Law Fellowships Provide Invaluable Work Experience for Graduates of The John Marshall Law School
A fellowship program at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago for new graduates is giving them the opportunity to practice law with public interest and not-for-profit organizations.
More than 300 students graduated from The John Marshall Law School in May, and though their résumés boast a fresh JD or LLM degree, some law firms, businesses or government agencies are looking for real-world experience that could make the applicant a stand-out.
John Marshall’s Career Services Office (CSO) connects its students to law externships while they attend school, but law fellowships remain an untapped resource for its graduates. The law school CSO placed approximately 20 graduates in fellowships lasting up to six months, with government agencies or nonprofits.
Fellows serve as attorneys and practice law with the agency on a specific project—a venture that speaks fluently to employers.
According to Laurel Hajek, assistant dean for Career Services, the agencies tend to hire new graduates who have shown prior legal experience and interest in what a specific agency does.
“For example, if a state’s attorney’s office (SAO) is hiring, they tend to look for a new graduate who has already worked in a SAO, or who has ties to that county,” Hajek said. Other agencies look for new law school graduates who have a passion for assisting their clients.
The Career Services Office is in contact with many public interest organizations that offer fellowships for graduating students, such as the Illinois Department of Human Rights, Cook County State’s Attorney, Department of Children and Family Services and Illinois Guardianship & Advocacy Commission. Students were placed in government agencies, as well as a few non-profit organizations, including Illinois Legal Aid Online, where graduates provide legal research and community outreach.
Claudia Fantauzzo, a 2010 graduate, started her fellowship with the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office. Having also worked on and off as a law clerk for the office, Fantauzzo was offered a position as an assistant state’s attorney in the Misdemeanor Division after a five month internship.
As a fellow at the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office, Fantauzzo helped prepare a high profile murder case for trial and worked closely with many of the veteran assistant state’s attorneys in the Felony Division and with law enforcement officers. She drafted pretrial motions, interviewed witnesses, gathered evidence and played a part in almost every step of the trial process.
“Being able to participate in the fellowship program was an invaluable experience because it allowed me to work on cases that I would not have otherwise been exposed to,” Fantauzzo said. She advises prospective fellows to have a commitment to public interest work, a desire to gain litigation experience and an interest in the criminal justice system.
“The relationships I formed and the knowledge I gained during this fellowship played an important role in launching my career,” Fantauzzo said.
Hajek encourages students to keep an open mind when looking at fellowships.
“The graduates who have been placed in the fellowships have found them to be very rewarding,” Hajek said.
Vince Coyle, a 2010 graduate, had an experience similar to Fantauzzo’s. Through his fellowship with the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office, Coyle was able to prove his abilities and demonstrate his work ethic.
“After three months of the fellowship the office offered me a full-time position,” Coyle said. “I am currently working in the Domestic Violence Unit in Kane County and have already participated in nearly 10 trials in my first six months.”
About The John Marshall Law School
The John Marshall Law School, founded in 1899, is an independent law school located in the heart of Chicago’s legal, financial and commercial districts. U.S. News and World Report America’s Best Graduate Schools 2011 ranks John Marshall in the top tier of law schools, and ranks its Legal Writing Program sixth, Trial Advocacy 13th and Intellectual Property Law 20th in the nation.
Marilyn Thomas
Director, Public Relations
312-360-2661
6thomas@jmls.edu
The John Marshall Law School
315 S. Plymouth Ct.
Chicago, IL 60604
www.jmls.edu
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