University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law

The urban public law school with a small liberal arts feel

STUDENT SERVICES Job Listings The CSO maintains online password accessible job openings for students and graduates. The listings are available online 24 hours a day for all students and alumni. Students and graduates from other law schools may obtain access to the graduate listing with a yearly subscription fee of $25. The bulletins are updated daily at the most and every 10 days at the least. For alumni access, please e-mail UmkcLawcareer@umkc.edu for the user name and password.   Non-alumni subscribers: Please mail $25 Check with name, physical address & e-mail address to UMKC School of Law Career Services Office 5100 Rockhill Road, Law 028 Kansas City, Missouri 64110 Individual Counseling The Director of Career Services encourages students to talk with him about career planning and job searches. He and his assistant are available to review resumes and cover letters. The Director is prepared to help each individual set/discuss career goals and to plan a strategy for obtaining temporary or permanent employment. All career-related issues are open for discussion. The Director has an open door policy; however, appointments are also available through him or his assistant. Judicial Clerkship Initiative The CSO introduced a three-pronged program during the 1997-98 school year. The highlight is a panel discussion and reception. Current judicial law clerks speak about their experience. This is followed by a reception to which all area state and federal judges and their law clerks are invited. Both judges and students enjoy the opportunity to meet in an informal setting. Several faculty members, who have served as judicial law clerks volunteer to serve as advisors and help students to prepare for interviews. Student Organizations 1. Public Interest Law Association UMKC Law School has a small but growing Public Interest Law Association (PILA). The Director of Career Services works with PILA to plan programs and fund-raising events. With the available funds, PILA and the CSO sponsor public interest law internships and Equal Justice Works activities. 2. International Law Careers Day Each year the International Law Society and the CSO put on an International Law Careers Day. 3. Intellectual Property Society The Director of Career Services works with the Intellectual Property Society to identify job possibilities, job fairs, speakers, and networking contacts. Programs Throughout the year, the CSO presents workshops, seminars and programs on topics of interest. These include programs for minority and first year students, workshops on Interviewing Skills and presentations such as "Getting Ready to Leave Law School," and ethics in the workplace. Kansas City Legal Employer Resources The Director of Career Services meets with Kansas City area legal employers throughout the year. In addition, each year the CSO compiles a list of Small and Medium Sized Law Firms in the Greater Kansas City area. This two-part booklet is available to students and alumni in the CSO. Fall OCI Kick Off Reception The Career Services Office sponsors a reception for the hiring committees of the Metropolitan Kansas City area law firms and other employers. The reception provides an informal atmosphere at which students and hiring committees can meet each other and have an opportunity to become acquainted. All second and third year students are invited to this reception. This is a great kick-off to learning the importance of 'networking' during the law school experience. Many students have made contacts at this event that lead to job interviews and offers. Career Services Library The CSO maintains a resource library. The library includes books on practice areas, resumes and interviewing, and directory listings. In addition, the Career Services Library has information on Kansas City area legal employers, both law firm and government. As of fall 2006 the library also houses to computers and a printer for resume and cover letter writing and printing. The Career Services Library is open when Career Services is open - 8:00 to 5:00, Monday through Friday. UMKC School of Law "Inns" Program The program which consist of 12 mentor groups that are open for participants to remain a part of throughout their careers. Currently each Inn includes judges, attorneys and faculty mentors to enhance the introduction to the practice of law for all of our students. The INNS were created to enhance law student understanding of the challenges of the legal profession, facilitate bar exam preparation and create networks for post graduate employment. Mock Interview Program The week before on-campus interviews begin, the CSO and the Young Lawyers Section (YLS) of the Kansas City Missouri Bar Association (KCMBA) jointly sponsor a Mock Interview Program. The mock interviews work as follows: timed interview session followed by timed feedback session about the interview and student resume.