About TLS Blog

Last week, I attended both the Equal Justice Works Career Fair & Conference and the NALP/PSLawNet Mini-conference on public interest law in Washington, D.C. Tulane University Law School had an impressive presence at the EJW Career Fair & Conference with 16 students having 37 total interviews with employers as far reaching as the Alaska Public Defender Agency and as close to home as the Orleans Public Defenders. Several more students participated in table talk interviews with several of the more than 115 employers participating in the career fair. I personally met with representatives from the Southern Public Defender Training Center to find out exactly what they were looking for in applicants to the Public Defender Corps fellowship program.

Prior to the EJW Career Fair/Conference, I attended the NALP/PSLawNet Mini-conference, hosted by the Washington D.C. office of Arnold & Porter LLP. Along with over 100 of my closest career development colleagues, we discussed many pressing issues facing public interest law students as they seek summer and permanent employment. Of particular interest to all in attendance was the critical data from the PSLawNet Public Interest Employer Survey in the responses to what public interest employers look for in potential job candidates: a demonstrated commitment to public interest law, experience in clinical field placements (i.e. externships and clinical programs), bilingual skills, simulated litigation in either trial advocacy coursework or mock trial experience, “people skills” through client contact & interaction, and relevant coursework.

Both conferences provided great opportunities for me to network with my public interest colleagues, but more importantly, the Tulane Law students who attended EJW got the invaluable experience of networking face-to-face with public interest employers. A great time was had by all!

-Preston Meche
Public Interest Counselor, CDO

A few days ago, the Career Development Office hosted Captain Jacob Marshall of the U.S. Air Force JAG. Captain Marshall discussed his career as a JAG officer with the Air Force, the benefits of a career with the military, and the different practice areas that Air Force JAG Officers encounter. Prior to this event, Tulane Law School students were invited to participate in the Annual Air Force JAG Keystone Conference which was held in New Orleans. At this event, we heard three wonderful presentations including one by Holly Petraeus, wife of General Petraeus. After the presentations, we were invited to speak with one of the three officers sitting on the Board of decision makers for accepting the new Air Force JAG Officers. This provided a unique opportunity for students to learn how to strengthen their applications.

A career as a JAG Officer offers many benefits. There is a wide range of practice areas including criminal law, family law, contracts, cyber law, and international law. Attorneys can gain a critical advantage as they are exposed to a myriad of practice areas and given a great deal of responsibility very early in their career. Every year, Tulane Law School graduates a number of students that go on to careers as JAG Officers and we are very proud of their service.

On October 3, 2011, the US Senate unanimously confirmed Tulane Law School alumna Nanette Jolivette-Brown (Law ’88, LLM ’98) to a US District Court judgeship in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Ms. Jolivette-Brown has served as City Attorney for the City of New Orleans since May 2010 and has also worked at a private firm in New Orleans. Her confirmation got me thinking about all of the amazing alums that represent Tulane Law School within the federal and state judiciary. Ms. Jolivette-Brown joins four fellow Tulane Law alums who currently serve as US District Judges in the Eastern District, as well as three US Magistrates in that court. We are also lucky to have three alums representing Tulane at the US Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. We have over 20 alumni serving as judges in federal courts across the country, including the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and various district courts, including the Eastern District of New York, Middle District of Pennsylvania and Southern District of Mississippi, just to name a few. In addition, we have over 50 alumni working as state court judges across the country. We are so proud of Nanette Jolivette-Brown and all of the Tulane Law School graduates who represent us as esteemed members of the judiciary.