It’s no secret that attending law school can get pretty expensive. Although Washburn Law remains one of the best values in the country, most students still incur at least some debt to help finance their education. What many students don’t consider when making decisions about the amount and type of loans they take is how those loans may affect their job prospects down the line. The amount and type of debt carried by a graduate could affect whether they can afford to take certain types of jobs and whether their loans could be eligible for federal programs reducing their payments and ultimately discharging the loans. Here are some things to remember when funding your law school education.

1) Borrow only the lowest amount necessary to fund your education and living expenses. You don’t have to take ALL the money you are awarded. Take what you need and if necessary go back for more later.

2) Limit your educational debt to federally subsidized loans. Students may be eligible for either or both federally funded loans (Stafford) or private loans. The federal government has several programs for graduates working in the public sector that allow for income-based payments and discharge of loans in certain circumstances. Most federal loans also are now eligible for income-based repayment plans for those working in lower-paying positions regardless of whether the position is or is not in the public sector. Equal Justice Works is an excellent resource for information about all these programs.

3) Consider a part-time job to help with bills and gain practical legal experience. While all law schools discourage students from working during the first year, you should consider pursuing paying positions over the summer and part-time during the second and third years to subsidize the cost of living. In addition to the benefit of being paid, finding a position that provides practical legal experience is an obvious bonus both to your education and long-range career plans. If the you can’t find a paying legal position for the summer and chose to volunteer or take classes, consider taking a non-legal job to at least contribute toward living expenses for the summer. Consider jobs at retail stores with merchandise discounts (preferably on necessities such as a professional wardrobe or groceries and personal items rather than CDs, video games, and movie rentals!) or a restaurant with great tippers and a good take-out benefit.

4) Do everything you can to live within your means. It is an unfortunate truth that if you live like a lawyer in law school, you will live like a law student as a lawyer. Check out this link for 50 ways to trim your budget.  Use this  link to see how much brand-name coffee costs over the long term.

5) Be realistic about your earning potential. Consider whether you plan a career in the public or private sector, in a large or small firm, in a large metropolitan center or in rural America, and practicing law or pursuing alternative careers. Starting salaries can vary widely but having the least amount of debt possible when you graduate leaves you more prepared to find and accept the career you really want – not just one that pays the bills!

6) Do NOT use credit cards! Repeat after me, “I won’t use credit cards in law school.” Most people have a credit card “for emergencies” which may or may not be a good idea but is nevertheless a reality for most Americans. “Emergencies” are not pizza, Starbucks, ring tones, CDs, concert tickets, Spring Break, cash advances, NCAA Tournament tickets, Thursday nights out, or spa treatments! Don’t let short-sighted “wants” affect your long-term financial stability!!

1. Personal interaction, informational interviews and requests for referrals (i.e. networking) do not equal begging for a job. Rather, they are great ways to learn about and make contacts in your chosen career field.

2. The process is mutually beneficial. The professionals you contact generally appreciate the opportunity to give back to the legal community by serving as a mentor and you get the benefit of their advice and referrals throughout your job search. Remember, no one can help you if they don’t know you!

3. Everyone who knows what you want to do is a potential job-scout! Your friends, family, neighbors, and former colleagues can’t tell you about a great opportunity if they don’t know that you are looking.

4. Personal interaction with professionals can help you find a job by encouraging potential employers to focus on you rather than what is (or is not) on your resume. For example, people typically do not discuss G.P.A. when first meeting other professionals. Instead the discussion often focuses on common interests, practical experience, and career goals. If he or she is impressed with your professional demeanor, experience, and communication skills, grades often become a secondary concern.

5. It takes less time and will likely lead to better results than sending out mass resume mailers. Fact: 42% of 2008 Washburn graduates found their first jobs through self initiated contact or a referral from a friend or relative. If you are not getting out there to talk to and meet professionals, you are ignoring one the most successful ways to find a job.

6. The skills you gain by networking, meeting and talking with people, will serve you throughout your career. The contacts you make while searching for your first job may lead to a great second or third job and/or business referrals later in your career.

7. Many available jobs never become job postings…because they are snatched up by those who know someone in the office that is hiring! Think about it, would you rather review a huge stack of resumes that flood your office after you post a job or simply interview a few people your colleagues recommend?

8. Wondering who to contact? Check out the list of potential contacts in the Document Library of the Washburn Law Career Manager System (Symplicity).

