Alumni Career Resources
The Career and Professional Development Center has collected resources on this page to facilitate alumni in their professional development, job searches, and other professional needs. We also recommend checking out Duke University's Career Resources.
Duke Law alumni can connect through the Duke Law Alumni LinkedIn Group, stay engaged through the Duke Law Alumni Network, and take advantage of the entire Duke network by registering for the University’s online directory. For tips on networking:
- 5 Essential Networking Tips for Lawyers, Zen Legal Networking
- Networking: How successful lawyers do it and why you should, too, ABA Journal
- Lawyer Networking & Referral Marketing, Lawyerist.com
- A Lawyer's Guide to Networking Events in a Virtual World, Legal Business World
- ABA: The American Bar Association offers high-quality CLE in a comprehensive range of relevant topics to benefit every legal professional across the nation. You can also find professional development opportunities through your state Bar association.
- Diversity Lab: Boosting Diversity & Inclusion in the Law Through Innovation, Data & Behavioral Science
- NALP: Offers several resources for those involved in lawyer and law student professional development.
Alumni working in public service are encouraged to review the Duke Law Financial Aid Office's Loan Repayment Assistance Program. Other resources include:
- Student Loan Repayment & Forgiveness, ABA
- Student Loan Delinquency & Default, U.S. Dept. of Education, Federal Student Aid
- Defaulting on Student Loans, FinAid.org
- Resource Guide to Paying Down Student Loan Debt, MoneyGeek
- Workers with Disabilities & the ADA, MoneyGeek
- Interviewing Tips for Applicants with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Job Accommodation Network
- Individual Placement Support (IPS) Employment Center, IPS Works
- Job Searching with a Mental Health Condition, SSA.gov
Duke Law alumni can connect through the Duke Law Alumni LinkedIn Group, stay engaged through the Duke Law Alumni Network, and take advantage of the entire Duke network by registering for the University’s online directory. For tips on networking:
- 5 Essential Networking Tips for Lawyers, Zen Legal Networking
- Networking: How successful lawyers do it and why you should, too, ABA Journal
- Lawyer Networking & Referral Marketing, Lawyerist.com
- A Lawyer's Guide to Networking Events in a Virtual World, Legal Business World
- ABA: The American Bar Association offers high-quality CLE in a comprehensive range of relevant topics to benefit every legal professional across the nation. You can also find professional development opportunities through your state Bar association.
- Diversity Lab: Boosting Diversity & Inclusion in the Law Through Innovation, Data & Behavioral Science
- NALP: Offers several resources for those involved in lawyer and law student professional development.
Alumni working in public service are encouraged to review the Duke Law Financial Aid Office's Loan Repayment Assistance Program. Other resources include:
- Student Loan Repayment & Forgiveness, ABA
- Student Loan Delinquency & Default, U.S. Dept. of Education, Federal Student Aid
- Defaulting on Student Loans, FinAid.org
- Resource Guide to Paying Down Student Loan Debt, MoneyGeek
- Workers with Disabilities & the ADA, MoneyGeek
- Interviewing Tips for Applicants with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Job Accommodation Network
- Individual Placement Support (IPS) Employment Center, IPS Works
- Job Searching with a Mental Health Condition, SSA.gov
- State of the Legal Market Report 2021, BCG Search
- State of the Legal Market Report 2021 Podcast, BCG Search
- Career Development for the Young Lawyer During Covid-19, Law.com
- Lateral Associate Hiring Has Overtaken Organic Hiring, Reflecting Big Law's Hunger for Immediate Growth, Law.com
- 6 Things You Should Consider Before Making a Lateral Move to a New Law Firm, BCG Search
- ALSPs: A New Fixture in the Legal Landscape, Law.com
- Practice Area Summaries, Chambers Associate
- Practice Areas, Vault/Firsthand
- Quick Reference Guide to Legal Practice Areas, BCG Search
- American Society of Association Executives: ASAE is an organization for association management, representing both organizations and individual association professionals.
- Weddles: A home for recruiters' career success and next practices with modern talent acquisition techniques.
- PLI (Practising Law Institute): PLI offers scholarships for attorneys doing pro bono work. The scholarship application is located under the Pro Bono/Scholarship tab.
You can find salary insights on public job boards, such as Glassdoor, Indeed, LinkedIn, and ZipRecruiter. Other resources include:
- 2021 Candid Nonprofit Compensation Report, Guidestar
- 2021 Legal Salary Guide for Attorneys and Legal Professionals, Special Counsel
- Biglaw Salary Scale, Biglaw Investor
- Salary Calculator & 2022 Salary Guide, Robert Half Talent Solutions
- Cost of Living Calculator, MoneyGeek
- Salary Negotiation Guide, MoneyGeek
- Bridgestar: For opportunities in the nonprofit sector, a one-stop shop that includes nonprofit leadership, careers, and recruiting-related content.
