For Employers

Employer Resources

• DU/CU Legal Residency Program

  Law graduates, law firms, and legal departments all face a Catch 22: Everyone wants trained, experienced lawyers. Yet few employers —and even fewer clients—are willing to pay to train new lawyers and provide them with the experience they need in order to excel in their legal careers.

  The University of Denver Sturm College of Law has partnered with The University of Colorado Law School to pilot an innovative program to the Colorado legal market: the DU/CU Legal Residency Program. The Legal Residency Program centers on a post-graduate experience that provides new graduates with 12-18 months of valuable legal training and experience, and assists employers with legal staffing at a reasonable cost while helping to train the next generation of lawyers.

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  How does the Legal Residency Program work? Participating organizations hire one or more residents from a pool of new JD graduates provided exclusively by the two Colorado law schools. Residents work for a 12 to 18 month term depending on the employer’s needs. Employers are not expected to make permanent offers at the end of a residency, though they may do so at their discretion. The Legal Residency is not envisioned as a substitute for first year attorney positions. Instead, it is a unique program designed to provide new lawyers with employment and training opportunities that do not currently exist in the marketplace.

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  Why should my organization consider the Legal Residency Program? Employers have the benefit of cost-effective assistance from residents coupled with the knowledge that they are contributing to the future of the legal profession. They may also end up discovering high-quality legal talent, and can make hiring decisions after seeing their legal resident “in action,” or base hiring decisions on references from others who have worked extensively with a resident. The Legal Residency Program, the first of its kind in the nation, is a testament to the collective efforts of the two law schools and the Colorado legal community to launch the careers of the next generation of lawyers.

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  How are legal residents paid? Participating employers determine pay rates for residents. The expectation is that participating employers will pay a reasonable wage, understanding that it will be adjusted downward from traditional entry-level salaries to reflect the different nature of the position (essentially an apprenticeship). For more information regarding how an employer may best determine appropriate salary levels for legal residents, please contact Assistant Dean of Career Development, Eric Bono at ebono@law.du.edu.

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  How are legal residents supervised, mentored and trained? We ask that employers provide substantive legal or policy work, appropriate supervision and meaningful feedback. We also suggest employers create learning plans and consider entering into agreements with residents that are modeled on the requirements of the Denver Law Legal Externship Program. Under that model, employers and residents establish a Learning Agenda which outlines the type of work the resident performs, the types of skills the resident builds and work-related experiences that strengthen the resident’s professional identity. Of course, the Learning Agenda also establishes the employer’s expectations and sets up a mechanism for regular, meaningful feedback. We are happy to assist employers with this piece of the program upon request. Denver Law will stay in touch with its legal residents, hosting regular meetings/seminars and providing them an opportunity for reflection on their apprenticeship efforts.

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  How do I hire a legal resident?
  Employers interested in hiring a legal resident are encouraged to contact Eric Bono, Assistant Dean for Career Development at 303-871-6478 or ebono@law.du.edu.

• Employer Services

  Career Development Programming

  Each semester, the Office of Career Development presents innovative programming designed to connect students and employers. Our programming is not only beneficial to our students but helps employers build their name recognition on campus, as well. Examples include:

  • Mock Interviews
    Our office presents an annual Mock Interview Day. This provides students with an opportunity to practice their interviewing skills with attorneys from the legal community. ;
  • Law Practice Specialty Series
    This series has become a fixture on the CDO program schedule. Several times during the semester, attorneys practicing in various specialty areas speak to students about the substantive and practical realities of working in these specialties. A different practice area is featured at each session. Past topics have included government, employment law, real estate, intellectual property, family law, environmental law, corporate law and many more.
  • Partners at Law (PALs)
    Every year, the CDO and the Office of Alumni Affairs host dinners and luncheons for students and alumni. This popular program allows students to meet and talk with practicing attorneys in an informal setting.

  
  Career Fairs

  Career fairs are a great opportunity for you to meet with many enthusiastic and talented law students who are eager to learn about career options and to gain experience in a variety of settings. You will be able to discuss, with interested students, your organizational structure and/or opportunities within your organization.

  On-Campus Interviews

  For several weeks in the fall and spring of each year, legal employers conduct interviews with our students either in-person or virtually for summer, academic year, and entry-level positions. Employer registration for the Fall On-Campus Interview (OCI) sessions opens in late March/early April. Interested employers register for OCI through our Denver Law Careers Online Symplicity system. Students apply online by a certain deadline mid-summer, submitting their resumes and other materials requested by the employer. After the employer has reviewed the applications, they select which candidates they wish to interview, and selected students select their interview time. For in-person interviews, our office provides an on-campus interview room(s); for virtual interviews, we can facilitate a Zoom link or employers can use their own. An administrative fee is charged to each employer, with the exception of non-profit and government participants. The fee is also waived for first-time Denver Law OCI participants or those coming back to OCI after a few years.

