Statement of Student Professionalism

By providing opportunities for learning to conduct an effective job search, becoming familiar with career options, and gaining practical experience, William & Mary School of Law’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. With this framework in mind, please read this document and print your name, sign, and date it at the bottom of page 2.  Keep the duplicate for your records.  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 comply with the convention outlined in the OCS Information and Resource Inventory.
• Assure that voicemail/answering machine 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 will assure that material which employers or bar licensing officials may deem inappropriate or unprofessional is removed.
• Accept responsibility for staying informed about OCS policies, procedures, programs, resources, and employment opportunities by reading the OCS Career Planning Manual, The Docket, email messages from OCS, and notices from OCS placed in my hanging file.
• Adhere to all instructions and deadlines in my dealings with OCS and employers.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 National Association for Law Placement’s Principles and Standards for Law Placement and Recruitment Activities.
• 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 the National Association for Law Placement.
• Keep a copy of this Statement of Student Professionalism for future reference.