Corporate law, or criminal? Big city, small town, or perhaps international? Major firm, or government, or NGO, or back to school? Or none of the above?

There are lots of decisions to be made when you’re starting your law career, and those decisions start in law school. The professors and courses you enjoy, your personal interests and strengths, and the extracurricular opportunities you participate in will influence your career for years to come. 

The Queen’s Law Career Development Office (CDO) has recognized the importance of these formative years by updating the Career Management Plan, a key resource for incoming JD students.

“Through the summer we have worked to provide more depth to the plan’s content and expand on some other key themes, like wellness and extracurricular activities,” says Julie Banting, Director of the CDO. “This is a guiding document for Law students through their entire time at Queen’s, and we look forward to their feedback as the new version launches this fall.”

The previous Career Management Plan document was only one page and provided students with a minimum guide of the key things that they should be doing to stay on track with their career planning.  Sensing there was room to bring a more holistic perspective to the job search process, Mary Alfredsson, a second-year law student hired by the CDO for the summer, asked her peers, some Queen’s Law alumni, and key staff within the Faculty for their input.

“The Career Management Plan now includes information to help students make course decisions, think strategically about which extracurriculars to get involved in, and take care of themselves during their studies,” she says. “There are many careers in law and this document is designed to help you narrow down what you want to do.”

In addition to the new content areas, the career section has also been revamped to highlight the many options which exist outside of the law program’s formal recruitment opportunities. For instance, the page focused on year two reminds students that just as many second-year law students find summer positions through a formal recruitment process as those who find or create their own positions. 

The four-page document supports the goals of the CDO to provide professional, relevant, responsive, and timely services to help students make informed career decisions and reach their individual goals; help students learn the practical skills necessary to make the transition to the practice of law and the professional job market; and ensure employers consider Queen’s Law students when hiring. 

“The Career Management Plan is intended as the starting point of the career discussion and, through follow-up sessions with our office, becomes a personalized resource based on the student’s career needs,” says Banting. “My hope is these first-year students will carry it with them, use it as a guide, and work with our team to customize it…I expect a few of the plans will be somewhat tattered by third year!”

The Career Management plan will be formally introduced to all first-year JD students on Oct. 7 and is available on the development office's Career Services Manager.

By Phil Gaudreau