  Post A Job

  The CDO offers students and alumni access to a web-based system called Denver Law Careers Online (Symplicity), which can be easily accessed by students and alumni for purposes of researching specific job openings.

  Employers interested in posting a job may do so by simply completing our online job posting form or calling us at (303) 871-6124. This service is provided free of charge.

  Online Job Posting Form 

• Customized Hiring Assistance

  Recent Grads Available for Contract/Permanent Work

  Need to hire a new attorney or contract staff for a special project but don’t have time to wade through hundreds of resumes? The CDO is in contact with recent grads who are immediately available to meet your needs. We understand how busy you are, so we make it easy to hire Denver Law grads. Whether you are looking for a permanent or contract attorney or a law clerk, full or part-time, we can help you find qualified graduates who meet your hiring needs and save you time in the process.

  Please contact Assistant Dean for Career Development Eric Bono at 303.871.6478 or ebono@law.du.edu for questions or assistance.

   

• Employer Recruiting Guidelines

  The Career Development & Opportunities Office at the Sturm College of Law welcomes and encourages employers to connect with our students and alumni for their hiring needs.  We are happy to assist in that process through our job postings, On-Campus Interviews, Career Fairs, and more tailored job matching opportunities.  We look forward to discussing these options with you to best meet your needs, as well as highlight other ways you can become actively involved with the law school.

  EEO/Non-Discrimination Policy

  As part of our process, we want to make you aware of our non-discrimination policy, which reflects the Sturm College of Law’s and the University of Denver’s values.  To post a job or recruit our students on or off campus, employers must agree to this policy.  You may view our EEO policy here.

  Recruiting Timelines & Guidelines

  The Career Development Office at Sturm College of Law has adopted the following recommended guidelines for posting a position and/or recruiting our students for positions.  These guidelines are intended for the mutual benefit of and transparent communication between employers, students, and our office.  We also educate our students and recommend that students demonstrate professionalism and appropriate communication during all phases of the recruiting and hiring process

  • 1L Recruiting Timeline:  November 1

  To facilitate a smooth beginning to law school, we recommend that employers wait until on or after November 1 to begin outreach to 1L students.  Employers with earlier fall application deadlines interested in 1L students may contact our office to discuss.

  • Open Offer Period:  Under most circumstances, we recommend employers allow students/candidates a minimum of 10-14 days from the date of a written offer to consider the offer and accept or decline.
  • Offer Extensions:  We recommend extensions be granted by employers for a reasonable time period, under the circumstances, when timely requested by a student/candidate.
  • On-Campus Interviews (OCI) are held in early August through mid-September annually for rising upper level (2L, 3L and Part-time Professional JD) students.  Employer registration opens in late March/early April.  OCI is also available in the spring semester for interested employers.
  • Job Postings (outside of OCI):  We are happy to post a position for employers at any time throughout the year on our Symplicity site for student, entry-level, or alumni positions.  Contact our office to discuss and for assistance in posting.

   

  ADA Compliance and Accommodations

  The University of Denver Sturm College of Law is committed to providing facilities that are accessible to persons with and without disabilities.  If you are visiting the law school for recruiting, programs, or meetings, please contact our office with any special accommodation requests. 

• OCI

  Denver Law's Fall 2023 On-Campus Interview Sessions

  Session 1: AUG 2 – 4 (Virtual Only)  /  AUG 7 – 30 (Virtual or In-Person Option)
  Session 1B: AUG. 8 – AUG. 19 (Virtual or In-Person)
  Session 2: SEPT 11 – OCT 13 (Virtual or In-Person Option)
  
  Online Registration is Now Open

  
  The Office of Career Development & Opportunities (CDO) invites you to participate in one of our Fall 2022 On-Campus Interview Sessions. This fall we will have three session options, with virtual and in-person availability (subject to COVID-19 conditions and requirements at that time). Whether you are seeking students for summer, school-year, or post-grad positions, our office stands ready to assist and connect you with our students and graduates. In addition to our Fall OCI, we are happy to post a position at any time that best meets your hiring needs. We will also host a Spring OCI in February 2023. Please reach out to discuss the various options and timing that work best for you.

