Volunteering

Alumni volunteers play a vital role in the success of the Law School, and your support makes it possible for us to provide a diversity of valuable programs and services. There are many ways for alumni to give back and get involved with the Law School, some examples of which are described below.

If you are interested in signing up for any of the volunteer opportunities listed below, please complete and submit our online form.

Alumni Interviewer

As the only major law school that encourages all applicants to interview, we have launched the most extensive law school admissions interviewing program in the country. With your help, we will recruit the finest students from this country and abroad.

Interviews provide the Admissions Committee with valuable information about an applicant's interpersonal and communication skills, maturity, and ability to thrive in our collegial and close-knit environment. They provide applicants with a chance to meet with and pose questions to an individual school representative. They also give us an opportunity to highlight the many strengths of Northwestern Law.

Alumni Coach Volunteer

The Alumni Coaching Program pairs Northwestern Law students with alumni coaches for mock interviews. We make an effort to match students with alumni coaches based primarily on each student's geographic preference, and then according to employer type/size and practice area where available. There is no guarantee that you will be paired with a student who shares your professional interests.

Mock interviews take place in the summer and early fall. We estimate that each mock interview you volunteer to conduct will take approximately 45 minutes of your time (1/2 hour interview; 15 minute feedback). Mock interviews should be conducted in person to provide students with the most constructive feedback.
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Career-Related Advisor

The Alumni Advisory Program is designed to be used as an informational/networking tool by students and alumni seeking guidance as they explore career options. The program allows them to contact volunteer advisors and ask questions about particular practice areas, discuss market trends, or obtain valuable career advice.

Students and alums will not contact volunteer advisors to solicit employment opportunities. Your commitment would involve occasional phone conversations, e-mail exchanges, or informational interviews with individuals gathering career information only.
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1L Mentoring Program

Mentoring a current 1L student is a meaningful and easy way to give back to Northwestern Law. This student initiated program matches students with experienced Chicago area professionals who will be role models and available to advise students on a range of topics. This is an excellent way to share your professional experience with a motivated student, and expand your Law School connections in a helpful manner.

1L Mentoring Letter (pdf)

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Career-Related Panelist

The Center for Career Strategy and Advancement organizes a number of career-related panels during the school year. While the primary audience for these panels tends to be 1Ls, all students are invited and encouraged to attend. Most panels center on various practice areas though there are a number that encompass a broader topic area. Panelists selected represent as wide a spectrum as possible: employer type; employer size; private vs. public employers; geographic location; specialties within a given practice area; career changers; and different levels of experience. These one-hour panels typically take place during the lunch hour in one of the law school classrooms.

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Miner Moot Court Competition Judge

Moot Court programs are an important part of legal training at Northwestern Law. They prepare students for and allow them to participate in appellate arguments.

In the Arlyn Miner First-Year Moot Court Program (required for first-year students), students present a professional-level written brief and argue the case against fellow students before an appellate court composed of alumni and faculty.

In the second year, students may participate in the annual Julius H. Miner Moot Court competition, a program in appellate advocacy that is administered by third-year students with faculty supervision. In it students argue up to eight rounds before panels of judges and attorneys. The final argument is conducted before the student body, faculty, and a panel of distinguished federal judges.

Preliminary round dates will be posted late fall.

Related Link:
Moot Court and Team Trials

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Firm & Corporate Representatives

The Firm and Corporate Representative Program is a long-standing volunteer program that involves more than 100 alumni. The function of each representative is to solicit alumni at his/her firm or business with the express purpose of raising overall alumni participation. Representatives also host the dean's visits at their firms and serve as contacts for alumni to learn about other Northwestern Law volunteer opportunities, firm and/or corporate partnership or affiliate opportunities, and upcoming professional/executive education courses.

For details about how to participate, contact John Hughes, Assistant Director of Annual Giving, by e -mail or call (312) 503-1769.

Related Link:
Firm and Corporate Affiliates

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Reunion Committees

Reunion Weekend is a great opportunity to catch up with old friends and a chance to revisit the Law School. Become more involved with the weekend by joining the Reunion Committee. As a Committee Member you will participate in planning meetings as well as encourage your classmates to attend Reunion Weekend. If you are interested in serving on your Reunion Committee please contact Megan O'Sullivan, Assistant Director of Annual Fund at m-osullivan@law.northwestern.edu or (312) 503-1768.

Related Link:
Reunion

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Public Service Program Partnership

Northwestern Law has a long history of graduating alumni who devote their lives to public service. Recognizing that giving back is a basic responsibility of the legal profession, the Law School recently launched a formal public service program, designed to build an ethic of service and giving among all students, regardless of their career path. The strategy broadens the concept of public service beyond pro bono and public interest lawyering to include such things as volunteer service in the community, philanthropy, policy development, nonprofit management and board membership.

Students are now strongly encouraged to perform a minimum of 40 hours of public service before graduation. Alumni Maureen Stratton (JD '84) has been hired to cultivate service opportunities, place students and keep track of their efforts. This year we have had students making a difference in a myriad of ways, including tutoring children, working in soup kitchens, assisting people with tax refund forms, cleaning the parks and volunteering at a variety of legal service agencies.

If you are a member of a non-profit organization, legal or non-legal, or otherwise interested in partnering with law students to provide public service, please contact our Public Service Coordinator Maureen Stratton at (312) 503-4558 or by e-mail.

Related Link:
Public Service Program

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Pro Bono Legal Services for Northwestern University Graduate Students

Graduate students at Northwestern University are seeking Law School alumni who are willing to provide pro bono legal services to the graduate student population. These students have been members of the Northwestern community for at least five years and generally make between $19,000 and $24,000 per year in stipends received for research and teaching service performed as part of their educational training.

Students are seeking legal assistance for issues related to real estate, credit and debt problems, traffic violations, and legal document reviews, including intellectual property. Graduate students currently do not have affordable access to these services.

If you would like to help, contact Penny Warren with the areas you are willing to cover at (847) 491-8507 or by e-mail.