Public Works

Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission

By YARED GETACHEW

Please join us for a brown bag presentation with Chief Judge Robert Lesnick '77 of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission.  Judge Lesnick will discuss his responsibilities as FMSHRC Administrative Law Judge and will offer advice on how students should approach their federal government job search in the current economy.  The Center's staff will also be available to answer questions regarding internship and permanent opportunities with federal government agencies.

Wednesday, February 8, at noon (SL298).

Battle

By YARED GETACHEW

In counseling sessions and through speaker events featuring prosecutors and public defenders, we have maintained that the path to charting a career toward both professions, despite the divergent outcomes that prosecutors and indigent defenders seek in their pursuit of justice, is very similar. Competition for entry-level positions, even in a flush economy, is downright brutal. But here's a reality that Virginia Law students have enjoyed for decades: 3Ls who remained steadfast in their pursuit of their dream jobs have all secured employment either through competitive 3L hiring programs or soon after they pass the bar exam.  Just so everyone is clear - and I field this question each year: 3Ls and graduating students are not eligible to apply for entry-level positions with federal defender and US Attorney organizations (two exceptions for the latter - USAOs for the Southern and Central Districts of CA - see, e.g.).

So why is student preparation for both careers almost identical?  The ultimate conclusion both prosecutor and public defender offices must reach when making hiring decisions is whether candidate have engaged in sustained efforts to: (1) understand substantive and procedural concepts in criminal, constitutional, and evidentiary law (take as many crim law-related courses offered at Virginia including the two key clinics); (2) hone oral advocacy skills (moot court, oral advocacy classes); (3) understand the day-to-day work of attorneys, detectives, investigators, parole and probation officers in our criminal justice system (summer internships and pro bono work); (4) show commitment to service (see 2-4 above and any volunteer endeavor - for indigent defenders, a desire to work with underserved communities is important); (5) some indicia of geographic connection; and (6) express compelling reasons to pursue either law enforcement or indigent defense work.

On Tuesday, February 8, two speakers - a prosecutor and a public defender -  will expound on these issues while attempting to convince you to join their side.  Joseph Platania is Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney in Charlottesville and Adam Heyman is public defender at the Brooklyn Legal Aid Society, Criminal Practice. Mr. Platania is currently detailed with the United States Attorney's Office, Western District of Virginia, and Mr. Heyman recently returned from Kathmandu, Nepal where he helped represent indigent defendants in Nepal's courts.

The event will take place at 1:00pm in WB154.

2011 Public Interest Interview Week - Update 3

By ANDREW BROADDUS

Final Interview Schedules:  Interview schedules for Public Interest Interview Week are now viewable on Symplicity.

How to View your Scheduled Interviews:

(1)  Log into Symplicity.

(2)  Click on the OCI tab on the top ribbon.

(3)  Select the tab that says Scheduled Interviews.

(4)  Select “2011 Public Interest Interview Week” as the “Session”.

Should any changes to your interview schedule occur, we will e-mail you individually; however, we highly recommend that students check the interview schedule the evening before AND the morning of their interview.

Additional Employer: The Virginia Legal Aid Society will interview 1Ls and 2Ls on February 15. If you wish to submit an application please follow the steps outlined in our previous post with the only change being that you will select "2011 Public Interest Interview Week - Supplemental Session" as the "Session." Due to the late date of this employer registration, you will need to request bids for the employers by Tuesday, February 8, at 10:00pm.

After the jump - special requests and cancellations