Consulting CPD is a Capital Idea, Old Chap!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! No, not Christmas, OCI prep time!

CPD fields a lot of questions about grammar issues that frequently pop up in legal resumes and cover letters this time of year. In particular, we get quite a few questions about capitalization.

When grappling with resume and cover letter questions, capitalization related or otherwise, please come to us. We’re here to help you figure these things out; the right answers aren’t always intuitive. Meanwhile, here’s a quick capitalization refresher as you fine tune your OCI applications.

Volunteer Opportunity

Schwerin Campbell Barnard is putting on a training for its clients on how to present an arbitration.  They need volunteer witnesses, and it would be great networking opportunity for students interested in labor/employment law. 

The event will be held on Monday and Tuesday, July 22nd and 23rd. This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with local attorneys! If you are interested, please contact Elizabeth Ford.

It's Not Too Late for a Summer Internship

There are numerous summer internships currently posted at Symplicity. If you're still looking for a primary or supplemental summer experience, please visit the site. Both short and long term, paid and unpaid opportunities are available.

It's not too late to find a summer internship that will not only allow you to build valuable experience, but help you explore practice areas and settings so you can make informed decisions about what you want to pursue for your future career.

Registration is now open for the Northwest Minority Job Fair

Davis Wright Tremaine is honored to serve as host of the Northwest Minority Job Fair in its 27th year. Our firm is committed to encouraging opportunities that promote diversity throughout the legal community. We benefit from the talents, ideas and commitment of people who represent a world of differences. We recognize the need for diversity in the workplace and the fact that fostering an atmosphere of inclusion and respect leads to increased employee satisfaction, productivity, and client loyalty. The Job Fair provides employers with an opportunity to interview applicants from national and local law schools while offering law students a forum to interact with both potential employers and fellow students.

Sponsored and funded by a consortium of private and public sector employers, the Job Fair will be held on Saturday, August 24, 2013, at the Seattle office of Davis Wright Tremaine, 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 2200, Seattle, WA 98101.

Registration is open until July 31 at http://www.nwmjf.org/.

Department of the State 2013-2014 Virtual Student Foreign Service (VSFS) eInternship

VSFS is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to gain REAL experience with the State Department, virtually.  VSFS is a virtual internship program for students to learn about and support the work of the State Department and other foreign affairs agencies.   eInterns will complete work virtually without the need to leave their academic institution.

The Virtual Student Foreign Service (VSFS) is an academic year-long, unpaid eInternship program. VSFS virtually connects U.S. citizen college students with State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) domestic offices and U.S. diplomatic posts overseas to engage in digital diplomacy.  Because these eInternships are virtual, students can have a flexible virtual work schedule during the academic year, allowing both academic and eInternship goals to be met.

The State Department is looking to American college students to lead the State Department in conducting digital diplomacy and engage American citizens in its diplomatic efforts. A Virtual Student Foreign Service eInternship is an opportunity to play an important role in advancing the federal government's reach in diplomacy, development, journalism, trade, and agriculture initiatives.  eInterns will act as citizen diplomats to connect with posts abroad to engage in our increasingly interconnected world.  We also envision opportunities for eInterns to connect with each other and work collaboratively with eInterns across the country.

The Department of State and the Bureau of Information Resource Management's Office of eDiplomacy encourage college and graduate students from all majors and backgrounds to apply to the Virtual Student Foreign Service eInternship program.

A complete description is available on Symplicity, under Job #4290. The Application Deadline is July 22nd.

WSBA Lawyers Assistance Program Bi-Monthly Job Seekers Group

On Wednesday, July 10th, from 12-1:30, Jennifer Willner, Greg McLawsen, Julie Fowler and Mark Jordan will present at the WSBA Lawyers Assistance Program's bi-monthly job seekers group meeting.  These experienced attorneys will be part of a panel discussion focusing on what you need to know about solo practice. Join in the insightful discussion about the challenging aspects to consider when starting a solo practice and get your questions answered by the attorneys who know! 

Topics to be addressed:

• Pros and cons of solo practice
• What it really takes to have a successful solo practice
• Getting started
• How to get clients
• Promoting yourself in a competitive market
• More!

The bi-monthly group is a free informational session and brown bag networking opportunity, please bring your lunch.  As this is a drop-in group, RSVPs are not required but are always welcome.  This meeting will take place at the WSBA office, 1325 Fourth Ave., Suite 600, Seattle.

If you are interested in participating in the weekly job search group, attending this presentation would be a good first step.

 

Questions can be directed to Heidi Seligman at the WSBA.

