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

[anon sequitur]

I don't have any inside info, but maybe try cougs17?

[Anonymous User]

What are 3Ls who are not employed yet doing about bar stuff? I'm applying to jobs all over the country and don't care even a tiny bit where I work.

[Anonymous User]

What are 3Ls who are not employed yet doing about bar stuff? I'm applying to jobs all over the country and don't care even a tiny bit where I work.

When I was a 3L i waited until the very last minute to sign up. I paid the late fee. Some states have hard deadlines so look that up.

Also registered for a bar course late because I wasn't sure which exam to take.

[zot1]

I wasn't the one who mentioned networking events, but join the local bar association(s) (any and all, like usually the state and the local big city will have separate associations - dues are usually 0 for students), join the local associations for the kind of law you're interested in (like AILA for immigration lawyers - there are lots and lots of these, not limited to public interest), find out if you can join any the local Inns of Court (this can require getting someone to vouch for you but is an excellent opportunity if you can swing it), join the appropriate race/ethnicity/gender-in-law group if one is available to you, and go to any and all events any of these groups hold that you can. Talk to people. Don't walk up and say "I need a job," but just be a normal human being and talk to them and socialize and talk to them about what they do. Go to local CLEs in your field, if you can afford to (often they waive fees or are very cheap for law students). Volunteer to help out for events and such (people LOVE volunteers).

You can also do the informational interviewing thing - reach out to people from your law school/undergrad/whatever community you might have in common, ask them if they have time to answer some questions about getting into their field, ask genuine questions, have conversations with them, maintain contact in the future. But there are also lots of organized events.

Yeah all of this.

[zot1]

What are 3Ls who are not employed yet doing about bar stuff? I'm applying to jobs all over the country and don't care even a tiny bit where I work.

I registered for CA because that's where I went to school and most likely place I'd practice. Once I got a job somewhere else, I registered there. Had to pay a late fee and lost some money with CA.

If you don't care where you practice, UBE is a good way to include a lot of states. And NY is included! Otherwise, I would probably do it my way: take the state your likely to be at after graduation, and if something else comes up, then register late.

[Phys1calk1ller]

I've read so many posts itt of people who were no offered this past summer as SAs in big law. Is this really that common? Is it smaller satellite offices and/or small markets?

Not trying to troll or insult but I know many many people who summered at a big firm within the past few years and not a single one was no offered. It's hard to believe that people getting no offered is still this prevalent in 2017.

Makes me feel very fortunate to have what I have

Seeing as it happened to me, no we aren't making it up. The other summer and I in a satellite office both got no offered with no explanation why other than our work product wasn't good enough despite all positive feedback.

I'm not sure what you're hoping to accomplish by suggesting people here are lying and humble bragging about having a job when none of us do.

[deepwater]

I got no-offered from my SA firm too, so did several of my classmates. People aren't making this up.

Just got no-offered from another clerkship today.

The vale sucks.

[Sprout]

Deepwater, you're not alone.

P much have a panic attack every 4-5 hours regularly. The vale sucks indeed.

[Anonymous User]

I think the worst part about the vale is how it controls so much other shit in your life. It has its tendrils into everything. I don't wanna hang out with my friends who have jobs. Certainly dont wanna talk with the people from the firm who no offered me. Its really hard to keep trudging on sometimes.

[Phys1calk1ller]

I got no-offered from my SA firm too, so did several of my classmates. People aren't making this up.

Just got no-offered from another clerkship today.

The vale sucks.

I've had 4 clerkship interviews since being no offered without any luck. Just had one in a prestigious district the other day and won't hear back for a week or two on it, but I can't help but feel that there's so many more qualified people at higher ranked schools than me interviewing for the same position. I do have another interview in a flyover state in a week, and I can't help but think that it might be my final chance at a 2017 clerkship given how many are already filled.

I honestly don't know where I went wrong in law school.

[Winter is Coming]

I got no-offered from my SA firm too, so did several of my classmates. People aren't making this up.

Just got no-offered from another clerkship today.

The vale sucks.

I've had 4 clerkship interviews since being no offered without any luck. Just had one in a prestigious district the other day and won't hear back for a week or two on it, but I can't help but feel that there's so many more qualified people at higher ranked schools than me interviewing for the same position. I do have another interview in a flyover state in a week, and I can't help but think that it might be my final chance at a 2017 clerkship given how many are already filled.

I honestly don't know where I went wrong in law school.

If they are taking the time to interview you that means your credentials are competitive, keep your head up and good luck.

[Anonymous User]

I got no-offered from my SA firm too, so did several of my classmates. People aren't making this up.

Just got no-offered from another clerkship today.

The vale sucks.

I've had 4 clerkship interviews since being no offered without any luck. Just had one in a prestigious district the other day and won't hear back for a week or two on it, but I can't help but feel that there's so many more qualified people at higher ranked schools than me interviewing for the same position. I do have another interview in a flyover state in a week, and I can't help but think that it might be my final chance at a 2017 clerkship given how many are already filled.

I honestly don't know where I went wrong in law school.

