Non-Traditional/Alternative Careers for Lawyers: Websites of Interest
Based on information prepared by NALP Alternative Careers Committee, Fall 2003. Updated by UT Law Career Services, Fall 2008
I. General Job Search
http://www.attorneyjobs.com
While the best resources on alternative jobs found on this site require a monthly fee, the rates are quite reasonable and may well be worth the investment for a few months.
www.bls.gov
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, maintains this extraordinarily detailed web site. Of particular interest to the alternative career seeker are descriptions of major industries and compensation data for hundreds of occupations.
www.careerjournal.com
This site, sponsored by the Wall Street Journal, features job search news, tips, discussion groups, and a database of job listings searchable by job title or description.
http://www.hg.org/empchange.html
Hieros Gamos Career Center maintains a special section on changing jobs and career change generally.
www.job-hunt.org
This comprehensive site contains job search tips, recent news articles, and links to tons of other resources. Search for job resources by location or industry/profession. The site has links to great general job search information. Be sure to check out The Online Job Search Guide.
www.jobhuntersbible.com
This is Dick Bolles’ job search web site that is intended to serve as a companion to this book “What Color is Your Parachute?” It’s a great resource – full of articles, links, tips, tools, and even fun lists (e.g., Ten Best Jobs for People who…).
http://www.lexisnexis.com
On the LexisNexis homepage, click on “Careers” at the top, then select your country to find positions with Lexis Nexis.
www.opportunityknocks.org
Look for nonprofit jobs and career opportunities on this site. Registration to receive email alerts of open positions matching your interests is free.
www.rileyguide.com
This is a well-known guide to online job search articles and resources.
www.thomsoncareers.com
The Thomson Corporation, which owns Westlaw, among its many holdings, lists careers with the company through its web site.
www.vault.com
This is a comprehensive job search site, which provides job listings, as well as company-specific message boards. Vault produces various career guides for law students and other professionals.
www.wetfeet.com
This is a great general job search resource providing career research information as well as job search resources. Check out company, career, or industry profiles to learn more about the job options that are available.
http://scoti.ohio.gov/scoti_lexs/
Workforce 411- Ohio’s Statewide Job Matching System. Free registration to browse jobs in Ohio by category.
www.careerbuilder.com
Large collection of various jobs. Narrow your search by industry, location, keyword, or field of interest.
II. Business
www.aimr.com
The Association for Investment Management and Research provides education for investment managers and analysts, as well as promotes high professional standards. The Association also oversees examination and awarding of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.
www.amanet.org
Maintained by the American Management Association, this site offers a full range of management development and educational services for business professionals.
www.amcf.org
The Association of Management Consulting Firms is an international association of firms engaged in the practice of consulting to management.
www.apics.org
The American Production and Inventory Control Society is the source of expertise in resource management for manufacturing and service industries. Registration is required for job bank access.
www.astd.org
The American Society for Training & Development is a leading professional organization and resource for workplace training and performance issues. A job bank is included on the web site.
www.imcusa.org
The Institute of Management Consultants USA is a national professional association representing management consultants. It awards the CMC (Certified Management Consultant) certification mark.
www.managementconsultingnews.com
This web site provides subscribers a free newsletter via e-mail covering the management consulting industry.
www.marketingpower.com
One of the largest organizations for marketers, the American Marketing Association maintains this site, which provides career and salary information, as well as job bank listings.
www.shrm.org
The Society for Human Resource Management is the world’s largest organization devoted to human resource management. The site provides links to resources, local chapters and job banks.
www.sia.com
The Securities Industry Association is an organization of 600+ securities firms, including investment banks, broker-dealers and mutual fund companies, active in all phases of corporate and public finance.
III. Court administration
www.judges.org
The National Judicial College (NJC) is the nation’s leading judicial training and education institution.
The State Justice Institute (SJI) was established by Federal law in 1984 to award grants to improve the quality of justice in State courts, facilitate better coordination between State and Federal courts, and foster innovative, efficient solutions to common problems faced by all courts
http://www.uscourts.gov/
Click on “Employment,” then “Employment Opportunities in the Federal Judiciary,” then on the “Search for Jobs” to find open positions within the Federal Judiciary.
The National Center for State Courts created this site as a gathering place for job seekers to browse open court positions.
[Consult the Administrative Office of Courts in your preferred state for a list of available job openings and their requirements.]
