Alumni Services Listing
Matthew Pascocello offers comprehensive career counseling services to the WCL alumni population including assistance with resume and cover letter writing, mock interviews, and job-search strategy sessions. If you would like to schedule an in-person or telephonic appointment, please use the appointment feature on the homepage of your CareerLink account. (See 'Job Postings' for instructions on how to obtain a CareerLink account).
Update Your Alumni Email Address!
The IT department at American University periodically suspends dormant student accounts. So, if you would like to maintain access to CareerLink, go to "My Account" and then "Personal" to update your username today.
Also, if you would like to roll over your student account to an alumni account, click here for details on how to change.
-
CareerLink Account Access
CareerLink is a critical tool to access job postings, monthly passwords, and to schedule counseling appointments. If you do not already have an account, please send 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). Registration may take up to two business days to process. To view the CareerLink tutorial, click here.
-
Job Postings
Post-graduate job postings listed with OCPD are accessible through CareerLink under the "Permanent/Full Time" & "Permanent/Part Time" sections. Weekly postings are also forwarded through the Alumni Career Development Listserv (see below) which must be subscribed to separately.
-
OCPD Alumni Career Development Listserv
Sign up to receive weekly emails containing an assortment of job postings, career-related events, webinar invites, and networking opportunities. The Alumni Listserv does not purport to offer an exhaustive or comprehensive listing of job opportunities but instead a cross-section of those that have recently been forwarded to me for immediate distribution. Alumni should continue to use CareerLink, and the various subscriptions services posted therein, for a fuller list of job opportunities. Alumni may also use the Listserv to solicit job-search advice, information, and referrals among the subscribing WCL alumni community. To subscribe, please email mpasco@wcl.american.edu with your full name, address, and WCL year of graduation.
-
Subscription-Based & Additional Online Job Postings Resources
OCPD has arranged for alumni access to various subscription-based online job-search resources that can be accessed by using the hyperlinks, usernames, and passwords located on the homepage of your CareerLink account. Additional sector-specific job-search resources are located and linked throughout the relevant 'Resources' and 'Employment Sectors' sections on the OCPD website.
-
Job Exchange Bulletins
View job postings from many law schools throughout the U.S. by viewing the Job Exchange Bulletins. Here, you will be prompted to enter the Login Name and Password that are listed on your CareerLink homepage. To obtain a CareerLink account please see instructions above.
https://www.gobiglaw.com/
http://www.indeed.com/
http://lawjobs.com/
http://www.attorneyjobsinusa.com/
http://www.psjd.org/
https://www.theladders.com/
https://www.fd.org/employment/view-vacancies
http://www.simplyhired.com/
http://www.nlada.org/Jobs
http://www.theposselist.com/
http://www.ecojobs.com/
http://www.goinglobal.com/
http://www.careersinnonprofits.com/
http://www.humanrightsjobs.com/
http://www.inta.org/JobBank/Pages/Job-Bank.aspx
https://www.wclawyers.org/
https://daybook.com/
http://www.abalcc.org
https://www.goinhouse.com/
http://www.careers.insidehighered.com
Recent Graduates
Westlaw Access: Recent WCL graduates have continued access to Westlaw resources for 18 months post-graduation. Sign In and follow the appropriate prompts.
Lexis: Recent graduates may extend Lexis Advance access for up to 6 months post-graduation. Sign In and follow the appropriate prompts.
Bloomberg Law: Graduates automatically keep full access to Bloomberg Law through their individual account for six months following graduation.
ABA Legal Career Central
ABA Legal Career Central (Job Search and Career Advice resources). This is an excellent resource that offers robust specialty foci in the areas of: "Job Search," "Career Advice Series," "Career Choice Series," and "Career Resources" The site features informative webinars on career satisfaction, and a strong national job-posting database.
Long-Distance Job Search Resources
To view various job-search resources in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston/Austin, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Philadelphia/Wilmington, San Antonio, Kansas City, Boston, New York and California, please visit our Resources Library.
Legal Temporary Agencies
An excellent resource for temporary legal projects across many cities and states can be found at the online community The Posse List. For a representative listing of legal temporary agencies in DC, click here.
Vault Career Insider
OCPD & Pence Law Library have purchased access for alumni use of VAULT.com which 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, and career and profession discussion boards. Access the database by logging onto CareerLink and utilizing the 'Vault Career Insider' link in the 'Important Online Resources' area of the 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. See various school reciprocity policies at http://www.nalp.org/reciprocitypolicies.
The following are links to the relevant resources located throughout the OCPD Website.
Following is a list of WCL alumni who are in the placement industry in both the legal and law-related sectors. Their contact information and specialty areas are also listed. Please note however, most of the opportunities available through headhunters and placement specialists require several years of substantive practice experience. Click here to view Directory of WCL Alumni in the Placement Industry.
WCL Alumni Mentor Database
The WCL Alumni Mentor Database enables students and alumni to contact practicing WCL graduates for the purposes of networking, seeking general career advice, and informational interviews.
Please consider becoming a mentor by clicking sign up to be a mentor, and providing basic information about your job and contact information. There is no formal time commitment, and the resource serves as a searchable database that WCL students and alumni can use to identify WCL practitioners to reach out to for job-search advice and informational interview purposes.
To search the database, simply click here, enter your CareerLink Login Name and Password (listed on your CareerLink homepage), and explore the several hundred WCL graduates in practice-areas across the country, and in countries around the world. To create a CareerLink account, please follow the above directions.
To update your existing profile, please email mpasco@wcl.american.edu to receive a personalized link that will enable you to access your profile.
WCL Faculty by Practice Area
Former professors can be an excellent point of contact in building a network for your career and professional development. Visit WCL Faculty for a listing of WCL professors according to specialty.
