I hope your semester is off to a good start. Today I want to focus on careers and what you are all here for – to become lawyers. Our 1L students should not be focused on this at all right now. Hopefully, all of your energy is going into trying to figure out what in the world is going on in class and in some of those ancient cases you are being asked to read.
To the 2Ls and 3Ls, I encourage you to think broadly about your careers, and take advantage of all your resources. There are so many great careers for lawyers out there that go way beyond finding a job through on-campus interviews and working in a private firm. The Career Services Office is here to assist you. ROSCOE has listings for all kinds of opportunities, from nonprofits to government work to fellowships to Fulbrights to judicial clerkships to LL.M.s.
It is also important to make direct connections with people who are doing what you aspire to do. Your career will be what you make of it and the more you take control of the experiences that you have and take advantage of the opportunities presented, the more likely you will be successful in creating a satisfying career.