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

[crumpetsandtea]

Registered last night! I don't get how it works though...do we have to apply directly to the individual organizations, instead of bidding?

[Anonymous User]

Valers:

I have an interview for a legal assistant with a Public Defender in the next few days. I am not sure how many people will be interviewing in this final interview. However, I ranked very high in the screening and first interview. Can you tell me what this final interview will be like?

In the instructions for this interview, it says to bring copies of any materials I would like to be considered in the process (in addition to my application, my resume and cover letter). Should I have had a letter of recommendation prepared? A writing sample?

There were hundreds of applicants in the first round and I think they narrowed it down to a week's worth of interviews. Now I imagine there are about 3-10 final candidates.

[uvauvauva]

Valers:

I have an interview for a legal assistant with a Public Defender in the next few days. I am not sure how many people will be interviewing in this final interview. However, I ranked very high in the screening and first interview. Can you tell me what this final interview will be like?

In the instructions for this interview, it says to bring copies of any materials I would like to be considered in the process (in addition to my application, my resume and cover letter). Should I have had a letter of recommendation prepared? A writing sample?

There were hundreds of applicants in the first round and I think they narrowed it down to a week's worth of interviews. Now I imagine there are about 3-10 final candidates.

If this is a paralegal position please think twice before taking it.

[JenDarby]

Anon update from above - I have an interview for a project/discovery attorney position with a big firm in my city this week. They had an on campus oci a few weeks before the bar and ended up hiring a lot of people for the positions. I applied on their website last week.

I have bad grades. And not TLS bad, like having one C+, im talking bottom 25%. I didn't include my GPA on my resume, are these people just going to laugh at me when they ask for my GPA/ transcripts or do I have a viable shot with my grades + good experience in law school ?

Go into it thinking it won't matter and try your best. A friend of mine left his GPA off his resume as it was sub 3.0 (around bottom 25%). He ended up getting a couple CBs from OCI (likely most screeners were lottery), 1 offer and no mockery. He had good experience and is personable which I'm sure went far. Just do your best and be confident in your abilities.

Edit: this was at Fordham so it's not a case where everyone who wanted biglaw easily pulled it off.

[Druid]

Registered last night! I don't get how it works though...do we have to apply directly to the individual organizations, instead of bidding?

The process really isn't all that transparent.

[Holly Golightly]

When I did EJW my 2L year, you had to individually apply to each place you were interested in.

[spleenworship]

When I did EJW my 2L year, you had to individually apply to each place you were interested in.

Yeah. As employers sign on they'll appear on one of the tabs. Click on them and follow their instructions to apply. There's another tab to upload your résumé and shit. Also, don't expect many employers until the last week or so to sign up for interviews... I applied to half of the employers the last week because that's when they finally got their shit together and posted the position.

[Anonymous User]

Anon update from above - I have an interview for a project/discovery attorney position with a big firm in my city this week. They had an on campus oci a few weeks before the bar and ended up hiring a lot of people for the positions. I applied on their website last week.

I have bad grades. And not TLS bad, like having one C+, im talking bottom 25%. I didn't include my GPA on my resume, are these people just going to laugh at me when they ask for my GPA/ transcripts or do I have a viable shot with my grades + good experience in law school ?

Go into it thinking it won't matter and try your best. A friend of mine left his GPA off his resume as it was sub 3.0 (around bottom 25%). He ended up getting a couple CBs from OCI (likely most screeners were lottery), 1 offer and no mockery. He had good experience and is personable which I'm sure went far. Just do your best and be confident in your abilities.

Edit: this was at Fordham so it's not a case where everyone who wanted biglaw easily pulled it off.

That's good to hear. I had the interview recently and the interviewer did not ask about GPA - so either he A. didn't notice it B. Didn't care or C. Cared and decided just to run through motions of interview.

[crumpetsandtea]

When I did EJW my 2L year, you had to individually apply to each place you were interested in.