Keep fighting, guys and gals. I found out early in my 3L year that the clerkship offer I thought I had wasn't an offer at all.(unfortunately, this is after I withdrew all other applications during 2L spring)

I was absolutely devastated and panicked. But after a day, I got my bearings, made a plan to move forward, and kept applying to clerkships as they opened. I eventually got one a couple months later after a few interviews.

Stick with it. Don't get discouraged. Life is going to knock you down. Don't let it keep you down for the count. If you're getting clerkship interviews, you have the credentials. You'll find the right situation. Don't give up hope.

[redsoxfan2495]

I asked for the new BYU job bank password here a few days back and no one seemed to have it. I found it elsewhere so I thought I'd share:

Username: jobfind
Password: lawlawland

[Phys1calk1ller]

I asked for the new BYU job bank password here a few days back and no one seemed to have it. I found it elsewhere so I thought I'd share:

Username: jobfind
Password: lawlawland

Is U of M the only school that has regularly updated jobs? Most of the schools I see on there have postings from months ago.

[Anonymous User]

Just found out a few weeks ago that the offer that I was assured was in the bag isn't happening. I've been stress vomiting for a few days now. Lost about 15 pounds so far since all this shit started. This is the worst period of my life by quite a bit. I less than a year ago I was a very competitive applicant and now I can't even look in the mirror. I truly fucking hate myself.

[Anonymous User]

Just found out a few weeks ago that the offer that I was assured was in the bag isn't happening. I've been stress vomiting for a few days now. Lost about 15 pounds so far since all this shit started. This is the worst period of my life by quite a bit. I less than a year ago I was a very competitive applicant and now I can't even look in the mirror. I truly fucking hate myself.

What happened? Curious.

[champ33]

Just found out a few weeks ago that the offer that I was assured was in the bag isn't happening. I've been stress vomiting for a few days now. Lost about 15 pounds so far since all this shit started. This is the worst period of my life by quite a bit. I less than a year ago I was a very competitive applicant and now I can't even look in the mirror. I truly fucking hate myself.

Try not to get so down on yourself for not starting out perfectly right out of school. Your legal career is going to be very long. I know it's difficult mentally if you are coming out of school and comparing yourself to others, but that stuff will matter less and less the further from graduation you go. Keep yourself well physically and mentally and just keep looking for that first opportunity. I'm sure you're going to find something soon.

[Anonymous User]

for those of you in the vale, don't give up. Shit happens all the time. I used to be in the vale, but got lucky and got a job at a good firm in a desirable market. Then the market became unstable, so I went to clerk. That was worse than an unstable market (apparently judges can and will retire without warning), and I ended up back in the veil. I just got out again (off to a firm in a better market). It's just part of the career

[Anonymous User]

For those of your 3Ls in the vale right now, what are you doing in terms of job search? I feel like I'm out in limbo here. Any leads on firm jobs, etc.?

[deepwater]

For the rest of us in the vale, I've been comforted by this quote from an old book. I hope it can encourage some of you, too.

"Suffering [read "repeated denials/no-offers"] produces endurance. Endurance produces character, character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint."

Here's to developing character while in the vale.

[Anonymous User]

What should a jobless, lead-less 3L be doing in the last winter of law school?

OCIs all failed.
Networking should be renamed to notworking.
All internships and externships I've had aren't hiring law school grads.
Entry level positions inexplicably require job experience.
Small firms are small for a reason—they don't hire.
Big firms only recruit 2Ls.
Medium firms are usually satellite offices of big firms who do the 2L summer associate thing.

Should I be looking at government jobs? Just not really sure what to do. A lot of the guides and advice out there seem geared toward T14 with big law credentials, and career services only cares about students who have big law credentials.

[MKC]

What should a jobless, lead-less 3L be doing in the last winter of law school?

OCIs all failed.
Networking should be renamed to notworking.
All internships and externships I've had aren't hiring law school grads.
Entry level positions inexplicably require job experience.
Small firms are small for a reason—they don't hire.
Big firms only recruit 2Ls.
Medium firms are usually satellite offices of big firms who do the 2L summer associate thing.

Should I be looking at government jobs? Just not really sure what to do. A lot of the guides and advice out there seem geared toward T14 with big law credentials, and career services only cares about students who have big law credentials.

Networking is still the answer. The options left to you at this point probably won't be looking to hire until after you graduate, and you should be meeting with anyone and everyone willing to give you the time of day and another list of people to call. It's a complete pain in the ass and a giant time suck, but that's what it's going to take. I got my offer at a small firm in July. It's a way later hiring process than biglaw. The good news is that that door hasn't closed yet. The bad news is that it's completely unpredictable and will turn you into a stress ball for the next six months. Keep grinding. There's no easy answer here.

[Alt123]

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[Phys1calk1ller]

Just struck out on my second to last clerkship interview. Judge told me he would have hired me if I had a year or two of experience.

Kill me

[deepwater]

Just struck out on my second to last clerkship interview. Judge told me he would have hired me if I had a year or two of experience.

Kill me

Ugh, sorry to hear that. That just sucks.