Faculty Practice Groups
WCL faculty have organized into eleven "practice groups" to provide students more subject matter and practice-specific career information and counseling. Alumni may benefit by requesting to join one or more listservs maintained by the various WCL Faculty Practice Groups.
Additional Resources for Identifying Alumni for Networking Purposes
There are many ways to engage alumni for outreach and networking purposes, and below are some of the best public and private resources available to identify graduates from WCL and your undergraduate institutions. Please feel free to set up a counseling appointment with me (via CareerLink) to discuss your outreach plan and how best to leverage these resources.
Non Subscription Based Resources: LinkedIn and Martindale.com are two of the best resources for identifying WCL (and undergraduate) alumni that you can (and should) reach out to for networking purposes. You should also try connecting with your undergraduate office of alumni relations.
Subscription Based Resources: Both West Legal Directory (requiring Westlaw password) and the various Leadership Directories (password only usable via WCL Intranet, but access may be available at your local library) are also very robust tools for identifying alumni in targeted industries and within specific employers.
Judicial Clerkship Alumni Survey Search
Interested in learning more about judicial clerkships? Researching specific judges and courts? Preparing for a judicial clerkship interview? Use this database to locate and review feedback from alumni who clerked with federal judges, state judges/justices, and administrative law judges around the country. Visit: Judicial Clerkship Alumni Database
Free ABA Memberships For Recent Grads!
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 publication. Apply for your free membership here.
Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) Information & Webinar
Following is an informative webinar and PowerPoint presentation on the breakdown on the Uniform Bar Exam and how it translates in various jurisdictions.
National and State Bar Admission Requirements
For information about the multistate bar registration process and State bar admission requirements, visit the National Conference of Bar Examiners.
Pro Bono Opportunities
For information about fulfilling the NY Bar Pro Bono Requirement, take a look at AUWCL New York Bar Pro Bono Requirement
For pro bono opportunities in Maryland, See: Pro-Bono Resource Center, and pbrc@probonomd.org
Bar Exam Information & Study Aids
Visit the following for additional WCL Bar Exam Information & Study Aids and the office of Academic Excellence for additional Bar Exam Support
Special Events and CLE Credits Offered Through WCL
WCL is an accredited CLE provider in various states and offers an extensive on-site and on-line array of courses and programs open to both WCL alumni and the public at large.
For more information about programs, events, and CLE offerings, visit the Office of Special Events.
Alumni seeking official WCL transcripts and certifications relating to bar applications and admissions can fill out the relevant request from the Registrar at: Bar Certifications & Transcript Requests
Loan Repayment & Debt Management Information for Alumni
The Financial Aid Office has a wealth of information on managing student loan debt and various loan repayment programs, including PILRAP, IBR and PAYE. Visit the Loan Repayment Strategies and PILRAP sites 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 them at 202-274-4040 or email your questions to finaid@wcl.american.edu.
Loan Repayment Strategies Webinar
Review this substantive and informative webinar featuring Dr. Jeffrey Hanson here
Alumni Access to Pence Law Library
Alumni have extensive in-person and online access to the Pence Law Library resources, including remote access to HeinOnLine’s Law Journal Library and ABA Law Library Collection Periodicals, Fastcase’s federal and state case law collection via Hein (Access through the link on your CareerLink homepage. See the user guide at Hein OnLine Guide), JSTOR, Project Muse, and Academic Search Premier. Alumni may use the electronic databases and resources anywhere in the Library. Due to license restrictions, remote access to other subscription-based databases for alumni is not permitted, however alumni are encourage to use the Library's website and catalog at library.wcl.american.edu
For more information on services available to alumni visit LibGuides.
Assistance with Legal Research
Additionally, 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 Access to ASPIRE for Nonprofit Work
The ASPIRE program provides 12 months of free access to federal and state cases, codes, regulations, law reviews, Shepard's® Citation Service and Matthew Bender® treatises to graduates who are engaged in verifiable 501(c)(3) public interest work. More at: https://www.lexisnexis.com/grad-access/
Recent Graduates
Westlaw Access: Students graduating in May can extend Westlaw access through November, and students graduating in December can extend through June. Use the Grad Elite link inside Westlaw to fill out the survey and apply for an extension.
Bloomberg Law: Graduates automatically keep full access to Bloomberg Law through their individual account for six months following graduation.
Lexis: Recent graduates have access to Lexis through the end of July following graduation, and may extend their access by applying for Grad Access at https://www.lexisnexis.com/grad-access/
Alumni Career Webinars
OCPD offers alumni career-development webinars each month through the Alumni CareerDevelopment Listserv (See above). Webinars are usually recorded and can be accessed remotely through the "Podcast/Webcasts" link on the OCPD homepage.
Webinars are usually recorded and can be accessed remotely through the "Podcast/Webcasts" link on the OCPD homepage.
Transcripts, Bar Certification & Class Rank
Alumni have access to various such services through the Registrars Office at: Alumni Services
Work-Life Balance & Lawyer ReEntry Resources
Following are resources and websites you can use to explore information, job-search, and networking tools relating to career/life balance and parenting while engaged in the practice of law. Click here
Alumni Career Development Programs
OCPD offers a number of programs on a range of attorney job-search and career-development issues. For a complete listing, and to register, visit the Events section on your CareerLink account.
Auditing Classes
Subject to course availability, alumni may audit up to two courses per semester for a nominal fee. 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: Auditing Classes.
Career and Personality Indicator Tests
Without endorsing any particular service or product, alumni may find the following list of career and personality indicator tests to be helpful in assessing and inventorying their particular career-oriented strengths and weaknesses:
NOTE: OCPD resources are provided for the shared and collective benefit of our student and alumni communities. Any misuse of these resources or the information contained therein, or behavior deemed unprofessional or lacking in civility, will prevent further access to these resources.