Mitchell Hamline School of Law

Career and Professional Development

Recruitment Program

Mitchell Hamline Recruitment Program!

The Recruitment Program is a program used to connect students with prospective employers through Mitchell Hamline’s Career and Professional Development Office. Recruitment Programs are held twice a year during the early spring and mid-summer. Typically, the Spring Recruitment Program is designed to provide students with summer employment for that same year, while the Summer Recruitment Program is designed to provide students with summer employment for the following summer. The Program is designed to allow students to apply to as many jobs as they would like. Employers then review the applications and set up interviews through the CPD office with interviews being held in person at Mitchell Hamline and virtually through Zoom.

Who participates in Recruitment Programs?

Students: All Mitchell Hamline students are invited to participate in the Recruitment Program and should carefully review the participating employers and their respective position descriptions and eligibility criteria to determine to which positions they would like to apply. 

  • Some employers are looking to hire recent graduates as new associates, while others are looking for students for summer associate programs or law clerk or externship opportunities during the school year and/or summer.  
  • Some positions will seek students of a particular class year, academic background (for example, a science degree), or availability (i.e., part-time schoolyear or full-time summer position). 

 Employers:  

  • Small and mid-sized firms utilize the Mitchell Hamline Recruitment Program to hire school year and/or summer law clerks, with a potential to stay at the firm during the school year or start earlier in the spring semester and continuing through the summer and even beyond. 
  • Public sector employers, such as county attorney’s offices, public defenders, and state and federal agencies, as well as non-profit agencies, are welcome and encouraged to participate in the Recruitment Program.  
  • Corporate employers in various industries have also used the Recruitment Program to find students to fill summer, school year, and post-graduate positions.  
  • Large firms will participate in the Summer Recruitment Program instead of the spring program to hire for summer associate positions for the following year. For some of these larger law firms, on-campus recruiting programs, like Mitchell Hamline’s Summer Recruitment Program, are the only way they hire law students.

Preparing for the Recruitment Program

The Recruitment Program can be an intense, fast-paced process and students should be prepared to put their best foot forward to have the greatest opportunity to secure employment. We recommend setting aside some time during the semester to draft your resume, a standard cover letter, organize a writing sample and meet with your career counselor to review all documents and prepare for potential interviews. We recommend you submit documents for review no later than 10 days before applications are due to allow time for your career counselor to provide you with feedback before submitting your applications. 

Larger law firms participating in the Recruitment Program often set required or preferred grades, class ranks, and other expectations. That said, participating law firms are eager to hear from a wide range of students and aim to take a holistic view of students’ attributes and strengths. Other employers who participate in the Mitchell Hamline Recruitment Program, including smaller or mid-sized firms, public employers (such as County Attorney’s offices), corporations, and nonprofits, often place less emphasis on grades and other quantitative measures as much as the large firms. 

Update your profile in 12twenty

To participate in the Recruitment Program, your class year in 12twenty must reflect your current class year. To update your class year, or to change your status to Alumni JD as a recent graduate email careers @mitchellhamline.edu.

Review 12twenty

Make it a habit to login to 12twenty. During an active Recruitment Program, check 12twenty for employers that may be added to the Recruitment Programs tab before the application period opens, throughout the application period, and beyond. Be on the lookout for invitations to interview or messages from employers. Continue to check your email, this webpage, and the Docket for important announcements throughout the programs. 

Watch or attend CPD events to prepare!