Career Development Resources

Here you will find career development resources to assist you in developing your application materials, exploring different career paths, honing your job search, and preparing to ace your interviews. Make an appointment with any of the CPC’s counselors by through the Counseling Tab in Symplicity.  

You are expected to adhere to the Fordham Law School Professionalism Standards throughout your job search.

Some links are password protected and require a login.

  • CPC Hours

    Monday-Thursday: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm*

    Friday: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm**

    * On Wednesdays during the Fall and Spring Semesters, when classes are in session, hours will extend until 6:30 pm.

    ** On Fridays during Fall & Spring Semesters, when an employer is interviewing on-campus, hours will extend until 6:00 pm.

    The CPC is closed during holidays in accordance with the University schedule.  Please see the Law School Calendar for more information.

    Evening Students

    During the Fall and Spring semesters, a counselor is available for appointments on Wednesdays until 6:30 p.m. These appointments are reserved for Evening Division students.

  • Counseling Appointments

    Current students and recent graduates may make an appointment by using the Counseling tab in Symplicity. Counseling appointments may be conducted in person, by Zoom, or by telephone.

    Link to Symplicity [password protected]

    Alumni (classes of 2021 and before) may make an appointment by calling 212-636-6926 or by emailing careers@fordham.edu. 

    Counseling appointments are generally one-hour long. You may have your resume and cover letter reviewed during a counseling appointment. 

    Applying for Post-Graduate Judicial Clerkships? Contact the Center for Judicial Events and Clerkships (law.fordham.edu/CJEC).

    ** If you have submitted your resume for review through the Resume Critique Service, please only make your appointment with the counselor who is reviewing your resume.  You may email careers@fordham.edu to find out which counselor is reviewing your resume.

    Drop-in Hours

    Monday – Thursday: 12:00 – 1:00 pm and 5:00 – 6:00 pm.

    Friday: 12:00 – 1:00 pm

    Drop-In hours are for brief career-related questions. One CPC counselor is available for drop-ins each hour. To speak with a counselor, you may either visit the CPC in person or call 212-636-6926. Sign-up is on a first-come basis and begins 15 minutes before the start of the particular drop-in hour. Students or alumni seeking a phone drop-in may call up to fifteen minutes before the start of the drop-in hour.

  • Mock Interviews

    All CPC counselors are former practicing attorneys or were recruiters in the legal area at their employers. The counselors conduct mock interviews year-round. Mock interviews may be done in person or by Zoom.

    Alumni may make an appointment for a Mock Interview by calling 212-636-6926 or emailing careers@fordham.edu.

    Please complete the Mock Interview Form and submit it at least one business day prior to your scheduled mock interview.

    Applying for Post-Graduate Judicial Clerkships? Contact the Center for Judicial Events and Clerkships (law.fordham.edu/CJEC).

    Mock Interview Prep Form

    Interview Preparation Sessions

    A CPC counselor can help you to prepare for an upcoming interview during a counseling session, which may be in person, by Zoom, or by phone.

    Topics that can be discussed may include proper interviewing etiquette, how to best highlight your strengths and minimize your weaknesses at an interview, the information you should know about your prospective employer, and how to handle tough questions.

    Alumni may make an appointment for an Interview Prep Session by calling 212-636-6926 or emailing careers@fordham.edu. 

  • Resume Critique Service

    To use the Resume Critique service, you may email your resume to careers@law.fordham.edu, along with a completed Resume Critique form (see links below) for your appropriate class year. You will typically receive an email with comments on the resume within two business days.

    Alumni may make an appointment for a resume review by calling 212-636-6926 or emailing careers@law.fordham.edu. 

    ** If you submit your resume for review through the Resume Critique Service, please only make your appointment with the counselor who is reviewing your resume.  You may email careers@law fordham.edu to find out which counselor is reviewing your resume. 

    Resume Review Form

    Applying for Post-Graduate Judicial Clerkships? Contact the Center for Judicial Events and Clerkships (law.fordham.edu/CJEC).

