1L jobless Forum

[Anonymous User]

I've applied to close to 100 jobs in government and public interest since January. I landed a few interviews, but nothing has panned out. I haven't heard from about 50 places. What can I do at this point? Above median at T10 if that makes a difference. The profs I have a relationship with aren't hiring RAs. My goal is biglaw.

[LawIdiot86]

I've applied to close to 100 jobs in government and public interest since January. I landed a few interviews, but nothing has panned out. I haven't heard from about 50 places. What can I do at this point? Above median at T10 if that makes a difference. The profs I have a relationship with aren't hiring RAs. My goal is biglaw.

Only 100 in gov/pi? There have to be at least that many judges in your school's natural market (Philly, Chicago, DC, LA, or NY). Start calling chambers and asking who is still hiring. Also, look at the corporate internships your school has listed online. And apply to profs besides those you have relationships with.

[Anonymous User]

I've applied to close to 100 jobs in government and public interest since January. I landed a few interviews, but nothing has panned out. I haven't heard from about 50 places. What can I do at this point? Above median at T10 if that makes a difference. The profs I have a relationship with aren't hiring RAs. My goal is biglaw.

Only 100 in gov/pi? There have to be at least that many judges in your school's natural market (Philly, Chicago, DC, LA, or NY). Start calling chambers and asking who is still hiring. Also, look at the corporate internships your school has listed online. And apply to profs besides those you have relationships with.

Thanks. I haven't applied to judges since I was told I couldn't refuse if I got an offer from one and I was really interested in certain other jobs. I'll start doing that now.

[LawIdiot86]

I've applied to close to 100 jobs in government and public interest since January. I landed a few interviews, but nothing has panned out. I haven't heard from about 50 places. What can I do at this point? Above median at T10 if that makes a difference. The profs I have a relationship with aren't hiring RAs. My goal is biglaw.

Only 100 in gov/pi? There have to be at least that many judges in your school's natural market (Philly, Chicago, DC, LA, or NY). Start calling chambers and asking who is still hiring. Also, look at the corporate internships your school has listed online. And apply to profs besides those you have relationships with.

Thanks. I haven't applied to judges since I was told I couldn't refuse if I got an offer from one and I was really interested in certain other jobs. I'll start doing that now.

No one cares what you do 1L summer as long as it's legal. You're upper half at a T10, that means as long as you blend in with the other upper half people at your school, you get a biglaw position. Maybe not your dream position, but as long as you don't throw any flags at OCI (like having done non-legal your 1L summer) or skip out on mock interviews, you're set if you maintain your current rank.

[Anonymous User]

Apply to every prof looking for an RA, whether you know them or not. Especially focus on profs that don't teach 1L courses because they are going to be the most likely to hire someone they don't know, since much fewer 2Ls than 1Ls will be applying for RA positions. Let career services know you are still looking for a job if they don't know already. They may be able to help send things your way.

[berkeleykel06]

Apply to every prof looking for an RA, whether you know them or not. Especially focus on profs that don't teach 1L courses because they are going to be the most likely to hire someone they don't know, since much fewer 2Ls than 1Ls will be applying for RA positions. Let career services know you are still looking for a job if they don't know already. They may be able to help send things your way.

didn't intend for that to be anon

[traehekat]

I've applied to close to 100 jobs in government and public interest since January. I landed a few interviews, but nothing has panned out. I haven't heard from about 50 places. What can I do at this point? Above median at T10 if that makes a difference. The profs I have a relationship with aren't hiring RAs. My goal is biglaw.

Only 100 in gov/pi? There have to be at least that many judges in your school's natural market (Philly, Chicago, DC, LA, or NY). Start calling chambers and asking who is still hiring. Also, look at the corporate internships your school has listed online. And apply to profs besides those you have relationships with.

