Reciprocity - Use of Career Services Office at Other Law Schools

Graduates seeking opportunities outside the DFW area may want to take advantage of reciprocity from other law schools. This is a system by which the OCS requests the career services office of another law school to grant SMU graduates access to that school’s resources. Reciprocity is always requested and granted on an individual basis and is never available on a school-to-school basis. Each law school has its own reciprocity policies regarding what it would offer to someone from another law school. Therefore, if you want reciprocity with a particular law school, make sure to review that school’s policies.

Make special note of any restrictions. These typically include:

• Reciprocity is closed during Fall recruiting (August to November)
• Length of access (e.g., one visit, one month)
• Access to resources (e.g., no online access to current job postings, meeting with counselor)
• Multiple reciprocity requests to other law schools in the area
• Requests in advance
• Reciprocity granted on a one-to-one basis

Reciprocity is a valuable favor from another law school. Therefore, if you are requesting reciprocity:

• Ask only if you definitely need and will definitely use, hopefully to the maximum, the resources available to you at the other law school.
• Request reciprocity when you are ready to use it. There is a clock on your reciprocity to the other law school. It starts on the letter’s mailing/receipt date. Once it has expired, you will need to reapply.

Please email lawcareer@smu.edu if you would like our office to request reciprocity with another law school’s career services office on your behalf.