Footprints in the snow

Footprints in the snow Ask any law student to share their thoughts about winter break, and the answer is likely to be the same: it was too short. Dreams of playtime and travel easily give way to sleeping in and vegetating in front of the television, allowing overworked brains to rest and recuperate. Once classes resume, the challenge is to get back into gear for the term, and ramp up the hours and efforts devoted to study. This means getting up early in the morning, instead of sleeping until noon, and hitting the books daily, instead of the snooze button. It can be a rough adjustment. As a 2L, the world beyond law school is also starting to come into hazy view in the distance. Even though 2L winter break marks only the halfway point of the law school experience, each term seems to fly by at an accelerating pace, and the job hunt is already starting to creep into daily consciousness. Although it is easy to pretend that law school is a purely intellectual exercise, the more salient reality is that law is a profession. The career fair in early February brings this reality to the fore for many students. Sitting down with sweaty palms for a job interview helps one recognize that law school is just a brief respite from the rat race. The path to employment is highly dependent on what one does while still in school, but the time is short, and the task at hand is complex and daunting, especially for students that don’t have relatives in the profession or a specific career path planned out. The summer after one’s 2L year becomes all-important as a platform for building a professional reputation and beginning a career, but the challenge of juggling job applications, interviews, classes and volunteering can bring on a lot of stress. The good news is that the career services staff at Lewis and Clark are eager and able to help. Their guidance, along with a generous selection of programs to help with interview, resume, and writing skills, makes the job hunt less frightening and much more enjoyable. Lewis and Clark students worried about the challenges of the current job market have great resources right at their fingertips. Plus, they serve snacks on Wednesday, so even if you’ve got this whole job thing wrapped up, there’s still good reason to drop in and say hello. Getting to know your fellow students and professors is bound to help in law school and beyond, but make some friends in career services, too. Don’t forget that there is more to school than classes!