Major employers from Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York City, Washington, DC, Erie, Harrisburg, Ohio, and West Virginia send recruiters to conduct on-campus interviews with second- and third-year students during the fall. Out-of-town placement trips to cities like Philadelphia and Washington, DC allow students to interview with employers in other regions, and student resumes are forwarded to interested employers in distant locations who seek candidates from Pitt. Special contact with School of Law alumni, who practice in nearly every state, facilitates the effort to secure summer and full-time employment opportunities.
All law school students must register with the Placement Office and provide copies of their resumes. First-year students must attend a mandatory group orientation session and a 15-minute personal consultation with Career Planning and Placement staff. Second- and third-year students must attend a minimum of one scheduled consultation in the Placement Office.
The Placement Office maintains employment records for all law students, regardless of whether employment is secured through the Placement Office. All students must inform the Placement staff of all call-backs and offers from employers, and acceptances. Students are also required to complete all law school placement surveys, regardless of their employment status.
All Career Planning and Placement Office policies and procedures are contained in its student handbook, available in the Placement Office. Students are required to be knowledgeable of and comply with those policies and procedures.
The graduating classes at the University of Pittsburgh achieve employment success at a higher rate than the national average. The 1994 graduating class had a 75 percent legal employment rate within six months of graduation, compared to the national average of 69 percent.
The employment types represented by the class of 1994 are:
| Private Practice | 63 percent |
| Judicial Clerkships | 16 percent |
| Business | 10 percent |
| Government | 8 percent |
| Academic | 2 percent |
| Public Interest Legal Services | 1 percent |
In private practice, 42 percent were in firms of 50 or more attorneys, 12 percent were in firms of 11 to 50 attorneys, and 34 percent were in firms of two to ten attorneys. One percent were in solo practice firms, and 11 percent were in firms of unknown size. Sixty-nine percent of new graduates were employed in Pittsburgh, 12 percent in other parts of Pennsylvania, and 20 percent were employed in 18 other states. The salary range of new graduates was $20,000-$80,000, with an average first-year income of $40,541.
The Placement Office encourages students to make use of the important service it provides. Resume help, interviewing assistance, print information of many kinds, and help with job-hunting strategies are available. Students are welcome to make arrangements for individual counseling and assistance.
All full-time students are assessed a health fee for services on their statement. Part-time students may elect to purchase the health fee during the add/drop period each term or session. All others may pay a fee-for-service at the time of the visit. The fee covers all services offered by the Student Health Service except certain elective procedures, injuries, and medication. Students are encouraged to acquire hospitalization insurance for emergency and inpatient medical care.
Appointments are necessary for most services; however, walk-in services are available from
8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Monday through Friday during Fall and Spring Terms. Hours may vary during Summer Term and Summer Sessions, and the Health Service is closed on weekends and major holidays.
The Dental Clinic of the School of Dental Medicine, located on the first floor of Salk Hall, provides comprehensive dental care at reasonable rates.
The psychological counseling services offered by the University Counseling and Student Development Center are described in a later section. The Clinical Psychology Center, sixth floor of Old Engineering Hall, offers a number of services, including individual counseling of limited duration designed to help with problems or concerns that might require professional assistance.
Career counselors and a career resource center provide comprehensive planning help, including individual and group career counseling, career seminars, and career testing. (412) 648-7930.
The Learning Skills Center offers both individual and group help to students wishing to improve their reading, mathematics, or other study skills. Workshops are conveniently scheduled at various times; individual sessions in all areas are available upon request. All services are free and open to Pitt students, faculty, and staff. (412) 648-7920.
Counseling psychologists and consulting psychiatrists provide individual counseling for students, as well as group counseling focused on specific problem areas. Among the reasons people visit the Counseling Center are relationship problems, emotional or social difficulties, and concerns about academic progress or direction. (412) 648-7930.
The staff of this office assists veterans, war orphans, and veterans' dependents in the obtaining and use of their VA educational benefits. In addition to these services, the office implements the VA work study program. The staff serves as the veterans' representative with the University, the Veterans Administration, and related agencies. Contact may be made in Room 216 William Pitt Union or by calling (412) 648-7885.
The coordinator and a student staff match the special needs of students, staff, and faculty with disabilities with University and state services for the disabled. These services are determined by individual needs and include, but are not limited to, personal counseling, tape-recorded textbooks, braille copy, interpreter scheduling, and adaptive testing. The coordinator, in conjunction with the Director of the Office of Affirmative Action, has been designated as responsible for the consultation and determination of accommodations and services for University activities in an effort to assist the University with compliance of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. 216 William Pitt Union, (412) 648-7890.
Sexual Assault Services also sponsors PEERS, Peer Educators for an Environment free of Rape and Sexual Exploitation. PEERS is a volunteer student outreach program, the mission of which is to create awareness on the Pitt campus of the dynamics of sexual assault, promote healthy sexual relationships through effective communication, and prevent sexual victimization through educational programming.
Violation of this policy will result in disciplinary action within 30 days, including, but not limited to, a warning, written reprimand, suspension, dismissal, expulsion, and/or mandatory participation and successful completion of a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program approved by an appropriate health or law enforcement agency.
Any University employee paid from federally funded grants or contracts, or any student participating in any federally funded or guaranteed Student Loan Program, must notify the University of any criminal drug statute conviction for a violation occurring at the University or while engaged in University activities.
It is also a violation of the University of Pittsburgh's policy against sexual harassment for any employee or student at the University of Pittsburgh to attempt in any way to retaliate against a person who makes a claim of sexual harassment.
Any individual who, after thorough investigation and an informal or formal hearing, is found to have violated the University's policy against sexual harassment, will be subject to disciplinary action, including, but not limited to, reprimand, suspension, termination, or expulsion. Any disciplinary action taken will depend upon the severity of the offense.
The University recognizes that the health condition of individuals is personal and confidential. Reasonable precautions will be taken to protect information regarding the health condition of all members of the University community.
Based on medical evidence that indicates that there is no risk of transmitting HIV through casual contact in the classroom or circumstances involving only casual contact with others, the University will impose no undue restrictions on faculty, staff, or students who are infected with HIV.
Exceptions may be made with the approval of the Director of Environmental Health and Safety. Requests for the establishment of "Designated Smoking Areas" must be submitted to the Office of Facilities Management for review, in accordance with Procedure 04-05-03, Smoking. If approved, any expenses associated with creating a "Smoking Area", including posting of signs indicating where smoking exceptions are allowed, will be charged to the departmental budget of the requesting unit.