Application Materials for Fall Recruiting

During the fall recruiting season, when you may be applying to multiple employers during a very short time frame and with deadline pressure, you should pay extra attention to the accuracy of your materials. One typo or grammatical error may land your materials in the "do not interview" pile.

The best advice is to begin preparing your materials EARLY -- so you have time to have them reviewed, ideally by one of the Career Services professionals. Needless to say, your application materials for any position should always be flawless.

Listed below are the application materials most typically requested by employers accepting applications in the fall:

Resume. Every employer of any type will expect you to provide a resume. Please be sure to update your resume as soon as possible. See Chapter 4 of the Career Services Handbook for sample resumes. Then, either drop it off at the office or email it to lscs@lclark.edu for review by one of the counselors. If you prefer, you can email it directly to Libby Davis, Assistant Dean for Career Services (eadavis@lclark.edu) or Ellen Jones, Director of Career Services (ekjones@lclark.edu). In most instances, materials can be reviewed and returned to you within 24 - 48 hours.

Cover Letter. Regardless of whether or not one has been specifically requested by an employer, you should always write a cover letter. Your cover letter should always be tailored to the particular employer (in other words, do not use a "generic" cover letter or a "To Whom It May Concern" letter. Chapter 4 of the Career Services Handbook has sample cover letters to give you ideas for tone, content and format. Just like with your resume, please be sure to have your cover letters reviewed by Career Services.

Transcript. Most, if not all, fall recruiting employers will request or expect you to provide a copy of your law school transcript. You should request an official copy from the Registrar. The Registrar's policy is that if a student submits a transcript request by close of business on a Wednesday, the student can receive up to 5 copies of their official transcript, at no charge, the following day. If a student requests a transcript and needs it immediately, there is a $5 charge (for up to 5 copies). Students can make their own photocopies of their official transcript for most employers. Students should not use Web Advisor information. If you have questions about transcripts, please contact Career Services.

Writing Samples. Most employers will request a writing sample as part of the application process. Some employers request that it be submitted in your initial packet, along with your resume, cover letter and transcript; others may request it later in the application process. Unless otherwise specified by the employer, you should plan to provide a 5-10 page legal writing sample. Your sample can be from your L.A.W. class or from a project you did at work (you must have permission from your employer to use work product as a sample). If you need to take an excerpt from a longer sample, include as much of the discussion section as possible and be sure to put a cover sheet on the sample. On the cover sheet, include your name and contact information, a brief description of what the attached sample is about or what it was written for, and an indication (if appropriate) that citation is per the ALWD citation manual (most employers and firms use Blue Book citation form).

References. A few employers may also request a reference list. Ideally, you will want to list 3-4 people (name, title, employer, address, and phone number) who know you well enough to give you an excellent reference. A combination of faculty (law and/or undergrad) and employers/supervisors is ideal. See Chapter 4 of your Career Services Handbook for a sample format.

Again, please be sure to prepare your materials far in advance of deadlines and to have your materials reviewed by Career Services.