Applications open soon for Mitchell Hamline’s Summer Recruitment Program!
Mitchell Hamline’s Recruitment Program facilitates connections between Mitchell Hamline students and employers seeking to hire for current open positions. In Summer 2023, interviews will be held on-campus and virtually, depending on employers’ preference. Many employers participating in this year’s Recruitment Program will be seeking students for Summer 2024 positions (including law clerk, summer associate, fellowship, externship and volunteer opportunities), part-time school-year positions (including law clerk, externship and volunteer positions), and post-graduate positions (including positions for recent and soon-to-be graduates in the Class of 2024).
Recruitment Program interviews will take place virtually and on-campus July 24 through August 11. Applicants should take care to leave room in their schedules for these weeks if they anticipate interviewing and avoid any unnecessary travel or alternate commitments during this time. If you cannot schedule interviews outside of your class times, please contact careers@mitchellhamline.edu and we will help you navigate the process and conversations with your faculty and the employer(s).
Learn more by watching the Nuts and Bolts of the Summer Recruitment Program (recorded April 2023)!
Important Dates
- May 31 (9 am CST): Application Period Opens in Symplicity
- May 31 (4:30 pm CST): Workshop- Resumes and Cover Letters (register in Symplicity!)
- June 7 (4:30 pm CST): Workshop- Researching Employers, Networking, and Preparing for Meet the Employers (register in Symplicity!)
- June 27 (4-6pm CST) at Mitchell Hamline: Meet the Employers Reception (business attire strongly recommended)
- July 5: Deadline to submit resumes and cover letters to JD Career Counselors to ensure timely review and feedback
- July 11 (11:59pm CST): Application Period Closes
- July 12: Employers begin reviewing applications and selecting candidates to interview
- July 18-20: Students accept and schedule interviews
- July 19 (4:30 pm CST): Workshop- Preparing for and Managing the Interview and Offer Process (register in Symplicity!)
- Mid-July: Mock interviews
- July 24-August 11: On-campus and virtual interviews
Recruitment Program FAQs
-
What is the Mitchell Hamline Recruitment Program?
The Mitchell Hamline Recruitment Program, formerly known as On-Campus Interviews or OCI, is an opportunity for Mitchell Hamline students to connect with employers who are seeking to fill current open positions for law students or attorneys. Through a coordinated series of programs and processes:
- Coordinated Recruitment. Employers post open positions to the Recruitment Programs platform in Symplicity, allowing students to apply for multiple jobs with a universal application deadline and generally similar interview timeline, enabling better, more-informed decision-making by employers and students.
- Guided Preparation. The Office of Career and Professional Development (CPD) guides students through the application process, including:
- Offering advice for researching employers and networking with attorneys
- Providing feedback to application materials
- Assistance navigating the Symplicity application platform
- Facilitating mock interviews and other interview preparation
- Informed Hiring and Employment Decisions. Employers select candidates to interview and hold first-round interviews during a condensed time-span, enabling students to gather information about and assess opportunities in a singular time period before making decisions.
- Learn more by watching the Nuts and Bolts of the Summer Recruitment Program (recorded April 2023)!
-
Will the Recruitment Program be in-person or virtual?
In Summer 2023, recruitment activities coordinated by the Office of Career and Professional Development at Mitchell Hamline School of Law will take place through a variety of formats, both on-campus and virtually. Students will have opportunities to engage with their JD Career Counselors, the Office of Career and Professional Development, and programs and workshops to help them prepare their application materials and get ready for Summer Recruitment both virtually and in-person on campus. Mitchell Hamline’s Annual Meet the Employer’s Reception will be held in-person, on-campus, on June 27. Employer interviews coordinated by the Office of Career and Professional Development may take place either on-campus or virtually, depending on employer preference. Please take note of employers’ interview format and location, which are viewable in the employers’ job listing in the Recruitment Programs portal on Symplicity. If you have questions or concerns about the format of the interview, please contact your JD Career Counselor. -
Who can participate in the Mitchell Hamline Recruitment Program?
- 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 positions will seek students of a particular class year, academic background (for example, a science degree), or availability (i.e., part-time school-year or full-time summer position).
- For example, some employers are looking to hire 2024 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.
- Employers:
- Large Firms: Many large law firms will participate in the Summer Recruitment 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.
- Small and Mid-Sized Firms: Oftentimes, 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 and Nonprofit Employers: 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 a variety of industries have also utilized the Recruitment Program to find students to fill summer, school-year, and post-graduate positions.
Larger law firms participating in the Recruitment Program often set required or preferred grades, class ranks, and other expectations. That being said, participating law firms are generally 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.
