A career services advisor can be an amazing resource in law school as you navigate OCI, externships, clerkship applications, and more. However, it’s important that you find the advisor who can best help you reach your personal goals! To do so, follow along with this new series to learn about each CSO advisor at Boston College Law School. Here is our interview with Dorothy Commons.

What’s the best piece of career advice you can offer students?

Believe in yourself and embrace a growth mindset. As an advisor, I often browse through LinkedIn to identify alums who are in certain practice areas or settings, and while doing so, I come across many who I worked with when they were law students. This has become a fun practice, because our alums are doing some really cool things with their careers — which should be no surprise because, like you, they are smart people who went to a great law school! I often notice that many are in very different positions from the first ones they had, and some have pivoted a few times. I know some started with what they thought was their dream job, and others began in positions they knew they would move on from. The common thread here is that they worked hard, remained curious, believed in themselves, and moved forward. 

All the stresses of law school can, at times, make some students doubt themselves, and the stress of any job search is real. But please remember that you are here for a reason. Believing in yourself, putting yourself out there again and again, and reflecting on your experiences will help you learn, grow, and find opportunities. 

How would you describe your advising style when you work with students?

I have been at BC Law for over ten years, and I am in this role because I love to help students. I care about them and my interactions with them energize me. Frankly, they keep me young. When I meet a student for the first time, I welcome them and simply want to get to know them. Some may come in with a list of prepared questions and I am also open to answering them right away to help put the student at ease. 

For my upper level students and repeat students, I start with, “What’s going on?” Through our conversations, I will then point them to resources, make suggestions for next steps, follow up, and connect them with other students or alums. After each meeting, I want students to know I believe in them.

There is true power in connecting people to others, whether it’s student to student, student to alum, or even student to advisor. I’m proud of the relationships I’ve built over the years, which has created a vast network for students. 

What do you like to do for fun? 

My husband tells me I like to “collect” friends, which is kind of true. I have many groups of friends and I’m very active. Whether it’s going on a long walk or to a movie, dinner, play, concert, or to my monthly book club, I’m easily entertained and always enjoy a good laugh. I also like to spend time with my family. If you speak with me for five minutes, chances are you’ll hear about my two great kids who are both undergrads at BC (Go Eagles!), and my witty husband from Galway who tells a great story and keeps us entertained. 

Where in Boston should students visit before they graduate?

Before you graduate, you should get out of Boston and spend a day in Lowell to visit the Boott Cotton Mills in the Lowell National Historical Park. My favorite exhibit there is the Mill Girls and Immigrants Exhibit, which is a fascinating historic tour of the immigrants that have made Lowell their home over the past century and a half. There are other great exhibits there as well, or on a nice day you may choose to do the canal tour. Finish up at one of the many small restaurants around town.

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Tess Halpern is a third-year student and president of the Impact blog. Contact her at halperte@bc.edu.