- NALP Directory of Legal Employers: The NALP Directory of Legal Employers provides a comprehensive and free solution for researching legal employers throughout the US. The NALP Directory provides specific information on law firms, government agencies, public interest organizations, and corporations, including lawyer demographics, practice areas, compensation and benefits, diversity and inclusion practices, and other valuable information about legal employers.
- Dun & Bradstreet Data Cloud's Business Directory: Search hundreds of millions of business records to discover insights about companies of interest, gain visibility into growing markets, and understand trends and forecasts. Use industry insights to target companies based on size, location, competitors, and more.
- Fortune's Top 100: Rankings based on America's largest ongoing annual workforce study, representing millions of employees.
- Glassdoor's Best Places to Work: Employees have spoken! Here are the Best Places to Work, according to employees.
- GreatPlaceToWork's Best Companies Lists: View best companies based on demographics, geographic, industry, company size, and more.
The Career & Professional Development Center provides job postings for alumni through Symplicity's Career Management System. Contact the CPDC Coordinator at (919) 613-7031 or careercenter@law.duke.edu to gain access to Symplicity. You can set up a free email account to ensure private communication with potential employers by going to www.dukealumni.com. Other resources to facilitate your job search include:
Consider connecting with Duke alumni in the Recruitment and Career Coaching fields through the Duke Alumni Career Coaches directory or from the list below.
- Mike Evers, '90, Chicago, IL
- Lee Kuhn,'02, San Francisco, CA
- Peter Ocko, '95, Los Angeles, CA
- Debby Stone, '89, Atlanta, GA
- Alan Surchin, '95, New York, NY
You can find more recruiters and career coaches in these public directories:
- 2021 Legal Recruiters Directory, Law.com
- Legal Recruiters Employer Directory, BCG Search
- Professional Development Career Coaches, Association of Corporate Counsel
You may also consider a legal placement service, such as BCG Attorney Search, a top legal placement company for finding permanent law firm positions.
- 11 Expert Tips for Writing a Lawyer Resume that Gets You Hired, LinkedIn
- Resume 101 for Lateral Attorneys, McCormack Schreiber
- 11 Expert Tips for Writing a Lawyer Resume that Gets You Hired, Clio
- A Compelling Lateral Attorney Cover Letter Example, Cover Letter Ninjas
- 6 Quick Tips for a Perfect Legal Cover Letter, LinkedIn
Many Bar Associations have Career Centers through which they offer career resources to their members. You can search for jobs, post your resume, and browse resources to help with each stage of your career. Likewise, employers post jobs, search resumes, and connect with prospects through these Centers.
To find a relevant Career Center, search for your city or state of interest + "Bar Association Career Center". Some examples of those typically of interest to Duke Law grads include the Bar Association Career Centers for North Carolina, Virginia, Florida, Texas, New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Birmingham, Atlanta, and Chicago.
Also consider the American and Federal Bar Associations' Career Centers:
- American Bar Association Career Center: Career development resources and a job board for law students, lawyers, and legal professionals across all practice areas and career stages. Our dynamic board of legal career professionals contributes monthly articles, webinars, and podcasts to deliver guidance on your career path from start to finish.
- Federal Bar Association Legal Career Center: The FBA Legal Career Center is the employment hub that matches opportunities to your needs and potential. Creating an account takes just a few moments, and our vast Career Center network offers prospects than ever before.
- Tips for Successful Transition from Traditional Legal Practice to an Alternative Career, ABA
- Life After Law: What to Do When You Don't Want to Be a Lawyer Anymore, The Muse
- Thrillable Hours: Alternative Careers for Lawyers, Fear, and Life After Law, Legal Nomads
- 60 Alternative Jobs for Lawyers, Indeed
- The Relaunching Attorney: Returning to Your Legal Career after a Break, CT Bar
- Re-entering the Legal Job Market? 6 Tips for Success, Robert Half Talent Solutions
- Return-to-Work Programs Come of Age, HBR
- About the OnRamp Fellowship, OnRamp Fellowship
- bestJOBSusa: Our mission is to connect job seekers and employers in the most efficient way possible.
- Glassdoor: Our mission is to help people everywhere find a job and company they love.
- Indeed: Striving to put job seekers first, giving them free access to search for jobs, post resumes, and research companies.
- LinkedIn: The world's largest professional network connects job seekers with available positions.
