December 18, 2018
Beth Acevedo previously worked as an Assistant District Attorney, before joining Rutgers Law School's Career Development Office.

What's your favorite part about working in Career Services?

I very much enjoy supporting students as they explore what they would like to pursue as a career.  The process begins when they first come in for an initial appointment, sharing the path that led them to Rutgers Law School, and often continues well beyond graduation.  It requires pointing students in the direction of resources and strategies that allow them to make well-informed decisions.  It also involves discussing important considerations, ranging from projected salaries to the day-to-day realities of certain practice areas and everything in between. 

Talk about your journey to doing the work you're doing now

I originally entered law school hoping to ultimately engage in advocacy on behalf of women and children.  Initially, I thought I might pursue policy work and hadn’t really even considered trial advocacy.  Over time, however, my outlook evolved as I found myself enjoying oral arguments in my Legal Research and Writing Course and representing Public Interest Clinic clients at Social Security hearings.  During law school, I interned for the Public Defender Service of DC at a youth detention center representing juveniles at disciplinary hearings, and later at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania assisting with both criminal and civil cases.  Both of these experiences helped to inform my decision to accept a position with the Office of the Bronx District Attorney upon graduation.  For 15 years I served as an assistant district attorney, first in the Domestic Violence and Sex Crimes Bureau as a line assistant and then as supervisor and Deputy Chief of the Domestic Violence Bureau.  One of the most fulfilling aspects of my role as a manager was welcoming, training and supporting junior attorneys each year.  My experience working with recent law school graduates made my choice to join the Career Development Office at Rutgers Law School an easy one. 

Do you have advice for law students who are coming to visit Career Services?

Make sure to seek balance in how you approach your career development decisions and choices.  Seek out opportunities that are aligned with your initial interests, but also remain open to information and experiences relating to areas that you might not initially know that much about.  Many successful attorneys will tell you how their career path wasn’t necessarily a linear one, and that they are far happier as a result.

What do Rutgers Law students bring to a job or internship?

Rutgers Law students often bring interesting and diverse life experiences and skills to summer jobs and internships.  Whether it is managing their family’s Christmas tree farm or working as a senior chemist at one of the world’s largest cosmetic companies, our students possess perspectives that undoubtedly enable them to excel in legal internships.   

When you're not busy in the Career Development Office, where are you most likely to be found?

If it’s the spring semester, you’ll find me prepping and grading papers for the course I teach on domestic violence law and theory.  At other times of the year, most of my spare time is spent running back and forth from my two sons’ soccer games and tennis matches, and walking our fun-loving pup Sadie.      

Rutgers Law Media Contact:
Shanida Carter

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