The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls) Forum

[Anonymous User]

Sullivan & Cromwell HK was looking (maybe still is) if anyone speaks Mandarin

How should I apply? Just email recruiting?

Yes.

[Anonymous User]

Out of the vale.

I failed my first attempt at the bar exam, took some time off and found work in finance due to my banking background. Basically acting as trustee for investors on hedge funds. Did that for 2 years which I know hurt my chances as to anything in the legal field, but I have a family to feed.

Passed the bar on my 2nd attempt. Found an Associate Attorney position with a foreclosure law firm on the creditor's side (which I found online). Was offered last week, so about 4-5 months after the bar. My job in finance was on contract which was about to expire - I was about to open up my own shop if I could not land anything. I think the primary reason I was hired was due to my experience in this field prior to law school which was extensive and my genuine interest to pursue such a career.

Good luck to all.

[Anonymous User]

3L here who is about to graduate. So I just received a response from my 2L summer firm (also worked there a little 3L year). They said I deserved a full time position based on my work product/work ethic but they cannot give me an offer right now because of economic reasons. They also said if they need an attorney the offer will go to me but encouraged me to look elsewhere for the time being. Well, this is not fun. No other prospects going into graduation and bar prep....

This is a smallish IP/patent boutique BTW. I have a BSEE and am patent barred, but only top 30% at a TTTT.

[Rlabo]

3L here who is about to graduate. So I just received a "firm offer" from my 2L summer firm (also worked there a little 3L year). They said I deserved a full time position based on my work product/work ethic but they cannot give me an offer right now because of economic reasons. They also said if they need an attorney the offer will go to me but encouraged me to look elsewhere for the time being. Well, this is not fun. No other prospects going into graduation and bar prep....

This is a smallish IP/patent boutique BTW. I have a BSEE and am patent barred, but only top 30% at a TTTT.

Look around, I always see opportunities for entry level patent agents. You'll land on your feet.

[Anonymous User]

Officially out of the vale. Took a shit ton of applications and a hell of a lot of "NOs" before I heard a "Yes." Three interviews at the offering firm, and thought I was a long shot, but you just never know. Literally did a giant fist pump while on the phone with the hiring authority.

Anyway, keep your head up to all of those who are still looking. Good things come to those that work hard and wait for the right opportunity. I had to work my ass off to get to this point, but it will all be worth it in the end for all of us. I think the most important thing I did up to this point was not to settle. I nearly settled on a state clerkship, and once again with a family member solo practitioner. If you settle on an opportunity you don't want, it isn't worth it. What will happen is these feelings of discontent and discouragement will get buried for the short term, but will slowly creep up again. Don't let everyone else or the numbers out there scare you - Everyone is an individual in their own situation.

Most of all, good luck to everyone still looking!!

PS I am not planning on telling my school about my offer. Why should they take credit for all the hard work I had to accomplish on my own (literally no help through the incompetent career services)? Plus it will just result in a higher percentage employment at graduation, so some other wide-eyed 0L can be tricked into going to LS.

[Anonymous User]

Any tips on finding legal fellowships to apply for? Hoping to do corporate work, but obviously not much (anything?) out there for 3Ls. Have heard of a couple people landing fellowships with companies that could lead to an associate position with their outside counsel in a year or two. Not sure where these postings are hiding though. Thanks!

Living the dream as an unemployed 3l (JD/MBA)

[Anonymous User]

Big Law secure!!!

[Anonymous User]

Hi Cowgirl,

I am sorry about you not receiving an offer. I am in need of some help with Bar Exam research, do you have time for something like this? It is a paid temp position.

Damn. Didn't get the job I took a chance and flew in to interview for. Interviewed one day, rejected the very next. Nearly 11 months post-grad.... hurts bad man. It feels like my life and career are both at a complete standstill.

[Anonymous User]

Hello fellow valers,

I haven't posted in this thread before, but I have been lurking and using it as a support group since I accepted 2L summer employment that I knew for a fact would not lead to an offer. I spent a hell of a lot of time this year looking for a job and did every simplicity posting I was interested, mass mailed, 3L oci, alumni networking, you name it, I did it. I had around 5 3L big law screener interviews that went no where.