Thanks. I haven't applied to judges since I was told I couldn't refuse if I got an offer from one and I was really interested in certain other jobs. I'll start doing that now.

yeah, but what you are REALLY interested in is biglaw, so you should just focus on getting ANY legal job over the summer because that is certainly sufficient for long-term biglaw purposes. but i know you knew that, so i digress. talk to your CSO and see if you can get the low down on what judges are still hiring and what aren't and how you should go about contacting those that might still be hiring. im sure you'll you find something, but you just gotta get on it.

[2LsAPlenty]

No fooling, the buses are leaving the station!

[roranoa]

I've applied to close to 100 jobs in government and public interest since January. I landed a few interviews, but nothing has panned out. I haven't heard from about 50 places. What can I do at this point? Above median at T10 if that makes a difference. The profs I have a relationship with aren't hiring RAs. My goal is biglaw.

Btw, is your situation common for people with your stats? (T10, above average?)
Because if it is, this is pretty scary.

[LawIdiot86]

I've applied to close to 100 jobs in government and public interest since January. I landed a few interviews, but nothing has panned out. I haven't heard from about 50 places. What can I do at this point? Above median at T10 if that makes a difference. The profs I have a relationship with aren't hiring RAs. My goal is biglaw.

Btw, is your situation common for people with your stats? (T10, above average?)
Because if it is, this is pretty scary.

I know at my T14 of a 1L top half, 2L with WE and top third, and 3L with firm exp, top 15% and secondary journal, all of whom have nothing despite months of applications. State judges, random federal agencies, network events like crazy.

[johndhi]

I've applied to close to 100 jobs in government and public interest since January. I landed a few interviews, but nothing has panned out. I haven't heard from about 50 places. What can I do at this point? Above median at T10 if that makes a difference. The profs I have a relationship with aren't hiring RAs. My goal is biglaw.

Btw, is your situation common for people with your stats? (T10, above average?)
Because if it is, this is pretty scary.

whatever, it's just 1L. OP: apply to RA with other professors and ask your career servies offices where else to look.

[dreakol]

oh hai me

[shoeshine]

I know at my T14 of a 1L top half, 2L with WE and top third, and 3L with firm exp, top 15% and secondary journal, all of whom have nothing despite months of applications. State judges, random federal agencies, network events like crazy.

I go to a T14 as well and I don't know anyone that is unemployed. I know it probably varies by school and group of people you hang out with but things aren't as bad as I expected here.

It really seems like the people that are having the hardest time are those going for public interest and want something extremely rare or specific.

[Anonymous User]

I don't know what this whole don't do non-legal work thing is. I worked in M&A for an investment bank my 1L summer on the business side (i.e. not legal). v5 SA lined up - employers ate up having a practical finance background.

[LawIdiot86]

I know at my T14 of a 1L top half, 2L with WE and top third, and 3L with firm exp, top 15% and secondary journal, all of whom have nothing despite months of applications. State judges, random federal agencies, network events like crazy.

I go to a T14 as well and I don't know anyone that is unemployed. I know it probably varies by school and group of people you hang out with but things aren't as bad as I expected here.

It really seems like the people that are having the hardest time are those going for public interest and want something extremely rare or specific.

True. My friends without jobs are all committed to extremely specific fields to the exclusion of anything else (antitrust, international arbitration, entertainment, technology, ERISA) or if they are 3Ls, they have no idea what they want beyond "I want to make a lot of money and help people doing something interesting." If you goal is to just get a job doing anything in the law, including law variants like contracting, compliance, politics and consulting and you are above the bottom 15%, you are probably ok at a T14.

I don't know what this whole don't do non-legal work thing is. I worked in M&A for an investment bank my 1L summer on the business side (i.e. not legal). v5 SA lined up - employers ate up having a practical finance background.

That's different... If you worked at McKinsey, an i-bank, or something as elite and business-related as a biglaw firm, that lets you violate the normal legal rule.

[Lasers]

i feel OP's pain.

i'm jobless myself at the moment; had a couple interviews in the last 2 weeks though. rejected at all but still under consideration at one. what's crazy is a lot of these were unpaid small firms, and they explicitly told me they were getting over 200 applications.

might just look into a research position at my school if i can swing it (at least it's paid)...