Within weeks of starting law school, you’ll be asked, “What are you interested in?” It might be an alum who has returned for Reunion, or an employer giving a lunch presentation, or maybe just another curious student. Regardless of who asks the question, it understandably has the potential to give first-year students some self-doubt. You have barely figured out how to brief a case for class, and you are already expected to know what you want to do after law school?
No, not really. The vast majority of students start at Michigan Law without a clear sense of what they want to do after graduation, but the reality is that the legal recruiting process comes at you quickly. It is fine to arrive at law school without a clear understanding of what you want to do with your law degree, but once you arrive, you need to invest time working toward answering that question—and you need the proper scaffolding to support your work. This makes career planning support more important than ever.
22K+
alumni in our global network.
80+
years of practice experience are collectively held by OCP’s 10 attorney-counselors.
2K
hours spent by OCP attorney-counselors advising students 1:1 last year.
Integrated Advising. At Michigan Law, all career advising is centralized in one office. We recognize that students enter law school interested in exploring a variety of jobs in both the private and public sectors, and our office structure reflects that reality.
Individualized Counseling. We host large programs and events, but the heart of our work happens during one-on-one counseling meetings. Effective career advising requires honest conversations built on a foundation of trust; we think that happens face-to-face. Last year, OCP completed more than 5,000 individual appointments with students. There is no limit on how frequently you can meet
with us—we’re here to meet you where you are.
Expert Career Coaching. We encourage students to think about career planning as a discipline comprising a set of professional skills that can be practiced and improved upon over time. Rather than thinking of a résumé as merely a list of accomplishments, we evaluate it as a piece of self-advocacy. Rather than thinking about an interview as an unpredictable conversation, we practice interviewing by repurposing many of the oral advocacy skills students learn in the classroom. We want to work with you to build your narrative so you can deliver your argument effectively. Whether pitching a new client for a piece of business or looking to make a lateral move a few years down the road, self-advocacy skills will be a staple in your professional career.
Regardless of your career path, how well-defined that path is, or how frequently you choose to change it, Michigan Law can get you where you want to be.
