Career Development Office Offerings

The Career Development Office (CDO) is pleased to present and familiarize you with many of the programs, activities and services that we offer to help you in your search for rewarding employment.

Resume and Cover Letter Review

Think of the resume as your primary marketing tool.   Legal employers expect resumes to contain specific information presented in a particular format.  Our career development professionals will help you to refine your resume so that it properly showcases your accomplishments and abilities.  In addition, we are available to review any cover letters and thank you letters that you may draft.  Once you’ve completed the initial draft of your resume, email it to careerdevelopment@nsu.law.nova.edu.  We’ll provide the guidance and feedback necessary to produce an effective, professional resume.  To get started, review the “Guide to Drafting Your Own Resume” and the “Guide to Drafting Letters” handouts under the Publications section of this website. 

Symplicity – The Online Job Board and Legal Resource Center:

Each day of the year, the CDO posts legal job openings on Symplicity, our online job board for students and alumni.  Through this electronic job board, students and alumni may search and apply for Law Clerk and Associate level positions. Each student’s Symplicity home page also includes a series of “Quick Links” to a variety of online resources, including information regarding Scholarships, Fellowships, Writing Competitions, Government Jobs, out-of-state legal job postings, and Judicial Clerkships.  These quick links are constantly updated with new information regarding current opportunities for our students.  We encourage you to sign-on to your personal Symplicity home page frequently to take advantage of these useful tools!  Access Symplicity at http://www.nsulaw.nova.edu/career/index.cfm.

Fall and Spring Recruiting Programs:

The CDO hosts both a Fall and Spring Recruiting Program.  Second and third year students may participate in both programs, but first year students may participate in Spring recruiting only.  Law firms, government agencies and public interest organizations interview students for summer and/or permanent employment during this designated time.  We offer the chance for employers to come on campus and conduct interviews (On Campus Interviews “OCI”), and we also forward student resumes to employers that prefer to interview at their own offices.  Students receive information about the recruiting employers through Symplicity, our online job and information management system.  Using Symplicity, you’ll be able to view employers and submit employment materials.  

Mock Interviews:

Our staff can help you prepare for job interviews by conducting or arranging a private mock interview. In addition, for 2L students, we offer a Mock Interview Marathon at the end of August each year.  During the Marathon, local attorneys volunteer their time to conduct interviews, and provide students with immediate feedback.  The Marathon not only enables students to develop effective interviewing skills, but provides excellent networking opportunities, as well.

Career Publications and CDO Library:

In Career Development Office, you’ll find a wide selection of handouts relating to legal employment, career selection and professional development. Our guides address drafting resumes and professional letters, developing interview skills, finding alternative careers, and much more. These publications are also available online under the Publications link on this website.  In addition, we have many hard copy books in the lobby of our office. 

Career Cafe Speaker Series:

The CDO sponsors a Career Cafe Speaker series once a week (typically on Wednesdays in the Faculty Study or on the Faculty Terrace) from 12:00 P.M. – 1:00 P.M.    Practicing attorneys from a broad range of practice backgrounds are invited to share their real-life experiences in their particular fields, answer questions, and provide you with great tips on preparing for your career.  Each Career Cafe presentation is video-recorded and made available on this website for later viewing by streaming video.  This enables students who are unable to attend the live presentation to view the recorded session at a later date.  A full compliment of recorded lectures from the past year is archived on the Career Cafe page and may be viewed at any time.  The schedule for  upcoming Career Cafe Presentations may be found on the law school’s master calendar.

Career Connection:

All students receive an electronic copy of Career Connection, our weekly newsletter.  Current and back issues are also on our website and in the CDO. Each issue contains current information about clerkships, internships, fellowships, scholarships, writing competitions, Career Cafes and seminars.  If you want to know what’s happening, simply open your Career Connection. 

Job Fairs:

Students are encouraged to participate in a variety of job fairs, including the Southeastern Minority Job Fair (SEMJF) in August, the Equal Justice Works Public Interest Law Fair in October, the Patent Law Job Fair and the Southeastern Intellectual Property Job Fair.  These fairs provide a setting for several employers to gather in one place to interview participating students who are selected based on resume submissions.  Our office provides all information concerning registering for and attending job fairs. 

Public Interest Law Center:

Our Public Interest Law Center provides information on our Pro Bono Honor Program, fellowships and public interest employment. Visit our PILC website