Career Paths

• Private Practice

  At UCLA Law, we offer our future attorneys an inside track to careers in private practice nationwide.

  Our extensive On-Campus Interview Program (OCI) brings large national and international law firms – as well as government agencies, public interest organizations and smaller firms – to campus. Career advisors at the law school assist students with individualized counseling and strategy sessions as well as extensive interview preparation and job listings throughout the year.

  In addition to the strong relationships that UCLA Law has with large law firms across the country, the school works closely with small and mid-sized law firms to give members of our community a better foothold in the legal market. UCLA Law has excellent relationships with many of these unique firms, bringing them to campus throughout the year for both networking and interviewing events. We also connect students with distinguished practitioners who can offer a first-hand perspective on working in law firm settings – and on what it takes to secure a position as a summer law clerk or an entry-level attorney candidate.

• Government

  A career in government enables UCLA Law graduates to gain substantive experience while serving the public and strengthening our communities. The Office of Career Services, together with the Office of Public Interest Programs, provides expert guidance to students pursuing federal, state and local opportunities. In addition to working closely with individual students on job strategies, we host panels with government lawyers throughout the year.

  Our annual Government Reception and Information Fair allows students to network with more than 20 government entities, including representatives from the FBI, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of the Federal Public Defender, the U.S. Secret Service and many more. Together with the Office of Public Interest Programs, we also host the annual Southern California Public Interest/Public Sector Career Day, which draws the participation of many local, state and federal government entities.

• Public Interest

  Our graduates who work in the public interest arena are dedicated to – and passionate about – making a difference. Working closely with the Office of Career Services, the Office of Public Interest Programs sponsors public interest career-related events and programs and supports students interested in pursuing public interest internships and/or postgraduate employment.

  UCLA Law maintains close relationships with public interest employers throughout California and around the country. Our annual Fall Public Interest Reception and Information Fair allows students to network with more than 40 nonprofit public interest organizations in the region. The Annual Southern California Public Interest/Public Sector Career Day, hosted by UCLA Law and cosponsored by a consortium of Southern California law schools, is one of the largest public interest legal career fairs in the country.

• Judicial Clerkships

  Offering graduates unrivaled insight into the judicial process in action, judicial clerkships are highly valued across legal markets. These coveted positions enable new lawyers to hone their legal research and writing skills.

  UCLA Law is well positioned to assist clerkship candidates through every step of the process. Many of our alumni sit on the bench at the federal and state levels nationwide, and the UCLA clerkship director is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and Ninth Circuit law clerk with deep knowledge of the judicial system. The clerkship director and the Career Services team guide clerkship candidates by facilitating faculty involvement, assisting with the application process and connecting applicants with former clerks and other clerkship-related resources. The clerkship director provides individual counseling and sponsors judicial clerkship programs and events for students to meet judges, clerks and faculty.

• Business

  The business world offers an array of opportunities for graduates who decide to use their law degree outside the traditional legal realm. UCLA Law alumni include successful entrepreneurs, highly respected consultants and esteemed corporate counsel. They can also be found in numerous and varied careers in the entertainment, finance and high-tech industries.

  The Office of Career Services partners with the Lowell Milken Institute for Business Law and Policy, as well as with other schools on the main campus, to offer students resources on and access to alternative career paths.