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Lacie Lawson 
Seven years ago, as a high school graduate I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. I started college at ECU in 2008 and enrolled in the required courses, just hoping I would find an area of study that I enjoyed. Nearly two years went by at ECU and I still hadn't decided what I wanted to make a career of. That changed in 2010, when a friend convinced me to take a course called "Introduction to Law." For the first time in my life, I found a class that I enjoyed going to and preparing for. A few months into the class, my professor made us attend a jury trial for one of our assignments. A few hours into watching the trial, I knew I wanted to be a trial attorney.
 
I changed my major to Legal Studies and begin researching the necessary steps to get into law school. I had heard horror stories about law school, so I was well aware of the challenges that awaited me. I took as many legal studies classes as I could to help prepare me for law school. I was enrolled in a Civil Procedure class, which was taught by an adjunct professor, J. Wes Billingsley, he was also a practicing attorney in Ada at Billingsley & Associates. A few months into the class I began working at his law firm as a paralegal. Working in a law office before attending law school allowed me to gain invaluable experience prepared me for law school.
 
Shortly before I graduated from ECU, I sat for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and began applying to law schools. In early 2012, I received an acceptance letter in the mail from Oklahoma City University School of Law.
 
In August of 2012 I moved to Oklahoma City to attend Oklahoma City University School of Law. My three years of law school were the most challenging yet rewarding experience of my life. While in law school I was able to work at the Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office where I was able to gain courtroom experience on a daily basis. During law school I received awards for receiving the highest grade in my class in Family Law, American Indian Law, and Trial Practice.
 
After graduating law school, I accepted an associate position at Billingsley & Associates in Ada, Oklahoma. The areas of law I am most passionate about are family law and criminal law. I became an attorney because I am passionate about people and protecting their rights. I am very fortunate to have found a career I love and enjoy doing on a daily basis.
 
The Choctaw Nation Career Development Team made a huge impact on my journey to becoming an attorney. There were so many unique opportunities that I discovered were available to me through the Choctaw Nation Career Development Program. My Career Counselor, Karen Thomas, was excellent to work with and went above and beyond to make sure I was aware of all the programs and opportunities the Choctaw Nation Career Development had available. I could tell from my first conversation with Karen that she loved her job and wanted to watch her students succeed. I truly appreciate Karen and the rest of the Choctaw Nation Career Development Team for helping me reach my goals.
 




When to Start Taking Social Security  
Eileen St. Pierre, The Everyday Financial Planner
   
We've all been told to save as much as we can for
retirement, but then we have to figure out how to withdraw the money in retirement. The math can be confusing and let's not forget all those IRS rules. Even choosing when to start taking Social Security can be a difficult decision. Here's a little guidance to help you make that decision.

The Basics
To be eligible for Social Security (SS) benefits, you need to have accumulated 40 credits. You earn credits by working and paying SS taxes. You get 1 credit for each quarter (3 months) of work. So you need to have worked for at least 10 years. They do not need to be consecutive years. 

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Career Connection Newsletter

December 2015                     choctawcareers.com 

Upcoming Events...
     
 




2016 Career Expo
 
   
February 24, 2016
10 am to 2 pm

Southeast Expo Center
McAlester, OK
Visit www.choctawcareerexpo.com for more info!

 

    


 
8 (Mostly) Simple Tasks Your Boss Assumes You Know How To Do

 
Employers assume that those they hire know how to perform certain tasks. For example your boss will expect you to know how to write a professional email and answer the phone properly. Those tasks are pretty simple, but others are a bit more complicated-for example apologizing for a mistake. That's not something everyone knows how to do.

Here are 8 tasks, some simple and some not, that everyone must master:
1.     Sending a Professional Email: If you are under the age of 30 it's very likely you have been using email since you've known how to write. What you may not know is that there's a big difference between sending email to your friends and using this medium for work-related correspondence. For example, you may write in all lowercase letters, use slang and abbreviations, and perhaps even let misspellings and bad grammar go by, when sending email to your friends. Those are some of the "do nots" to which you should be attentive when corresponding with coworkers, your boss or clients.
Read more.

 
Upcoming FREE Webinar!
    
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Understanding Social Security
Thursday, December 17, 2015
3:30-4:00
Social Security plays an important role in retirement planning. Join us for this webinar to increase your understanding of this federal program. Topics addressed include:
  • When am I eligible for benefits?
  • How do I apply?
  • How much will I receive?
  • What is the impact of taking Social Security early or delaying benefits?
  • How does working in retirement affect my benefits?
  • What other benefits does Social Security provide my family?
    
 Register TODAY for this upcoming webinar! 

 
 
 
 
Employment Spotlight:
Trucker Shortage Mean Thousand of Available Jobs 
November 28, 2015 - By: USA Today Network, Ryan Randazzo, The Arizona Republic

The Trucking Industry faces a
shortage of drivers nationwide. In the next 10 years it will need to hire 89,000 new drivers a year to replace those who are retiring and to meet projected demand, according to the Arlington, Va.-based American Trucking Associations.

 
Phoenix Arizona has about 194,000 people searching for employment.  But there's work available in the long-haul trucking industry for those who can cut it, even if they've never driven a truck and don't know how to use a stick shift. Read article

 
Trucking, the backbone of American commerce, is in a tough spot. There might be a future, a very long time from now, when long-haul drivers are replaced by fully self-driving vehicles. But today, trucking has the opposite problem. It's looking at a significant shortage of drivers, and trying to figure out how it will fill that hole.  Is trucking in crisis or is the pendulum about to swing the other way?


 
How do I know if Trucking is for me? TruckingTruth.com

     
 
 

 
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*The use of the above articles is for informational purposes only and does not imply the endorsement of the websites nor their services.