Banks
Many banks have expanded the scope of their in-house counsel,
turning to that counsel for legal support in a broad range of
legal matters, including corporate trusts, legal support to
retail operations, consumer credit, legislative and regulatory
work, contracts, mergers and acquisitions, coordinating litigation,
personal pensions, and probate. Additionally, financial institutions
are looking at law graduates to fill trust positions and junior
and senior vice-president positions. A background or coursework
in banking and related areas is a plus. For more information,
check the American Bank Directory and the American Financial
Directory. Banks generally do not actively recruit lawyers.
Prospective applicants often must make the initial contacts.
Corporations
Corporate legal staffs attempt to handle all the legal affairs
of their companies. Some larger departments are capable of
managing the greatest portion, if not all, of the corporation's
legal needs. Smaller companies continue to hire outside counsel
for specialized needs, and rely upon in-house counsel for
more routine matters. Corporations traditionally hire experienced
attorneys from the ranks of law firm associates. Corporations
also hire attorneys to work in departments outside their legal
department. Tax, Human Resources, Marketing, Labor Relations,
Environmental Affairs, and Real Estate Procurement are some
of the areas for which attorneys are hired. Some corporate
law resources to consider include the Law and Business Directory
of Corporate Counsel and the Job Seeker's Guide to American
Companies, both available in the Career Services Office. In
addition, the undergraduate Career and Placement Office in
Flanner has an extensive resource room containing corporate
information.
Management Consulting
Opportunities in this area generally are limited to individuals
with relevant business experience. Management consultants
act primarily as problem-solvers and trouble-shooters for
client organizations. Among the positions available to attorneys
within companies are: in-house counsel, pension administrators,
merger and acquisitions advisors, systems consultants and
actuaries. Students interested in this area may want to consider
a joint degree program with the business school.
Public Accounting
Public accounting firms continue to hire law clerks and graduates
for positions in estate, trust, and tax planning. These firms
are looking for individuals with, at the very least, an undergraduate
degree or emphasis in accounting. Some require CPA licensing
within a certain number of years.
Association with a "Big Five" accounting firm provides
for relocation, flexibility and job security. A large number
of smaller accounting firms will also consider law graduates,
and there are offices in all major metropolitan areas throughout
the country. Many of the firms hire attorneys on "partnership
tracks" similar to private law firms. Finally, experience
with an accounting firm can open doors to the corporate sector.
Accounting firms participate in on-campus interviewing. They
also hire during the school year. Their "busy season"
is in the winter, however, so interested students should apply
in the fall for part-time positions. Information on several
of the large firms is available in the office red binders,
and the corporate resources also will contain listings.
Publishing Houses
New attorneys with excellent research and writing skills might
consider editorial work with legal publishing houses such
as West, Matthew Bender, and Lawyers Cooperative. Authors,
editors, and publishing houses rely heavily on legal involvement
throughout the publishing process. In addition, with the increase
in computerized legal research, companies such as West or
Mead Data are looking for individuals with both a computer
and law background. Although these employers traditionally
do not interview at law schools, they do hire graduates right
out of school on a continual basis. Those interested should
contact the employers directly.
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