    Cover Letter Review

    Because of the personal nature of cover letters, the CPC does not provide a critique service as we do for resumes. Instead, the CPC recommends that you make an appointment with a counselor. 

    Current students may schedule through the Counseling Appointments tab in Symplicity.  Link to Symplicity [password protected]. 

    Alumni may call 212-636-6926 or email careers@law.fordham.edu.

    You can email your cover letter and resume to your counselor before your meeting.

  • The Career Planning Center maintains a resource library staffed by our Resource Associate, who is available to assist students and alumni with their job search-related research questions. The CPC Resource Library also houses:

    • Job search related books, directories, and publications
    • Career development books and publications
    • Two computers with internet access for student/alumni use related to job search efforts
    • Copier
    • Fax Machine
    • Printer

    Additionally, the CPC has made arrangements with the main Law Library to make available the CPC's most popular hardcopy resources so that students and alumni may have access to these resources during the hours when the CPC Resource Library is closed.

    For a partial listing of CPC hard copy resources, visit the Law Library website at http://lawpac.lawnet.fordham.edu/search/X, choose the Location: CPC Resource Library, and enter an asterisk (*) in the search field

  • For the benefit of students and graduates searching for a job outside the New York metropolitan area, the CPC has reciprocity agreements with law school career planning offices across the country. This service allows a student/graduate to access certain services at the career services office of a participating school in the desired geographic area.

    Step 1: Identify at which law school to request reciprocity

    Each law school has its own policies pertaining to available resources for reciprocity students; therefore, to help you decide which school to request reciprocity from, you should call that school's career planning office to find out exactly which services/resources you are allowed access (i.e. online job board, counseling services).

    As a good starting point to research other schools, students/graduates should visit the NALP website (https://www.nalp.org/reciprocitypolicies) for a list of reciprocity policies at law schools around the country.

    Questions to Ask When Choosing a School for Reciprocity:

    • Which services will you have access to (counseling, job lists, etc.)?
    • When are the blackout dates?
    • How many times may you visit during the time period set?

    General Policies:

    1. Students/Graduates cannot obtain reciprocity from law schools that are within a 90-mile radius of Fordham Law School.
    2. Students/Graduates are limited to one reciprocity request per semester per city (i.e., one for the Washington D.C. area and one for the Boston area), not to exceed four requests per semester.
    3. Reciprocity services are generally suspended at most law schools during their busy OCI periods. Therefore you should inquire with the particular school as to its blackout dates.

    Please Note: Fordham Law School's Reciprocity is suspended from June 1 through November 1.

    Step 2: Request Reciprocity Services

    Once you decide from which law school you wish to receive reciprocity services, the CPC must make the request for services on your behalf. Therefore, please email your request to careers@law.fordham.edu.

    The email request to careers@law.fordham.edu should include the following information:

    • the name, title, and email address of the Reciprocity Coordinator at the selected school
    • the school's address
    • your graduation year
    • the date/time frame you plan on visiting the school

    You will be copied on the email request that we make to that school. Once the request is granted, the other school will email you directly with the reciprocity letter and policy. Please make sure to read the policy thoroughly and follow the necessary guidelines. The policy will include information such as: (i) the length of time you may use the services and (ii) the number of times you may visit. Please note that it may take a few weeks to arrange the service, so plan ahead.

Public Interest Resource Center (PIRC) services

PIRC provides Career Support focused on supporting students and alumni seeking positions with public interest, government, and nonprofit employers.

CPC Recruitment Programs

CPC Programs

  • Each semester the CPC hosts an extensive roster of Career Development Programs designed for JD Students focusing on three key areas: Skills-Based, Career Exploration, and Career Success/Professionalism.

    Each year we welcome close to 150 alumni who participate in our programs allowing for students to interact directly with professionals in various areas of expertise. At all of our panel programs, time is reserved at the end for a “Networking Meet and Greet.".