- ZipRecruiter: A leading online employment marketplace that leverages AI-powered smart matching technology to connect employers and job seekers.
- ABA Career Center: Career development resources and a job board for law students, lawyers, and legal professionals across all practice areas and career stages.
- Association of Corporate Counsel Jobs: The ACC is the world's largest organization serving the professional and business interests of attorneys who practice in the legal departments of corporations, associations, nonprofits, and other private-sector organizations around the globe.
- BCG Search: Browse attorney jobs by city, state, and practice area.
- Go Inhouse: Job board focused solely on in-house counsel positions.
- iHireLegal: A unique, industry-focused job search experience.
- Impact Opportunity: On a mission to support careers that make a positive impact in the world.
- LawJobs: As the leading recruiting website for legal professionals, Lawjobs is just what you need to find jobs in Fortune 1000 companies and AmLaw 200 firms.
- LawMatch: Specialized services for attorneys, law students, paralegals, and other legal industry professionals seeking opportunities.
- PSJD: Your pathway to public service legal careers.
Alumni considering clerkships or who have questions about applying should send an email to careercenter@law.duke.edu for our Clerkship Office with the subject of “Judicial Clerkship Inquiry”. Also review the U.S. government's website for searching for positions in the federal judiciary.
Alumni interested in the teaching market should consult Duke Law’s Academic Career Support page and Visiting Assistant Professor program page.
- AvueCentral: Commercial site with search engine for U.S. Federal government positions.
- FBI Jobs: An official site of the U.S. DOJ, this site provides information on opportunities in the FBI, eligibility requirements, test preparation, and more.
- Federal Government Jobs: Job listing database from official U.S. government sources that uses advanced location matching technology.
- USA Jobs: As a part of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), we help recruit and retain a world-class government workforce for the American people.
Jobs for professionals with security clearances and those with skill sets for which the company will sponsor the individual with clearance pending.
- Cleared Connections: As an applicant to Cleared Connections, your information will only be released to approved U.S. government agencies and contractors, so targeted employers looking to hire people with your credentials get your resume for consideration.
- Intelligence Careers: Use the job exploration tool to determine if you're a match for a position in IC. Learn about participating agencies, the application process, benefits, and more.
- CorpsTeam: Corps Team is a nationwide, Professional Recruiting, IT Recruiting and Executive Search Firm. Since 2005, we have partnered with Founders, CEOs, and hiring managers to recruit exceptional direct hire, project based and contract talent into their organizations.
- FlexJobs: The #1 job site to find remote, work from home, and flexible job opportunities since 2007.
- FreelanceWriting: Freelance Writing is the most comprehensive hub on the web for both businesses to hire top quality writers, and freelance writers to find high-paying jobs and make money writing.
- Guru: At Guru, we strive to be the premier platform where professionals go to connect, collaborate, and get work done.
- DC Job Network: Lists openings in the metropolitan area by geographic area (e.g., Georgetown, Bethesda, Arlington, Alexandria).
- Maryland Job Network: Search current jobs posted by Maryland's top employers, post your resume, and get great career advice.
- Virginia Job Network: Search for jobs based on category, keyword, and more.
- Washington Business Journal: The WBJ provides open job postings in Washington, DC.
- Washington Network Group: WNG is a membership organization of professionals in business, finance, technology, foreign and government affairs, dedicated to helping members advance their business and professional objectives by convening networking events, educational forums, and career development opportunities.
- Inc.: Successfully start, grow, innovate, and lead your business today: Ideas, resources, advice, support, tools, strategies, real stories, and real business examples.
- Internal Revenue Service business page: Tax information, tools, and resources for businesses and self- employed.
- NASE.org (National Association of Self-Employed): A national organization designed to proactively help you grow your business and your bottom line.
- U.S. Small Business Administration: Created in 1953, the SBA is the only cabinet-level federal agency fully dedicated to small business and provides counseling, capital, and contracting expertise as the nation’s only go-to resource and voice for small businesses.
- Inc.: Successfully start, grow, innovate, and lead your business today: Ideas, resources, advice, support, tools, strategies, real stories, and real business examples.
- Internal Revenue Service business page: Tax information, tools, and resources for businesses and self- employed.
- NASE.org (National Association of Self-Employed): A national organization designed to proactively help you grow your business and your bottom line.
- U.S. Small Business Administration: Created in 1953, the SBA is the only cabinet-level federal agency fully dedicated to small business and provides counseling, capital, and contracting expertise as the nation’s only go-to resource and voice for small businesses.
The external websites listed on this page are provided for convenience. Inclusion does not indicate an endorsement or partnership with any third party. Content on public pages is subject to change.