Monday, May 21, 2007

A Virtual Approach to Job Interviews:
Have Your Avatar Talk to My Avatar

Last week, Sodexho decided to skip the phone-screening process for potential job candidates. Instead, the Gaithersburg food and facilities management company took to the computer-based virtual world, where job-seekers were invited to create avatars (animated graphic characters) of themselves to be interviewed online by avatars of Sodexho recruiters.

To read the rest of the article, go here.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Public Interest Positions in Washington, D.C.

The City Council for the District of Colombia has increased its funding for civil legal services, resulting in the need for new legal services attorneys. Go here to learn about these exciting new opportunities.

Program on Civil Rights
and the Latino Community

Save The Date: Thursday, June 7, 2007

Civil Rights and the Latino Community:
Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Mendez v. Westminster decision, and a review of current civil rights issues impacting Latinos

United States Courthouse
Southern District of New York
500 Pearl Street
New York, NY
Brieant Conference Room, 8th Floor
6:00-8:30 p.m.

In 1946, the Mendez and other families challenged California's segregated public school system, which provided separate, inferior schools for Latino students. The US District Court decision held that the segregated school system was unconstitutional, and its decision was affirmed in 1947 by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, seven years before the US Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education.

The program will feature a viewing of the Emmy award winning documentary, Mendez v. Westminster: For the Children, with remarks by Sandra Robbie, its creator. Additional remarks by Sylvia Mendez, a daughter of the plaintiffs who testified at trial; Jenny Rivera, Special Deputy Attorney General for Civil Rights, NYS Attorney General's Office; and Norma Ramos, Esq., Executive Director, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women and West Harlem
Environmental Action (WE ACT) Board Member.

Co-Sponsors:

The Dominican Bar Association
The Hispanic National Bar Association, New York Region
The Latino Lawyers Association of Queens County
The Puerto Rican Bar Association
The West Harlem Environmental Action

Light food and beverages to follow program.

Please RSVP at rglebron@aol. com

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Thinking about starting your own practice?

If you are thinking about hanging a shingle and practicing law as a solo practitioner, you should check out a lunch program sponsored by the New York City Bar Association aimed at recent graduates and soon-to-graduate students. The program, The Necessities of Opening Your Own Practice, will feature three solo practitioners and a CPA to discuss important issues faced by new attorneys who begin their own practice.

The program is to be held on Thursday, May 17, from 12:30-2:00, at the house of the Association on West 44th Street in Manhattan. The fee, which includes lunch, is $25 for members and $35 for non-members. For more information and to register (by May 10), go here.

Identity Theft: Jury Duty Scam

Please be aware of a Jury Duty scam that is currently making the rounds. The scam is an effort to steal your identity, and it has been verified by the FBI. It is spreading fast so be prepared should you get this call.

Most of us take summons for jury duty seriously, but enough people skip out on their civic duty that a new and ominous kind of scam has surfaced.

A caller will contact you and claim to be a Jury Coordinator. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Once you give out any of this information, your identity has been stolen.

The scam has been reported so far in at least 11 states, and it is particularly insidious because the scammers use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they are with the court system.

The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud.

What is a contract attorney?

In the May 2007 issue of 44th Street Notes (page 28), the monthly newsletter of the New York City Bar Association, the topic of contract attorneys is discussed in a very helpful article. Many attorneys are turning to contract work as a way to change their quality of life. In addition, there is often contract work to be performed by law school graduates awaiting to hear the results of the Bar Exam or who are awaiting to be admitted.

Contract attorneys are generally brought in to work for an employer for a limited period of time in order to meet a temporary staffing need. Assignments can last as long as a few days or weeks to over a year or more. Most contract attorney positions are obtained through staffing agencies, and most assignments are with large firms and corporations. The pay is quite decent, and benefits are offered through the agency. CSO has a list of temporary legal staffing agencies, so please ask us for it if you are interested. Check out 44th Street Notes to learn more about this legal career option.

Post-Graduate AmeriCorps Opportunities

Recruitment for the 2007-08 Pro Bono Legal Corps (PBLC) is now underway. The PBLC is an AmeriCorps-funded program administered by Equal Justice Works that places law graduates at pro bono and legal aid organizations to develop quality pro bono opportunities that expand legal resources in low-income and underserved communities. AmeriCorps Attorneys may serve for up to two 11-month terms, beginning in August 2007. Positions are located at sites in Los Angeles, New Orleans, Boston, San Francisco, Jacksonville, Helena and other cities across the country. The Pro Bono Legal Corps is an excellent first step to building a career in public interest law. More information about these positions and how to apply will be available on May 16 here.

Friday, May 4, 2007

CONGRATULATIONS!

Congratulations go to Michael Mattaliano, Class of 2007, for being selected as Touro's first prize winner in the 2007 Nathan Burkan Memorial Copyright Law Competition, for his paper, "The Effect of 11 U.S.C. §365(n) on Executory Contracts in Intellectual Property." Michael will receive a $600 cash prize and a certificate of recognition from the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP), the competition sponsor.

Michael's writing competition victory will have center stage in his cover letter and resume, and the writing skills that his victory reflects will be highly valued by potential employers.

Good work, Michael!!!

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Interview Preparation

As you know, you should make an appointment for an interview prep session before each and every interview you have, until both you and your counselor feel comfortable that you are interviewing at your best.

As additional preparation for your interview, the University of Southern California Law School has a great interview tip website. Go here to see it.