Category Archives: Student Reflection

Perspective on the Job Search Process

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by Jillian Jacobs, Class of 2013 and recent graduate

jill jacobsJill is from from Rochester, New York and received her B.A. in Policy Studies and Economics from Syracuse University. Jill was an Articles Editor for the Bill of Rights Journal, Chair of the Community Service Committee for the George Wythe Society, and a Graduate Research Fellow. 

Prior to my first year of law school, I was nervous about a lot of things. I wondered whether I would make friends, how I would handle an embarrassing cold call, and if I could keep up with the demanding work schedule. My greatest fear, however, was that I would not be able to find a job.

I came to law school straight from undergrad, and I had very little experience with the job search process. I had worked at a retail store, at a restaurant, and at a small local firm during school breaks, but I had never formally searched for a legal job. I was overwhelmed at the thought of reworking my resume, writing cover letters, identifying potential internships, and interviewing with respected attorneys.

Soon, I realized that I was not alone – majority of my classmates viewed the job search process as daunting and confusing. Fortunately, the Office of Career Services (OCS) annually holds informational sessions for first-year students in early October. At the sessions, the OCS Deans talk about the job search process. Additionally, OCS gives students a binder containing information such as sample resumes and cover letters, recommendations for interview attire, and other interview tips. When I walked out of the session, I felt a wave of relief. I knew that the job search process would not be easy, but I found comfort in knowing that OCS would help me in any way possible

In November of my first year of law school, I met with my assigned dean, Ramona Sein, to discuss my internship search. She suggested that I continue networking and that I consider a variety of internships for the summer after my first year of law school. In a stroke a pure luck, I met an alumnus of the law school who helped me secure an internship with a federal judge in Houston, Texas. The internship was educational and an overall great experience.

I finished my internship in Houston at the end of June, and I immediately started preparing to apply for second-year internships. My goal was to work at a large firm in New York City, but I applied to firms in Philadelphia and Washington D.C. as well because I was worried about the legal market. A contact helped me to obtain interviews in Philadelphia, and firms in New York City offered me interviews after receiving my resume through a William & Mary interview program.

In order to prepare for my interviews, I frequently called Dean Sein and Dean Knowles to ask questions. I think that some of my questions may have been trivial, but I appreciated that every dean in OCS was willing to listen to my concerns and was able to answer my questions. Finally, after two months of interviewing for summer associate positions, I accepted an offer from Dechert LLP in New York City. I loved my internship with Dechert, and I am so excited to return as a first-year associate. I am incredibly thankful to OCS for helping me to find this position.

Public Service Fund Auction

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by Sarah Lambert, 2L- Public Service Fund Co-Chair

psfThe Public Service Fund is a school organization and non-profit that raises funds to provide summer stipends to students with unpaid public service internships. We are a large group of students that have a variety of interests: some of us are all about public service, while others are more interested in providing the rest of the school with memorable social events. Our corporate goal, however, is one: raise money for students and alumni whose path lies with public service.

Throughout the year, we host fun social events to raise money for students. The largest one by far is our annual auction. Some of your most memorable moments at William & Mary Law School will involve Auction. It is a melding of a traditional auction and a “talent” show, where everyone sees a friend or two get up on stage to show off their spirit. Sometimes that spirit is pure talent and other times it is pure fun. This year we had everyone from Law Capella (our law school a cappella group) to a dance number by our 1L “Backstreet Boys.”

Our Auction items are unlike any other you will find. We have almost every student service known to man listed on there – everything from garden services to fresh handmade espresso beverages for a week. Perhaps the most interesting type of items we have is our evenings or experiences with professors! When you win these, you get to spend time with your favorite professors outside of the academic setting. We also have more traditional auction items, such as tickets to events or packages at a reduced price.

At the end of this years Auction I drove off with my small car stuffed to the brim with remnants of the festivities: plastic cups, leftover pizza, and gift baskets galore. I did not yet know how well we had done, but I knew that this was the Best Auction Ever. Later we found out we raised over $34,000 for the students and alumni of William & Mary Law School, more than we ever have in our recorded history!

I can’t wait to see you there next year!

A 3L’s Williamsburg Experience

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Zac is a 3L at William & Mary Law School.  He has a B.S. in Physics from Tufts loudenUniversity.  Zac worked at a pharmaceuticals company before coming to law school.  After graduating this May, he will begin his career in Washington, D.C.

As a current 3L at William & Mary Law School, I first moved to Williamsburg in August of 2010.  I quickly learned that Williamsburg has its quirks.  For example, a man dressed in traditional colonial garb is perfectly suited for Colonial Williamsburg.  However, that same man is ever so slightly out of place when dining at a local restaurant, pumping gas, or picking up a carton of milk at the grocery store.