While the Recruitment Program is sometimes the only way certain employers hire, it is certainly not the only way to secure a job or externship! Many employers choose not to participate in the Recruitment Program because the timing is not compatible with their hiring needs. Instead, these employers will recruit and post job opportunities for Mitchell Hamline students on Mitchell Hamline’s Symplicity jobs database, or may participate in other coordinated recruitment programs through Mitchell Hamline or other organizations (such as the Minnesota Justice Foundation or Twin Cities Diversity in Practice) at other times during the school-year. If you have questions about searching for and applying to jobs outside of the Recruitment Program, please contact your JD Career Counselor.
Who is participating in Mitchell Hamline’s Recruitment Program in Summer 2023? You can view employers currently registered by logging into Symplicity and reviewing the Recruitment Programs page. The list will be updated on Symplicity as additional employers register…so check it frequently! Students are encouraged to research those employers participating and consult their JD Career Counselors if they have any questions.
- 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.
-
If I participate in the Mitchell Hamline Recruitment Program, what will the process look like?
The first step for students wishing to participate in the Recruitment Program is to update your profile on Symplicity so that it reflects your accurate class year as of August 2023. This will ensure that you can view the positions for which you are eligible depending on your class year. If you are a Blended Learning student or otherwise on a non-traditional law school timeline, please consult with your JD Career Counselor about how best to view and apply to the positions that align with your graduation plans.
Once you have updated your class year, you should be able to view the opportunities available for your class year through the Recruitment Programs portal in Symplicity. You can then review the employers’ postings, research those employers that interest you, and draft and upload your resumes and other materials requested by employers. Beginning May 31, you can apply to those employers with whom you want to interview by submitting the materials as requested by each employer. The application deadline for positions posted through the Mitchell Hamline Recruitment Program is July 11, 2023 at 11:59pm.
On July 12, 2023, employers can begin reviewing the materials from students who have applied for their positions and select the students they wish to interview. Students can check Symplicity beginning on Tuesday, July 18, to see if they have been invited by an employer to interview (“pre-selected”). If they have been invited to interview (“pre-selected”), the student can select an interview time via Symplicity. Students with questions or concerns about accessibility with virtual or in-person interviews should contact careers@mitchellhamline.edu.
After students interview with employers, employers will communicate with students directly about next steps, which may include a second round of interviews, known as “call-back” interviews. Historically, call-back interviews would take place at the employer’s office, typically last two to four hours, and often involve a series of interviews and a meal. In our post-COVID world, we have seen more variation in the format of these call-back interviews. Not all employers will utilize this second round of call-back interviews before making their selections. After employers have concluded their individual interview processes, they will determine which students they would like to hire and contact students directly to extend offers of employment.
-
Is the Mitchell Hamline Recruitment Program accessible if I require the use of a screen reader or live captioning?
Yes. The Office of Career and Professional Development will make every effort to work with employers to ensure that interviews and other recruitment activities coordinated through the Recruitment Program are accessible to students who may need accommodations due to a disability. Students with questions or concerns about accessibility with virtual or in-person interviews should contact careers@mitchellhamline.edu.
How to Participate in the Summer 2023 Recruitment Program
-
Step 1: Be prepared and informed!
Watch or Attend CPD Events to Prepare:
- Watch the Nuts and Bolts of the Summer Recruitment Program (recorded April 2023)!
- Check your email, Symplicity, and the Docket regularly throughout the summer. Throughout May, June, and July, you will receive emails and reminders of important dates. Get Docket posts directly to your email.
Update your profile in Symplicity
To participate in the Recruitment Program, your class year in Symplicity must reflect your class year as of August 2023. To update your class year:
- Log in to Symplicity.
- At the top right-hand corner, click on your initials, and go to My Account.
- Click on Academic Profile and update your class-year.
You will not be able to see the employers interviewing your class year until this is updated. If you are a Blended Learning student or otherwise on a non-traditional law school timeline, please consult with your JD Career Counselor about how best to view and apply to the positions that align with your graduation plans.
Please Note: Symplicity performs best using Firefox or Chrome. Internet Explorer is not an ideal browser for Symplicity. If you need help with Symplicity, please contact Career and Professional Development at careers@mitchellhamline.edu or 651-290-6326.
Remember to check Symplicity and this website often throughout the process.
Make it a habit to login to Symplicity frequently. Check Symplicity for employers that may be added to the Recruitment Programs tab before the application period opens, throughout the application period, and beyond. Starting July 18, be on the lookout for invitations to interview or messages from employers. Continue to check your email, this website and the Docket for important announcements throughout the summer.
