11.1 Mission

The Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD) serves as a resource for students and alumni seeking assistance in all stages of their career development. Utilizing our collective expertise and technology, we provide counseling, programming, and resources regarding the evolving legal profession, as well as instruction on professional skills and development. We foster and expand upon relationships with internal and external constituencies, which includes providing proactive assistance to employers with their hiring needs, as well as serving as a bridge to connect our students with our extensive alumni and professional network.

11.2 Professionalism

Enrolling in a professional school brings with it certain responsibilities. OCPD details those commitments through the Statement of Professional Obligations document. In it, you will acknowledge your obligations and pledge to fulfill them while conducting your career search and when interacting with OCPD staff, alumni, employers, and all members of the legal community. The Statement must be signed and submitted to OCPD early in your first semester of law school to sign up for appointments, apply for jobs via the 12twenty job bank, and participate in UW Law sponsored interview programs.

11.3 Programming

11.3.1 Career Exploration

Students come to law school with varying levels of exposure to the legal profession. OCPD provides opportunities for you to explore a range of career options. For example, OCPD hosts attorney panels that concentrate on a variety of practice areas and settings; out-of-state job search calls; and visits to employers in an array of geographic locations. Additionally, OCPD takes advantage of the 15,000+ law school alumni and countless other Badgers by calling upon them to provide advice and guidance to students exploring legal careers.

11.3.2 Required Programming for First Year Law Students

OCPD hosts a required Pathways Program for 1Ls aimed at educating students on the intricacies of the legal job market. Students will engage in presentations and one-on-one sessions to learn 1) how OCPD will assist them in their job search; 2) 1L summer recruitment timelines; 3) how to develop effective application materials; and 4) what future job searching will entail (for their second summer and post-grad jobs). 

11.3.3 Other Programming / Events

OCPD hosts a variety of additional information-based and skills-development throughout the academic year. OCPD will hold workshops on networking, judicial clerkships, and honors and fellowship programs, to name a few. Students should regularly check 12twenty and the OCPD weekly newsletter for information about upcoming events.

11.4 Individual Counseling

You will be assigned an OCPD advisor to serve as a point person for your job search. OCPD advisors are professionals with varying legal backgrounds who believe in a holistic approach to counseling. Each advisor is available by appointment to help students with resumes, cover letters, interviewing skills, job search strategies, connections with alumni in cities across the United States, and a wide range of other services. During your 1L intake appointment, you will talk over your career goals and interest areas. In addition, you will have an opportunity to develop your own personal job search strategy and learn about some of the best resources for advancing that plan. You will receive instructions via email on how to schedule this appointment. After your initial intake meeting, you are highly encouraged to make additional counseling meetings with your advisor throughout your job search.

11.5 12twenty

12twenty is a multi-purpose online resource available to current law students and alumni. The UW Law 12twenty page functions as a searchable job database, event information hub, counseling scheduler and more.

The most widely used aspect of 12twenty is its job search functionality. OCPD maintains password-protected access to this searchable job database with the most up-to-date employment opportunities available. The 12twenty job bank includes all current job openings submitted to OCPD by employers as well as opportunities derived through OCPD outreach. 12twenty contains a variety of postings ranging from part-time and full-time jobs, summer positions, and externships tailored to your career preferences.

In addition to providing a database to access and apply for jobs, 12twenty is the multi-dimensional resource you should use for on-campus interviews (outlined below in 11.7), storing your application documents, signing up for OCPD events (workshops, networking events, professional panels, etc.), and scheduling counseling appointments. First-year students receive 12twenty access soon after submitting a signed Statement of Professional Obligations.

11.6 Resources

11.6.1 Electronic

In addition to 12twenty, OCPD provides a number of online resources on its website at OCPD Job Search. OCPD also provides students with passwords needed to access other job posting sites, such as the Government Honors and Internship Handbook and the Vermont Guide to State Judicial Clerkships. OCPD’s website also contains sample resumes at OCPD Sample Resumes and sample cover letters at OCPD Sample Documents.

11.6.2 OCPD Listservs

OCPD maintains a number of email lists by which students can opt-in to receive relevant information. These include:  Public interest & Government; Pro Bono; Judicial Clerkships; and Greater Wisconsin (for students interested in working in Wisconsin outside of Madison or Milwaukee). To receive the most up-to-date information, sign up for the list by emailing career@law.wisc.edu.  

11.6.3 Virtual Interview Support

Students may be asked by potential employers to interview via phone or video. Outside of our major OCI programs, OCPD offers interview rooms that may be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. To reserve an interview room, contact OCPD at career@law.wisc.edu. You may also consider reserving a study room for your interviews through the Law School Library.