Finally, I interviewed for a consulting position focused on compliance in a heavily regulated industry that was listed as JD preferred and got the email today that an official offer will be forthcoming! I have read it a million times and I hated every time I read it, but I just wanted to say that it really will seem like its never going to happen... until it happens. And it really takes the right place at the right time. Despite all the official avenues I went through, I got this interview by ranting while pretty drunk to my roommate's girlfriend about how I didn't have a job and she mentioned that she would forward my resume to her boss. Her boss didn't look at it for a month and she gently reminded him that she had sent it along. The next day I had a screener call, 2 days after that I had a callback, and 3 days after that is today!

Keep on keeping on everyone!

[baal hadad]

Hey I got no offered back in the day (one of the original vale of tears people) and I landed on my feet I see some of y'all got no offered too. I don't tls much but if I can offer anyone advice or a kind word I'll answer pms and try to monitor this thread for a bit

[whitecollar23]

Hey I got no offered back in the day (one of the original vale of tears people) and I landed on my feet I see some of y'all got no offered too. I don't tls much but if I can offer anyone advice or a kind word I'll answer pms and try to monitor this thread for a bit

Am I really this bad at interviewing? Or is a non-economic no-offer just really that much of a black mark?

[baal hadad]

Hey I got no offered back in the day (one of the original vale of tears people) and I landed on my feet I see some of y'all got no offered too. I don't tls much but if I can offer anyone advice or a kind word I'll answer pms and try to monitor this thread for a bit

Am I really this bad at interviewing? Or is a non-economic no-offer just really that much of a black mark?

It's a black mark for sure. For me the thing was coming up w a story. My no offer may not have been economic but I had enough evidence to say it was so I just rolled with it. All bout that spin zone as long as you don't lie as far as I'm concerned

As for your interviewing I'm not sure. I just interviewed the same way I did for 2L oci as far as tone, although I tailored my stump speech more the the specific job

Oh ended up in a boutique lit firm after grad should have mentioned that.

[whitecollar23]

Hey I got no offered back in the day (one of the original vale of tears people) and I landed on my feet I see some of y'all got no offered too. I don't tls much but if I can offer anyone advice or a kind word I'll answer pms and try to monitor this thread for a bit

Am I really this bad at interviewing? Or is a non-economic no-offer just really that much of a black mark?

It's a black mark for sure. For me the thing was coming up w a story. My no offer may not have been economic but I had enough evidence to say it was so I just rolled with it. All bout that spin zone as long as you don't lie as far as I'm concerned

As for your interviewing I'm not sure. I just interviewed the same way I did for 2L oci as far as tone, although I tailored my stump speech more the the specific job

Oh ended up in a boutique lit firm after grad should have mentioned that.

Paying near market? How did you find it? When did you find it?

And unfortunately I can't spin my no-offer as economic.

[baal hadad]

Hey I got no offered back in the day (one of the original vale of tears people) and I landed on my feet I see some of y'all got no offered too. I don't tls much but if I can offer anyone advice or a kind word I'll answer pms and try to monitor this thread for a bit

Am I really this bad at interviewing? Or is a non-economic no-offer just really that much of a black mark?

It's a black mark for sure. For me the thing was coming up w a story. My no offer may not have been economic but I had enough evidence to say it was so I just rolled with it. All bout that spin zone as long as you don't lie as far as I'm concerned

As for your interviewing I'm not sure. I just interviewed the same way I did for 2L oci as far as tone, although I tailored my stump speech more the the specific job

Oh ended up in a boutique lit firm after grad should have mentioned that.

Paying near market? How did you find it? When did you find it?

And unfortunately I can't spin my no-offer as economic.

Not market for my area but hey jobs a job. Found it through networking. I knew some attorneys who put me in touch w other attorneys at the firm. The firm didn't have an opening but they liked me and essentially created a position for me. I networked extensively and that time it panned out

I had other interviews outside of networking. Interviewed for some state and federal govt stuff through resume drops. Had an offer in state govt when I got the firm job. Also a firm through a resume drop. Resume drops aren't a reliable job search strategy alone but they're good because you know the org accepting resumes is at least hiring (as opposed to mass mail )

[whitecollar23]

With only a few weeks left to law school, am I better off focusing more on finishing strong and picking up networking after? Or trying to continue networking now even if that hurts my grades?