IV. Government
A. Federal Government
http://www.attorneyjobs.com
Federal Reports maintains the Legal Career Center. This site contains an extensive database of attorney and law-related positions in a variety of settings, including federal, state and local government. Attorney Jobs also includes JD Preferred – Alternative Legal Careers for Lawyers, which is a useful resource for any student considering non-traditional legal careers. Students will also find a number of helpful pages on the site including resume and interviewing tips and federal and state government application forms, which can be downloaded.
http://www.calltoserve.org
The Partnership for Public Service has joined with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to develop a national initiative, A Call to Serve: Leaders in Education Allied for Public Service. This initiative is designed to educate a new generation about the importance of a strong civil service, help re-establish links between federal agencies and campuses, and provide students with information about federal jobs. This site includes information regarding applying for federal employment, contains profiles of various opportunities with federal agencies (throughout the country), and links to each agency’s main and job listing web pages. It profiles specific federal opportunities by interest areas such as Economics, Education, Health, Human Resources, Law Enforcement, and Public Relations.
http://www.fedjobs.com/
The Federal Research Service is a private organization which maintains a searchable database of federal government jobs. Choose an occupation and narrow your search by location, agency, and other criteria.
http://www.fedworld.gov
This site provides general career related information in the federal government and databases containing law-related positions in various federal agencies.
http://www.firstgov.gov
This is the official U.S. gateway to all government information on the Internet. This comprehensive site provides links to all federal entities in the three branches of government.
http://www.pmf.opm.gov
This site details the Presidential Management Fellows Program, a federal program designed to groom graduate students for upper-level management positions in the federal government. The site provides lists of agencies and their departments and offices that hire PMF’s.
http://www.usajobs.opm.gov
The Federal Government’s Office of Personnel Management announces all of its jobs across the country on this newly revamped site. This site allows to you search for government positions by agency, location, and series. Series include traditional legal positions such as Attorney and Law Clerk in addition to numerous law-related positions including Criminal Investigator, Equal Employment Opportunity, and General Investigator. The site also includes a Career Interest Guide section which allows you to select an occupation based on your interests or based upon a career area.
B. State Government
http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs042.htm
The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides information on state and local government describing the nature of the industry, related occupations, working conditions, earnings and outlook for the industry.
http://www.hg.org/usstates.html
This page on the Heiros Gamos web site contains links to state government resources for all the US states, as well as to associations dealing with state and government municipalities and other related sites. It provides a very comprehensive list of links and is a wonderful starting place for conducting research.
http://www.naag.org/
The website of the National Association of Attorneys General provides access to research, news, and links to the Attorney Generals Office for each state.
http://www.statejobs.com
View job listings by industry, including state and local government opportunities, and post a resume on-line. This site contains state and federal government job listings as well as Fortune 500 listings.
http://www.statelocalgov.net/index.cfm
This site provides state government links for all 50 states. Click on the state that interests you and find links to the state home page, Statewide Offices, Legislative branch, Judicial branch, Executive branch, Boards & Commissions, Cities, Counties, Towns, and Libraries for each state. Additional resources are also available on national organizations for state government employees, regional governments, and other related topics. This is a wonderful starting point for locating state government information!
http://agency.governmentjobs.com/ohio/default.cfm
Search available State of Ohio government jobs.
Political/Legislative
http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/kfountain/alpha.html
A comprehensive list of Political Advocacy Groups, organized by subject matter.
www.democrats.org
The Democrat National Committee provides helpful information for those interested in liberal politics and causes.
www.gop.org/
The Republican National Committee provides helpful information for those interested in conservative politics and causes.
http://www.house.gov/cao-hr/
This page of the site maintained by the U.S. House of Representatives contains a discussion of employment opportunities at the House.
http://www.opajobs.com
This site contains job listings in government affairs, public relations, legislation, print and broadcast journalism on the Hill, and in non-profits, corporations, and federal agencies in the Washington, DC area. Subscription required.
http://www.rcjobs.com/
The Roll Call, one of Capitol Hill’s political newspapers, lists jobs through these pages on its website.
www.senate.gov
While the U.S. Senate web site does not contain a specific page on employment opportunities there, this general overview may prove useful to job seekers looking for a comprehensive overview of the entity.
Think Tanks
http://www.nira.or.jp/past/
National Institute for Research Advancement is a Japanese organization established to conduct independent research that will contribute to the resolution of various complex issues facing contemporary society. The Institute's research focuses on current and emerging issues in many areas, including politics, economics, international affairs, society, new technologies, and administration. This page of NIRA’s site lists international think tanks, a brief description of their purposes and links to their webpages.
www.politixgroup.com/ttjobs.htm
www.politixgroup.com/dcintern/tt.htm
The Politixgroup is an independently run private organization whose purpose is to increase knowledge and understanding of the political process with the purpose of inspiring early involvement and activism at the local, state and federal levels of government. These two pages provide links to full time employment and internship opportunities with think tanks and partisan organizations
V. Health Care
www.ache.org
The American College of Healthcare Executives is the international organization for healthcare executives. Click on the Career Services tab to search the ACHE job bank and to find a list of healthcare career-related resources. Also check out the Publications section and view the books available on career development. This is a great starting place for information on healthcare management.
http://neuro-www.mgh.harvard.edu/hospitalwebusa.html
This directory of hospitals in the United States provides direct links to hospital web sites.
http://www.healthcarejobstore.com/
This web site is an enormous database of all types of healthcare jobs. Search for jobs by job title, get assistance with preparing a healthcare resume, or post your resume in the employer access database.
