Temple Professor Has Job Advice For Young Lawyers

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The ground-rules have shifted for law students looking for summer associate jobs, and the leg-up they bring toward further employment.

 Gone are the days when a top GPA and Law Review publications were the only qualifications needed, according to Melissa Lennon, Assistant Dean for Temple's Beasley School of Law Career Planning.

 She says law firms, challenged by their clients for better bang for the buck during the recession, are also seeing the value of life lessons, "Who's coming from an entirely different career, who's maybe had some really challenging things in his or her background, who has already owned and operated a business. These diverse kinds of experiences really make for very fine junior lawyers."

Lennon says Temple is well-prepared for this trend because its law school admissions were already leaning that way. She hopes this change is permanent, even after the economy improves.

Reported By John Ostapkovitch, KYW Newsradio