When traveling by airplane on business, you are representing your company. Dress professionally as you would for the business meeting to which you are traveling.  Do not dress like you are on vacation.  (Shorts and flip-flops are not a good image to project for your company…even if your company sells shorts and flip flops). 

There is always a chance that you will run into someone on the airplane who is from the company you are to meet with, or a representative of another company with which you do business.  Dressing down makes you appear too informal and not credible.  Also, if your flight is delayed and your luggage lost, you may have to step off the plane and go straight to your meeting. 

Stick with professional attire for the trip out and the trip home.  You never know with whom you will be sitting and what they can do for your career.

Thanks to http://www.cultureandmanners.com/

Students and graduates who plan to apply for federal judicial clerkships will need to become familiar with OSCAR.  The Online System for Clerkship Application and Review provides students, recommenders, and judges one central place to submit and review applications.  Through this system, applicants will set up an account, review the list of hiring judges, upload application documents, create draft applications, select recommenders, and finalize and submit applications.  The link to OSCAR follows https://oscar.uscourts.gov

With regard to recommenders, you should first contact potential recommenders to verify permission, then select or create recommenders in the “My Recommendations” tab on OSCAR.  If the recommender is on the Washburn faculty, he or she will already be in the system.  If the recommender is not on the faculty, you will need to “create” a new recommender.  NOTE: Recommenders will NOT be notified through OSCAR until the you create an application.  I recommend applicants begin at least one application so OSCAR will generate an e-mail to recommenders.  This allows the recommenders more time to write and upload the recommendations.  OSCAR allows recommenders to write one letter and merge it into several applications for the applicant.

After you begin an application, OSCAR automatically sends an e-mail to your recommenders, and I receive a copy of the message.  Several years ago I began the practice of reaching out to recommenders and offering to help.  Many times recommenders (faculty and non-faculty) end up sending me the text of their recommendation letters and I upload them into OSCAR.  It only takes me a minute and saves them from having to learn the system. 

On the applicant’s end, recommendations are pretty simple, as you really don’t have to do anything other than ask people and let them know whether you have a need for hard copy letters in addition to the OSCAR applications. 

Regarding your applications, you shouldn’t feel that you have to wait until all the recommendation letters are uploaded before you finalize your applications.  Recommenders can, and often do, submit letters after the applicant’s application is finalized.  On that note, I recommend you finalize your applications sooner rather than later.  The applications of students are not released to judges until September 8, but the applications of graduates are released as soon as they are finalized.  If you are a student, it’s best to beat the deadline as uploading documents can be cumbersome near the time of the deadline due to increased activity on the OSCAR site.  If you are a graduate, you will want to finalize applications as soon as possible as judges may starting reviewing graduate applications before the September deadline.

Employers often ask for professional references of job applicants. Unless otherwise instructed by the potential employer, you should provide contact information for 3-4 individuals who can speak to your skills, work ethic, and professionalism. References may include current or former employers and colleagues, professors, or others with whom you have worked in a professional capacity (examples include a volunteer coordinator of a community organization or a colleague from a professional organization). Student applicants should include at least one law school professor with whom he or she has developed a working relationship such as a writing or seminar course instructor.

ALWAYS ask before listing an individual as a reference!

Provide contact information for references on a separate document entitled “References of [Your name here].” It is alternatively appropriate to use a header such those used on a resume. Occasionally references are listed at the bottom of a resume; however, never state “References Available on Request” – it is a waste of valuable space on a resume.

Contact information for each reference should include the reference’s name, title, professional address, telephone number, and e-mail address. Consider including a brief explanation of the relationship if it is not obvious from your resume and the reference’s contact information. For example:

Eric Holder
Attorney General
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
202-353-1555
Eric.holder@usdoj.gov
*Former supervisor at Covington & Burling LLP

Always provide your references with a current resume and keep the reference up to speed regarding your job search. Send your reference a brief description of the position for which you are applying and a few reasons why you are qualified. Keep him or her informed as you work through the interview process and follow up when you complete the process.

Don’t forget to send thank you notes to references in addition to employers!

If you have a little bitty fork resting at a diagonal in the bowl of your soup spoon on the right side of your place setting, it is not for your baby carrots or your baby squash. It means the first course will be a seafood course, such as oysters, shrimp or crab.

If the little fork has two prongs, instead of three, the seafood course will be escargot (snails).

Thanks to http://www.cultureandmanners.com/