I may have noticed Williamsburg’s quirks rather quickly, but it has taken me a full two-and-a-half years to appreciate the town’s other offerings.  The first thing that comes to mind is my apartment.  I came to William & Mary Law School with my dog in tow, so I knew I needed off-campus housing.  Williamsburg, being a college town, has a housing option for every situation.  Students can live in the Gradplex (on-campus housing offered by William & Mary), apartment complexes, townhomes, and even single-family homes.  All of these housing options are within walking distance.  I found a perfect single-family home with a fenced-in backyard from which I can bike to school through Colonial Williamsburg.  I will be very disappointed to leave what has become my home when I move to Washington, D.C. in the fall.

Another great feature of Williamsburg is the food.  For being such a small town, Williamsburg offers nearly every type of cuisine imaginable.  I can be eating Mexican, Chinese, Thai, Korean, BBQ, sushi, or steak after just a five-minute drive from my apartment.  My fiancée and I enjoy the local BBQ joint so much that we have decided to have them cater our wedding.  I should also note that my friends love the local KFC buffet.  I had never even heard of a KFC buffet before moving to Williamsburg, but now no other KFC franchise will ever compare.

Lastly, Williamsburg has plenty to offer in terms of recreational activities.  My fiancée and I love to kayak, bike, bowl, and watch movies at the local Movie Tavern, which is an amazing establishment that crosses a movie theater with bar fare.  Williamsburg also has a decent nightlife that focuses on several neighborhood bars.  For me, Williamsburg is the perfect blend of city and country.

Think Law School is All Time Consuming? Think Again!

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Stefanie Swift

Stefanie Swift

Anyone that has the idea that law school consumes all of one’s time hasn’t met William & Mary students engaged in a wide variety of activities.  For example, Stefanie Swift, one of our 3Ls, recently launched OrderUp Williamsburg, an online clearinghouse for placing take-out and delivery orders.  It’s a clever idea and profitable way to spend a few of those cherished non-study hours.

Stefanie’s business venture was recently featured in the Virginia Gazette. We wish her the best of luck with this new enterprise!

Experiences and Opportunities in Election Law

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shanaShanna Reulbach is a 3L from Rochester, New York.  She double majored in political science and history at the State University of New York at Geneseo, graduating in 2010.  Shanna is a Graduate Research Fellow and the senior articles editor of the Law Review.

I am a 3L at William & Mary, and I have had the wonderful experience of being a Graduate Research Fellow (GRF) for all three years.  As a college student, I majored in political science and history and ran an organization dedicated to campaign finance reform.  I was interested in elections, and William & Mary stood out to me during the law school application process because it sponsored election law fellows through its GRF program.  I applied for the Election Law Fellowship and had the great fortune of becoming one of two GRFs to the Election Law Program.

The Election Law GRF position afforded me incredible research opportunities in the field I was passionate about starting on my first day as a 1L.  Professor Rebecca Green, co-director of the Election Law Program, had me maintain a blog page on campaign finance on the Election Law Society’s website, assist in researching one of her academic articles, and participate in the planning of election-related moot court events that gained national attention.  All of these projects were very interesting and enjoyable, and they helped me develop research and writing skills early on in my law school career.  Furthermore, the skills and subject-matter expertise I developed have helped prepare me for job interviews and summer internships.

Another great benefit of GRFing is that it enables students to form a relationship with a professor outside of the classroom.  Professor Green has been a fantastic mentor during my three years and provided invaluable help in securing both of my summer internships—at the Brennan Center for Justice and the Virginia State Board of Elections.  Being familiar with my personality and work product, she was able to make phone calls and write recommendation letters for these positions and for clerkships.  And when opportunities for extracurricular projects have come up, Professor Green has generously offered to allow me to participate.  Through her efforts, I am currently researching and drafting a report on election delays for the American Bar Association and providing research support to the recently created Presidential Commission on Election Administration.  These are tasks I never dreamed law students would be tackling when I came to William & Mary, but I am so grateful that the GRF program is in place to enable students to learn beyond the classroom.

GRF was a big part of why I decided to come to William & Mary, and now I also view it as one of my most rewarding law school experiences.  The tuition reduction and living stipend made law school more affordable, and I do not think I could have gotten such in-depth familiarity with the field of election law at any other institution.  I have enjoyed my time as a GRF and believe that what I have learned, and the relationships I have established with the GRF community, will continue to be of value years beyond graduation.

Externship Leads to Career!

