these opportunities and desiring to develop or hone their interview skills are encouraged to contact a law career counselor.

• Click here for upcoming on-campus interviews.

Off-campus interviews
Most employers conduct hiring interviews at their place of employment, not at law schools. The hiring criteria for these employers many times are not as stringent as on-campus interviewers. These interviews can arise from two basic types of opportunities, e.g. notices in jobs databases or other types of classified listings and referrals from a law school contact, friend, colleague, or relative. Students are encouraged to develop professional networking skills and abilities to tap into the “hidden” job market where many opportunities are located.

• Click here for Jobs Database.

Mock Interviews - back to top
An important part of the career development of an individual is the refinement of interview skills. Students and graduates may request mock interview sessions whereby they will undergo the interview process and receive immediate feedback from a practitioner in the field.


Licensed Legal Intern Program - back to top
Students interested in gaining hands-on courtroom experience may actually obtain a limited license to practice law while still in law school. 

** Registration as a law student with a state bar licensing entity is required for participation in this program, as the Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma will not swear in a licensed legal intern without an approved character and fitness investigation.  A list of participating states that permit early law student registration may be found below.

If you are not planning to stay in Oklahoma after graduation and your target state is not on the list, TIMELY REGISTRATION WITH THE OKLAHOMA BOARD OF BAR EXAMINERS IS STRONGLY URGED. 

Oklahoma's law student registration fee is only $275 on or before March 15 of your 1L year; after March 15 the fee increases to $650.

• Click here to register with the Oklahoma Board of Bar Examiners.
• Click here for list of participating states.

• Click here for program description and eligibility requirements.
• Click here for step-by-step application procedures.
• Click here for exam schedule.
• Click here for MPRE information.
• Click here for Supreme Court Rulebook (includes application forms).
• Click here for program maintenance/compliance requirements.
• Click here for OCU LAW Monthly Activity Report form.

OCU LAW grads may also apply for a limited license within the narrow window of opportunity between graduating and sitting for the first available Oklahoma bar examination.

• Click here for graduate application requirements.

Pro Bono and Public Interest Law Program - back to top
OCU LAW is committed to fostering an environment where students can learn about their professional responsibilities as well as putting them into practice. To encourage students to pursue opportunities that will give them actual experience in fulfilling a public service obligation, OCU LAW makes available public interest fellowship stipends. Students are encouraged to contact public interest organizations to secure a position which can be funded. The following websites are good resources for this information: Equal Justice Works and PSLawNet. Once an employer has made an offer for a position, interested students may download the application materials for the fellowship awards by clicking here.

• Click here for Application Form and Instructions.
• Click here for W-9 Form.
  

Judicial Clerkships - back to top
A judicial clerkship can be a very valuable experience. Many employers perceive judicial clerkships to be significant achievements. There is no better opportunity to gain first-hand experience about the inner workings of the judicial system and it is this insight that can command a premium when seeking employment after the clerkship. Competition for these positions is high. While there are positions at the federal, state and local levels, there is wide variation as to the number and frequency of open positions. Students interested in pursuing a judicial clerkship should seek counseling to learn about the specialized application and interview process.

• Click here for Federal Clerkship information.

Employment Status Forms and Instructions - back to top
As students near the end of their last semester of law school, it is critically important that we know of their employment status regardless of whether they have secured a position.  This information is used in several ways, but the primary reason is to help graduates secure positions if they are still seeking one.  If you have not had occasion to meet with a law career counselor or utilize the resources and services our center offers, you are invited and encouraged to do so before the end of the semester.

• Click here for PCDC Employment Status Form (enterable fields).
• Click here for NALP Employment Report Form (must print off first).
• Click here for NALP Form Instructions.

Bar Exam Registration and Preparation - back to top
While a large percentage of OCU LAW students will elect to take the Oklahoma bar exam, many others will be going to other jurisdictions. 

• Click here for resources on bar exam registration and preparation.