Cianne Jimenez, a 2024 graduate from the University of Houston Law Center (UHLC), will start her job as an associate at Thomas Quinn in Sept. 2025 after finishing a 1-year clerkship with the 14th Court of Appeals in Houston.
Jimenez, who was a transfer student to UHLC, discussed the help she received from the Career Development Office (CDO) in preparing and finding both opportunities. Jimenez emphasized how much of a relief it is to have secured employment before graduation.
“I truly made the best decision by transferring to UHLC. It is a huge weight off my shoulders to have a job secured before going into bar prep,” said Jimenez.
She took the time out to chat about her new roles, the job search journey, and her experience working with the CDO.
Tell us about your new job.
I am going to be working for the law firm Thomas Quinn. One of the areas the firm specializes in is Defense Base Act litigation, an act that provides compensation for disability or death to personnel at military, air, and naval bases outside the United States. As an associate attorney, I will be representing these claims in front of a federal administrative judge, which involves dealing with issues related to federal regulations.
Can you explain what you will be doing as part of your clerkship?
I will be a briefing attorney for all the justices in the 14th Court of Appeals, working for a different justice every month. Part of my job is helping to draft judicial opinions. I was motivated to apply for the clerkship after participating in the Appellate Civil Justice Clinic at UHLC. Inspired to become an appellate advocate, I improved my research and writing to be a better overall advocate. I also did an externship at the First Court of Appeals during my 2L year. I look forward to the opportunity to get feedback and mentorship from appellate justices and exposure to all areas of the law since the Texas appellate courts have jurisdiction in both civil and criminal cases. This will be an invaluable experience to help me grow in my future legal career.
What was your experience working with the Career Development Office (CDO)?
They played a huge role in getting the job with Thomas Quinn. The office was very persistent in its efforts to get my resume revised through the Resume Book. They also reached out to me any time an employer pulled my resume and any time an opportunity came up that aligned with my interest. The CDO was overall very helpful, diligent, and committed to helping me find postgraduate employment.
Can you talk about the 3L Resume Book and the support?
Throughout my entire law school experience and while working on the Resume Book, I was very impressed with the CDO’s efforts in helping students update their resumes every year. At the start of my final semester before graduation, I received a personalized experience for making sure my resume was polished before being sent out to particular employers. I am very appreciative of CDO for sharing job opportunities as they come up. They are committed to getting students employed, and their efforts showed that.
How did the UH Law Foundation Board assist you?
As graduation was approaching and I was still looking for a job, the CDO assigned me a mentor, who was on the board of the UH Law Foundation and an alumnus. My mentor helped me phenomenally. They reviewed my resume, spoke with me one-on-one, and helped me find a job opportunity with the court of appeals. We practiced through mock interviews, where I learned how to better showcase my strengths during an interview. Overall, my mentor helped guide me in the direction of the law that I wanted to pursue.
Why did you choose the UH Law Center?
I came here as a transfer student primarily for the network and connections UH has with the legal community in Houston. If you are not accepted early enough as a transfer student, you can be a little disadvantaged because you miss the deadline to participate in the August OCI as a 2L, a channel for students to find permanent jobs. However, between 2L and graduation, the CDO was great at notifying me and contacting me for new job opportunities that matched my interests. It affirmed that I made the right choice in coming to UHLC because of the opportunities they offered for postgraduate employment. I truly made the best decision by transferring to UHLC. It is a huge weight off my shoulders to have a job secured before going into bar prep.
What advice do you have for law students doing a job search?
Do not be discouraged by rejection. I have done many interviews and have received a lot of rejections, but what is meant for you will come in time. Stay persistent, and do not give up. Cast a wide net and consider exploring areas you might not think you would be interested in during law school. You just need to get your foot in the door.
Original source can be found here.