-
Step 2: Refine
Refine the written materials commonly requested by employers: resume, cover letter, writing sample, reference list.
If you have not uploaded a resume and cover letter in Symplicity yet, upload them both by July 5, 2023, to ensure your JD Career Counselor has time to review and offer you feedback in advance of the application deadline. If you have uploaded your resume previously and want another review of your resume or any of your other application materials reviewed, please contact your JD Career Counselor directly or email Career and Professional Development at careers@mitchellhamline.edu. We strongly recommend you meet with your counselor prior to submitting your application documents!
REMINDER: To participate in the Recruitment Program, you must have a resume and cover letter uploaded and approved in Symplicity prior to the application deadline. Plan ahead.
-
Step 3: Research
Research employers: Use Symplicity to view the participating employers looking for students in your class year and to see their hiring criteria and requirements. If your class year (1L/2L/3L) is incorrect on your Symplicity profile, you will not be able to view the correct employers or make bids. (See Step 1 for how to update your class year)
Watch our short and informative Nuts & Bolts video on Researching Employers for more ideas on how to learn more about participating employers.
Search firm websites, the NALP Directory of Legal Employers, and Martindale for general information about firms, including their firm size, office locations/sizes, practice areas of interest, demographics of attorneys, and more. Review local newspaper sites for information about firms in the news. Check LinkedIn to see who in your network may work at firms of interest to you, or who could introduce you to learn more (we do not recommend connecting with attorneys via LinkedIn unless you actually know them).
Topics to consider researching: number of attorneys employed, clients, practice groups, diversity, representative cases, attorney bios (who do they attract?), male/female ratio, work-life balance, impression the website gives, billable hours, pro bono and community involvement opportunities, and professional development for attorneys.
The Recruitment Program section in Symplicity will continually be updated as new employers register— please check this regularly for new additions.
-
Step 4: Apply
The application deadline for the Summer Recruitment Program is July 11, 2023 at 11:59pm CST. All applications for positions through the Recruitment Program must be submitted by this time.
Apply via Symplicity to the employers of interest to you: Upload your resume and other materials requested by the employers (including a unique cover letter for each employer that requests one). Then for each employer you wish to apply to, submit your documents as instructed via Symplicity. By submitting an application, you agree to abide by the Student Participation Agreement.
You can change your applications and upload different resumes and materials until July 11, 2023, at 11:59pm CST. After this deadline, Symplicity will prevent further changes.
-
Step 5: Prepare for Interviews
Beginning on Tuesday, July 18, keep an eye on Symplicity to see if you have been invited to interview. Beginning at 12pm CST on July 18, you will have the ability to accept any interviews to which you’ve been invited.
In the meantime, and throughout the interview period, make use of the resources available to you:
- Meet with your JD Career Counselor to help you prepare for interviews. Schedule time to discuss your resume or cover letter, chat about the recruitment process or interview strategy, or do a mock interview. You can set up an appointment with your Career Counselor using Starfish. Keep in mind that the weeks leading up to the Recruitment Program are a busy season for the Office of Career and Professional Development. Plan accordingly.
- Mock Interviews. CPD has arranged to have attorneys from the community help students prepare for interviews. Mock interviews with the attorneys will take place in July. This is a unique opportunity to practice your interviewing skills and gain valuable insight and feedback in a one-on-one setting with a practicing attorney. We encourage you to take advantage of it! Please check your email and the docket for more information.
- Consult Career and Professional Development Resources for Students, including tip sheets on resumes, cover letters, and interviewing.
And remember:
- Show up for your interviews prepared. Do your research, and always arrive early!
- Following your interview, send thank you notes to the interviewers. In 2023, electronic correspondence is recommended given that interviewers’ work locations may vary and hiring decisions may be made quickly. Please review CPD’s Tip Sheet on Thank You Notes.
- Consult your JD Career Counselor with any questions or concerns. You can also reach the Office of Career and Professional Development at careers@mitchellhamline.edu or 651-290-6326.
-
Step 6: Stay Informed
Throughout the interview period, continue to check Symplicity often to see if you have been offered an interview by an employer. Also, be sure to carefully monitor your email and voicemail in case an employer contacts you to offer a call-back interview or a job offer! Respond in a timely fashion, but always feel free to consult the Office of Career and Professional Development before responding if guidance would be helpful.
If you receive or accept an offer for employment, please report it to the Career and Professional Development Office or directly to your JD Career Counselor. If you do not receive any offers through the Recruitment Program, do not be discouraged! There are many other opportunities available. Your JD Career Counselor is available to provide advice and guidance.
-
Recruitment Program Resources