Yeah. As employers sign on they'll appear on one of the tabs. Click on them and follow their instructions to apply. There's another tab to upload your résumé and shit. Also, don't expect many employers until the last week or so to sign up for interviews... I applied to half of the employers the last week because that's when they finally got their shit together and posted the position.

That's so frustrating. Right now there's only abt 12 post-grad jobs. I guess I'll have to stay on top of it and check back later.

[spleenworship]

When I did EJW my 2L year, you had to individually apply to each place you were interested in.

Yeah. As employers sign on they'll appear on one of the tabs. Click on them and follow their instructions to apply. There's another tab to upload your résumé and shit. Also, don't expect many employers until the last week or so to sign up for interviews... I applied to half of the employers the last week because that's when they finally got their shit together and posted the position.

That's so frustrating. Right now there's only abt 12 post-grad jobs. I guess I'll have to stay on top of it and check back later.

In the end there was only like 12 PD post grad jobs. There was maybe 40 total post grad jobs. Still, that many in one place + DC = totally worth the trip.

[Druid]

It's just a shame to go all that way and pay for a room when you have nearly a zero shot at a job. Welcome to the Vale, I guess.

[minnbills]

I will be a law school graduate in 4 months. Fuck.

This attorney I've been working with has a brother who is a recent grad from my school. Dude does commercial real estate (development and sales, not law). I asked the attorney to connect me. I've been doing some real estate (mostly leasing and other contract stuff) for a corp legal dept this summer, and doing mortgage work for legal aid. I figure I've done enough to at least talk about real estate and not sound like a total moron.

I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm trying to build a life raft outside law. Is anybody else doing this? It almost makes me feel like a quitter or something.

[Druid]

I will be a law school graduate in 4 months. Fuck.

This attorney I've been working with has a brother who is a recent grad from my school. Dude does commercial real estate (development and sales, not law). I asked the attorney to connect me. I've been doing some real estate (mostly leasing and other contract stuff) for a corp legal dept this summer, and doing mortgage work for legal aid. I figure I've done enough to at least talk about real estate and not sound like a total moron.

I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm trying to build a life raft outside law. Is anybody else doing this? It almost makes me feel like a quitter or something.

I know it might seem that way, but I think a lot of people trick themselves into seeing a career as a set track. In reality I think it's much more amorphous in the "what will end up alright" department. So I'm not saying that bailing on law will keep you on the law track. It won't. But you can find stuff outside of law that is just as okay as law, and you shouldn't feel bad about pursuing those options.

[bostonlawchick]

So I guess now is the time to introduce myself here, now that I'm slowly decompressing from the bar exam.

I am totally lost on even where to begin looking for a job. All of the leads I had post-grad are gone. I've been responding to things on Symplicity and on other job sites, but obviously this is not enough. I signed up with a temp firm and had my initial interview already, but haven't gotten any work yet.

I'm pretty limited geographically because my husband can't just pick up and leave his job. We only have enough savings to get us through to the end of October. After that, plan B is declaring bankruptcy, which I'm pretty sure will put a damper on my bar admission.

Anyway, sup guys?

[LeDique]

Well everyone, I just got a job offer in my desired practice area, with a very well respected attorney. I know his current associate who I will be replacing, and she seems to have liked her job when I talked to her before interviewing. Going to talk to her one more time before I accept, but it looks good.

I negotiated an extra 5k/yr in salary before I even had the offer tho, loool (pay is still shit)

[baal hadad]

Well everyone, I just got a job offer in my desired practice area, with a very well respected attorney. I know his current associate who I will be replacing, and she seems to have liked her job when I talked to her before interviewing. Going to talk to her one more time before I accept, but it looks good.

I negotiated an extra 5k/yr in salary before I even had the offer tho, loool (pay is still shit)

Nice! Grats dude. What's the area?