[baal hadad]

With only a few weeks left to law school, am I better off focusing more on finishing strong and picking up networking after? Or trying to continue networking now even if that hurts my grades?

Networking shouldn't hurt your grades a lot of it is just enjoying free lunches from established attys. I'd usually just ask if someone was available for an informational interview and I'd get a free lunch. Also doesn't take much to follow up w an old contact. But do as much as you can bc obvs a lot of it wont pan out. Just takes one

[whitecollar23]

With only a few weeks left to law school, am I better off focusing more on finishing strong and picking up networking after? Or trying to continue networking now even if that hurts my grades?

Networking shouldn't hurt your grades a lot of it is just enjoying free lunches from established attys. I'd usually just ask if someone was available for an informational interview and I'd get a free lunch. Also doesn't take much to follow up w an old contact. But do as much as you can bc obvs a lot of it wont pan out. Just takes one

How did you get all these lunches? Most of my meetings with people have just been at their offices.

[baal hadad]

With only a few weeks left to law school, am I better off focusing more on finishing strong and picking up networking after? Or trying to continue networking now even if that hurts my grades?

Networking shouldn't hurt your grades a lot of it is just enjoying free lunches from established attys. I'd usually just ask if someone was available for an informational interview and I'd get a free lunch. Also doesn't take much to follow up w an old contact. But do as much as you can bc obvs a lot of it wont pan out. Just takes one

How did you get all these lunches? Most of my meetings with people have just been at their offices.

Maybe it was just me but a lot of people suggested lunch. If I was introduced to a new attorney from another atty I knew if suggest lunch and I'd try to pay but they'd usually pick it up

[whitecollar23]

So most of the time I'm being connected by other people and we just set up a meeting. Always seemed simpler. It's been odd, though. Because they always think that I'm only meeting with them to ask them for a job, so I constantly have to express that I'm just looking to make new connections. What was your process like?

[whitecollar23]

Also, at what point did you start mass mailing in the spring? I mass mailed a ton in the fall to the point that I ended up double mass mailing a lot of firms. From what I've seen, if firms are hiring at this point, they're gonna share that, no?

[baal hadad]

So most of the time I'm being connected by other people and we just set up a meeting. Always seemed simpler. It's been odd, though. Because they always think that I'm only meeting with them to ask them for a job, so I constantly have to express that I'm just looking to make new connections. What was your process like?

That was most of my process. Didn't really contact a lot of people cold. Leveraged existing connections into new connections. You're definitely on the right track brother (sister).

I mean people always think you're looking for a job but it's okay. I never came out and asked for a job i usually asked a lot of Qs about their practice and if they had any advice for a young attorney

[whitecollar23]

Brother, haha.

Yeah, I've had some interviews with V5 firms this year, including this past month, and each time I get a rejected email/letter, it just brings back all the negative feelings. It's like, "okay, I got a chance to get back to what I truly want," and then it gets ripped away once more.

[baal hadad]

Also, at what point did you start mass mailing in the spring? I mass mailed a ton in the fall to the point that I ended up double mass mailing a lot of firms. From what I've seen, if firms are hiring at this point, they're gonna share that, no?

I had planned to mass mail after taking the bar. By the spring, it seemed that a lot of hiring (as in firms explicitly looking) had tailed off as firms seemed to want to wait to see who'd be barred. That was just my intuition though I could be totally wrong. Got my position right before spring break so didn't reach that point

All in all I did screeners for I think 4 or 5 jobs between firms and govt and I got one firm offer and one govt offer

[baal hadad]

Brother, haha.

Yeah, I've had some interviews with V5 firms this year, including this past month, and each time I get a rejected email/letter, it just brings back all the negative feelings. It's like, "okay, I got a chance to get back to what I truly want," and then it gets ripped away once more.

I know that feel very well. Once a firm told me it was between me and someone else and they have it to the other guy even though they really liked me. I'd try not to be invested in each potential but it was hard not to be

[whitecollar23]

How did you go about applying for gov't jobs? And yeah, I wanna try to get some feedback from the person who interviewed me, even though it was only a screener. Nothing really to lose and plenty to gain, since I know my interview skills are below average. It's quite unfortunate.