Recruitment Policies

We adopt the spirit and ethical framework provided by NALP’s Principles for a Fair and Ethical Recruitment Process and add the following rules with respect to our recruiting programs and students.

Non-Discrimination Policy
Howard University School of Law is committed to a policy against discrimination in the interviewing or employment of its students based on age, color, disability, family responsibilities, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, matriculation, national origin, personal appearance, political affiliation, action, activity or ideology, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity, military status, veteran’s status or any factor prohibited by law. 

By submitting a job posting or participating in any of our recruiting programs, your organization agrees to abide by Howard University School of Law's non-discrimination policy, which is to provide equal opportunity in its programs, activities, and employment practices; to prohibit discrimination and harassment in education and employment because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, handicap or disability, or sexual orientation, personal appearance, family responsibility, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, political affiliation, action, activity or ideology ethnicity, military status, veteran’s status or any other factor prohibited by law; and to promote the realization of equality of opportunity in education and employment throughout the University. Your organization certifies that it complies and will comply with all applicable employment laws and regulations, including wage and hour laws.

1L Recruiting
To ensure that first year students have sufficient time to adjust to law school, prospective employers are discouraged from soliciting applications prior to December 1. Offers made to 1L students must be held open for a minimum of two weeks from the date of the offer letter for private sector employers and no fewer than 7 days for public sector employers. Any offer that requires the student to return to the same employer for more than four (4) 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 prohibited. Any offer that requires such conditions as a prerequisite for a post-graduate offer is strongly discouraged. Any such preconditions to a post-graduate offer must be disclosed to the 1L at the time of the 1L offer.

2L Summer Employment
Offers made for 2L summer employment must remain open for 3 weeks after the date of the offer letter or 3 weeks from the beginning of OCI, whichever is later. This window is shortened to two weeks for offices with a summer class size of 10 or fewer 2L summer associates. Written requests for extensions on offers to an employer’s recruiter or designee, made prior to 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.

Howard University School of Law has a stringent attendance policy. No absences are excused. Employers should work with students and support their efforts to avoid absences when scheduling callback interviews.

The rules for timing set out above shall apply to both regular summer programs as well as diversity fellowships and scholar programs. Offers that are extended shall not be withdrawn without first speaking to the Assistant Dean of OCS. “Exploding” offers are expressly prohibited.

Programming and Outreach to Students
Both to minimize the burden on student leaders and facilitate continuity in programming and communication, please initiate programming with student organizations through the Office of Career Services.