Evening Appointment Times Continue to Be Available Throughout the Summer

Dive into career planning with a summer evening appointment!

Whether you're an evening student with a full-time day job, or a day student currently interning during business hours, please remember that evening appointments are available to you.

Contact Emily von Seele to set up a time to meet to discuss OCI, networking strategy, fall planning, and more.

FREE CLE and Networking Opportunity - Practicing Before Magistrate Judges: Do’s and Don’ts

Join the Federal Bar Association and the King County Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division for a CLE panel of three United States magistrate judges with valuable tips for practice in the courts (1.5 CLE credits pending).
 
SPEAKERS: Hon. Mary Alice Theiler, Hon. James Donohue, and Hon. Brian Tsuchida, United States Magistrate Judges

DATE/TIME: Wednesday, July 10, 2013 from 12 – 1:30 p.m.

 

LOCATION: United States Courthouse*, 700 Stewart Street, 19th Floor, Seattle

NO COST: Please RSVP to Cate Humpage at cateh@kcba.org

 *Must have ID to enter the courthouse

2013 United Nations Young Professionals Program Examination

2013 UNITED NATIONS YOUNG PROFESSIONALS PROGRAM (YPP) EXAMINATION

The United Nations is holding a competitive entry-level recruitment examination on December 4, 2013, for those interested in entry-level professional posts.  A maximum of 40 of the most qualified applicants in each field will be invited to take the exam. 

The U.S. Department of State announces for all qualified U.S. citizens:

United Nations 2013 Young Professionals Program (YPP) Examination for UN junior professional posts.

Examination Criteria (all must be met)

1.  Be no more than 32 years old as of December 31, 2013.

2.  Have at least an undergraduate degree (advanced degree is an advantage, but is not required) in one of the following occupational fields or related areas:

•        Administration
•        Finance
•        Legal Affairs
•        Public Information
•        Sta! tistics

3.   Be fluent in English and/or French.  Knowledge of additional official languages of the UN (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, and Spanish) may be an advantage.

NOTE:  Admission to the exam may be limited to the 40 most qualified Americans per occupational group.  Potential employment offers depend upon test results, interview, number of vacancies, and competitiveness of applicants from other nations.  Applicants should be aware that the selection and placement process can be lengthy.

YPP applications for Legal Affairs, Public Information, and Statistics
are now being accepted and will close on August ! 2, 2013
The application period for Administration and Finance
will open on July 8 and close on September 5, 2013

APPLICATION:
https://careers.un.org/ypp

The examination will be given on December 4, 2013, in New York City and San Francisco.

Travel expenses to and from the exam site will NOT be paid by the UN or U.S. Government.

ACC Washington Seattle Mariners Game, Dinner and CLE

Please make plans to join ACC Washington and Garvey Schubert Barer for this special CLE/Social event as they present, "Doing Business in Asia."

Enjoy the CLE presentation and dinner at Silver Cloud Inn and then walk across the street to Safeco Field to enjoy networking with your fellow ACC Members in a group suite as you watch the Seattle Mariners take on the Pittsburgh Pirates while enjoying drinks, snacks and desserts. Please note that space for this event is limited, so register now to secure your spot for this great event!

Many businesses are looking to conduct business in various parts of Asia. This presentation by Sara Sandford, of Garvey Schubert Barer, will introduce attendees to a checklist of non-legal due diligence she advises clients to consider before embarking on such a venture. She will describe the legal structures typically employed for such ventures and the factors counsel should consider in advising use of  one option over another. She will describe the type of documentation generally involved and the types of legal entities that one should consider in China, Japan and Korea. Finally, based on her roughly thirty years of practice in the cross-border realm, Ms. Sandford will highlight “legal hot spots” – issues that are less important in a domestic context but can present unexpected challenges when doing business abroad.

Tuesday, June 25
4:30 p.m.

Schedule:

Silver Cloud Inn:
4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. - Registration
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. - CLE: Doing Business in Asia
6:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. - Dinner
6:45 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. - Walk over to suite at Safeco Field

Safeco Field Suite E:
7:00 p.m. - Game in Suite E with drinks, snacks and desserts 

Cost:
Students - $30
Members - $40
Non-Members - $50

To Register and Pay Online CLICK HERE
(Members are encouraged to invite their favorite business colleagues to attend. Significant others are also welcome to attend at the non member rate)

OCI Information

A list of employers participating in OCI went live on Symplicity last week. Please take a moment to review this information and to start to plan which firms you might be interested in applying to.

The application period will open on July 1st. Please keep an eye on your email for timelines and updates.

If you are interested in making an appointment to discuss the OCI process or to have your materials reviewed, please email lawcareers@seattleu.edu.