    CPC Recruiting Programs (Calendar of Events)

  • Attending live programs provides wonderful networking opportunities with attorneys. However, the CPC recognizes that from time to time other commitments will prevent you from attending a Career Development program of interest. As such, we record all of our presentations and panels. We invite you to explore the streaming audio or video recording in the links below.

CPC Job Search Guides and Materials

  • The Professional Development Handbook is your resource to help you put your best self forward in the job search. The Handbook has sections focused on self-assessment, job search strategies, recruiting opportunities, creating professional application materials, successful interviewing, and career success.

  • Interested in learning the practice of law from behind the bench? We encourage you to consider pursuing a judicial internship/externship while in law school!

    Judicial Internships/Externships: Many federal and state court judges seek law students to serve as judicial interns in their chambers in the summer and, depending on the judge, during academic terms. Come explore the vast resources we have to assist you in identifying and securing a judicial internship.

    Interested in pursuing a Post-Graduate Judicial Clerkship? 

    In the Fall 2019, the Law School Launched the Center for Judicial Engagement & Clerkships (CJEC), which is a separate office from the Career Planning Center. 

    Students and alumni interested in pursuing Post-Graduate Judicial Clerkships should reach out to the CJEC. 

    To access proprietary resources, log into Fordham's LawNet, choose the Careers Tab, then under the Center for Judicial Engagement & Clerkships choose the tile "Post Graduate Judicial Clerkships"

  • The CPC has developed a variety of materials to help you organize and energize your job search.

  • As an Evening Division Student, we recognize that your time is limited as you are managing a delicate balance of important commitments, ranging from work to law school to family. Therefore, the CPC has developed focused resources and specific guidance to meet the distinctive needs of our Evening Division students. Come explore these resources!

  • With a dynamic student body, we recognize that there are many paths you may want to explore. To meet that need, the CPC has created specialty guides focused on specific career pathways and the job search strategies to pursue them.

    From careers in government, international opportunities to alternative careers, and more, this section houses a wealth of useful information on specialized topics.

  • Looking for a snapshot?

    The CPC has created a variety of quick tip sheets and mini-guides on topics including networking, job search strategies for specific employer types, and more!

  • The CPC has gathered a variety of external career development guides to help students who are interested in particular legal specialties. These dedicated guides are meant to enhance and supplement the CPC’s own Professional Development Handbook and Specialty Career Development Guides.

  • Instructions for performing mail merges

    What is a Mail Merge? A mail merge is a process for creating multiple personalized letters and pre-addressed envelopes or mailing labels when creating cover letters to be sent to multiple recipients using word processing (Word) and spreadsheet(Excel) software.

    Why is a Mail Merge Useful to Students in the Job Search? There are certain times in the job search (e.g., when applying for positions in small or midsize law firms) when conducting a targeted mail campaign is a valuable job search method; mail merging is the most efficient method of generating the multiple cover letters (one for each of the targeted employers) needed for a targeted mail campaign.

    Can I use Mail Merge When Applying to Judicial Internships? Absolutely! In fact, in order to facilitate the process of applying for judicial internships, we have instructions on how to create a list of judges using Symplicity, together with their mailing addresses, that can be used in a mail merge to apply to internships with those judges.

    Instructions for Performing Mail Merge [password protected]

  • The FLS Grade Sheet Template is a document that the CPC created for use solely during the bidding process for the On-Campus Interview Programs in lieu of an unofficial transcript. Students should refer to Section II (B) (2) (b) in either the Fall OCI Memorandum or the Spring OCI Memorandum (available under the Fall OCI or Spring OCI headings,above) for detailed information about exactly how to use the FLS Grade Sheet Template when bidding on employers in the Fall and Spring OCI Programs.

  • We want you to shine as a professional in all your interactions with employers from the job search process through your day to day work in internships and after graduation. The below resources are designed to ensure that you are aware of employer expectations and can develop the best professional persona possible!

CPC Online Job Search Resources