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rachelRachel Procopio is a third-year student at William & Mary Law School.  She graduated from Susquehanna University in 2010 with her Bachelors of Science in Biology.  Rachel is a Graduate Research Fellow, the Senior Articles Editor of the William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review, and the co-chair of the law school’s Bone Marrow Drive Committee.

I did not know it at the time, but deciding to apply for an externship at Rawls McNelis + Mitchell for the spring of my 2L year was the best career decision I have ever made.  When I walked into my interview with Mr. Ed McNelis in the end of November 2011, I was unaware that the twenty-minute interview would lead to my first full-time position as an attorney.

The summer after my 1L year, I worked in-house for a healthcare system in Pennsylvania.  Because I wanted to work at a firm doing civil litigation, I began interviewing for various summer associate positions during my 2L fall.  I knew that pursuing an externship with a law firm would compliment the skills I had gained during my summer experience at the hospital.  In pursuing an externship, I hoped to tweak my abilities and set myself apart in the search for a job in the private sector after graduation.

The externship opportunity with Rawls McNelis + Mitchell immediately caught my eye when it was posted on the Office of Career Services job website.  The firm is a healthcare boutique in Richmond, specializing in medical malpractice defense.  Medical malpractice was an area of law that I was especially interested in working in, and I thought that my experience in healthcare would set me apart from others applying.   My assumption was correct, and I was chosen for the externship.

Working as an extern at Rawls McNelis + Mitchell was a great learning experience.  I traveled to Richmond every Friday during the spring, and I was able to work on a variety of projects for several different attorneys.  I helped attorneys draft motions, I wrote memos, and I researched.  I was also lucky enough to be able to witness the firm’s attorneys in action by attending depositions and sitting in on conference calls with clients.  I worked as hard as I could as an extern, and took on many assignments even when I was not in the office.  About six weeks into my externship, I received an offer to return to the firm as a summer associate.  I returned for the summer in May, and I have not stopped working for the firm since.

On July 27, 2012, the last day of my summer position, I accepted an offer to work at Rawls McNelis + Mitchell after graduation.  I am ecstatic to be joining the firm in August, and very happy that I decided to pursue the externship that led to this incredible opportunity.

Developing Faculty Student Relationships

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by Sam Mann, Class of 2013

sam mannSam Mann is a 3L at William & Mary Law School. He attended Washington & Jefferson College and received a degree in Political Science. After college, he played two years of professional baseball while also serving as a full-time assistant baseball coach at Marietta College. Sam is the Lead Notes Editor of William and Mary Law Review and the Co-Editor of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society Blog. He spent the summer of 2012 at Cahill Gordon Reindel in Manhattan and will return to work there after graduation.

As a 3L here at William & Mary, I have had a number of very rewarding and interesting experiences over the past three years. I’d like to briefly share two of those experiences, both of which illustrate the resources available to William & Mary law students.

I was a Graduate Research Fellow (and technically still am though most of my duties have been completed), a program which gives students the opportunity to work with faculty and/or with departments of the law school. My first year I worked in the Library and the Admissions Office. In my second year I began doing research for Professor Neal Devins, a constitutional law scholar. During that year, I did research for and assisted with papers on the ACA health care bill, party politicization, the ideological position of the Supreme Court, and a number of other constitutional issues.

More importantly, I also got to know Professor Devins. While writing my student note, Professor Devins put me in touch with a practicing attorney who had just recently argued a relevant case in the Supreme Court. I had the opportunity to talk to this lawyer via phone and it ended up being extremely helpful in the research and development of my topic. He has also written letters of recommendation on my behalf and has taken an interest in my scholastic and educational plans.

This is just one example of the accessibility of our faculty, but it is certainly not the only one.  Last year, while considering whether to apply for a judicial clerkship, I reached out to Professor Laura Heymann, who I had for a class my first semester. Despite the fact that Professor Heymann was on sabbatical for the semester, she was still willing to meet with me during the only week she was on campus to discuss the process and answer any questions I had.

There are a number of great things about William & Mary Law School, and principle among them are the impressiveness and accessibility of our faculty.

Sam also wrote a reflection after his first semester at William & Mary Law School.  Read it here.

Research in Administrative Law

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by Laura Vlieg, Class of 2014

lauraLaura Vlieg is a 2L student at W&M Law interested in pursuing a career in aviation law. She is involved in a number of student groups on campus including Constitutional Conversations, the American Constitution Society, and Law Cappella. Prior to law school, she attended Loyola University Chicago completing majors in Political Science and International Studies, and then worked for a year with an aviation law firm in Washington, DC. 

