Career Services for Applicants

The Penn State Dickinson Career Services Office (CSO) is well aware that prospective law students have questions and concerns not only about life in law school but just as importantly life after law school. We are eager to provide you with information and answer questions that you may have about employment opportunities in the legal profession. We invite you to read through the material in this section of our Web site and hope that you will find it helpful in making the very important decision about where to attend law school.

Our services include:

Career Counseling — Career Counselors are available to assist students in developing skills and strategies necessary for conducting a successful job search. They work with students on all aspects of career development, from self-assessment to salary negotiation. They also help students to develop their resumes and cover letters, practice interviewing, discuss networking techniques, and provide insight into the legal job market.

Resume and Cover Letter Review — Career counselors are eager to review resumes and cover letters with an eye toward making them as effective a marketing tool as possible. They read not only for spelling, punctuation, and grammar but also for content, design and overall attractiveness, readability, and thoroughness.

Mock Interviews — In addition to discussing important interviewing skills with students, career counselors are available to conduct videotaped mock interviews specially tailored to the types of positions for which the students are interviewing. In reviewing the videotapes with students, the counselors point out strengths and weaknesses and help students to assess what additional preparation may be helpful.

Programming — Throughout the school year, we conduct a variety of workshops and programs geared to the specific interests and needs of law students at various stages of their law school careers. These programs include resume and cover writing, effective interviewing, networking, federal and state judicial clerkships, as well as special programs focusing on specific legal practice areas, such as government service or large or small law firm practice. Periodically, the office also schedules appearances by nationally known legal experts, such as Kimm Alayne Walton, who comes to speak about her popular book, Guerilla Tactics for Getting the Legal Job of Your Dreams.

Library and Computer Resources — We assist students in using Lexis and Westlaw computerized legal research programs to conduct targeted job searches, which they can do from home or on a CSO computer or on computers in the Law School. These research programs include important legal references such as the Martindale-Hubbell and National Association for Law Placement legal directories and directories of other legal employers. In addition, the office maintains a comprehensive resource library that contains 400 printed materials on the job search process, legal specialties, directors of various legal employers, and public interest law opportunities.

Job Postings and On-Campus Interviewing Programs — Employers regularly list summer, school-year, and full-time legal positions with the CSO. In fact, we post more than 1,100 jobs annually, and they are now available on the CSO Web site. In addition, the office conducts both fall and spring recruitment programs. In these programs, some employers come on campus to interview students, and others either have the CSO collect resumes for them or they directly solicit materials from students.

Networking — The CSO staff recognize that networking with potential career contacts is one of the most valuable and effective job search skills that students can use to obtain legal employment. Therefore, we teach networking skills, both individually and in group sessions, and we encourage students to use Dickinson Law and Penn State alumni contacts, as well as other persons they may know, to develop a comprehensive job search network.

Job Fairs — The Law School participates in and co-sponsors a number of job fairs throughout the academic year. These events give students an opportunity to interview with multiple employers in one day. They include the Equal Justice Works Career Fair and the Public Interest/Public Service Job Fair.

Gicine P. Brignola, Esq., Assistant Dean for Career Services
E-mail: gpb100@psu.edu

Amanda DiPolvere, Esq., Director, Career Services, University Park
E-mail: ajd7@psu.edu

Deborah C. Ryerson, Director, Career Services, Carlisle
E-mail: dyr2@psu.edu

Alyssa Dragnich, Assistant Director, Career Services
E-mail: akd16@psu.edu

Bonnie J. McCauslin, Recruiting Coordinator
E-mail: bjm26@psu.edu

Cristina Boyle, Staff Assistant
E-mail: clb65@psu.edu

Cheryl Stamm, Staff Assistant
E-mail: cls56@psu.edu