Organizations and Employers

The University of St. Thomas School of Law is governed by the nondiscrimination policy of its parent university. The University of St. Thomas (UST) is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity and equal educational opportunity. UST does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, family status, disability, age, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, membership or activity in a local commission, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. The University's policy of nondiscrimination extends to all aspects of its operations, including but not limited to, employment, educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and all other educational programs and activities.

The University of St. Thomas School of Law complies with this nondiscrimination statement in all of its own activities, and it requires that employers to whom it furnishes assistance of any kind comply with this nondiscrimination statement.

The first semester of law school is critical to providing students with a strong academic foundation. Therefore, first-year students shall not submit applications to prospective employers and prospective employers shall not solicit or consider applications from first-year students before November 1.

Exception: Federal entities that require candidates to undergo extended background checks (commonly entities involved in national security) and need to conduct summer hiring prior to November 1 to accommodate their unique hiring procedures, may solicit, receive, and review applications prior to November 1.

The University of St. Thomas School of Law encourages employers to participate in our On-Campus Interviewing Program (OCI), which starts in July and continues through September, or as scheduled outside of that timeframe with the Career and Professional Development Office.

To ensure a fair and efficient recruitment and hiring process for all students and employers participating in OCI, employers shall not conduct initial or callback interviews of rising second-year students prior to the employer's OCI interview dates. Employers may, however, interview rising second-year students prior to OCI as part of an organized job fair.

The University of St. Thomas School of Law recognizes the need to balance the business needs of employers with the educational and professional development needs of our students. Employers should refrain from any activity that may adversely affect the ability of students to make an independent and thoughtful decision. Employers should not offer special inducements to persuade students to accept offers of employment earlier than is prescribed.

Offers should be made in writing with all material terms and conditions of employment clearly expressed.

Students should immediately withdraw their application from consideration and/or decline any offers if they have no expectation or intention of accepting an offer of employment. Once students accept an offer of employment, they must withdraw from consideration from any other employer.

The University of St. Thomas School of Law also wants to ensure that the employment relationships that develop from our programs and services result in productive professional relationships. Affording students a reasonable period of time for reviewing, considering, and responding to offers is an important part of promoting successful recruiting. The University of St. Thomas School of Law expects employers to afford students at least 14 days to consider and respond to an offer of employment that results from an interview that took place as a part of OCI. This timeline applies regardless of whether the students has been previously employed by the employer.

In accordance with the standards and guidelines of the National Association for Law Placement (NALP), the Office of Career and Professional Development is not available to students for one-on-one appointments or for application review prior to October 15 their first academic year. Direct contact or communication between employers and first year students before November 1 is prohibited. These rules are intended to prevent diversions from academic work during the critical early months of law school.

A student's right to privacy will be preserved during the recruiting and reporting process. Information protected by federal, state or local law will not be disclosed without proper consent from the student. Students should be aware, however, that information might be shared within the CPD office to facilitate speedy service for that student. Information may also be shared with other UST Law offices if the CPD staff believes doing so will improve services to the student. Questions regarding this policy may be directed to the Director of Career & Prof. Development.

All employment opportunities shared with the CPD office are made available to the entire student body. An employer's preferred qualifications will be listed in the posting as long as they do not conflict with equal employment opportunity guidelines set out in UST Law's non-discrimination policy.

When CPD posts a job posting in the Career Center, that act does not represent an endorsement of the employer by the University of St. Thomas, nor an endorsement of the views or values held by that employer. Prospective applicants are encouraged and expected to research independently the employers and opportunities listed.

In accordance with the Principles and Standards of NALP, students should notify CPD of their acceptance or rejection of employment offers at the earliest possible time.

The University of St. Thomas School of Law is a member of NALP, the Association for Legal Career Professionals. As a member, UST follows NALP's guidelines for counseling and hiring. NALP's standards for job offers and other issues can be found on the NALP website. All UST students are expected to follow these guidelines.