Your Career Development

You have your whole career ahead of you.

And if you’re like most incoming law school students, you’re not sure what that looks like. What kind of law will you end up practicing? Will you become a litigator, or a transactional lawyer? Will you enter private practice? Government service? Corporate law? Or will you open your own practice? Will you leverage your law degree to build a career in business, finance or consulting? Or will you end up in the legislature, the judiciary or working for a non-profit organization?

And then there’s that issue of actually landing the job that will put you on your path. It’s a lot to take in, a lot to think about, and a lot to do to get ready. That’s why we’re here.

GETTING STARTED

At the Career Development Office (CDO), we help get you prepared for life after law school before your law school journey even begins. We meet with you at Orientation, then again in your 2nd Quarter, and yet again through a series of ongoing, individual consulting sessions, all to get to know—you. We work to identify your strengths, explore your interests, and help you develop your career plan. The better we know what makes you unique, the better we’ll be able to match you with opportunities that will help get you where you want to go.

Throughout your journey, we provide you with a wealth of resources—from professional development workshops and programs, to job posting databases and recruitment programs, to mentoring programs and one-on-one counseling—plus a host of library and online resources you’ll likely find useful as you plan your future.

GETTING CONNECTED

At the same time, the CDO is constantly talking with potential employers—to understand the changing dynamics of the job market, to assess their particular needs, and to identify job opportunities that match the strengths of our students. Throughout each year, we work to connect legal employers from all practice areas with students through a series of programs—from regularly scheduled on-campus interviews, to resume collection based on each firm’s specific needs, to direct contact job postings.

GETTING OUT THERE

And while we’re with you through all three years of your law school experience, it’s important to remember that the CDO is not a “placement center.” This is your career. And it’s your search. So you need to be proactive.

It means taking the initiative to build your resume and skill set through practical experience outside the classroom. Internships, externships and summer clerkships are great ways to make contacts and gain experience, particularly after your first year. Likewise, after your second year—when your legal skills are more fully developed and your potential to prospective employers has an even greater chance to shine—it’s to your benefit to get out there.

It also means carving out time to meet with employers to hone your interview skills. Even it you don’t walk away with the offer, you emerge a stronger more polished candidate for the right position down the line.

GETTING RESULTS

The good news is that Baylor Law consistently enjoys one of the highest employment rates of any law school in the nation. It’s a credit to the quality of young lawyers we graduate, and a testament to the high percentage of those who go on to build successful careers.

But there are measures beyond metrics that define success: How will your strengths, skills, personality and career goals line up with the place you land? Will you be challenged? Will you be valued? And will you be able to successfully build on that experience to get where you ultimately want to be?

For all of us at the CDO, it’s about more than just landing a job. It’s about launching a career. So let’s start by getting to know each other. Let’s get together. And let’s get going.

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