[LeDique]

Well everyone, I just got a job offer in my desired practice area, with a very well respected attorney. I know his current associate who I will be replacing, and she seems to have liked her job when I talked to her before interviewing. Going to talk to her one more time before I accept, but it looks good.

I negotiated an extra 5k/yr in salary before I even had the offer tho, loool (pay is still shit)

Nice! Grats dude. What's the area?

Plaintiff's Employment Lit. He does more wage/hr than I'd prefer but not going to complain about that.

[baal hadad]

Well everyone, I just got a job offer in my desired practice area, with a very well respected attorney. I know his current associate who I will be replacing, and she seems to have liked her job when I talked to her before interviewing. Going to talk to her one more time before I accept, but it looks good.

I negotiated an extra 5k/yr in salary before I even had the offer tho, loool (pay is still shit)

Nice! Grats dude. What's the area?

Plaintiff's Employment Lit. He does more wage/hr than I'd prefer but not going to complain about that.

Sounds good

Get $ son

[EZ as AsDf]

Valers:

I have an interview for a legal assistant with a Public Defender in the next few days. I am not sure how many people will be interviewing in this final interview. However, I ranked very high in the screening and first interview. Can you tell me what this final interview will be like?

In the instructions for this interview, it says to bring copies of any materials I would like to be considered in the process (in addition to my application, my resume and cover letter). Should I have had a letter of recommendation prepared? A writing sample?

There were hundreds of applicants in the first round and I think they narrowed it down to a week's worth of interviews. Now I imagine there are about 3-10 final candidates.

If this is a paralegal position please think twice before taking it.

Hey is it not ok to take paralegal positions? I'm waiting on bar results...

[JenDarby]

You can always just leave the paralegal position off your resume when the time comes. I don't see anything wrong with accepting employment for the time being, especially since most of us aren't sitting on piles of money and practicing law for fun.

[Druid]

Well everyone, I just got a job offer in my desired practice area, with a very well respected attorney. I know his current associate who I will be replacing, and she seems to have liked her job when I talked to her before interviewing. Going to talk to her one more time before I accept, but it looks good.

I negotiated an extra 5k/yr in salary before I even had the offer tho, loool (pay is still shit)

Nice! Grats dude. What's the area?

Plaintiff's Employment Lit. He does more wage/hr than I'd prefer but not going to complain about that.

Congrats bro!

[crumpetsandtea]

Well everyone, I just got a job offer in my desired practice area, with a very well respected attorney. I know his current associate who I will be replacing, and she seems to have liked her job when I talked to her before interviewing. Going to talk to her one more time before I accept, but it looks good.

I negotiated an extra 5k/yr in salary before I even had the offer tho, loool (pay is still shit)

Dude that's fucking awesome, congratulations dique (: (: (:

[baal hadad]

Valers:

I have an interview for a legal assistant with a Public Defender in the next few days. I am not sure how many people will be interviewing in this final interview. However, I ranked very high in the screening and first interview. Can you tell me what this final interview will be like?

In the instructions for this interview, it says to bring copies of any materials I would like to be considered in the process (in addition to my application, my resume and cover letter). Should I have had a letter of recommendation prepared? A writing sample?

There were hundreds of applicants in the first round and I think they narrowed it down to a week's worth of interviews. Now I imagine there are about 3-10 final candidates.

If this is a paralegal position please think twice before taking it.

Hey is it not ok to take paralegal positions? I'm waiting on bar results...

If you take it leave if off your resune

[uvauvauva]

To paralegaling: I guess it is okay. But every waking hour that your not working... make sure you are applying. If you spend a long time in that position it is going to be very hard to get out of that track.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Well everyone, I just got a job offer in my desired practice area, with a very well respected attorney. I know his current associate who I will be replacing, and she seems to have liked her job when I talked to her before interviewing. Going to talk to her one more time before I accept, but it looks good.

I negotiated an extra 5k/yr in salary before I even had the offer tho, loool (pay is still shit)

Congrats!!!!

(Is the current associate by any chance someone I know?)