Alumni Services

OCPD offers post-graduate job search assistance through individual counseling and password protected access to job databases and online resources for all WCL alumni. OCPD Alumni Counselor, Matthew Pascocello, offers assistance with resume and cover letter writing, mock interviews, and job search strategy sessions.

 

Resources

What Can This Resource Do For Me? / How Can I Access This Resource?

 
CAREER COUNSELING
Career Counseling Matthew Pascocello provides career counseling services to the WCL alumni population. Please contact him at 202-274-4092 to schedule either a telephone or in-person appointment.
JOB POSTINGS
CareerLink Post-graduate positions listed with OCPD are accessible through CareerLink under the "Permanent/Full Time" & "Permanent/Part Time" sections. New users must request an account by sending an email to careerdevelopment@wcl.american.edu including your full name, date of graduation, degree program, and your primary email address (which will become your CareerLink Username). To view the CareerLink tutorial for students, click here.
Job Exchange Bulletins View job postings from many law schools throughout the U.S. When you click on this link you will be prompted to enter a Login Name and Password that are listed on the CareerLink homepage. To obtain a CareerLink account please email careerdevelopment@wcl.american.edu. Registration may take up to two business days to process.
JOB SEARCH RESOURCES
Subscription-Based Online Resources OCPD has arranged for alumni access to various subscription-based online job-search resources, including PSLawNet, Opportunities in Public Affairs, Human Rights Jobs, etc. Access to these services is available from the homepage of your CareerLink account. Recent Graduates also have free access to AttorneyJobs.com for one year immediately post-graduation through their www.lawschool.westlaw.com accounts (contact WCL's Westlaw rep if you forgot your password).
Vault Career Insider

OCPD & Pence Law Library have purchased access for alumni use of VAULT.com for free during a one year trial period beginning in June 2010. We hope this will serve as a valuable job search tool for our alumni and provide information and resources for individuals interested in legal and law related industries. VAULT offers 90+ e-books covering workplace and industry topics, 3,500 full-text articles, 4,000 employer profiles and company rankings, industry and profession profiles, career and profession discussion boards, and a customizable portal called My Vault where you can save content and job searches.  You can access the database by logging onto CareerLink and utilizing the "Vault Career Insider" link in the "Important Online Resources" area of the homepage.
Long-Distance Job Search Resources To view resources according to location, please visit our handouts section.
Legal Temporary Agencies in DC, NY, NJ & CT

Click on this link for a partial listing of some of the many national and local legal temporary agencies. When you click on this link you will be directed to our handouts section and prompted to enter a Login Name and Password that are listed on the CareerLink homepage.
Reciprocity Reciprocity allows alumni to use the OCPD resources of non-local law schools. Click here to apply for reciprocity either to or from American University Washington College of Law.
WCL Alumni Placement Professionals Following are the names and contact information of WCL alumni who are currently working in the temporary and permanent legal placement industry. This is meant for your general information and is not a specific endorsement of their services.
ALUMNI NETWORKING RESOURCES
Lexis password Alumni may access the Lexis Career Library through use of a specially designated Custom ID and Password. To obtain the current Lexis ID and Password, please email your request to mpasco@wcl.american.edu. Provide your full name, address, and the last four digits of your social security number.

The WCL Mentor Database enables students and alumni to contact practicing alumni for the purposes of networking, seeking general career advice, and informational interviews.
Please click to sign up to be a mentor, and enter your contact information as directed.
To search the database WCL alumni will be prompted to enter a Login Name and Password that are listed on the CareerLink homepage. WCL students should use their Novell login information. To obtain a CareerLink account please email careerdevelopment@wcl.american.edu. Registration may take up to two business days to process.
Online Alumni Network Join WCL's Alumni Online Community through inCircle at: http://www.wcl.american.edu/alumni/. This resource will enable you to build and highlight your personal and professional profile; make new connections and reconnect with classmates; organize or join an alumni group; and sign up for a permanent WCL email address, among other things. Also, there is a significant WCL almuni presence on LinkedIn. Be sure to take full advantage of these valuable social networking tools.
FINANCIAL AID RESOURCES FOR ALUMNI
New Financial Aid Information Webpage for Graduates

The Office of Financial Aid has created a new webpage with information specific to WCL graduates. Visit the site here to learn more about what to do during your grace period, how to consolidate your federal loans, what repayment plans are available, and how to take advantage of various public service loan forgiveness and assistance programs. If after viewing the information you still have questions, the Office of Financial Aid wants to help. Please call the office at 202-274-4040 or email your questions to finaid@wcl.american.edu.

