William & Mary Law School Recruiting Policy
William & Mary Law School Recruiting Guidelines & Policies
William & Mary Law School establishes these Recruiting Guidelines & Policies in the spirit of professionalism, fairness, and reasonableness to:
- protect the interests of students and employers;
- provide a positive and successful recruiting environment; and
- position law students to be as successful as possible in their job search activities while allowing students to pursue their studies meaningfully.
William & Mary Law School adopts in full NALP’s Principles for a Fair and Ethical Recruitment Process published by NALP in December 2018 and as amended from time to time (https://www.nalp.org/fair_ethical_recruitment). Our students and the employers that recruit them are expected to act ethically and reasonably throughout all aspects of the recruiting and hiring processes.
Conflicts with any of the guidelines or policies outlined in this document should be reported to the Associate Dean for Career Services or the Assistant Dean for Employer Relations.
I. Prohibition of Discriminatory Practices and Harassment, Including Sexual Harassment
This document incorporates the William & Mary Law School Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy, which provides:
Unless otherwise constrained by law, William & Mary Law School is committed to providing an environment for its students and employees that is free from (1) discrimination based on any personal factor unrelated to qualifications or performance such as, without limitation, race or color, citizenship, national origin or ethnicity, ancestry, religion or creed, political affiliation or belief, age, sex or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, marital status, pregnancy status, parental status, height, weight, military service, veteran status, caretaker status, or family medical or genetic information and (2) harassment, including sexual harassment. William & Mary also provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by law.
In fulfillment of this policy and prior to using the services or facilities of William & Mary Law School's Office of Career Services (including, but not limited to the posting of jobs and participating in the Law School’s on- and off-campus interview programs), prospective employers, except those employers exempt by federal regulations and/or Virginia law, (1) acknowledge that they have read and understand this policy, (2) agree that their recruiting and employment practices are consistent with this policy, and (3) agree that they will not engage in any discriminatory or harassing behavior that violates this policy. William & Mary Law School reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend or terminate an employer’s use of its services or facilities if the employer engages in conduct or behavior that is inconsistent with this policy.
As required in the Code of Virginia for public institutions of higher education, and under threat of loss of federal funding, the Law School permits military recruiters to engage in recruiting activities at the Law School, despite certain military recruiting and hiring policies that may be inconsistent with this non-discrimination policy.
Moreover, the William & Mary Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Discriminatory Harassment, Retaliation & Sexual Misconduct and Policy Prohibiting Title IX Sexual Harassment and Gender-Based Harassment may apply to conduct by employers while on the William & Mary campus or attending William & Mary activities, events, or programs. See https://www.wm.edu/offices/ce/policies/audit-risk-and-compliance/discrimination.php and https://www.wm.edu/offices/ce/policies/audit-risk-and-compliance/title-ix.php.
II. Guidelines for Employers
Recognizing that recruiting and hiring practices and timelines may vary depending on the location, size, and needs of each employer, we ask that employers recruiting our students consider the following:
A. With respect to the timing and nature of offers of employment and the amount of time students are given to respond to an offer of summer or post-graduate employment, we request that employers treat William & Mary Law School students no less favorably than students from any other law school. For example:
Firm A extends summer associate offers to students from School X and students from William & Mary. If Firm A gives the students from School X 21 days to respond to those offers, Firm A should give the William & Mary students no fewer than 21 days to respond.
B. All offers of summer and post-graduate employment in the private sector are requested to be made in writing and to remain open for at least 14 days. All offers of summer and post-graduate employment in the public sector are requested to be made in writing and to remain open for at least 7 days. (Section II(B) does not apply to externships. If you have questions about deadlines for responding to externship offers, please refer to the Law School’s Externship Manual on SharePoint, as amended from time to time, or speak with the Externship Office. Section II(B) also does not apply to internship offers or post-graduate employment offers extended by judges or courts.)
C. Consistent with Section II(B), we request that employers grant reasonable requests for extensions of time for students to consider and respond to offers. When students are afforded the time to reach an informed, thoughtful decision, they are far more likely to be confident in that decision. We will encourage students who have been granted extensions to remain in active contact with the employer.
D. Employers are discouraged from scheduling interviews during times that conflict with students’ (1) class schedules, (2) reading days for exams, (3) exam periods, and (4) to the extent possible, summer jobs. If an employer asks to schedule an interview that would conflict with reading days or final exams and the student requests an interview date after the student’s last final exam, the employer should accommodate that request. The current academic calendar with Exam Schedule is posted at https://law.wm.edu/academics/academiccalendar/.
E. Employers seeking an exception to these guidelines based on their particular circumstances should contact the Associate Dean for Career Services.
In addition to the foregoing:
- Consistent with our non-discrimination policy outlined in Section I above, employers will ensure that all personnel engaged in recruiting and hiring our students will provide recruiting and hiring environments free from discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment.
- Employers are expected to comply with all federal and state employment laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, laws and regulations regarding wage, hour, and salary transparency.
William & Mary Law School reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend or terminate an employer’s use of its services or facilities if the employer engages in conduct or behavior that is inconsistent with and does not adhere to these guidelines.
III. Policies for Students
A. General Policies
Student conduct under this document is governed by, and subject to enforcement under, the following policies, as amended from time to time:
- The College of William & Mary Student Handbook and the Honor Code contained within the Handbook
- The William & Mary Law School J.D. Student Policy Handbook
- The William & Mary Law School Standards of Conduct in the Job Search
- The William & Mary Law School On- and Off-Campus Interview Program Attendance Policies
Students should strive to the greatest extent possible to avoid scheduling recruiting activities, including interviews, during scheduled class times, reading days, and exam periods. Conflicts between classes and scheduled interviews may be unavoidable. Students should consult with faculty regarding potential missed classes before scheduling interviews in order to comply with class attendance requirements. If an employer asks to schedule an interview during reading days or final exams, the student should ask the employer to schedule their interview after their last final exam.
C. Policies for Student Conduct with Respect to Acceptance, Reaffirmation, and Number of Offers of Employment
Students should make offer decisions in a timely manner and only use all available time if necessary to make an informed decision. By the applicable deadline, students should accept or release offers or request an extension of the period of time to consider the offer. Students should understand that requests for extensions of deadlines may not be granted by employers and that offers not accepted by the offer deadline may be deemed to have expired.
If an employer’s offer includes a provision requiring the student to reaffirm interest at some point while that offer is pending, the student should abide by that provision and should understand that the employer may revoke the offer for failure to abide by that provision.
A student should not hold more than five offers of employment open at any one time. For each offer received that places a student over the offer limit, the student should, within one week of the excess offer, release an offer.
IV. Reporting and Investigation of Conduct Inconsistent with This Policy
Employers are requested to report any conduct inconsistent with this Policy to the Associate Dean for Career Services, the Assistant Dean for Employer Relations, or the Recruiting Program Administrator.
Students are requested to report any conduct inconsistent with this Policy to the Associate Dean of Career Services or any Assistant Dean within OCS.
Following a report of conduct inconsistent with this policy, the Associate Dean will communicate with the affected student; subsequent actions will depend on the specific circumstances and are subject to the discretion of the Associate Dean and the relevant regulations, laws, and William & Mary policies.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us:
Michael J. Ende
Associate Dean for Career Services
mjende@wm.edu | (757) 221-3811
Ramona J. Sein
Assistant Dean for Employer Relations
rjsein@wm.edu | (757) 221-7686
Melissa Orendorff
Recruiting Program Administrator
mmorendorff@wm.edu | (757) 221-4617