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127 Harv. L. Rec. 1 (2008)

handle is hein.journals/hlrec127 and id is 1 raw text is: The Independent Newspaper at Harvard Law School arvar, cord \V\V\V .L( or Finding Your Own Career Path By ALEXA SHABECOFF Asst. Dean for Public Interest Advising I. How Do You Want to Use Your Law Degree? At the Office of Public Interest Ad- vising (OPIA), we believe that practic- ing law is about more than making a living or representing clients compe- tently and ethically. We believe that what makes law a profession, rather than simply an occupation, is a personal commitment to equity, fairness, and the common good. We also believe that dif- ferent jobs satisfy different people de- pending on their unique values, personalities, and work styles. We have found that no matter what your ideals are, if you are not in the right job, you will not be happy. These beliefs imbue our work at OPIA with a deep sense of mission. They make it extremely gratifying to work with those of you who will bc the public interest leaders of your genera- tion, as well as those of you who will apply your public service ethos to mak- ing a difference by doing pro bono work in the private sector, by serving on boards and through philanthropy. We strive to help you articulate and pursue a professional sense of self that will en- able you to achieve a confluence, not a contradiction, between your work pro- fessional and personal lives. Most im Obama Nominated; Alums Snubbed for Veep Slots Making a climactic appearance in a Denver stadium at the close ofAugust's Democratic National Convention, Illi- nois Senator Barack Obama '91 ac- cepted the party's nomination to run for the presidency of the US, making him the first African-American to be nomi- nated by a major party. If successful, Obama would be the first HLS alum to occupy the Oval Office since Republi- can Rutherford B. Hayes, Class of 1845. By Obama's side in Denver was running mate Joe Biden, the longtime senator from Delaware. By picking Biden, Obama ended speculation he might select fresh-faced Virginia Gov- ernor and HLS alum Tim Kaine '83. Rumors swirled around Kaine's poten- tial to deliver the swing state of Virginia and reinforce Obama's mantle of change. A top contender for the Re- publican VP slot, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney '75, was also passed over by his party's nominee; John McCain chose Alaska Governor Sarah Palin instead. portantly, we hope that we can help you find the kind of work you will find both enjoyable and fulfilling. We know that some of you have come to Harvard with a good idea of what you want to do with your law de- gree. But, after thousands of conversa- tions with HLS students, we have realized that many of you may have ended up in law school because you lack a strong sense of what you want to do for a living. Having left college without specific training, and knowing that further education is highly valued, you find comfort in a place that will not only give you more time to prepare for the real world but will also give you skills that can be applied in numerous settings. Yet, despite the diverse doors that a law degree from HLS is supposed to Career Path, continued on p. 12-13 Sunstein Joins HLS Faculty Admin law geeks and New Republic subscribers rejoice: the inimitable Cass Sunstein '78 has returned to HLS as a full-fledged faculty member. While a student at HLS, Sunstein edited the Civil Rights - Civil Liberties Law Re- view and was on the winning team of the Ames Moot Court Competition. The now prolific scholar will serve as Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law and Di- rector of the Program on Risk Regula- tion. He took up HLS's offer after 27 years at the University of Chicago, which he left under some controversy. Sunstein had been partners with Chicago philosopher Martha Nuss- baum, herself a longtime HLS hiring target, before reports broke out that he had begun seeing Kennedy School pro- fessor Samantha Power '99. The two met while campaigning together for Barack Obama, for whom Power was serving as a foreign policy advisor. Sunstein and Power were married in Ireland this past July. Look for a feature interview with Professor Sunstein in News Briefs, continued on p. 3 On-Campus Interviewing: The Inside Scoop By MARK WEBER Assistant Dean for Career Services An Introduction to the On-Campus Interview Program As we head into the fall On-Campus Interview Program (OCI), the Office of Career Services (OCS) would like to de-mystify the process and help you prepare for the intense, exciting, and busy weeks ahead. Harvard Law School's OCI is the nation's largest on- campus interviewing program. Hun- dreds of employers from all over the globe will travel to Cambridge for the sole purpose of recruiting HLS stu- dents. OCI begins with a state-of-the- art online bidding system that schedules three intense weeks of interviewing. This process culminates with flyout week at the end of October when HLS students travel around the nation (and even around the world) for callback in- terviews with potential employers. While the OCI process is very simple and straight-forward, the recruiting sea- son can be an exciting, overwhelming, and emotional time. The blessing and the curse of coming to HLS is that you have so many choices and options. You may face seemingly endless career choices requiring quick decisions, while trying to keep the rest of your life on track (because, of course, you are a full-time student). With some planning and thought, however, you can make the experience more productive, man- ageable, and enjoyable. CAREER GUIDE Inside: - Advice from OPIA and OCS - Summer Expeiences in the Phillipines and South Africa - To OCI or Not to OCI? - Work/Life Balance Fenno Sells Out Getting Ready for OCI There are many ways to tackle the OCI process. A distressingly popular method goes something like this: A stu- dent glances at the OCI calendar above his desk and realizes that the bidding deadline is tomorrow. He hastily sits down at his computer, and, based on a vague sense of where he would like to work and comments he's heard around the Hark, searches for recognizable names of D.C. and New York firms. Since he only recognizes a few names in each city, he surfs over to the Am Law 100 and the Vault to get the names of other top firms. Satisfied that he has selected the best firms, he submits his bids with just hours to spare. The Office of Career Services does not recommend this haphazard ap- proach! Throughout the summer you have re- ceived the links to OCS Online and emails guiding you through the OCI preparation process. Ideally, you have returned to campus with a targeted ge- ographic preference, a general sense of what you are looking for, and a list of employers that interest you. We realize, however, that not every student has had the opportunity to devote time to preparing. If you are in this group, do not despair and revert to the approach described above. Instead, we suggest the following four-step process: 1) Do a Basic Self-Assessment First, take some time to think about what you truly want in a career. The OCI process is a whirlwind experience, even for the most organized students. Resist the forces that may cause you to lose sight of what makes you happy. Focus instead on where you think you are most likely to succeed personally and professionally. Sorting through these complex and personal issues is a highly individual process. Use the methods that work for you. Some sug- gestions: Recall what you liked and disliked about previous employment. Sit down and get the list on paper. Try to capture the underlying qualities that were im- portant to you. For example, if you en- joyed editing your school paper, was it OCI Scoop, continued on p. 14 .4,. HLS in the News Sept.vnil-wr 11,108

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