Career Resources for Students
The KU Law Career Services Office is dedicated to preparing our students for meaningful and successful careers. In addition to career counseling and opportunities to connect with KU Law alumni, the CSO offers a wide range of professional development programming and training resources.
The new CSO Boot Camp is a series of videos, instructional handouts and work samples designed to give students all the skills they need to launch the career they want. The virtual training program will cover the application process, interviewing, networking and more. Check back often for new videos and resources.
Upcoming CSO programs are posted on the Career Services calendar. Students are encouraged to schedule an appointment with Heather Spielmaker (hspielmaker@ku.edu) or Stacey Blakeman (staceyblakeman@ku.edu) to discuss career strategy.
Resource categories:
Application Materials
How to Prepare a Legal Resume
A legal resume should highlight your skills and experience. This video gives an overview of legal resumes, including formatting guidelines, an example resume and important tips to keep in mind.
1L Resume Samples and Resources
- 1L Resume Sample (PDF)
- 1L Resume Sample with Annotations (DOC)
- 1L Resume Drafting Handout (PDF)
How to Prepare a Cover Letter
The purpose of a cover letter is to craft a story about how your skills, interests and qualifications make you a strong candidate for a specific organization. This video walks you through the process of writing a legal cover letter.
1L Cover Letter Samples and Resources
- 1L Cover Letter Sample (PDF)
- 1L Cover Letter Sample with Annotations (DOC)
- 1L Cover Letter Drafting Handout (PDF)
How to Prepare a Writing Sample
At some point in the legal job application process, you will likely be asked to submit a sample of your written work. Your goal in choosing a writing sample is to showcase your best piece of legal writing to demonstrate what you can produce for an employer. Your writing sample should be legal in nature and demonstrate your analytical reasoning/writing skills, relatively recent and relevant to the job you are seeking.
How to Prepare References and Letters of Recommendation
A letter of recommendation is a letter written by a professional who can recommend an individual's work or academic performance. This video gives an overview of references and letters of recommendation, when to use each, who to ask to be your references and how to ask them.
Professionalism
CSO Tips for Virtual Meetings
Virtual meetings have become part of our daily professional lives. Learn how to put your best foot forward with these tips from the CSO.
Dress For Success: How to Tailor Your Professional Identity
This presentation lays out the main takeaways of professional dress, sets forth the general professional style norms in the legal profession, discusses interview attire as well as non-interview attire, and covers some important tips to keep in mind.
Networking Skills
Crafting Your Elevator Pitch
An elevator pitch is a quick statement of approximately two to three sentences that lets you communicate who you are and what you're looking for to potential employers and contacts. Elevator pitches aren't about directly asking someone to give you a job; instead, a well-developed elevator pitch allows you to clearly and effectively share your interests and goals for the purposes of making a connection with another person and gathering more information about an organization, a field or a specific opportunity.
Using Virtual Networking Tools
Networking is the process of developing relationships with fellow professionals in fields that interest you. In-person networking events include hiring fairs, CLEs, conferences and mixers. Since most of these events are currently on hold due to COVID-19, you should consider virtual networking instead. LinkedIn and the KU Alumni Mentoring Platform are great resources to explore virtually.
Networking Events in Four Easy Steps
Networking involves interacting with other people to develop professional contacts. Learn how to navigate professional networking events, including what you should do before, during and after the event.