Last Friday, the CDO hosted an information session with a panel of attorneys who practice in various federal government agencies including: Bam Viloria Gresset of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Andrea Wilkes of the National Labor Relations Board, and Keith Hill of the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The panel discussed their experiences working for the government and offered advice for applying for internships and entry-level positions with the federal government, including through the Honor's Program. The students learned tips on cover letters, applications, résumés, interviewing, and how to distinguish themself on the job, while networking with these attorneys.
Each of the attorneys provided wonderful insight into their particular careers, the work they did, and ways to make their applications for positions with the federal government as competitive as possible. Andrea Wilkes of the NLRB commented that the most important thing when applying for a position as an attorney with the federal government is timing. The agency must have the right amount of funding, there must be a vacancy, and the office must have work. She also commented that the NLRB always has a number of volunteer interns and externs from Tulane and those people are the first ones she considers when filling an opening. Bam Viloria Gresset, a Tulane Law alumna, added that HUD has a specific succession plan in place to replace the large number of federal workers that will be retiring in the next 10 years by hiring a number of entry-level attorneys every year. Keith Hill finished with this advice, “have a vision about your life and wrap that vision around your passions.” The common theme that permeated the program by all of the speakers was the importance of volunteering your time with agencies in order to show your passion for their work. The panelists were both inspiring and insightful; we are very grateful they shared their time and experiences with us.
Thanks to Amanda Moeller for organizing this program and for reporting on it!