Our Career Services Team led by Jennifer R. Scharf '05, Associate Dean (far right) with (left to right) Marc R. Davies '03, Senior Associate Director; Julie Jones, Program Coordinator; and Lisa Bauer, Assistant Dean.
Planning career paths from day one
First-year law students have plenty to juggle. Their post-law school career, or even their 1L summer job, isn’t always top of mind.
That’s why UB Law’s Career Services Office connects with students early on with a series of initiatives designed to shore up their job search skills and expand their awareness of what’s possible in a legal career.
Lisa Bauer
New this academic year are the Bauer Power Hours, lightheartedly named by Lisa Bauer, assistant dean for career services, who gathers a small group of students for intensive coaching on a whole range of skills: resume writing, interviewing, cover letters, networking through LinkedIn, making the most of mentorship arrangements, even how to get past the awkwardness of those initial contacts with a potential employer.
“It’s designed to be a group counseling session for careers,” Bauer says. “We really focus intensely on some specific career search skills that you need to have.” In addition, she says, “some people learn best in groups, and there’s a camaraderie that develops.”
Some of the focus is on seeking out and landing students’ first summer legal position, an essential step on their career path. “By December or January of their first year, students should be applying for their first summer internship,” Bauer says, “and we don’t want them missing deadlines for their dream jobs. It’s very important in law school to have those internships in order to get you where you want to be long term.” A recent Bauer Power Hour offered tips on succeeding in that first legal job.
The Power Hours also dovetail with the office’s weekly Plan Your Path program, in which CSO hosts a hybrid session—both in-person and virtual—where students meet practitioners from a wide variety of legal career fields.
In the fall, Bauer says, Plan Your Path sessions cover the broad industry sectors. “We start by introducing students to various kinds of jobs,” she says—“what lawyers do in government service, in public interest law, in private law firms, in the judiciary, as in-house counsel. It’s especially helpful for first-generation law students who may not know exactly what they want to do or what sectors are available.”
Spring semester sessions focus on specific roles within those sectors, “what it’s like to be a tax lawyer, a litigator, a corporate lawyer doing M&A work. It really gives students a broad perspective on what they might to do in their career.”
Not to mention it’s a prime opportunity for students to network with the practicing lawyers, most of them UB Law alumni, on the presentation panel. And for the presenters, it’s a chance to share some of what draws them to the work they do.
“As a former law student, I remember how daunting it was to research the wide variety of legal career opportunities,” says Jessica Simonetti ’20, who works for the Legal Aid Society of Rochester, N.Y. “Events like this are invaluable, because students are able to hear firsthand accounts from attorneys in a specific field. I especially enjoyed sharing my experience as an Attorney for the Child, because I am so passionate about advocating for children who otherwise would not have a voice. I hope that many future lawyers at the University at Buffalo grow a similar passion and consider joining this line of work.”
“UB was where my passion for criminal law started, and it was simply a thrill to be invited back to talk to students about my own journey to becoming a prosecutor,” says Lauren Nash ’05, an Erie County deputy district attorney. “I hope sharing my own unique journey helped inspire the students to take different classes and to try their hand at moot court and trial team. I also hope that my story encouraged them to want to get in the courtroom and advocate for victims of crimes. I always say that being a prosecutor is a job unlike any other—it forces you to get out of your comfort zone, as you spend a majority of your time in a courtroom thinking quickly on your feet and interacting with people from all different walks of life.”
A Sip and Share session
On a more informal basis, the CSO team, led by Associate Dean Jennifer Scharf ’05, convenes Sip and Share sessions every Monday morning at 10 in the department’s office on the third floor of O’Brian Hall. The sessions are open to all law students and offer a little breakfast, and a little time to meet the staff —Bauer, Senior Associate Director Marc Davies ’03 and Program Coordinator Julie Jones—and talk about careers in an unstructured way.
“It’s really taken off,” Bauer says. “Everybody casually sits and talks. They can pop in and pop out, ask a quick question. It’s a way for them to get to know us and their colleagues, and it’s reinforced the open-door policy in our offices that we’ve always been committed to.”
And these comprehensive efforts are yielding great results. For the second consecutive year, the law school’s most recent graduating classes have had record high placement rates, including a 95.625% placement rate for the Class of 2024*.
*Placement includes employment in long-term, full time, bar required or JD advantage positions; or those continuing their education.
What 1L students are saying about getting on the path to a legal career:
J.T. Burgio ’27
The events run by CSO introduce students to a different area of law each week. I attend most of the events regardless of whether the given field intrigues me, and I’ve made invaluable connections with other students and the panelists. … Not only does CSO care about your success in the legal field, but they also care about watching you grow as a person. The office will try to pair you with jobs for the future based on what they think is best tailored to your interests.”
Mary Lemak ’27
I’ve gone to a number of the CSO events. I found that the Plan Your Path events have been a great opportunity to hear from practicing attorneys about both their specific fields and their lives as lawyers. And the Bauer Power Hours were good opportunities to improve interview skills and application materials in a small setting. Learning how to quickly and effectively write a cover letter was invaluable to me during my job application process.”
Ian Klenk ’27
CSO hosts multiple events each week, and students really enjoy them. My favorite is Sip and Share on Monday mornings—it’s a chance to grab coffee and doughnuts, chat about classes, and get advice from the CSO team. I also really appreciate the Plan Your Path events. As someone unsure about what kind of law I want to practice—and without family in the field—it’s been so helpful to hear directly from practitioners about different career paths. And honestly, the fact that there’s food at every event doesn’t hurt either!”