http://www.healthcarelawnet.com/
This web site is a comprehensive resource for corporate counsel and healthcare professionals. The Daily Newsfeed provides up-to-date health law news. The Desk Reference section provides an enormous list of links covering everything from legal and business research to healthcare organizations to travel and weather. The Online Forum offers opportunities to participate in online interviews and seminars. Use the site to find out about upcoming healthcare conferences and events.
http://www.healthlawyers.org/
This is the web site of the American Health Lawyers Association. It contains information about relevant news and publications, listserves, related resources, and a national job bank.
http://www.healthleaders.com/index.php
This multimedia company provides information to healthcare professionals through its HealthLeaders Magazine, online news, and relevant research.
http://www.healthmanagementcareers.com/
This site from the American College of Healthcare Executives provides information on what a healthcare executive is and the types of opportunities available within the profession.
http://www.hfma.org/
The Healthcare Financial Management Association is a national professional membership organization. Its web site offers a Job Bank, lists of executive search firms, and resume-referral services (available to members only).
http://www.hhs.gov/
This is the web site for the United States Department of Health and Human Services. It provides information on the various HHS programs and operating divisions. Follow the links to learn more about employment opportunities both for students and graduates.
www.mgma.org
This site, from the Medical Group Management Association, offers information on physician practice management. The Job section contains a job bank and other career resources, including salary and internship information.
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/
This is the on-line version of Modern Healthcare magazine. It is a great source for current healthcare news and hot topics articles. There is a members-only career center and a page of resources with archived articles, surveys, and lists.
http://www.nih.gov/sigs/bioethics/
This comprehensive site, maintained by the National Institutes of Health, provides links to “Bioethics Resources on the Web.” There are links to specific topics, general and federal resources, and organizations of interest. The section on Careers in Bioethics provides job postings and information on post-baccalaureate opportunities.
VI. Legal Education
http://www.aals.org/frs/index.html
The Association of American Law Schools maintains these pages to facilitate the Faculty Recruiting Conference, at which entry-level candidates meet with law school appointments committees each fall. An older, but still relevant, article providing advice on legal teaching is also included.
http://www.law.gonzaga.edu/About-Gonzaga-Law/Institute-for-Law-School-Teaching/default.asp
The Institute for Law School Teaching is a center at Gonazaga University School of Law that focuses on the teaching, as opposed to scholarship, aspect of legal education. While there are no "nuts and bolts" tips on getting a faculty position, this is an interesting site as it highlights the classroom side of legal education.
VII. Media
www.aaaa.org
American Association of Advertising Agencies is a national trade association representing the advertising agency business in the United States. Its membership produces approximately 75 percent of the total advertising volume placed by agencies nationwide.
http://www.aejmc.org
The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication is a non-profit, educational association of journalism and mass communication faculty, administrators, students and media professionals.
www.ajr.org
The American Journalism Review lists news sources and journalism organizations. Also contains a section called “Reporters’ Tools” that lists “reportorial aids from guidelines for searching the Internet to lists of quotable experts, from tips on using public opinion polls to video feeds for television newscasts.”
http://www.business.com/directory/media_and_entertainment/index.asp
The media and entertainment pages of business.com provide information on corporations in the field.
http://career.berkeley.edu/Communications/Communications.stm#journalism
The web site of the Career Center of University of California, Berkeley contains a section on communications careers which lists professional organizations and contains articles about careers in advertising, public relations, broadcasting, journalism, publishing, and writing.
http://careers.cua.edu/explore/mediastudiesresources.htm
The Catholic University of America Career Services Office provides articles about media careers in general and links to job search sites.
www.ipra.org
The International Public Relations Association constitutes an international group of public relations practitioners worldwide, active in promoting the exchange of information and co-operation within the profession, and building a program of professional development opportunities and other initiatives aimed at enhancing the role of public relations in management and international affairs.
http://www.iwantmedia.com/jobs/
This site contains links to media and entertainment job boards and career resources, broken down by industry. For example, the site has separate areas for careers in entertainment, internet, television and radio, etc.
http://www.khake.com/page43.html
The Vocational Information Center maintains this page which serves as a “Broadcast Media and Journalism Career Guide.” It contains links by job descriptions. Each link generally includes information about job duties, job requirements and training needed, and salary. The site also includes links to media and journalism related sites such as union sites, news sites, and other information.
http://www.law.com/service/site_map.shtml
This part of law.com’s site lists American Lawyer Media Publication sites and properties.
http://www.nationjob.com/media/
This job-searching tool provides a laundry list of media positions with a focus on publishing.
http://www.nd.edu/~ndlaw/career/strategies/business.html
The University of Notre Dame Law School’s Career Services Office’s web site contains a discussion of alternative careers including a short section on legal publishing houses.
http://www.prsa.org/
The Public Relations Society of America is the world’s largest organization for public relations professionals. Its nearly 20,000 members, organized into 116 chapters, represent business and industry, technology, counseling firms, government, associations, hospitals, schools, professional services firms and nonprofit organizations.
http://web.grinnell.edu/careerdevelopment/Library/communications&media.html
Grinnell College’s Career Development Office provides a list of books about media careers and a summary of each.
