CAREER COUNSELOR'S CORNER
1. 800. 973. 1177
Amy Ono, Director of Career Services, University of Hawaii, the William S. Richardson School of Law [9-13-04 by Zamzam Syed] Amy Ono brings a fresh perspective to career counseling. With innovative techniques to explore individual interests and encourage a sense of community, her guidance has provided the students with both a career counselor and a confidante. If more law students got a chance to “talk
with people and helping them realize their
up the phone book to ‘Government’ and
story,” they’d have both a better idea of what
career goals and personal goals.” She added,
started going through the agencies alpha-
they wanted to do after law school and how
“In doing so, you can help the community as
betically.” This student ended up landing a
to go about doing it. At the University of Ha-
well since you actually help a new attorney
position at the Department of Land and Natu-
waii, Amy Ono encourages the students drop
find direction and place them in a position
ral Resources Policy Institute, as she was
by and chat openly about career goals and
where they can help the population. I realized
interested in environmental law. Amy added,
life goals, and this she calls “talking story”
that this job also included the public interest
for those who are not sure about practic-
in Hawaiian slang. One reason why she can
aspect of a career that I had sought.”
ing law, “A law degree is the most flexible
relate so well with her students is her prox-
professional degree you can get. If practicing
imity in age and experience to them. In 2000,
Having the experience of pursuing an alter-
is not for a certain student, there are plenty
Amy graduated from the University of Hawaii
native career gave Amy an additional tool
of other opportunities out there.”
School of Law, and prior to that, she attended
to help her students do the same. “Being a
the main campus for her undergraduate
high-powered corporate attorney may not be
To avoid the potential disasters associated
studies. A year after law school, however,
for everyone,” Amy says. She feels comfort-
with the universal propensity to procrasti-
she returned to the university, not as a Ph.D.
able in counseling students about pursuing
nate, which Amy insists is the most persis-
candidate, but rather as the Career Services
and seeking alternatives. “You have to choose
tent problem with law students who do not
Director of the only law school in the state.
what’s going to make you happy. A job that
end up getting the most out of the career
makes you feel challenged, energized, and
services department, she starts early with
As a recent graduate herself, Amy was in
motivated is what will make you want to go to
her students. Amy has a program in place
the unique position of being able to empa-
work each day.” Furthermore, she explains
called Launch a Lawyer, which is designed to
thize fully with her client base, i.e., the law
that most students deal with loans that be-
introduce law students to working attorneys
students. In fact, she claims to know most
come an added challenge to pursuing some
and create mentoring relationships. The
of the alumni from the classes two years
of the less-lucrative, non-law-firm positions.
program beings in November for first-year
preceding and following her law school term,
She insists that one must find a firm with a
students and in October for second- and
as she was actually in school with them. She
personality match. If that happens at a large
third-year students. Last year, she said,
prides herself on giving personal attention
firm, then she is happy to pave their way into
more than 100 students participated in the
and innovative solutions for the job-hunting
large firms with lucrative compensation.
program from each class year, and that is
needs of all the students. “Our recent grads
However, she adds that you don’t have to do
pretty much everyone from the 320-student
are all taken care of. I heard back from every
this for the highest paying firms because
law school. She was able to find an at-
single person in the class of 2003 and know
there are many small- or medium-sized
torney mentor for each of the participating
that each person is employed or pursuing
firms with very good pay. The key, she says,
students, which she says facilitates the main
an advanced degree and not searching for
is “to find a place that catches your passion.”
purpose of this program, even beyond gain-
employment anymore.”
Incidentally, Amy wholeheartedly feels her
ing employment, i.e., nurturing a sense of
own job does this. She describes the experi-
community within the local legal profession.
When asked why she chose to pursue an
ence of one student who came to her, unable
“We work hard to nurture a strong sense of
alternative career rather than practice law,
to figure out what type of work she wanted
community,” she says. “Based on the number
Amy explained, “I tried various types of legal
to do but knowing that she did not want to go
of attorneys that chose to participate, it
positions all through law school, including
the traditional corporate route. “I got her to
seems that the program’s design causes this
nonprofit, government, and family law. I real-
come to my office, and we brainstormed to
to happen on its own.” The students and the
ized that what I really enjoyed was working
figure out her interests. Then we just opened
attorneys meet in an event called Pau Hana,
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CAREER COUNSELOR'S CORNER
1. 800. 973. 1177
literally translated from Hawaiian as “Finish
within the island and also has a vast alumni
Work Relax.” In this small mixer, the stu-
network on both costs, but sometimes plac-
dents meet their mentors and get a chance to
ing students in the Midwest or Southeast can
talk informally. The students are encouraged
be a challenge. “I once had a student who
to keep in close contact with their mentors
was relocating to Kansas. For him, I had to
throughout their time in law school.
struggle a bit, but I set him up with the few University of Hawaii alumni in Kansas and
Amy adds that the fall is always full of pro-
also set up the reciprocity procedures.” The
grams. It’s best that students try dynamic
extremely close connections that students
approaches to job searching early in the
enjoy with the alumni are very important
school year so that the students can use the
in maintaining the stellar job-placement
winter break to expand on and analyze their
rate, and Amy continues to foster programs
techniques and figure out what’s going to
that encourage this sense of community.
work for them. The other innovative program
“Anytime we travel, we have a mixer with
that facilitates these sorts of reflections
all the law school alums in a certain region,
is a survey Amy provides to all continuing
and usually the turnout is great.” This sense
students at the beginning of the school year.
of community knows no bounds and allows
“Early in the semester, the returning 2 and
the school to provide personalized help to
3Ls are given a checklist asking them what
students anywhere in the country.
they did last summer and also asking them what they plan to do the following summer.”
With personalized attention and innovative
The categories include doing a summer-as-
job-placement techniques, Amy Ono brings
sociate position, clerkship, etc., and for the
a fresh perspective to career services. Her
following summer, the categories include
techniques are highly effective because they
a column for those who know where they
are based on meeting the goals and expecta-
will be working and for those who have
tions of individuals and encouraging a sense
some ideas. For those who just need help,
of community. Amy says, “I really enjoy what
Amy provides an “Emergency, please help”
I do and knowing that I am helping someone
column. This, she says, helps determine who
pursue their dreams and contributing to the
will need guidance and how much is early
community in this way.”
enough for her to provide help. When asked what challenges the students face, Amy provides that they often have more choices than they can choose from, something that many law students wish they had. “We have an excellent working relationship with the courts in Hawaii, and most students find clerkships.” In addition to the local firms, Hawaii has a summer program with Kelley Drye in New York, where at least one student is sent each summer. This helps expand this office’s geographical grasp and eventually puts more alumni out into the legal community who can in turn help other new grads find jobs outside the islands. Another challenge, Amy said, was with finding jobs outside of Hawaii. She feels that the university has a great placement program
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