5. Take care of yourself. Take a little time to get rest and, just as important, a little exercise. Go for a walk or a run (but don’t slip on any ice). For one day, clear your head of all legal concepts (unless you do slip on the ice, which someone had recklessly and/or negligently allowed to form). Plan now to stay on a sleep schedule between now and winter break—you will do better on your tests and will be less likely to get ill.
4. Get caught up on (or start) your outlines.
3. Play around on the internet. As you sit around and digest your turkey, consider checking out some of the more useful job search websites (in addition to PDO’s Symplicity job board), if only to understand what they have to offer. Usernames and passwords for the password protected ones can be found in the Document Library on Symplicity, in the document entitled PDO Passwords. Some to check out:
- State of Utah Jobs. https://statejobs.utah.gov/jobs – This is a clearinghouse for State of Utah jobs. Sometimes has good law-related jobs for after graduation, such as trial level state law clerk jobs, securities examiner, and benefits specialists among others.
- University of Utah Jobs. http://www.hr.utah.edu/careers/ – This is where you can search for jobs where the University of Utah is the employer. There are sometimes attorney or JD-preferred jobs, or law-related positions, or jobs at the law school itself posted here.
- Intercollegiate Job Bulletin Bank. https://www.law2.byu.edu/career_services/jobbank This site has jobs from many law schools across the nation. Some of the job boards have post-graduate jobs, some have summer internships. This is a great resource for job-seeking out of state.
- Government Honors & Internship Handbook. http://www.law.arizona.edu/career/honorshandbook.cfm
- Public Policy Handbook. http://www.law.arizona.edu/career/PublicPolicy10-11/LoginForm.cfm
2. If you think you will job seek out of state, including applying for out of state judicial clerkships, make sure you have a credit card which will give you airline miles. PDO is not advocating that you go rack up a lot of credit card debt, but if you use a credit card responsibly, make sure your card is giving you airline miles if you think you will be job seeking out of state. This makes things a lot easier when you have to book a ticket for an important interview, but the employer isn’t picking up the tab (such as when you apply for judicial clerkships).
1. Give thanks. Take a few minutes to send a note or email to three people who have helped you get to where you are. A past teacher or professor, employer, or even a family member you see every day. It’s good karma and it’s the time of year to do it.