Career Assistance

While today’s economy does not provide the best job–hunting climate, lawyers will be best served exploring multiple channels for their next career move.

• The D.C. Bar is partnered with YourMembership.com to give Bar members access to an expansive network of potential employers, giving them an edge in today’s intensely competitive market. Explore the Bar’s newly revamped Career Center today and find your perfect job match!
• Many voluntary bar associations also maintain their own career centers to connect job seekers with employers.
• USAJOBS, the official job site of the federal government, is the one–stop source for federal jobs and employment information.
• Developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, CareerOneStop is an online inventory of job search and career advancement tools. It also connects job seekers to state job banks, including one for opportunities in the District of Columbia.
• Search for employment and internship opportunities in the District of Columbia courts.

The recession has dealt a hard blow to the legal industry—and waiting is not an option. Stay on top of your game by pursuing training to develop your skills or to learn new ones. Whatever your field of expertise, whether you are a seasoned or new practitioner, the D.C. Bar Continuing Legal Education Program’s comprehensive course offerings will help you stay up to date with the law and other legal developments. For added convenience, the CLE Program uses quick response (QR) codes in its course catalogue, making online registration faster and easier.

It is time to ramp up your networking skills! Now more than ever, legal professionals are connecting with their peers to get their names out and forge long–term professional relationships. A great start would be to join one of the D.C. Bar Communities, tailored to specialized fields of interest, to enjoy the benefits of their wide selection of professional activities, including networking.

While the D.C. Bar does not have a formal or structured mentoring program, our Practice Management Advisory Service has put together a comprehensive Mentoring Resource, which serves as a guide for Bar members who are either seeking a mentor or thinking of becoming a mentor to a colleague in the profession.

Several voluntary bars in the Washington, D.C., area also provide various avenues for new and senior lawyers to come together in a mentoring environment.

You’ve faithfully scoured online job postings. You’ve networked and trained. You’re waiting to hit the ground running again. So why not turn the recession into an opportunity to serve? The D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center, one of the largest facilitators of pro bono legal services in the District, touches the lives of thousands of D.C. residents every year through its wide range of programs. We invite you to make a difference today.

• Advice and Referral Clinic
• Advocacy and Justice Clinic
• Bankruptcy Clinic
• Nonprofit & Small Business Legal Assistance Programs
• Landlord Tenant Resource Center
• Probate Resource Center
• Pro Bono Partnership (PART)
• Senior Attorneys Initiative for Legal Services (SAILS)
• Immigration Legal Advice & Referral Clinic

Thinking of starting your own firm but don’t know where to start? With more and more lawyers striking out on their own, bar associations and other legal organizations have developed programs to guide attorneys as they take an alternate route in their careers.

• Sign up for our free and interactive course, “Basic Training and Beyond”. Learn the basics of getting a small firm up and running in the District of Columbia and how to effectively market and manage the firm. More than 3,000 lawyers have attended this highly popular course since it was first offered by the D.C. Bar Practice Management Advisory Service (PMAS) in November 2008.
• As proof of the growing community of small firm practitioners, the American Bar Association’s SoloSez e–mail listserv has more than 3,500 subscribers worldwide. Solosez includes lawyers from almost every U.S. jurisdiction and from countries around the world, representing “virtually every practice niche known to man.”