Boalt 3L worth returning to school? (Employment Prospects) Forum

[boaltrising3l]

Trying to decide right now a long with some other friends from school if it's worth paying the 49k in state tuition for next year:

Relevant info and employment interests:

I am interested in either working for a firm or fed or stategov job (clerkship or not) so long as its not public interest.
With current grades back I'd guess conservatively I'm top 25% of the class, perhaps a bit better.

Struck out at OCI due to bad bidding strategy. In any case, most 3Ls I talked to who did not have SA positions were going to graduate unemployed or doc-reviewing for a couple dollars over minimum wage.

My question is would it be realistic for me to return for full time employment expecting to make at least 15 dollars an hour? I have prior work experience and probably could go back to my old job, so I'm wondering if attaining the degree is worth it.

[Paraflam]

Berkeley 3L in top 25% thinking about dropping out cause of job prospects?

[MrKappus]

[haus]

Do you suspect that your options will be better if you walk away?

[09042014]

PROTIP: People in the top of Lower T14s sometimes strike out even at top 25%.

[haus]

PROTIP: People in the top of Lower T14s sometimes strike out even at top 25%.

PROTIP: Life sucks, nothing is guaranteed, but more than likely the above is full of it.

[Kilpatrick]

I don't think you should drop out, but obviously that's a personal decision.

But I'm curious, what was the bidding strategy that sunk you at OCI?

[3ThrowAway99]

I don't think you should drop out, but obviously that's a personal decision.

But I'm curious, what was the bidding strategy that sunk you at OCI?

+1...

[cornellbeez]

PROTIP: People in the top of Lower T14s sometimes strike out even at top 25%.

This. I'm guessing OP bid on California. Top 25% with no IP background generally is not good enough for California.

[smittytron3k]

Assuming that you have not already thrown in the towel, you should not drop out, and you should start developing a strategy for PMF, Federal Honors positions, state government jobs, and clerkships (DCt or state). You are probably not going to get biglaw at this point, but you're in a much better position than most unemployed 3Ls (who, by and large, are not top 25%, even at Boalt) and I think, with an effective strategy, you should be able to lock up some sort of government job.

[boaltrising3l]

PROTIP: People in the top of Lower T14s sometimes strike out even at top 25%.

This. I'm guessing OP bid on California. Top 25% with no IP background generally is not good enough for California.

Bingo, right on the money, also had a strong preference for transactional work. Sorry to disappoint others but this is not flame, though it def makes me feel a lot better in a weird way that people think it's flame.

[theturkeyisfat]

PROTIP: People in the top of Lower T14s sometimes strike out even at top 25%.

This. I'm guessing OP bid on California. Top 25% with no IP background generally is not good enough for California.

Bingo, right on the money, also had a strong preference for transactional work. Sorry to disappoint others but this is not flame, though it def makes me feel a lot better in a weird way that people think it's flame.

wow, the job market in cali is that bad?

[Anonymous User]

PROTIP: People in the top of Lower T14s sometimes strike out even at top 25%.

This. I'm guessing OP bid on California. Top 25% with no IP background generally is not good enough for California.

Bingo, right on the money, also had a strong preference for transactional work. Sorry to disappoint others but this is not flame, though it def makes me feel a lot better in a weird way that people think it's flame.

wow, the job market in cali is that bad?

Yeah, I was lucky enough to get a job as a 2L, getting unpaid work here as a 2L is hard (easy as a 1L tho). Had multiple free job interviews where people were just shocked to see the quality of students on the market. Know a few 2Ls who are sitting at home this summer so I count myself as lucky to have even gotten work this summer. The question really is if I return will finding full time work be a realistic goal?

[Kilpatrick]

What if you were from California and had no ties to anywhere else, where were you supposed to bid?

[theturkeyisfat]

and if you're like me and dream of working in cali but are probably gonna attend vandy...

any advice?

[TheFactor]

Lawl please let this be a flame.

