On-Campus Interviews: Tips to Thrive in OCI

The Office of Career Planning wishes you the best of luck in your upcoming OCI interview. To assist you in putting your best foot forward here are a few tips for interview success:

1. Confirm date, time and room number of interview. Arrive at least 10 minutes early.

2. Program the OCP phone number into your phone in case anything goes wrong: (415) 422-6757. At your allotted interview time, knock politely on the door.

3. If you know the name of the interviewer, do research on them in particular and about the firm. (Check with OCP for interviewer names).

4. On day of interview: (a) dress professionally in an interview suit and err on the side of conservatism; (b) do not wear cologne or perfume as some interviewers are allergic; (c) make sure hair is neat, combed and styled; and (d) shoes should be polished; women: closed-toe pumps are the best (heels should not be over 3 to 4 inches; 2 inch heels work best.

5. Bring to the interview: (a) pen and writing pad for notes; and (b) a nice padfolio in which to hold copies of your resume, cover letter, writing sample, transcript, and references.

6. During the interview: (a) be sure to have questions to ask the interviewer to show your interest; and (b) ask when you can expect to hear from them regarding a decision for call-back interviews.

7. After the interview: (a) send a thank you email immediately to your interviewer, being sure to note specifically something you talked about so the interviewer can remember you; and (b) send any follow-up materials that the interviewer requested.

Please note that last minute changes often occur with OCI: firms change interviewers due to work conflicts; some employers are late arriving to the interviews; other interviewers often run over their interview time. It is important to remain calm and to call our office if *ANY* issue arises. We are here to help and can often run interference when issues arise.

Participating in OCI? Required Reading re: NALP Guidelines on Offers & Acceptances

NALP: Timing of Offers & Decisions Reminder! NALP's Standards for the Timing of Offers and Decisions (as outlined in Part V of NALP's Principles and Standards) are provided on NALP’s website at www.nalp.org.

Students are responsible for reading the full version of NALP’s guidelines, which is necessary for a complete comprehension.

OCP Summary of Guidelines

• 2L/3L student previously employed by the employer:
  The offer may expire Nov 1. Reaffirm these offers within 30 days from the date of the offer letter.
• 2L/3L student not previously employed by the employer and offer is made on Dec 15 or before:
  The offer may expire 28 days from offer letter or on Dec 30, whichever is first.
• 2L/3L student not previously employed by the employer and offer is made after Dec 15:
  The offer should remain open for at least two weeks after the date of the offer letter.
• 2L/3L students generally:
  Should not hold open more than five offers of employment at any one time.

Exceptions An employer having a total of 40 attorneys or fewer in all offices is exempt from the above guidelines. Offers from such employers made on or before Dec 15 should remain open for at least 3 weeks from offer letter or on Dec 30, whichever is first, and offers made after Dec 15 should remain open for at least 2 weeks

2L/3L student may request that one employer extend the deadline to accept the employer’s offer if the student is actively pursuing positions with public interest or government organizations until as late as April 1, but limited to one open offer.

Upcoming Government Deadlines for 2Ls

Please note that this is a partial listing of government opportunities and upcoming deadlines. In addition to the ones noted, there are numerous other government agencies that hire on a rolling basis; positions may fill up quickly and can close before the stated deadline, depending on how many applications an agency receives. Further information on most of the positions below can be obtained from the online Government Honors and Internship Handbook (www.law.arizona.edu/career/honorshandbook.cfm. The username and the password are posted on your homepage on www.USFLawLink.com.

You will also want to check that website to ensure the below deadlines are correct as information can change. While the following list is limited to summer and post-graduate positions, the Government Honors and Internship Handbook also contains some information on spring opportunities. If you're interested in a spring externship, please see the Externship Office in Room 235 Kendrick prior to applying.

• The U.S. Department of Justice is accepting applications from 2Ls for its Summer Law Intern Program (SLIP). The application deadline to submit electronically is by midnight , Eastern Daylight Time, September 6, 2011. Applicants can access the application through the Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management (OARM) web page (www.usdoj.gov/oarm) by selecting "Opportunities for Attorneys and Law Students," then selecting the appropriate program.

• Alabama Office of the Attorney General's Summer Law Clerk Program has a deadline of October 1.

• Central Intelligence Agency in Washington DC seeks applications from 2Ls for its Summer Legal Clerkship Program. 2L applicants should apply by September 15.

• Environmental Protection Agency, Office of General Counsel in Washington, DC is seeking applications from 2Ls for its Summer Honors Program. Applications must be postmarked no later than August 26.

• Environmental Protection Agency, Kansas City (Region 7) is seeking applications from 2Ls for its Summer Legal Intern Program. The applications are due by September 15.

• Federal Reserve Board is seeking applications from 2Ls for its Summer Law Clerk Program. The deadline is September 30.

• Federal Trade Commission seeks applications from 2Ls for its Bureau of Competition - Summer Intern Program. The deadline is September 15.

• Federal Trade Commission seeks applications from 2Ls for its Bureau of Consumer Protection - Summer Law Clerk Program. The deadline for 2011 has not been set, but the 2010 deadline was September 30.

• Dept of Health & Human Services, Office of Counsel to the Inspector General seeks applications from 2Ls for its Summer Intern Program. The deadline is September 16.

• Department of Homeland Security, Office of General Counsel seeks 2Ls for its Summer Intern Program. The deadline is October 1.

• Office of Government Accountability seeks 2Ls for its Summer Associate Program. Applications are due September 1.

• Internal Revenue Service will be accepting applications from 2Ls for the 2012 Summer Law Intern Program, which operates in the Office of the Chief Counsel in Washington DC and selected field offices throughout the US. Students should submit applications in early Fall as they are considered on a rolling basis.

• Ohio Attorney General’s Office is seeking applications for its Summer Law Clerk Program. The deadline is September 23.

• Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation - Office of General Counsel is accepting applications from 2Ls for its Summer Law Clerkships Program. The application deadline is October 1.

• Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office seeks applications for its Law Student Internship Program. Deadline is October 1.

• U.S. Department of State, Office of the Legal Adviser (Civil) is accepting applications from 2Ls for its Summer Intern Program. Applications are also due September 1.

• U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California is seeking applications from 2Ls for its summer externship program. While in the past the official application deadline for summer has been generally December 15, applications should be submitted in Early Fall since positions are considered on a rolling basis and may fill up early.