When I decided to join the William & Mary Law School community, a major factor influencing my decision was the opportunity to work as a Graduate Fellow.  The in-state tuition and stipend were certainly incentive enough for me to accept, and I was intrigued about the added benefit of gaining some research experience along the way. I remember when I first arrived at William & Mary, I met an administrator who recognized my name and exclaimed “Oh, you’re one of our GRFs!” (pronounced “Grrrrf”), and I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about.  I quickly realized that GRF is the friendly, albeit bizarre, nickname given to Graduate Fellows here at the law school.

The enthusiasm I was met with that very first day has not died down, and I have been fortunate in my GRF assignments to meet and work for some wonderful people.  My 1L year I was assigned to both the Admissions Office and the Technical Services division in the law library.

As a 2L I am now working as a research assistant to Professor Larsen, one of W&M’s rock star professors focusing in Administrative and Constitutional law. The projects that I have worked on with Prof. Larsen have been interesting; some of those projects have included editing papers, finding scholarly authorities on specific topics within Administrative and Constitutional law, and compiling facts and data on specified topics within those fields.  I definitely feel that the position has helped me fine-tune my research skills.

In retrospect, I wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to advise my past self to accept the GRF position—weird nickname and all.

Laura reflected on her first semester at W&M for the Admissions Blog.  Click here to read more.

Research in Family Law

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by Liz Smith, Class of 2014

liz smith

Liz Smith is from South Florida and earned a degree in Psychology at the University of Florida before moving to Virginia to begin law school at William & Mary. She is a Graduate Research Fellow and a member of the William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal.

When I was considering the move from sunny South Florida to Virginia, where I did not know anyone, the atmosphere I experienced at William and Mary during Admitted Students Weekend made the decision easy. The second most convincing reason for choosing William and Mary for law school was the offer of a Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF). While some may view a research fellowship as a trade off, I see it as a win-win. Not only do I get a break on tuition and a monetary stipend, but I have the opportunity to work directly with faculty, staff, and professors.

Once Graduate Research Fellows have a chance to develop an interest in a specific type of law, they are matched up with a professor with experience in that field. I have developed an interest in family law and was consequently lucky enough to work with Professor James Dwyer for almost a year now. Professor Dwyer has a significant amount of experience in family law, domestic violence, and youth law. I have been afforded the opportunity to work on a variety of research assignments for him, each of which is more interesting than the last. Some of the topics that I have researched include the current mail-order bride laws in the Philippines, the various requirements states have for distribution of unique marital property such as law degrees, and a wide range of domestic violence issues and specific local domestic violence cases.

During every job interview that I have had, I have been asked about my Graduate Research Fellowship. Employers were impressed with the honor, as well as interested in the research skills and professional relationships I was able to develop through the work. I honestly believe that my graduate research fellowship contributed to the success of my 2L summer job search.

My Graduate Research Fellowship has also been a great networking opportunity. Through research, I was able to locate and reach out to a William and Mary alum that was a GRF for Professor Dwyer as well. Partly because of our common experience, this alum was more than willing to meet with me and give great career advice as well as discuss her experiences during and after law school. Accepting my Graduate Research Fellowship has already contributed to the advancement of my career and the formation of professional relationships, and I still have another year!

Research Opportunities During Law School

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by Laura Doore, Class of 2013

laura doore class of 2013Laura is a 3L at William & Mary Law School.  She has an A.B. in French and anthropology from Bowdoin College in Maine.  Laura worked as a paralegal at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine before coming to law school.  After graduating in May, Laura plans to work in Washington, D.C.

I am a 3L at William and Mary and I have been a Graduate Research Fellow, or a GRF, since my 1L year.  The opportunity to be a GRF was one of the reasons I chose William & Mary, and it has turned out to be a great experience.  My 1L year I worked at the library and in the Admissions Office.  At the library, I helped to add content to the scholarship repository.  With the Admissions Office, I helped organize applications, gave tours to prospective students, and helped out at Admitted Students’ Weekend.  I very much enjoyed working with the Admissions and library staff and appreciated the opportunity to get to know many members of the law school community.

I started working for Professor Solomon as a research assistant my 2L year and continue to work for him this year.  Professor Solomon’s research focuses on the theory and practice of civil justice, and he also researches and writes on issues related to legal education.  During the past year and a half, I have helped edit several papers that went on to be published in law journals, researched issues for forthcoming papers, and compiled data on law schools around the country and on legal education in general.  The work has been challenging and rewarding.

Learning more about Professor Solomon’s research has been a valuable addition to my legal education.  One of the best parts about working for Professor Solomon is that he has great advice about law school and the job market and has been a helpful and enthusiastic adviser.

The GRF program is just one aspect of the William & Mary experience that brings together members of the law school community and reinforces a collaborative atmosphere.   I have very much enjoyed my experience, and feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to be a GRF.