On-Campus Interview Policies & Procedures

OCI Procedures

STUDENT FILES. To participate in the on-campus interview program ("OCI"), students are strongly encouraged to establish a file in the Professional Development Office ("PDO") containing the following materials:

Signed copies of the Professional Development Office Consent to Release Information and On-Campus Interview Policy & Procedures ("PDO Release");
Copies of your resume;
Copies of your transcript (students can sign up in the PDO and PDO staff will obtain a transcript from the Dean's Office);
A copy of a writing sample;
Copies of your references.

Students are welcome to maintain a supply of application materials in their file; however, students are responsible for compiling and placing Application Packets in the Employer's Box.

Students are encouraged to use this file for their personal job search as well as for OCI. All information in the file is kept strictly confidential pursuant to the PDO Release.

EMPLOYER BOXES. Each employer participating in OCI will be assigned a clearly labeled box in the PDO. Students must submit all Application Packets to these boxes. The PDO staff will NOT search a student's file for application materials missing from the Application Packet.

SIGN UP FOR CONSIDERATION BY AN EMPLOYER. Sign-up sheets will be available at least two weeks prior to the scheduled resume deadline date. You must sign the sign-up sheet and place a completed Application Packet in the Employer's Box.

The PDO strongly suggests students preliminarily research an employer's practice area and geographical location before submitting materials for consideration. It is poor form to decline an interview unless the student has already accepted a position elsewhere.

APPLICATION PACKET. Students should paper clip all requested application materials together with the coversheet provided by the PDO for the specific firm. Application Packets must be placed in the Employer's Box by the posted resume deadline.

Students should wait until they have all application materials ready before putting the Application Packet in an Employer's Box. PDO staff may not double-check contents of Application Packet.
Do NOT staple materials together.

RESUME DEADLINE. The PDO will forward Application Packets to the interviewing employer on the resume deadline date at 1:00 p.m.

If a student's completed Application Packet is not in the Employer's Box on the resume deadline date by 1:00 p.m., that student's name will be deleted from the interview list and materials will not be sent to the interviewing employer.

COVER LETTERS. Cover letters for transmittal of resumes are not required unless specifically requested by an employer; however, if you choose to submit a cover letter and it is clipped together with your Application Packet in the Employer's Box by the resume deadline, it will be forwarded. Cover letters should be personalized to the firm, addressed to a specific person (i.e. NOT "To Whom It May Concern"), and signed.

INTERVIEW SIGN UP. When pre-screening results are received, a notice to sign up for individual interviews will be posted in the PDO and e-mail will be sent to selected students. A general e-mail to all students will be sent stating that the firm has made its selections. Interview times are on a first-come, first-served basis.

" Students who wish to trade times with another student must make those arrangements themselves and inform the PDO promptly. PDO staff will make the change on TWEN.

RESEARCH THE FIRM. The PDO strongly encourages that students to research employers as thoroughly as possible prior to submitted resumes and before the interview.

Many employers maintain files in the PDO containing information about the organization. Information about specific employers can also be found on the Internet, on Westlaw and Lexis, from students who previously worked for the employer, and from professors.

BE PROMPT. Scheduled interviews must be cancelled with the PDO at least twenty-four hours prior to the interview. 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 (see policy below).

Policies

Submit resumes only to those employers of genuine interest to you. Do not submit resumes for the sole purpose of gaining interview experience.
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).
Students should complete and return an "Employment Survey" form (for either summer clerkships or permanent employment) immediately upon acceptance of an offer of employment. The forms can be found on the Career Planning website, on TWEN, and in the PDO.
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.
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; ...

Revised 8/11/2006