Students
The Career and Professional Development Office (CPDO) is dedicated to helping you find your place in the legal industry. Our staff is here to ensure you are equipped with the knowledge, tools, and expertise to make you as competitive as possible.
Services and Career Resources
The Career and Professional Development Office offers a number of services and resources for students to help them make informed career choices throughout law school and after graduation.
Professional Training
The CPDO offers training seminars, tutorials, and interactive workshops, all designed to help students market themselves to legal employers and achieve successful career advancement. Topics include legal resume and cover letter writing, interviewing, career planning, using social media, and networking.
Attorney Panels
Our office sponsors a series of attorney-panel discussions featuring practitioners from law firms and organizations that provide a realistic overview of specific practice areas. Each panel discussion includes a question-and-answer session along with the opportunity to network with participating attorneys.
On-Campus Interviews
Legal employers come to California Western to interview students on campus for student law clerk and entry-level positions in San Diego and throughout the state and country.
Individual Career Advising
As a CWSL student you have access to career advisors. During individual meetings with career advisors, you can develop a job search strategy tailored to your interests or get information about practice areas of interest. Students can make an appointment on Canvas or by contacting us at career_service@cwsl.edu.
Mock Legal Job Interviews
During individual sessions with career advisors, you can practice interviewing skills. The CDPO also has a Mock Interview module on Canvas and a Mock Interview Volunteer Attorney Directory. You can reach out to the practicing attorneys in the Directory to schedule mock interviews, and they will offer you feedback and suggestions for improvement.
Lunch with Lawyers
Enjoy a relaxed and catered lunch while talking with an alumnus or practicing attorney about their area of practice.
What Students are Saying
Hear how you can leverage the resources of the Career and Development Office to put your best foot forward.
Student Spotlights
Mona Moazzaz, ’24
Law Clerk Graham Hollis APC
“CWSL’s supportive Career Services team and a fantastic professor guided me to keep my vision broad so that I could learn the most in a job before narrowing my focus. I took this advice and was then lucky to find someone that believed in me enough to offer me a role.”
Shaun Lampel, ’22
Law Clerk Graham Hollis APC
“After some initial difficulty getting responses to my applications, I consulted the CPDO for guidance. I was advised to remain positive and persistent in my search and that good opportunities would come. That was certainly the case. I eventually got an interview with Hali Anderson and Vilmarie Cordero from Graham Hollis APC and was able to the job!”
Nicole Tamez, ’22
Intern, Wells-Gibson Family Law Firm
“My goal going into law school was to go into family law. I was always open and communicated with CPDO about my specific path. They then helped me edit my resume and taught me the importance of networking no matter what year you are in. That turned out to be the best advice because today I work with a CWSL alumni I met my IL year. I love what I do and highly respect my boss.”
More Programs and Resources
Pro Bono and Public Service Program
These programs provide students with an effective way of gaining practical legal experience, while also contributing to the needs of the legal community. We can help connect students with an organization or agency where they will be trained to serve as a law clerk.
Pro Bono and Public Service Program
12twenty
Legal employers from San Diego and around the country frequently notify our office of current job openings for student law clerks and entry-level or experienced attorney positions. We immediately post that information on our online job database, 12twenty.
Reciprocity
We assist students and alumni in requesting permission to use other law schools' career services offices if they are relocating to a different geographic area after graduation or to find summer internships outside of San Diego county.
Our Lobby is Your Personal Business Office
Do you need to print out or scan documents to apply for a job? If you need to print out, copy, scan, fax, or upload a document you can come to our lobby. These resources are free to students and alumni who are using them for career development or job searches. We accept donations to use our quality paper and envelopes for correspondence. Proceeds from donations go to California Western's student Public Interest Law Foundation to help fund summer clerkship grants.
Resource Library
Students have access to printed job resources available in our office that relate to specific practice areas.
Taking the Bar
CWSL State Bar InformationThe bar exam is a crucial step in obtaining a rewarding legal career. We encourage students to look through and familiarize themselves with the California Bar Examination’s requirements and application process. You can find that information on the State Bar of California website.
Career and Professional Development Office
CPDO will post notices about upcoming professional events on campus and around San Diego on monitors, the campus calendar, and on CPDO's social media accounts.
San Diego, CA 92101