Balancing class, studying, and life outside of McCollum Hall is difficult to do during your first semester of law school without having to worry about job applications, interviews, and other employment-related things. To ensure that you don’t worry about these things during your first couple of months as a law student, the National Association for Legal Professionals (NALP) has implemented national “blackout” dates that regulate 1L student contact with employers as well as their law school’s Career Services Office (CSO), http://law.unl.edu/career/nalp_general.shtml#summer1st.
The important dates and information to remember are:
•The first day of class (August 26th) to October 15th – no direct one-on-one counseling with CSO staff members. You are, however, strongly encouraged to attend CSO programs and events and use CSO resources during this time. What the blackout means is that we will not have individual meetings about job searches, resume and cover letter drafts.
•The first day of class (August 26th) to December 1st – discussions with employers about potential summer employment. During this period you are able to speak with attorneys/practitioners about what they do, where they work, etc., but you cannot provide them with your resume, be interviewed, or discuss potential summer employment.