On-Campus Interview Policies & Procedures

Formal Recruiting

The On-Campus Interview (OCI) program is an event that most law schools across the country provide. Fall OCI occurs during August, September, October and Spring OCI occurs during January, February, March. Legal employers visit law school campuses for the purpose of interviewing second-year students for summer positions and third-year students for post-graduation positions. The majority of the employers who participate are mid-size to large firms and government agencies that are able to predict their hiring needs several months in advance. Smaller firms, government agencies and public interest employers may participate as well.

Learn more about Washburn Law Career Manager, powered by Symplicity.

We will use our web-based Symplicity system to administer the on-campus interview program. Students will use Symplicity to upload your cover letter and resume, "bid" or apply for employers, and view your interview schedule.

Students should check the employer list carefully and often when determining if OCI is right for you. It is very important to pay attention to details as you go through the OCI process, as well as research employers carefully before you submit your materials to them. It is recommended you target selected employers based on the skills and experience you provide, geographical preference, and practice area.

OCI is just one method of searching for employoment and students should incorporate additional methods such as job postings, networking, and directly contacting potential employers in their search.

Getting Ready

Research Pays Off. It is extremely important you start to research the employers early. Please review the employers' profiles in Symplicity, the employer NALP forms, and employer websites BEFORE submitting your resume through OCI. Please only apply to those employers with whom you have a "good faith" interest in interviewing.

Uploading Resumes, Cover Letters, and Transcripts

All documents required by the employer must be uploaded to Symplicity before you will be allowed to place a "bid". You only need to upload one general resume to Symplicity, but you also may upload specialized resumes if you choose (i.e., Public Interest Resume, California Resume, etc.). All documents are uploaded to the "Documents'" tab in your Symplicity account. Document labels are viewable by employers so label them carefully and make certain to select the correct document when you attach it to your bid. All documents must be uploaded in Word format; however, they are saved within the system in both their original format and as a PDF. Please review the PDF to ensure that it looks like it should. The PDF will be the version sent to employers, so if you make changes to the original, you must resave the document. Your initial resume must be reviewed and approved by our office before you can apply. Once you upload your initial resume, it will be held in the "Pending Documents" until reviewed and approved. With this in mind, it is best that you not wait until the last minute to upload your resume.

On-Campus Interviews vs. Resume Collection

For employers who cannot interview on campus, we arrange a “Resume Collection”. The application process is the same as OCI, and you must still submit your “bid” to these employers. We will forward requested documents to the employer and any further communication will come directly from the employer.

Employers Participating in OCI

For a complete list of employers participating, click on the OCI Tab and select the "session". The session represents the week the employer will be on campus. Be sure to view all sessions for a complete list.

J-Section Students

Students who begin in January are eligible to participate in fall recruiting (after they have completed one semester of coursework).

Policies

  1. Submit resumes only to those employers of genuine interest to you. Do not submit resumes for the sole purpose of gaining interview experience.
  2. Students who do not show up for an interview or who repeatedly cancel interviews will not be allowed to continue participating in OCI without the permission of the Director of Professional Development. The determination whether or not to allow a student to continue participating in OCI will depend largely upon the reason for the absence/cancellation and whether the student promptly sends an appropriate letter of explanation to the employer (with a copy to the Director of Professional Development).
  3. Once a student accepts a position, s/he must inform any other employers with whom s/he has scheduled interviews and cancel the interviews. If the student has submitted Application Packets to employers who have not yet made prescreening decisions, the Director of Professional Development will inform employers to remove the student from consideration. This simple consideration may allow another Washburn student the opportunity to interview. Students should copy the Director of Professional Development on any written or electronic correspondence to employers. Students who do not comply with this policy will not be allowed to participate in future OCI programs without the permission of the Director of Professional Development.
  4. As with all activities at the law school, the Honor Code and Procedure for Law Students is applicable to activities sponsored by the PDO, including OCI. The following sections are particularly relevant:
    • C.2. Supplying forged, falsified or altered information while seeking employment, educational or professional opportunities...
    • C.4. Intentional misrepresentation of:
      Law School academic or enrollment status; or
      Involvement in extracurricular activities; ...