 
2011-12 PILRAP Application Now Available

The 2011-12 WCL Public Interest Loan Repayment Assistance Program (PILRAP) application is now available. PILRAP helps relieve the economic burden imposed by educational debt by providing loan repayment assistance for JD graduates who earn less than $75,000 while working in full-time non-profit or government service. Class of 2011 graduates are eligible to apply this year. Click here for more information, FAQs, and to download the application. The application deadline is October 31, 2011. If after viewing the PILRAP website you still have questions, please contact Jarrod Shirk in the Office of Public Interest at 202-274-4099 or jshirk@wcl.american.edu.

 
CAREER DEVELOPMENT & OTHER RESOURCES
2011 Class. Free ABA Memberships!

The American Bar Association is extending free one-year memberships to recently graduated JDs that offer the following benefits: Access to news updates and thoughtful analysis of legal trends; Networking events, both online and at national meetings; and Career-building opportunities in public speaking, public service and pulication. Claim your free membership here. Graduates who are current ABA members are welcome to renew their memberships free of charge.
OCPD Resource Library OCPD maintains a library of career-related resources. To view a listing of these resources, click here.

Alumni Services at Pence Law Library

Reference librarians are happy to assist graduates with research at their firms and offices and to help locate sources of legislative history, and international and foreign law and other materials. Contact reflib@wcl.american.edu or call 202-274-4352 for offsite assistance.

Alumni cards are available (through the Alumni Relations Office) and allow graduates to borrow circulating materials from the Law Library. After receiving the card, just stop by the Circulation Desk to register and obtain a bar code. Alumni may use the electronic databases and resources anywhere in the Library and there is a workstation that allows Westlaw access that any library patron may use for research. Due to license restrictions, remote access to subscription-based databases for alumni is not permitted, however alumni are encourage to use the Library’s website and catalog at www.library.wcl.american.edu
Alumni Career Webinars

OCPD offers many career-related pod- and webcasts that are available to alumni at: http://intranet.wcl.american.edu/career/webcast.cfm
Alumni Career Development Programs OCPD offers a number of live programs, webinars and webcasts on a range of attorney job-search and career development issues. For a complete listing, and to register, visit the Events section of your CareerLink account and also check with the Alumni Relations portion of the WCL website at: http://www.wcl.american.edu/alumni/.
OCPD Alumni Career Development Listserv Sign up to receive weekly emails containing an assortment of job postings, career-related events, and networking opportunities offered throughout the country. The listservs does not purport to offer an exhaustive or comprehensive listing of job opportunities, just a cross-section of those that have recently been forwarded to me for immediate distribution. Alumni should continue to use CareerLink for a comprehensive list of job postings. Alumni listserv users may also use the service to solicit job seeking advice, information, and referrals within the subscribing WCL alumni community. To subscribe, please email mpasco@wcl.american.edu with your full name, address, and the last four digits of your social security number.
State Bar Admission Requirements View the ABA’s Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements which sets out the rules and practices of all U.S. jurisdictions for admission to the bar by examination and on motion at: www.abanet.org/legaled/baradmissions/bar.html.
Links to Noteworthy Articles & Resources
Auditing Classes Subject to course availability, alumni may audit up to two courses per semester at a cost of $100 per class. Concentrated coursework in a particular area of law may help in career transitions or to increase ones credibility in a particular field. More information at: http://wcl.american.edu/alumni/auditing_classes.cfm.
Deferred Associate Resources Click on this link for resources that may be useful to WCL students and graduates facing a derrered start date.
Income-Based Repayment (IBR) IBR is available for all federal student loans (graduate and undergraduate). Under IBR, monthly payments are capped at an amount intended to be affordable based on income and family size. The type of employment is not a factor in the calculation, only income and debt. For public sector employees, all federal loans must be in the federal direct loan program for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). For some graduates, their Grad PLUS loans are federally-guaranteed (FFEL) loans and must be consolidated into a Direct Consolidation loan for PSLF. IBR is not available for private loans. Application available at: https://www.dl.ed.gov/borrower/PDFFrames.jsp?PDF=othf_intgr_IBR8_pack.pdf. Additional information available at: WCL Financial Aid Office.


Office of Career & Professional Development • American University Washington College of Law
4801 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 122 Washington, DC 20016 • 202-274-4090 F: 202-274-4096