Law School Recruitment

Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

North Carolina Central University School of Law (NCCU Law) appreciates the efforts of all partners who endeavor to hire our practice-ready attorneys and our highly competent and socially responsible students.  NCCU Law is committed to providing our students with opportunities for professional development and legal career advancement.  This policy outlines the principles, guidelines, and procedures that govern the engagement of employers in the recruitment of NCCU Law students.  We are guided by the National Association for Law Placement’s (NALP) Principles for a Fair and Ethical Recruitment Process and highlight the following rules for employer recruitment programs and students.

NCCU Law provides equal employment opportunities for all persons. NCCU Law prohibits discrimination and harassment in all aspects of employment because of age, color, physical or mental disability, family responsibilities, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, matriculation, national or ethnic origin, personal appearance, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran’s status or any other legally protected status.

NCCU Law welcomes employers who agree to adhere to our non-discrimination policy and comply with all applicable laws. Employers engaged in legal practice, legal departments, government agencies, public interest organizations, and other legal-adjacent fields are eligible to participate in recruitment activities on our campus.

NCCU Law facilitates on-campus interviews (OCIs), career fairs, information sessions, and other events as may be necessary for our students’ professional development.  Employers who wish to participate in these opportunities may contact the Office of Career and Professional Development to schedule and coordinate these opportunities.

Employers are encouraged to post job opportunities, internships, clerkships, and externships through NCCU Law’s career services platform, Symplicity.  Instructions for posting opportunities can be found here: Employer Guide to Using Symplicity.

To ensure that 1L students have sufficient time to adjust to law school, prospective employers are discouraged from soliciting applications from 1L students before December 1. Offers made to 1L students must be held open for at least two weeks from the date of the offer letter for private-sector employers and at least one week for public-sector employers. “Exploding” offers — offers that require a student to accept or decline employment within a short time period — are expressly prohibited. 

Any offer that requires the student to return to the same employer for more than four weeks of their 2L summer or otherwise requires the student to materially limit their 2L summer at another employer as a precondition for a 1L summer offer, is discouraged. Any offer that requires such conditions as a prerequisite for a post-graduate offer is strongly discouraged. Any preconditions to a post-graduate offer must be disclosed to the 1L at the time of the 1L offer.

Offers made for 2L summer employment must remain open for at least two weeks after the date of the offer letter or two weeks from the beginning of OCI, whichever is later. “Exploding” offers — offers that require a student to accept or decline employment within a short time period — are expressly prohibited. This window is shortened to one week for offices with a summer class size of ten or fewer 2L summer associates.

Employers offering post-graduate employment to candidates not previously employed by the employer as part of OCI should leave offers open for at least two weeks after the date of the offer letter or two weeks from the beginning of OCI, whichever is later. This window is shortened to one week for offices with six or fewer attorneys.

Students are expected to conduct themselves professionally during the recruitment process and adhere to the policies and guidelines set forth by NCCU Law.  Students should report any concerns related to employer conduct or job postings that may violate NCCU Law’s policies to the Office of Career and Professional Development.

Employers are expected to conduct themselves in a professional and respectful manner during recruitment activities.  Any violations of this policy will be addressed by NCCU Law in accordance with our policies and procedures.  NCCU Law reserves the right to prohibit employer participation in recruitment activities at its sole discretion.

Written requests for extensions on offers to an employer’s recruiter or designee made before the expiration of that offer should be considered and granted when reasonable. An employer may request that students reaffirm interest in their open summer employment within 14 days from the date of the offer letter.

All hiring decisions are made independently by employers and are based on the criteria of that specific employer.  NCCU Law may attempt to facilitate communication between the employer and the student, but a failure of communication or lack of communication shall not be imputed to the employer nor NCCU Law.  Unless otherwise stated in writing, NCCU Law does not endorse any particular employer or job opportunity.

NCCU Law has a firm attendance policy.  Employers and students are encouraged to work with one another.  Employers should work with students and support their efforts to avoid absences from class when scheduling callback interviews.

The timing rules above shall apply to regular summer programs, diversity fellowships, and scholar programs. Extended offers shall only be withdrawn by speaking to the assistant dean of Career and Professional Development or the Career and Professional Development Faculty Committee.