UDSL Job Search Manual - University of Dayton

Job Search Checklist
First Year:
Fall Semester/Holiday Break
___ Attend Super Start Saturday
___ Schedule an appointment with the CSO to
discuss job search strategy
___ Draft resume; submit it to the CSO for
critique
___ Develop targeted list of employers
___ Draft targeted cover letters
___ Begin networking; visit targeted
geographical area(s) to conduct
informational interviews
___ Prepare a list of references to contact
and provide each one with a copy
of your resume
___ Decide on a writing sample (5 to 15 pages)
and make it flawless
Spring Semester/Spring Break
___ Send resumes and cover letters to targeted
employers (resumes to large firms should be
sent by early January; inform the employers
you will follow up with a letter when your
class rank is available)
___ Continue networking and conducting
informational interviews
___ Attend CSO workshops and informational
programs
___ Brush up on interviewing skills-conduct a
practice interview, read books on interviewing
(available in the CSO library), and
attend workshops
___ Attend “Lawyers in Practice” program
___ Attend any relevant career fairs
___ Check our summer positions bulletin board
in CSO or on our web page
Summer After First Year
___ Make the most of your summer-if working
a legal job, gain as much experience as
possible in hopes of either receiving an
offer to continue or a great reference;
consider volunteering 10 to 20 hours per
week with a legal employer
___ Continue networking and conducting
informational interviews
___ Record your work assignments and keep
written work on a disk for potential writing
samples (with appropriate redactions to
protect confidentiality and with approval
from your employer)
___ Update resume, cover letter, references,
and writing sample
___ Review CSO Summer Newsletters; note
resume collection deadlines; check web page
on regular basis for fall recruiting updates
___ Begin researching firms scheduled for fall
recruiting
Suggested Resources:
(also see on-line resources section)
___ Nalpdirectory.com – detailed hiring
information for select large law firms from
the National Association of Law Placement;
use “search employers” information or
“browse employer info”
___ Bar Directories – search the many city and
county bar directories in the CSO; become
a student member of a bar association where
you intend to practice; and add this to your
resume
___ Martindale.com – search for attorneys, law
firms, and UDSL alums by practice area and
geographical location
___ LawMatch – frequently check this on-line
job bank which lists UDSL job postings
plus postings from six additional Ohio law
schools, IU, and others
___ CSO Website – check recruiting schedules
such as on-campus interviews and the CSO
newsletter “The Opening Statement”
___ Bulletin Boards in CSO – same information
will be found in LawMatch & OSBA (see
below)
___ OSBA.org – Ohio Bar Association
job postings
___ Job search web links on CSO home page
___ Google it – search for state, city, county web
sites (consider surrounding areas, too)
___ Periodicals – i.e., IP Today, Ohio Bar,
Indiana Lawyer, and Florida Bar in CSO
___ Job Search Reference Guides in CSO
___ Top Firm Lists for Dayton, Cleveland,
Columbus, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis
– copies in CSO
___ Local newspapers