  FALL 2023 OCI REGISTRATION DETAILS:

  • Our Fall On-Campus Interview program will have two sessions, so that you may choose the timing and format that best meets your needs:
    • Fall 2023 OCI Session 1:  AUG 2 – AUG 4 (Virtual Only) / AUG 7 – AUG 30 (Virtual or In-Person Option)
    • Fall 2022 OCI Session 2: SEPT 11 – OCT 13 (Virtual or In-Person Option)
    • Note on Virtual v. In-Person Interviews: Employers often ask whether students prefer or find in-person interviews more helpful. Based on our communications with students, there is no strong preference either way for the initial OCI rounds (and virtual makes it easier for some students to participate in early August). We at Denver Law are happy to host you virtually or in-person, as you prefer. For 2^nd Round/Callback interviews, students do find in-person interviews at the firm or organization to be especially helpful.
    • Resume Collect: If you prefer, you may sign up for a Resume Collect through this same OCI registration link. We will then send you a packet of applications after the summer deadline (mid-July for Session 1; Session 2 dates will vary), and you may reach out directly to candidates to schedule interviews.

  REGISTER HERE 

  • Employers already having a DU Law Careers Online Symplicity account will simply login, select one of the two sessions in the drop-down (Session 1 or Session 2, depending on your desired day and format), and sign up for a date preference (Request Schedule). 
  • New Employers/Users will click the link, select the “Sign Up” Tab to the upper right, and receive instructions for setting up a DU Law Careers Online Symplicity account; then proceed as above to select one of the three sessions from the drop-down, and select a date preference. 
  • If you have difficulties registering or need your login reset, please email careers@law.du.edu for assistance.

  • In completing your registration, please be as specific and detailed as possible on your criteria/skills (preferred/required), job description, offices and practice areas for which you are interviewing/hiring, materials requested, and any other details unique to your program or position. Including a link to your website is also very helpful. This information may also be updated after you register, closer to OCI, as we know you may still be determining certain information.

  • Per Colorado Law, please include salary information in your posting (monthly, weekly, or hourly rate or range; or link to that information on your website).

  • Register early for best selection of dates. The number of employers per day is limited. You will receive an email confirmation, with your confirmed interview date. More specific information on our OCI process will be provided and coordinated after registration, closer to your OCI date.  

  • A fee of $300 will be charged for firms and organizations recruiting through OCI this fall. We will waive this fee for government and non-profit agencies, and for firms or organizations participating in OCI for the first time (or coming back to participate after a few years away from OCI). If the fee will present an economic hardship, please reach out to our office to discuss.
    • Checks should be made payable to the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and mailed to: Theresa Baker, Sturm College of Law, 2255 E. Evans Ave., Suite 215, Denver, CO 80208. Please reference OCI on your check.
    • If you prefer to make your payment online, please do so here: OCI ONLINE PAYMENT. Reach out to careers@law.du.edu for assistance as needed.
    • If you need to cancel your OCI for any reason, you will receive a full refund by notifying us of such cancellation by June 30 (for Session 1) and by September 1 (for Session 2; unless you register after this date). After these dates, no refund will be available.

  
  CONNECTING & ENGAGING WITH OUR STUDENTS:

  We want to help you connect and engage with our students in advance of OCI, and we thank you for meeting with our students individually when they reach out to learn more about your firm, agency or organization. We are organizing some additional opportunities for OCI employers to connect (see below). We will follow up with dates and how to sign up.

  • Virtual Pre-OCI Connection Event (late May)
  • Employer Expo / July 20, 2023 (In-Person at Denver Law):  Meet our students after applications are submitted and ahead of OCI interview selection (more information will be sent to employers who register for OCI)
  • Mock Interview Day / July 26, 2023:  Attorneys can volunteer to conduct virtual mock interviews to help students prepare for the upcoming OCI session – we welcome volunteers, whether or not you participate in OCI!

  Additionally, OCI employers are welcome to connect with our students in other ways, including:

  • Employer Spotlight or Info Session: Attorneys and others from your firm/organization can host an information session, firm/organization networking event, or short (30-minute) group coffee chat with interested students (we will coordinate with you on timing and promotion to students; we can also facilitate through Zoom if virtual)
  • Provide us with a list of attorneys from your firm/organization who are interested in meeting 1x1 with students in advance of OCI

  We look forward to introducing you to our students through FALL 2023 OCI, or at any time you wish to connect. Thank you for making opportunities available to our students and graduates!

  — Gayle Keahey, Director of External Relations (Private & Public Sectors), gkeahey@law.du.edu.

• Resources for Outside Organizations and Events

  Denver Law appreciates the legal community’s willingness to offer a plethora of programs and pathways that support students’ legal careers. Such engagement often offers meaningful opportunities for students to pursue externships and secure jobs, grow their networks, and develop mentorship relationships with practitioners. They can also help students build confidence and expand their knowledge of the profession and legal practice. To help ensure such opportunities are implemented and disseminated in inclusive and supportive ways, Denver Law shares these best practices to assist outside/external organizations in their event planning and advertising to the Denver Law student community. We strongly encourage outside/external organizations to adhere to these practices. If you have any questions, please contact Assoc. Dean Alexi Freeman at afreeman@law.du.edu.