Statement of Student Professionalism

By providing opportunities for you to learn to conduct an effective job search, to become familiar with career options, and to gain practical experience, William & Mary Law School’s Office of Career Services (OCS) welcomes its role in establishing a professional development partnership with you. We take our responsibilities seriously; it is important that you, too, take seriously your role in this partnership.  

Attorneys are expected to abide by a shared code of conduct governing ethics, courtesy, and personal and professional responsibility. They also must keep track of and attend client meetings, business appointments, and court dates. Law students should exhibit professionalism in these areas as well.  

During the first semester of your first year, you will be required to read the below document, sign and date it and return the form to OCS. Returning this form is a prerequisite for receiving your Symplicity ID and password and for applying for William & Mary summer public service funding.

This Statement of Student Professionalism does not supplant or alter the Honor Code or provisions of the Student Handbook.

I agree to:

• Assure that email I use for job search and employment purposes will be professional and will comply with the conventions outlined in the OCS Information and Resource Inventory. 
• Assure that voicemail messages I use for job search and employment purposes will be professional.
• Conduct periodic searches about myself to monitor content on social networking and other Web sites. I realize that I should select privacy settings so that bar licensing authorities and prospective employers will not be able to view material which they may deem inappropriate or unprofessional.  I understand that something is inappropriate or unprofessional in this context if it would not be included on a prospective employer’s Web site or marketing materials. 
• Take responsibility for statements I make in print publications and posts to blogs and Twitter because of the potential adverse effects those statements may have on my job search and admission to the bar.
• Accept responsibility for staying informed about OCS policies, procedures, programs, resources, and employment opportunities by reading the OCS Career Planning Manual, the OCS Biweekly Bulletin, email messages from OCS, Symplicity announcements, and notices from OCS placed in my hanging file.
• Adhere to all instructions and deadlines in my dealings with OCS and employers.
• Provide accurate information in all resumes, cover letters, transcripts, writing samples, and other materials provided for purposes of securing employment and during the interview process.  If I am unsure about how to characterize an item in any document, or how to handle a matter in an interview, I will consult OCS staff before submitting materials or interviewing.
• Upload my resume and other materials on Symplicity and keep them updated and accurate.
• Keep appointments, whether for an advising session with OCS staff or an OCS program requiring an RSVP.  If unusual circumstances prevent my doing so, I will provide a timely explanation to OCS.
• Exhibit courtesy, respect, and professionalism in dealing with my classmates, alumni, networking contacts, law school personnel, and employers and their staff members.
• Conduct reasonable research about employers before bidding on Symplicity, applying for jobs listed through OCS, or applying directly to employers.
• Be prepared for on-campus, job fair, in-office, and call back interviews.
• Respond, in a timely manner, to employer requests for additional information – either by providing the information or advising the employer that I am withdrawing from further consideration.
• Attend all initial and callback interviews, obtained through on-campus interviews or job fairs, or resulting from resume forwardings, job listings, or my own direct applications.  If I decide to decline an interview or to cancel an interview already scheduled because I have changed my plans, I will provide advance and timely notice to the employer and OCS.  If unavoidable and unforeseen circumstances prevent my attending an interview and providing advance and timely notice, I will promptly notify the employer and OCS.
• Read and abide by the Principles and Standards for Law Placement and Recruitment Activities of NALP, The Association for Legal Career Professionals, at www.nalp.org/principles. 
• Honor my commitment once I have accepted an offer of employment.  I will promptly withdraw all pending applications and cease seeking employment or entertaining other offers once I have accepted an offer.  If extraordinary and unforeseen circumstances require that I modify or be released from my acceptance, I will promptly consult OCS and the employer.
• Keep OCS apprised of my employment status by completing annual surveys about my summer and post-graduate employment, and updating them as circumstances dictate, so that OCS can fulfill its reporting obligations to William & Mary, the American Bar Association, and NALP.
• Keep a copy of this Statement of Student Professionalism for future reference.