College of Law

EMPLOYERS

YOUR STRATEGIC PARTNER IN HIRING


Like any law school career office, CDO hosts job fairs, posts job postings, and arranges for on-campus interviews. However, the CDO is here to help beyond traditional career services offerings. We can help you draft postings to attract the best talent possible, understand market trends, and sort through the applicant pool in a way that goes beyond simple measurements like rank or GPA. We can also help you develop strategies to attract and assess a wider pool of highly qualified applicants, increasing diversity and retention.

Our focus on individual student engagement allows us to actively identify and drive students to apply for positions, ensuring you receive the strongest possible pool of applicants. From big firms to solo practitioners, from urban to rural geographic locations, and throughout Utah and the nation, we are here to help you identify the best individual for your organization’s needs. In short:

We are here to be your partner.

"HOW TO" QUICK GUIDE


 

Join 12twenty
12twenty is the system we use for posting jobs, setting up on-campus interviews, and posting announcements, and students use it to find and apply for jobs. Registering is easy, takes just a few minutes, and it is the first step in the hiring process. If you need help or the system seems a bit confusing, contact us!
Sign Up
Participate in on-campus interviews
On-campus interviews (OCI) normally take place twice a year. Fall OCI starts just before classes begin and is exclusive to 2L and 3L students, while spring OCI starts a week after spring classes begins and focuses on 1L recruiting (though employers also seek 2L and 3L students). Interviews can be conducted in person at the school or be held virtually. To participate in our on-campus interview program, email cdo@law.utah.edu. To set up an OCI posting, use 12twenty.
Sign Up
Post a job
We use a system called 12twenty for posting jobs, setting up on-campus interviews and posting announcements. Sign into 12twenty and post your job now. We will review the posting and approve it so candidates can see it and apply immediately. If you don't have a 12twenty account, it only takes a few minutes to create one.
Post A Job
Draft an effective job posting
We are always happy to help you draft a job posting, but here are some tips to consider:
  • Details: Include pay, hours, location and the kind of work students will be doing. Many candidates have no exposure to legal work environments, so the more you can tell them, the more likely they are to apply.
  • Culture: Tell applicants about your organization's culture. Explaining the way you view your firm helps a student choose between employers.
  • Practice areas: Specifically listing your major practice areas, or those you are planning to grow, can be a huge asset. Students don't know that 90% of your practice is litigation or that you want to grow in real estate. This information helps them self-select and offers you a stronger and more focused applicant pool.
  • Point of contact: List one person as a contact so students know who to address their cover letter to and where to send it.
  • Short deadlines drive applicants: Most students will apply just before the deadline, so it's generally best to give them just two weeks to apply. We can always reopen the posting if needed.
  • Rolling deadlines: If you are accepting applications throughout the year, emphasize that you are reviewing and hiring as applications come in and will hire as soon as you find the right person. This will help a busy student prioritize submitting their application.
Hold a virtual interview
Most students are comfortable with video platforms like Zoom, Teams, or Webex, so you can arrange to interview them virtually on your preferred platform. If you don't have a video conferencing platform, you can use one of our licenses if you tell us in advance. We can also host the interviewee at the law school if they are concerned about reliable internet access.
Contact us
Contact the CDO
We believe individual counseling is critical to our ability to support you as you navigate your career options, and booking an appointment with any of us in CDO takes less than five minutes.
Promote and target your search
Beyond a job posting, we can help you to promote and target your search. We send a weekly email to students with hot jobs and other announcements, and we may be able to include your posting in that communication. We can augment your search by contacting students we think may be a great fit and urging them to apply. For additional support in targeting your search, please contact a team member.
Contact Us

MY SJQ STORY


“On reflection, I’m surprised to admit that what I remember most about law school is the students I studied with, struggled with, laughed with, and learned with.  There are many classroom moments, of course, and hallway discussions with professors, but it is my fellow students who made the biggest mark on me.  They were from everywhere and were of all shapes, sizes, colors, and backgrounds.  I remember the hours we spent studying torts, the rule against perpetuities, the law of offer and acceptance and contracts; the late nights editing law journal articles; and so forth.  We studied hard, but we helped each other learn.  For the last several decades I have employed the same approach to working with colleagues.  I work best in a group, when I can collaborate, share ideas, debate issues, and eventually come up with the right approach to a client problem.  I am convinced that I would not have approached the law that way during my career if I had not been exposed to that collaborative, explorative method while in law school.

The S.J. Quinney College of Law is the author of my life’s work.  I’ve had an amazing series of experiences, acquaintances, privileges, and resulting opportunities to make a positive impact in the lives of many people.  I would not have any of that without the College of Law.”

— Lowell Brown, Class of 1982
Brown is a health care operations lawyer, with nearly 40 years’ experience in the world of hospitals and medical providers. During that time he has helped his provider clients achieve success in a wide range of business, regulatory, and medico-legal matters.

CONTACT THE CDO TEAM


You can contact anyone on the CDO team by phone or email, or book a meeting through the Calendly meeting scheduler links below.

Arturo Thompson
Arturo Thompson
Assistant Dean, Career Development Office
Jim Holbrook
Jim Holbrook
Director of Special Projects
Amanda Barr
Amanda Barr
Career Counselor
Cynthia Lane
Cynthia Lane
Administrative Assistant