MISSION STATEMENT

The Office of Career Services is dedicated to providing students with the foundation necessary for successful career development and advancement. Our aim is to help prepare our students in their pursuit of legal careers and in their roles as future leaders in America and the global community.

Overview

1.The Office of Career Services provides panels, seminars and workshops designed to assist students in assessing short and long-range career goals, determining their abilities and interests, identifying and evaluating traditional and alternative careers, making satisfying career choices, and preparing for interviews and employment opportunities. Specific programs include the “Mock Interview Day,” “Dress for Success,” “Corporate Career Day,” “Recruiting Tips for Minority Students,” and “Alternative Careers Seminar.” Lawyers and judges from cities throughout the U.S, many of them Howard Law graduates, lead these panels.

2.The Office of Career Services hosts several major on-campus recruitment fairs for students throughout the academic year. The Fall On-Campus Recruitment Program features approximately 200 major law firms, corporations, public interest agencies, and federal government agencies each year. Over 4,000 interviews were coordinated during the Fall recruitment season. The Spring Recruitment Program features approximately 100-150 smaller law firms and businesses. The Public Interest Recruitment Program, held each February, features approximately 50 public interest organizations. All of these employers recruit at Howard University School of Law to fill summer and permanent vacancies. Additionally, approximately 150 non-visiting employers per year request the Office of Career Services to facilitate resume collection services. Students are also able to interview at various job fairs sponsored by bar associations and private entities throughout the nation, including the Cook County Minority Job Fair, DuPont Job Fair, Equal Justice Works Law Career Fair, BLSA Mid-East Job Fair, and the Patent Law Interview Program.

3.Through a reciprocity service offered by the Office of Career Services, a Howard Law student or graduate may obtain permission to review job listings at other ABA-approved law schools. In turn, our school may grant permission to a student or graduate of another law school seeking employment in the Washington, DC area to review our job listings. The office handles approximately 100 such requests each year.

We are committed to:

• Offering instructional programs and services that help students explore various legal and non-traditional careers and enhance the skills they need for successful job searches

• Maintain written and electronic career development and employment resources

• Provide on-campus interview opportunities for legal employers throughout the nation to recruit our students for part-time, summer, and full-time employment, in addition to participating in off-campus job fairs

• Develop partnerships and cultivate relationships with employers in order to develop employment opportunities and increase the visibility of Howard University School of Law in the legal community