Page 10 - Law Schools

S10 | Monday, august 17, 2015 | Law Schools | nylj.com
Experience
From Apprenticeship to Practical Training, Hands-on Work Has Always Been Vital
By Jill Backer
Until even the middle of the 20th cen- tury, many attorneys entered the legal profession through the process of apprenticeship. as we know, the legal pro- fession has evolved and entry to the legal profession today requires a three-year J.D. degree program followed by the bar exam. Solid legal education has always contained the element of hands-on learning, whether in an apprenticeship or now in law school clinics or jobs with legal employers. Today, law schools are taking practical skills to a higher level to achieve the type of readiness that legal employers require and demand. But what does this new “practice ready” move- ment currently taking place in law schools mean for current law students?
New Hiring Criteria
Recently, google told the New York Times that gPa is “worthless as a criteria for hiring,” while law firms, some even while acknowl- edging this as a fact, continue to hire based almost entirely on academic credentials. Thankfully this is changing, but slowly. Now firms are increasingly looking for performance and experience rather than an “a” in Con Law. Firms have taken steps to identify who
JILL BACKER is assistant dean of career and profes- sional development at Pace Law School.
the mVPs are at the firm and are beginning to realize that it may not be those from the top schools or with the top grades. What is coming more slowly is the movement in hiring criteria to reflect these new understandings.
Resumes that contain only great grades, law review and two summer jobs are no longer competitive in today’s legal marketplace. Cur-
competitive in the market. Students can take an “in-house clinic” that is housed at their law schools and run by professors. Students can take an externship that is located at an employer, supervised by a practitioner and has a law school classroom component. Students also have the option to take a part-time job, something that students have always done. a
law school. historically, there have been a handful of law schools with full-blown co- op programs, but now there are many more considering full semester employment for law school credit and learning.
at Pace Law School, where I work, this program is called “Semester in Practice” (SIP). SIP’s very worthy purpose is to give students an immersive experience at a legal employer. Law firms in today’s market are leaner and attorneys are constantly being asked “to do more with less.” Newly hired lawyers need to hit the ground running on day one and this program offers that level of readiness. Students receive law school credit for working full-time at a legal employer and doing “hands- on” legal work. another goal of the program is to expand each individual student’s network, which will assist in their post-graduation job search and ultimately assist them in their practice of law. an additional positive con- sequence of working in the field in the last semester of law school is the potential for students to acquire a “bridge job,” that is while the student seeks permanent employ- ment. It has been my experience that when the student has been a great “apprentice,” law- yers help the student find a permanent job.
Working outside of the class room in the third year can provide far greater advantages than disadvantages. The benefits of gaining practical experience, expanding professional networks and the expansion of career oppor- tunities are strong arguments in favor of experiential learning. To quote one famous brand—“Just Do It!”
A student taking a job at an employer in their area of interest can kick-start a career; more importantly, however, it kick-starts the growth of a personal network.
rent law students are putting themselves at a serious disadvantage if they are only working two summers during law school. Competitive resumes must include entries with clinical work, part-time jobs and other opportuni- ties showing not only hands-on legal experi- ence but that certain drive that is shown by managing both work and school. Conducting employer outreach, I continually hear from employers that they want students who have “worked before or during law school.” These employers want students with legal experience, but also those that have been in the marketplace and know how to conduct themselves in the field.
Increasingly, law schools are ensuring that students will graduate with experience in the field by introducing new programs. There are many options for law students to take advan- tage of and students muST do so to remain
student taking a job at an employer in their area of interest can kick-start a career; more importantly, however, it kick-starts the growth of a personal network. getting outside of the law school and participating in practice first-hand is a great way to increase skills while getting a head start on growing ones LinkedIn/Rolodex.
Return to Apprenticeship
There has been a call in the last decade from some members of the Bar to make the third year of law school an apprenticeship, once again. even President Barack obama has given his opinion on the subject urging legal educators to make law school only two years in the classroom. Some law schools are now taking affirmative steps to work with legal employers and have students work in full-time positions for their last semester of
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