NLADA Launches Gideonat50 Site

This year is the 50th anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright, the historic Supreme Court decision holding that the U.S. Constitution requires counsel be provided for indigent defendants facing serious criminal charges. With this anniversary for such an important decision for public defense, the NLADA has developed Gideonat50 which is an interactive and informative place for visitors to:

•    learn about America's justice system crisis;
•    see a new interactive map prepared by NLADA that for the first time provides a detailed overview of the national landscape of public defense and state specific descriptions; and
•    sign up to get involved in the Gideonat50 campaign.

The site also features information about three powerful works of literature and film:
•    Gideon's Army, a Sundance award-winning documentary by director Dawn Porter that follows three young public defenders challenging a broken justice system.
•    Chasing Gideon, a book by veteran reporter Karen Houppert that movingly chronicles the stories of people in all parts of the country who have relied on Gideon's promise.
•    Defending Gideon, a short film produced by The Constitution Project and narrated by actor Martin Sheen that features interviews with the key players in the Gideon v. Wainwright case.


If you are interested in public defense, this website is a great resource. http://gideonat50.org/

The Importance of Handwritten Notes

The Harvard Business Review blog has a great piece about the increasing rarity and importance of handwritten notes. In our technological age where emails and text messages have become the norm, handwritten notes go a step further in standing out to the recipient, and for a variety of different reasons.

Baker Donelson Diversity Scholarship

Baker Donelson Diversity Scholarship Application Now Available!  Application deadline is June 21, 2013.  

Baker Donelson is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where the individual differences among us are understood, respected, appreciated, and recognized as sources of strength of the Firm. These qualities enrich the environment in which we work. With this in mind, Baker Donelson will again award three scholarships to diverse law students who will complete their first year of law school by June 2013. Recipients will be awarded a six-week, salaried 2L Summer Associate position for the summer of 2014 in one of our following offices: Birmingham, AL; Orlando, FL; Atlanta, GA; Baton Rouge and New Orleans, LA; Jackson, MS; Chattanooga, Johnson City, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville, TN; or Houston, TX.  Additionally, each recipient will be awarded $10,000 which will be paid prior to the student's third year of law school to help defray the cost of law school tuition and related expenses.

For complete eligibility criteria, instructions, and to apply for the Scholarship Program please visit:
www.bakerdonelson.com/diversity-scholarship-diversity-practices

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact Helen Beasley at hbeasley@bakerdonelson.com or 205.328.0480.   

Vietnamese American Bar Association of Northern California Scholarship

VABANC is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applications for its 2013 Scholarship Awards.

VABANC has historically recognized students who have demonstrated a commitment to serving the needs of the Vietnamese-American or Vietnamese community by awarding 2 scholarships of at least $1,000 each. The award amount may increase based on fundraising, and priority will be given to those who have demonstrated a commitment to serving the Vietnamese-American or Vietnamese community in Northern California and to those who will be using the scholarship award towards public interest or social justice work, either by pursuing post-graduate work or for a summer position.  Open to all currently enrolled law students, the scholarships are intended to provide assistance to students toward their public interest or social justice goals.  The 2013 scholarship recipient(s) will be recognized at VABANC's annual scholarship dinner on September 27, 2013, at the University Club in Palo Alto. Attendance at the scholarship dinner is mandatory and conditional to the award. 

Scholarship applications must be submitted by Sunday, June 30, 2013, at 11:59pm.  For more information about the scholarship and to obtain an application,  please visit the VABANC website at www.vabanc.org.

Rocky Mountain Diversity Legal Career Fair

You can still register for the Rocky Mountain Diversity Legal Career Fair!

The fair will be held at the Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado on August 9, 2013.

The Rocky Mountain Diversity Legal Career Fair provides an excellent forum for legal employers, law students and law school graduates to meet and discuss employment options with the goal of expanding opportunities and assisting the legal profession in fulfilling its commitment to diversity. Legal employers attending the RMDLCF seek to hire law students and graduates from diverse backgrounds that have been traditionally under-represented in the practice of law in the Rocky Mountain region. These include law students and graduates who are ethnic or racial minorities, disabled, and/or gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

Registration will be open until June 8th.

U.S. Department of State 2014 Spring Student Internship

Applications are now being accepted for the U.S. Department of State 2014 Spring Student Internship Program.

This program offers U.S. citizen undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to participate in 10-week, unpaid internships that provide intensive educational and professional experience within the environment of America’s principle foreign affairs agency.

