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Penn State
Penn State Law | University Park, Pa.
Lewis Katz Building, University Park, PA
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  • The Career Services Office professionals help law students with all phases of the job search process.
  • Penn State Law leverages on-campus recruiting which takes place for the graduate and undergraduate programs.
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Contact Our Staff & Office Policies

Penn State Law's Office of Career Services is here to help answer questions, provide resources, and guide your career journey. We're open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. year round, except on holidays, and available anytime via email at pslcareers@pennstatelaw.psu.edu or the individual email addresses linked below. 

Office address:
011 Lewis Katz Building
University Park, PA 16802
 
Phone: (814) 867-1255
 

Career Services Staff

Sharon Barney, Associate Director

Zara Davis, Associate Director of Employer Engagement

Brenda Porter, Recruitment Manager

Jenna Ciambotti, Administrative Staff Assistant

POLICIES

Non-Discrimination

Interviews and Offers

Reciprocity

Non-Discrimination Policy

Penn State Law is committed to a policy of providing its students and graduates with equal opportunity to obtain employment and does not endorse or support any discrimination in hiring on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, handicap or disability, sexual orientation, or status as a veteran or military reservist, even if any such discrimination has not been held to violate the laws of Pennsylvania or the United States. Continued use of or acceptance of any of our services indicates your commitment that in using the School of Law's facilities for recruitment or for employment interviews, you will adhere to this policy, unless you are a military employer entitled to the special treatment required by 32 C.F.R. 216.4.

 

Interview and Offer Policy

Declining or Canceling an Interview

Once a student has been granted an interview, they may not decline or cancel it, unless they have received another offer. Students should notify the CSO of a cancelation due to an offer as soon as possible. 

Should a student face an unforeseen emergency that prevents them from making their interview, he/she should contact the CSO immediately and the office will do everything it can to reschedule the interview for the student with the employer.

Candidates who cancel an interview, other than for the reasons above, or fail to show up for their interview will be referred to the Associate Dean of Academic and Student Affiars. These students must write a letter of apology to the employer and provide a copy to the CSO and the Dean of Academic and Student Affairs. Candidates who repeat such unprofessional behavior will be denied use of the CSO facilities entirely.

Acceptance and Rejection of Offers

You should accept an offer of employment the same way you received it, e.g. if you receive an offer by phone, you should accept it by phone.  If an employer requires a written acceptance, they will tell you that. 

Without exception, once a student accepts a job, the student must cease sending out application materials.  Absent extraordinary circumstances, once an offer is accepted, all current application materials should be withdrawn from consideration.  Reneging on an accepted offer reflects poorly on the student and the school and may have negative consequences for current and future Penn State Law students.  If a student believes extraordinary circumstances exist, they must contact the Career Services Office.  Violations of the policy can result in sanctions, ranging from loss of use of the Career Services Office to a letter being sent to the State Bar’s Character and Fitness Committee.

When declining an offer or withdrawing your candidacy, express appreciation and let the employer know how difficult the decision was to make.  Expressing appreciation for the offer and communicating the rejection in as timely a fashion as possible will help preserve a cordial relationship with this employer who could someday be a future employer.  It is not inappropriate, nor is it required, for students to indicate whose offer of employment they have accepted. 

Reciprocity

The Career Services Office of Penn State Law provides access to its resources to both students and alumni/ae of law schools on the following basis:

  1. Services are available only to those law schools that allow Penn State Law students and/or alumni/ae reciprocal use of their services and facilities without charge.

  2. Services may be denied to students/graduates of any school seen to surpass a reasonable number of requests or which limits the number of requests by Penn State Law students or graduates.

  3. Requests for services must be made in writing by a Career Counseling official of the law school that the student/graduate attends/attended and must be received in advance of the visit.

  4. Requests for reciprocity will not be honored from August 1 through November 15.

  5. Upon approval, reciprocity will be granted for a period of three months commencing with the date of the approval letter. Services available to reciprocity students/graduates include:

    1. Graduate Job Postings — Access to the Penn State Law Job Postings on Law Lion Careers are accessible to non-alumni that are granted reciprocity for a period of 90 days. This service will not be available to graduates of schools whose reciprocity policy excludes job postings or Internet access to the job postings.

    2. Student Job Postings — Students from other law schools that have been granted reciprocity may actively search Law Lion Careers listings. They will be given instructions and passwords to access Penn State Law's Law Lion Careers for a period of 90 days. This service will not be available to graduates of schools whose reciprocity policy excludes job postings or Internet access to the job postings.

  6. Services not available to reciprocity students/graduates include: Counseling services; on-campus Internet access to the job postings; other password-protected services; telephones; recruitment programs and job fairs.

  7. Penn State Law reserves the right to alter this policy without advance notice.