Alumni

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Experienced Alumni:
Coaching and Resources

Alumni Services Listing

Career Coaching

Matthew Pascocello offers comprehensive career coaching 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. 

Job Postings

  • 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 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.

  • 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

    Alumni have access to various subscription-based online job-search resources through the hyperlinks, usernames, and passwords located on the homepage of your CareerLink account. Additional sector-specific job-search resources are located and linked throughout this website. 

  • Intercollegiate Job Bank

    View job postings from many law schools across the country through the Intercollegiate Job Bank posted on the Bowen School of Law website. Here, you will be prompted to enter the Password also located on this site.

Popular Job Posting Sites
Job Search Resources

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 the 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

Alumni Relations & 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 career 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.

Subscription & Proprietary Job-Search Resources

Available through Homepage of Your CareerLink Account (password protected)

  • PSJD for public service legal jobs and research
  • NALP Legal Directory to search larger law firms nationwide
  • Gov’t Honors & Public Policy Handbooks for jobs in non-profits, IGOs, NGOs, and federal agencies
  • Brad Traverse for jobs on Capitol Hill & policy groups
  • Human Rights Jobs for human rights jobs in US and abroad
  • WCL DC-Area Small & Midsize Firm Directory annotated with alumni info
  • WCL NY Small & Midsize Firm Directory annotated with alumni info
Alumni Networking Resources

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 hundreds of 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 Mentor 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.

WCL Alumni in the Placement Industry

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.

Bar Association, Bar Admission, & CLE Resources

ABA Membership

Consider joining the American Bar Association to gain access to the following resources: Training and education, career guidance, and networking communities.

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

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.

Bar Certifications & Transcript Requests

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

Financial Aid Resources

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

Legal Research Resources

Alumni Access to Pence Law Library

Alumni have extensive on-campus access to Pence Law Library resources, including HeinOnline’s Law Journal Library, ABA's Law Library Collection Periodicals and Fastcase’s federal and state case law collection via Hein. See the HeinOnline User Guide for more information about using the database.

Alumni have access to JSTOR, Project Muse, Academic Search Premier, and several other databases through the Bender Library on main campus. Visit the  Remote Library Resources page for more information.

Due to license restrictions, remote access to other subscription-based databases for alumni is not permitted; however, alumni may use many electronic databases and resources when they visit the library.

AUWCL alumni may use the law library on a reservation basis. Reservations can be made Here. Alumni may also pick up an alumni library card at the circulation desk if they need to check out materials. Visit the library’s website to use the library’s catalog, LEAGLE.

For more information about services available to alumni, visit our Services Available to Alumni page.

Assistance with Legal Research

Reference librarians are happy to assist graduates with legal research questions. Please reach out for help with legislative history research, international and foreign law research, and any other research questions. Contact reference@wcl.american.edu or call 202-274-4352 for assistance.

Alumni Access to ASPIRE for Nonprofit Work

The Lexis 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. Apply for ASPIRE access here.

Recent Graduates

Westlaw Access: The library is pleased to provide free Westlaw access to WCL alumni for 18 months after graduation. Go to the Westlaw law school portal to extend your account and access Westlaw, Practical Law, Practice Point, & more.

Bloomberg Law: Graduates receive free, automatic Bloomberg Law access for six months after graduation.

Lexis: Graduates receive free, automatic Lexis Advance access for six months after graduation.

Additional Career Development Resources

Alumni Career Webinars

Alumni Relations 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 following "Podcast/Webcasts" link.

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

WCL 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 and the Events page of WCL's Office of Special Events and CLE

 

Alumni Continuing Education

WCL is dedicated to offering our alumni timely and relevant resources for professional development through a variety of continuing legal education opportunities. Subject to availability, alumni may take advantage of WCL’s Alumni Webinars, CLE Programs, Online Education, Summer Programs, and Class Auditing privileges. Visit Alumni Continuing Education.

 

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: WCL 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.