James Verdi '10

James Verdi '10 used a Career Start Grant to find employment in a new city.

"I decided to move to Washington, D.C. after graduation. With few connections, I needed a way to get my foot in the door. The leverage I needed to find a position came from the Career Start Grant."

At a professional development event, James met an attorney from the U.S. Postal Service. He used the grant to work in the employment and labor section of the Postal Service's law department. James was a major asset in an office that was short-staffed, allowing him to gain experience by drafting high-level policy recommendations, organizing meetings with senior clients in labor relations, working on cases, and serving as second-chair in a national arbitration case presided over by one of the nation's most respected arbitrators.

When an honors attorney position with the employment and labor section opened, James applied and was offered the job. His supervisor cited his excellent work during his time as a grant recipient as the reason the Postal Service decided to hire him. "Without the Career Start Grant, I would have just been another resume. This opportunity would have not been possible without the help of my law school," James said.

"This kind of experience is what any student moving to a new city should use if they are looking for a way into the city's legal market. My Career Start Grant position allowed me to make a network in a new place and establish references that will serve me throughout the beginning of my career."