Employment Opportunities

The Washburn University School of Law Professional Development Office (PDO) regularly receives information about legal and non-legal employment opportunities. Employment opportunities are accessible through Symplicity. Please contact the PDO at career@washburnlaw.edu if you have questions about any of these positions.

Students are also eligible to participate in formal recruiting programs, including On-Campus Interviews.

Washburn Law alumni can also access employment opportunities through Symplicity.

A non-Washburn Law graduate may obtain access to the employment opportunities by providing a letter of reciprocity from his/her law school. See our Reciprocity Policy for further information.

Law Student Employment Policy

Although part-time employment in law-related fields can substantially assist law students both financially and professionally, such employment can also impose time pressures that detract significantly from law studies. Students enrolled in more than 12 hours may not engage in outside employment in excess of 20 hours per week.

Job Postings vs. OCI in Symplicity

Job Postings and On-campus Interview (OCI) opportunities--both are posted in Symplicity.

Job postings are like classified ads. Employers post positions and students apply directly to the employer. Sometimes the employer wants the applications mailed, sometimes they accept e-mail, and sometimes they accept applications through Symplicity. You will find application instructions with the posting for each job. The jobs may be post-graduate positions or intern positions (summer or academic year). Student job postings may be for summer positions OR intern positions that last throughout the school year. Stop by the Professional Development Office (PDO) (or call, or email) to clarify anything about a job posting.

Access and search job postings by clicking on the “Job Postings” tab in Symplicity (the fourth tab from the left). Browse the postings or create a search using "Advanced Search." You can set up a recurring search that allows the system to send you notifications when jobs with certain criteria are posted.

OCI, or "Formal Recruiting," is a program sponsored by the PDO in which area employers come on campus to interview students for either post-graduate or summer intern positions. Occasionally, but rarely, employers utilize OCI to hire interns for the academic year. That information will be CLEARLY stated. In the fall, 2Ls and 3Ls participate in OCI. In the spring, all students who have completed at least one semester of law school are eligible to participate.

Access and search for employers participating in OCI by clicking on the "OCI" tab in Symplicity (third tab from the right). You will see a box for "Session" in the grey box in the middle of page. Make sure to browse the employers in each session. The deadline to apply for all of the employers in a particular session is listed on the right side of the screen under "Important Dates." You MUST apply to these firms through Symplicity. After the deadline passes, the employer will review all applications and select students to interview. Selected students will receive a message directing them to select an interview time on Symplicity. The interviews are then conducted at the law school.

Occasionally firms request application materials through the OCI program but then arrange interviews at their offices. This is called a "Resume Collection." If you are selected for an interview with a firm who conducted a Resume Collection, the firm representative will contact you directly to set up a time to interview at the firm.

Contact Tammy King (tammy.king1@washburn.edu) with questions.