[09042014]

Lawl please let this be a flame.

Why the fuck do you think it's a flame. Boalt OCI was confirmed to be a LOLCI.

[Sup Kid]

Know a few 2Ls who are sitting at home this summer so I count myself as lucky to have even gotten work this summer.

This seals it as flame -- multiple 2Ls at Boalt who can't work for free? Come on man, quality flame has to at least be somewhat believable.

[TheFactor]

Lawl please let this be a flame.

Why the fuck do you think it's a flame. Boalt OCI was confirmed to be a LOLCI.

[Anonymous User]

I mean i know a few ~4 who couldnt find work, granted they spent too much time going for paid work but still.

This is not flame.

[cornellbeez]

PROTIP: People in the top of Lower T14s sometimes strike out even at top 25%.

This. I'm guessing OP bid on California. Top 25% with no IP background generally is not good enough for California.

Bingo, right on the money, also had a strong preference for transactional work. Sorry to disappoint others but this is not flame, though it def makes me feel a lot better in a weird way that people think it's flame.

Yeah, it's mainly litigation in California. The only non-IP people I know at my T-14 who landed California biglaw were top 15-20%.

I wish 0Ls would stop calling "flame" in every thread in the legal employment forum. It's a very tough market out there.

[cornellbeez]

and if you're like me and dream of working in cali but are probably gonna attend vandy...

any advice?

Get top 10%, grade onto Law Review.

Anyway OP, it's a tough decision because I understand how overwhelming the debt and uncertainty can be, but at this point I think I'd stay in school and apply to state court clerkships. Do you have any connections to places that are less competitive than California? If so, I'd apply to those. You need 2-3 recs for clerkships, I believe, so I'd start by asking profs for letters.

[seatown12]

I am interested in either working for a firm or fed or stategov job (clerkship or not) so long as its not public interest.

lol

[boaltrising3l]

Having run and participated in multiple public interest projects I resent that.

I don't want to do public interest because:

A. No public interest firm will pay for full time employees so you have to continually apply for grants, for recent grads there is virtually no chance of getting a full time public interest job.
B. I've worked in a public interest organization and quite frankly the environment is toxic. Things are run on such a shoestring and rather than taking on a reasonable load, at least my organization had far too many clients to the point where we really couldn't effectively serve anyone.
C. The level of work is incredibly low level stuff often just navigating people through administrative procedures which frankly I do not find interesting.
D. For every one sympathetic client there are ten ungrateful ones that treat you terribly and dump on you for how awful their life is. Most have no legal claim and/or standing and are just looking to vent to another human being.

So no, I like the virtue of public interest and will always volunteer, but that does not make me a fuckstick.

[shoeshine]

Trying to decide right now a long with some other friends from school if it's worth paying the 49k in state tuition for next year:

Relevant info and employment interests:

I am interested in either working for a firm or fed or stategov job (clerkship or not) so long as its not public interest.
With current grades back I'd guess conservatively I'm top 25% of the class, perhaps a bit better.

Struck out at OCI due to bad bidding strategy. In any case, most 3Ls I talked to who did not have SA positions were going to graduate unemployed or doc-reviewing for a couple dollars over minimum wage.

My question is would it be realistic for me to return for full time employment expecting to make at least 15 dollars an hour? I have prior work experience and probably could go back to my old job, so I'm wondering if attaining the degree is worth it.

Alright I am going to respond as if you aren't a flame. Are you retarded? You have already invested 100K+ in getting a degree from a top ranked law school. Giving up now would be one of the stupidest financial decisions you could ever make. You will get basically no return on your 100k investment if you drop out now. The time to drop out was last year. Now that you have invested that much money there is no way that dropping out will save you more money than you are giving up in future earnings. Over a long enough time run (10+ years) the earnings added by having a JD significantly outweigh the debt you will earn your last year.

Why did you come to law school in the first place? It doesn't sound like you want to practice law.