The University of South Carolina School of Law will be well-represented at the upcoming National Association for Law Placement’s 2021 Annual Education Conference, participating in two concurrent panels on Thursday, April 29 at noon.
Both Elisabeth Beal and Elizabeth Crane ‘16, respectively the director and associate director of the Office of Career & Professional Development, will present the forward-thinking programs they helped develop to broaden opportunities for law students and make them more marketable upon graduation.
During her session, “COVID-19 Summer Triage & Lessons from Operating in Critical Conditions,” Beal will share how her office was able to quickly pivot in the wake of the pandemic to create the Foundations for Professional Success Summer Series. This voluntary program helped students strengthen the practical skills they learned during the school year and build professional contacts that would help them overcome the challenges presented by the disruption of clerkship opportunities last summer.
“While this past year presented significant challenges, we were so pleased to have an opportunity to develop and launch an innovative new professional development boot camp to support our students’ growth during the strange summer of 2020,” says Beal. “As the program we built has been instrumental in guiding our thinking about how to create innovative career and professional development services going forward, I appreciate this opportunity to share some insights with my NALP colleagues.”
Elizabeth Crane, meanwhile, will discuss state and specialty federal judicial clerkships and how to support students navigating these particular clerkship searches during her session, “Beyond Article III Courts – State and Specialty Federal Clerkship Opportunities.”
“Most students and professionals are familiar with state and federal trial and appellate courts within their state or region and the clerkship opportunities within those courts,” says Crane. “However, many state and federal specialty courts offering judicial clerkships in specific substantive legal areas go unnoticed.”
Crane and her fellow panelists will share resources to help attendees identify and locate these positions and offer tips on how they can assist students in marketing themselves for these unique opportunities.
“I hope attendees leave the presentation with a better understanding of the wide variety of judicial clerkship opportunities available in diverse substantive legal areas and locations and feel confident advising students about these wonderful opportunities,” she says.
The NALP Annual Education Conference brings together law school and legal employer members to discuss a variety of topics, including career counseling, entry-level and lateral recruiting, lawyer and law student professional development, diversity management, and more. This year’s conference will be virtual and will be held April 26-30. Registration is now open.