Last night, I had the pleasure of visiting with two of our TU Law students at a reception.  The 2L has secured a competitive externship placement this summer and told the 1L she could do the same.

The 1L was hesitant about her ability to do so.  The 2L gave her great advice: As long as you are sincere about your career intentions and work hard, you will find what you are seeking, but you must always have your game face on!

Finding a post-graduate placement is much like the study or practice of law: on-going and ever changing.  To be an excellent advocate for your client, you must always be one step ahead of your opposing counsel, the court, and sometimes your client as well.  And of course, you must always be on top of the law.  To secure your “dream job”, you must always be preparing yourself to be the strongest candidate in the pack. Through professional experiences, academic records, extracurricular accolades and networking contacts, law students become their own best advocate.

There has been much ado about transparency surrounding law school employment statistics.  Whether spurred by economic conditions, valid consumer concerns, or both, one thing is for sure – graduates expect professional jobs out of law school!  It is my opinion that the “transparency” issue is best addressed in a larger discussion the post-graduate “expectations” of law school students.  While transparent consumer information is necessary, it is important that law students and graduates understand that they are the “X” factor in determining where and whether they land a great position.

TU College of Law is proud of the ongoing placement of our graduates as they leave our halls for the “Real World”.  Our students are tenacious about their career goals, and it shows in our placement outcomes.  You can check out our 2008 – 2010 Placement breakdowns and our 2010 NALP Report at www.utulsa.edu/law/graduateplacement

- Kristine D. Bridges, Assistant Dean and Director of Professional Development