The unpaid internships are available at many of the over 265 U.S. embassies, consulates and missions to international organizations around the world, as well as at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. and other locations throughout the U.S. Participants gain first-hand, hands-on experience, and learn the realities of working in – and with – Foreign and Civil Service professionals who are at the forefront of America’s diplomatic efforts.

As an unpaid intern, you may have the opportunity to:
•    Participate in meetings with senior level U.S. government or foreign government officials;
•    Draft, edit, or contribute to cables, reports, communications, talking points, or other materials used by policy makers in furthering U.S. foreign policy objectives;
•    Help organize and support events, including international and/or multi-lateral meetings and conferences on critical global issues;
•    Contribute to the management and administration of the Department of State and America’s foreign policy; and
•    Engage directly with U.S. or foreign audiences to promote U.S. foreign policy and improve understanding of U.S. culture and society.


Details and application instructions can be found on Symplicity. Job #4191.

Air Force JAG Open House

McChord Field Legal Office Open House – May 30, 2013
A day to learn about the Air Force, the JAG Corps, how to apply to become a JAG, benefits, and much, much more!

If you are interested in becoming a JAG, this is a fantastic opportunity to see Air Force operations, meet with JAGs, and learn about the JAG Corps.

Bring questions and a desire to learn about the Air Force and the JAG Corps.

Capt Anastasia Lewandoski will meet you at the McChord Field Main Gate (off of I-5, Exit 125) at 9 AM on May 30, 2013. A valid government ID card (such as driver’s license or passport) is required

.
Please RSVP by May 15, 2013 by calling Capt Anastasia Lewandoski at 253-982-6583 or by email at Anastasia.Lewandoski.1@us.af.mil.

We’re looking forward to seeing you!

Schedule of Events – McChord Legal Office Open House
9:00 AM – Pick-Up at Main Gate and Tour of Legal Office
9:45 AM – Staff Judge Advocate Opening Remarks
10:00 AM – 62d Airlift Wing Mission Brief
10:30 AM – JAG Responsibilities & Opportunities
11:00 AM – Defense Counsel Discussion
11:30 AM – Squadron Commander Discussion
12:00 PM - Application Process and Benefits
(Breakout Sessions for ROTC students and law students)
12:30 PM – Lunch
1:30 PM – Tour of Base
2:00 PM – Tour of C-17
3:00 PM – Departure at Main Gate

WA First Responder Will Clinic

The next WA First Responder Will Clinic will be held Saturday, June 8, 2013 at the Station 61 - Training & Support Facility - 17525 Aurora Ave North, Shoreline WA 98133.  Everyone’s help would be greatly appreciated. 

The WA First Responder Will Clinic is a program where volunteer attorneys who are in estate planning/probate practice prepare estate planning documents at no charge for fire fighters, police officers and first responders. 

This clinic will be from 9am to 12pm on June 8, 2013.  Please feel free to volunteer in the capacity of discussion leader/attorney, document drafter/law clerk, intake personnel, witness or notary.  Kindly note that this year we are using an online sign up forum, so to volunteer please follow the link below:

 WA Will Clinic VolunteerSign Up Link

Discussion Leaders: You must have your own professional liability insurance to participate in the clinic. 

Document Drafters: We will be having a training session in early June to review the documents and to answer any of your questions.  Also, please note that you must provide your own laptop. 

REMEMBER, we need witnesses and notaries too! 

Also, please invite any friends that you think would be interested in volunteering, the more the merrier!

Please note that all questions regarding this clinic should be addressed with the clinic coordinator, Megan Gebhardt.  She can be reached at: megan@gebhardtlawoffice.com.

Thank you for your support of the WA First Responder Will Clinic, as you know it is the volunteers who make this process possible. 

8th Annual WSBA Solo and Small Firm Conference

The 8th Annual WSBA Solo and Small Firm Conference will be held in Vancouver, WA, July 18–20. This is the event of the year for solo and small firm attorneys! The cost for new lawyers in their first year of practice is $265 for 16.75 CLE credits ($100 off the regular price).

 

The Steering Committee has developed an outstanding program of more than forty speakers, including four national law practice management experts:

• Carolyn Elefant, author of the best-selling book Solo by Choice
• Matt Homann, author of the award-winning legal blog the [non]billable hour
• Jeff Lantz, author of the book Internet Branding for Lawyers: Building the Client Centered Website
• Ann Guinn, author of the book Minding Your Own Business: The Solo and Small Firm Lawyer's Guide to a Profitable Practice

As well as the WSBA President, Past President, and a fantastic lineup up solo practice experts.
 
The conference will be held at the Vancouver Hilton. Book your room at the Hilton for the special room rate of $119, which is valid through June 14.