Want to Know More About Small Firm Practice?

Last week, the Career Development Office welcomed Ana Veliz, the chair of the Florida Bar's General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Section to campus to discuss small firm practice. During her discussion, she shared the following information which students may find helpful.

The largest entry level law firm market in Florida is the small firm market;

Firms of 10 attorneys or less comprise of 73% of Florida Bar membership;

According to the ABA, 86% of law students expect to practice at a small firm;

According to NALP, 22.4% of graduates obtain their entry level position through targeted mailings;

The GPSSF welcomes student members. The rate to join is $35/year and among the benefits to membership is access to a small firm directory that is on their website. Students may obtain an application form online.

Each March, the GPSSF hosts a conference in Orlando. In conjunction with the conference, the section hosts a job fair for those students interested in interviewing with small firms. This year’s conference is Friday and Saturday, March 20-21 and the job fair will be held on Saturday, March 21. More information about the job fair will be forthcoming from the CDO shortly.

Resume Writing Tips

One big component to any job search is building a successful resume. If you have not already started or updated your resume, now is a good time to get it ready for your summer or post-graduate job search.

To get started, review the CDO's Resume Guide, which discusses the elements of a resume and provides useful examples. Then, have your CDO advisor review your resume. It is important to have a fresh set of eyes look at your resume as they may catch any typos or other errors.

Students often find the drafting of their job descriptions to be the toughest part of any resume building experience. You should work with your advisor to craft language that accurately and effectively details your prior work history. To help you, here are Six Words That Make Your Resume Suck.

Don't forget to speak with your advisor for more useful resume tips.