JD Career and Academic Advising
All 1L students are assigned to an academic advisor to assist with academic, career, and professional development plans. Students may choose their own academic advisors for their 2L and 3L years, and they may explore our Curriculum Roadmaps for additional guidance.
Public Interest and Public Service Careers
The OCPD helps students interested in public interest careers or government service to explore the many options available to them during law school and beyond. During their 1L year, students are introduced to public interest organizations through various networking events, including the Public Interest Law Networking Event and the Spring On-Campus Interview Program, which helps students find summer employment for after their 1L year. During their 2L and 3L years, students may continue to participate in On-Campus Interview Programs and may also take advantage of experiential learning opportunities, including clinics and externships, that focus on access to justice. Throughout their time at UF Law, students participate in student organizations and meet with academic and career advisors to develop personalized career strategies designed to help students achieve their desired career goals.
Summer Public Interest Funding Program
UF Law’s generous summer funding program provides financial support to 1L and 2L students pursuing summer employment in unpaid public interest and government positions throughout the country. Awards range from $4,000 to $5,000 for the summer. Students apply for this program in the Spring semester after they have secured summer employment. OCPD oversees the application and selection process for eligible students, including by awarding funds donated by alumni and organizations committed to supporting students pursuing careers in public service. Those awards include, but are not limited to, the Justice John Paul Stevens Public Interest Fellowship Program (http://www.jpstevensfoundation.org/fellowships.html), the Bill McBride Public Interest Practice Stipend, the Siegel Criminal Justice Fellowship, the Kirkconnell Criminal Defense Fellowship, the Rumberger Environmental Law and Land Use Fellowship, the Rachelle Bergeron Hammerling Memorial Fellowship, and the Judge Huck Fellowship.
Pro Bono Requirement Program
Unpaid pro bono work is an important part of every attorney’s ethical and professional responsibility to provide service to their communities. All JD students must complete 40 hours of pro bono before graduation. OCPD helps students meet this requirement by providing lists of pro bono opportunities and offering a handbook designed to guide students as they identify pro bono opportunities. To learn more about the Pro Bono Requirement and Service Program visit https://www.law.ufl.edu/areas-of-study/experiential-learning/pro-bono-program-2.
Private Sector Careers
The OCPD helps students and alumni connect with law firms and businesses around the nation and the world. The office maintains strong relationships with law firms of all sizes and maintains a network of alumni employed in regional, national, and international law firms. During their 1L year, students are introduced to the wide range of practice areas and law firms throughout the country and world through various networking events, including the Spring On-Campus Interview Program, which helps students find summer employment for after their 1L year. During their 2L and 3L years, students may continue to participate in On-Campus Interview Programs and may also take advantage of courses that highlight lawyers practicing in law firms. Throughout their time at UF Law, students participate in student organizations and meet with academic and career advisors to develop personalized career strategies designed to help students achieve their desired career goals.
Judicial Clerkship Programs
The OCPD encourages all students – whether they are interested in public interest or private sector careers – to apply for clerkships with state and federal judges. Judicial clerkships provide invaluable training and networking opportunities for students after graduation and generally last for one or two years. The OCPD organizes a series of clerkship panels starting in the 1L year to introduce students to the importance of these clerkship opportunities. Other information about clerkship application processes, interviews, and more may be found in the judicial clerkship handouts available in the Resources section of Symplicity (https://law-ufl-csm.symplicity.com/students/). For additional assistance, please contact the OCPD at 352.273.0860 or email careers@law.ufl.edu.
LLM Career Advising
The OCPD offers support and guidance to LL.M. students through advising and programming. Each LL.M. student is assigned to an advisor who provides individual career advising, resume and cover letter guidance, and advice about job search strategies. OCPD also organizes events exclusively for LL.M. students, including networking events with speakers from leading tax employers and LL.M. alumni. LL.M. students may participate in all other OCPD programming as well. To learn more about LL.M. career advising and employment outcomes for recent LL.M. graduates, please visit: https://www.law.ufl.edu/academics/degree-programs/ll-m-in-taxation.
Job Postings on Symplicity
With Symplicity, students may review job postings from both public interest and private sector employers, access job search resources, schedule advisor appointments, RSVP for employer events, and research judicial clerkship opportunities. You will have immediate access to exciting new career opportunities as soon as you set up your personal Symplicity account.
On-Campus Interviewing (OCI)
Each year OCPD conducts large On-Campus Interview Programs featuring a wide range of legal employers in both the public and private sectors. Students may interview for summer jobs and post-graduation employment. The logistics of OCI are conducted through Symplicity, where you may upload your resumes, select employers of interest, and schedule interviews. OCPD hosts multiple information sessions about OCI, including sessions featuring employers and alumni. You may also learn more about OCI by reviewing our .
Non-Discrimination Policy
In accordance with Bylaw 6-3 of the Association of American Law Schools, the University of Florida Levin College of Law provides students and graduates with equal opportunities to obtain employment, without discrimination or segregation on the grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender (including identity and expression), sexual orientation, age, or disability. UF Law is committed to supporting an equal and fair evaluation of all law student and graduate job applicants based on their individual merits. The OCPD is therefore available only to those employers whose employment practices comply with these policies and all federal and state requirements for non-discrimination in the selection of employees.