11.7 On-Campus Interviewing (OCI)

Over the summer and in the fall and spring semesters, a number of employers conduct screening interviews of our students in-person or virtually or participate in "resume collect" programs during the same period. This process is frequently referred to as “On-Campus Interviewing,” or “OCI.” Most Summer OCI employers are medium or large law firms; however, a number of government agencies, corporate legal departments, and small law firms may also participate. Many Summer OCI employers interview rising second-year students for summer internships which can lead to full-time, post-graduate job offers and some employers interview third-year students for permanent, post-graduate positions. Fall OCI typically involves small and medium law firms and government agencies interviewing for second summer or post-graduate opportunities. Spring OCI usually consists of a mix of employers, some interviewing first- and second-year students for summer internships and others interviewing third-year students for post-graduate positions.

Early in the spring semester, a large number of Wisconsin public interest and government employers participate in the virtual Wisconsin Public Interest Interview Program (WPIIP), co-hosted with Marquette University Law School. This is primarily an opportunity for first and second year students to interview for summer internships. (For more information, please see 11.10.1 below). 

11.8 Other Recruiting Events

In addition to OCI, the Law School promotes a variety of other recruitment events, including job fairs and off-campus interview programs. OCPD will notify students about job fairs and off-campus interview programs through required programming, announcements in the OCPD email newsletter, and on 12twenty's announcement page. Be sure to pay attention to these announcements, as the registration deadlines for these events often occur many months in advance and are strictly enforced.

11.9 Judicial Clerkships

OCPD works in collaboration with the Judicial Clerkship committee to promote and encourage students to pursue post-graduate judicial clerkships. To assist students interested in clerkships, OCPD maintains extensive information about the clerkship application process on our website at OCPD Judicial Clerkships. The website explains why judicial clerkships are universally thought to be great experiences for young lawyers, as well as information about how and when students should apply for clerkships. 

If you are interested in pursuing a post-graduate judicial clerkship, you are encouraged to meet with Elizabeth Ireland in OCPD and to attend the informational sessions during your first and second years that focus on the clerkship process. OCPD also maintains a judicial clerkship listserv and you are encouraged to contact Elizabeth Ireland at eireland2@wisc.edu to receive informational emails if you are interested in a judicial clerkship.
 

11.10 Public Interest and Government Opportunities

11.10.1 Job Fairs

The Law School participates in several job fairs focused on public interest and government internship and career opportunities. These include annual events such as the Wisconsin Public Interest Interview Program, Midwest Public Interest Conference & Career Fair, and Equal Justice Works Career Fair. Visit OCPD's Public Interest page for more details on these programs.

11.10.2 Summer Public Service Fellowships (SPSF)

The SPSF program provides stipends to University of Wisconsin Law students who take full-time, unpaid or extremely low-paid summer public service jobs. Awards depend on the number of applicants and the amount of available funds. Additional awards funded through student-run organizations and by private donors are also available to students. For more information on SPSF and other summer funding, visit OCPD's Summer Funding page.

11.10.3 Helpful Websites

If you have a particular interest in public interest law, you should familiarize yourself with the resources on OCPD's Public interest page.

11.10.4 Seminars / Skill Building

Throughout the academic year, OCPD hosts a number of seminars and workshops directed specifically at students interested in public interest law. These events include public interest job search strategies, speakers from the government and public interest sectors, information about applying to government honors programs and post-graduate fellowships, networking events with public interest employers, and a mentoring program for students and alumni in public interest fields. Join the public interest listserv (see 11.6.2 above) and check 12twenty frequently to stay informed about upcoming events.

11.10.5 Post-Graduate Fellowships

OCPD maintains information about post-graduate fellowships, including "Design-you-Own" style fellowships, cohort fellowships, organizational fellowships and more. If you are interested in pursuing a post-graduate fellowship, you should also meet with OCPD's public interest advisor early during your 2L year. You should also join the public interest listserv (see 11.6.2 above). For more information, see OCPD's Public Interest Fellowships page.

11.10.6 Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP)

The Law School facilitates donor-sponsored Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) grants to help students who take qualifying jobs with public interest organizations or government agencies after graduation. Applications for LRAP will be circulated by OCPD in the spring of students’ 3L year. For more information, see OCPD's LRAP page.

11.11 Contact Information

Office of Career & Professional Development

• Location: Law School Room 3221
• Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday (Individual counselor hours may vary.)
• Telephone: 608-262-7856
• Fax: 608-265-6289
• Email: career@law.wisc.edu

Staff

• Associate Dean of OCPD
• OCPD Staff