Winter Break Need Not Be A Time of Inactivity

As I write, exams here have just started and will continue through December 13. There are students even here in our Career Services Office NOW in the act of taking exams in our interview rooms. . SHHH

 

 . . . Once exams are through, I know that students need a little "downtime" simply to recover during the Winter Break. However, perhaps this may a great time to get a head start in resume building that many students never consider:

OPTION ONE: VOLUNTEER WITH AN EMPLOYER:

 

 . . . What about seeking out an employer (public interest or private) and simply doing some volunteer work through the end of December and your return to law school in January? While other students are sleeping, watching football, visiting with friends, talking about law school (the good, the bad, and the ugly), you are gaining some valuable practical experience, making networking contacts, and adding to the "Legal Experience" section of your resume. 

If you would like to consider this option, why not start with your Career Services Office to see if there are any specific programs and/or employers that you could contact (also speak with the head of your Externship Program Studies, if your school has one, to see who you might be able to contact). You can also "just do it" and go out and look for employers through Symplicity, Goggle -- think local to where you will be located during the break.

OPTION TWO: TAKE A CLE THROUGH A LOCAL BAR ORGANIZATION

All too often, I have students who are very much interested in an area of practice but have yet to take a course, or have not had any practical experience in a practice area of interest.. Why not see if a local bar organization is have a CLE course during the Winter Break and take the course. Guess what? . . When you complete the course, a student can then put that experience  in "Education Section" of his/her resume and add to the breath and scope to their legal experiences You have set up in your cover letter the sentence that states" . . . as you can see from my resume, I am very much interested in Family Law. . " and point specifically to the CLE course that you took during the Winter Break. In my view, that would make the student even more marketable for a 2014 summer internship. Remember that many bar related CLE's are free to law students. Why not check it out?

OPTION THREE: READ A GOOD BOOK

If either of the above actions are not practical, for whatever reason, why not read a book that might help you in your law school career. . Yes, I do have a suggestion. Try: "Law School LowDown" by Ian Scott, Esq.

http://www.amazon.com/Law-School-Lowdown-Secrets-Application/dp/143800317X

Ian speaks to all students, wherever they are in the law school process: taking LSATs, applying to law school, 1L,2L, 3L years, summer internships, working in Big Law, along with many other topics.

That's my reading recommendation, if you have your own, go with that!  Whatever works for you. 

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But here's the thing about the Winter Break: Be smart, be active, be pro-active. You can always fit in recreation time. But know that law school is a marathon race and that the rewards go to the students who were always thinking strategically along the way as to how to place themselves in the group of elite runners who consistently win. Always strive to make yourself better!

If you'd like, please tell me what you did on your "Winter Vacation"! Your teacher wants to know!