Careers at VLGS
For Current Students and Alumni
Symplicity is VLGS’s platform where we post jobs for current students and graduates with less than five years of experience. It contains links to password-protected employment websites we subscribe to that reference specific subject matter—such as Environmental Law Career Opportunities, PSJD (public interest jobs), law student jobs, law school graduate jobs, and many others. The site also contains useful handouts, templates, and other helpful information. To obtain access to your password, call the office of Career Services (OCS) at 802-831-1243 or email Shelly Parker at [email protected].
Symplicity Job Board
For Alumni
VLGS offers professional employment assistance for alumni considering a change in their career. Whether you are a recent grad seeking your first job or are an experienced professional seeking something new, we can help you develop a job search plan, review your application materials, and help you find relevant positions. In addition, we work with the Alumni Office to help connect you to other graduates for networking or insights on possible jobs. Specific career services are detailed below, but please reach out to us to get the process started.
Develop a Career Plan
Navigating your career path can be overwhelming. That is why VLGS career center offers individual career coaching to help develop a customized strategic plan for your next career move. Whether we end up serving as a one-time sounding board or play a more involved role in helping you explore different legal jobs and law career options, we firmly believe that having a well-defined plan is essential for progress and success.
To schedule a telephone or in-person appointment, call 802-831-1243 or email Susan Doheny at [email protected].
Maximize Your Job Application Materials
It is easy to forget how important your application materials are in the alumni job search. We will help you identify and define your strengths and convey them in your application materials, ensuring that your resume, cover letters, and other materials effectively showcase your qualifications for specific positions.
Maximize Your Job Application Materials
Recognizing the challenges of finding job opportunities and securing interviews, Vermont Law and Graduate School career services offers assistance in connecting you with opportunities through networking and outreach
All graduates may join the Vermont Law and Graduate School Alumni group on LinkedIn for networking and our Career Services group on Facebook where we post jobs on a daily basis. This is a closed group so you will need to request to be added.
Judicial Clerkship Guide
The Career Services Office at Vermont Law and Graduate School has published the “Guide to State Court Judicial Clerkship Procedures” since 1994.
We created the guide because our students were interested in serving as judicial law clerks across the country and rapidly discovered that each state hired law clerks in its own special way. We then began selling the guide because we assumed that the information would be beneficial to other students as well. We have used the proceeds from its sale to help fund public interest work for our students. Twenty years later, our graduates continue to pursue state court clerkships throughout the United States and we still find that each state goes its own way when it comes to hiring clerks. We hope you find the latest edition of the guide to be a useful resource.
For Employers: Why Hire From VLGS?
Because Vermont Law and Graduate School Students are Diverse, Dedicated, Accomplished, and Experienced.
VLGS students receive a strong background in traditional legal studies. We offer a variety of specializations including climate, energy, criminal, restorative justice, business, food and agriculture, international and comparative, land use and water resources law. In addition, many of our students take advantage of our full-time Externship and and Clinical Programs, which provide opportunities to gain hands-on experience working on real cases. This combination of academic preparation and experience allows our students to work effectively on a range of issues in a global market.
Because Vermont Law and Graduate School Has a Top-Ranked Environmental Program.
U.S. News & World Report consistently names Vermont Law and Graduate School as having one of the best environmental law programs in the nation. VLGS has been ranked first in the nation numerous times since the environmental specialty rankings began in 1991, and has always been among the top-ranked schools every other year.
We also offer a traditional attorney career path with specialties such as tax law, criminal law, restorative justice, and business law.
Because Employers are Satisfied.
“VLGS students are talented, energetic, committed, and willing to work extremely hard to produce, as well as pleasant and easy to work with, all of which combine to make them ideal additions to any legal team, especially when deadlines are short and pressures are high.” – Kathryn Macdonald, trial attorney, USDOJ ENRD, Environmental Enforcement Section
Employer Services
The Office of Career Services is committed to helping you find the best candidates possible for summer and entry-level positions. Our services include:
Job Posting Service
Career Services provides students and alumni with access to password-protected online job and internship postings. If you would like to post a job or internship, please email Shelly Parker, [email protected]. There is no cost associated with this service. Contact Shelly Parker at [email protected] with questions.
On-Campus and Online Interviews
The Office of Career Services is happy to help coordinate all aspects of an on-campus/online interview, including collecting résumés, arranging student interviews, and coordinating other criteria specified by the employer. To take advantage of this service, please contact Shelly Parker at [email protected]. There is no cost associated with this service.
Resume Collection
Career Services will organize resumé collections based on the criteria specified by the employer. We encourage employers to allow at least two weeks from the listing of a position to the receipt of résumés from our office. Please request a résumé collection by contacting Shelly Parker at [email protected]. There is no cost associated with this service.