Top Law Schools

Royal wrote:To the depressed posters:

Honestly, law school and societal pressures create a bubble where you are expected to work "as a lawyer" after law school. They create this false binary choice between "career as lawyer" and "failure." This is simply not the case.

Take a deep breath and think of the big picture. Think of the many lawyers who get "great" legal jobs and, within 5-10 years, voluntarily exit the profession. Do not feed into this false dichotomy of "I have a JD, so either I work as a lawyer or I fail at life." You can be very successful, and potentially happier as well, in other fields. Despite what the naysayers will have you believe, having a JD can actually be complimentary in other fields. Start thinking about the big picture and free yourself from the constrains of "law or bust." What else do you have a passion for? What other kind of career would you find interesting? When you apply, do your most convincing job of spinning your JD in way that complements that career -- be creative. If you spin it the right way, explain that "during law school I discovered that I didn't want to practice law, but instead [when I took so and so classes] became interested in X," it can be an advantage.

Royal wrote:To the depressed posters:

Honestly, law school and societal pressures create a bubble where you are expected to work "as a lawyer" after law school. They create this false binary choice between "career as lawyer" and "failure." This is simply not the case.

Take a deep breath and think of the big picture. Think of the many lawyers who get "great" legal jobs and, within 5-10 years, voluntarily exit the profession. Do not feed into this false dichotomy of "I have a JD, so either I work as a lawyer or I fail at life." You can be very successful, and potentially happier as well, in other fields. Despite what the naysayers will have you believe, having a JD can actually be complimentary in other fields. Start thinking about the big picture and free yourself from the constrains of "law or bust." What else do you have a passion for? What other kind of career would you find interesting? When you apply, do your most convincing job of spinning your JD in way that complements that career -- be creative. If you spin it the right way, explain that "during law school I discovered that I didn't want to practice law, but instead [when I took so and so classes] became interested in X," it can be an advantage.

Anonymous User wrote:Just got no offered from my 1L SA. I know its not as damning as getting no offered as a 2L but it still fucking sucks. I had consistently great work product, fit in well, and worked my butt off all summer. Never missed a deadline and didn't piss anyone off (i didn't think so, anyway). Its just pretty shocking and demoralizing. I keep running through this summer in my head... Did I miss something? Did I say something wrong? The stated reason doesnt make any sense to me. I feel like this has to be my fault but I can't figure out how.

Sorry, just needed to vent. Feeling pretty low right now.

Anonymous User wrote:Just got no offered from my 1L SA. I know its not as damning as getting no offered as a 2L but it still fucking sucks. I had consistently great work product, fit in well, and worked my butt off all summer. Never missed a deadline and didn't piss anyone off (i didn't think so, anyway). Its just pretty shocking and demoralizing. I keep running through this summer in my head... Did I miss something? Did I say something wrong? The stated reason doesnt make any sense to me. I feel like this has to be my fault but I can't figure out how.

Sorry, just needed to vent. Feeling pretty low right now.

Bikeflip wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Just got no offered from my 1L SA. I know its not as damning as getting no offered as a 2L but it still fucking sucks. I had consistently great work product, fit in well, and worked my butt off all summer. Never missed a deadline and didn't piss anyone off (i didn't think so, anyway). Its just pretty shocking and demoralizing. I keep running through this summer in my head... Did I miss something? Did I say something wrong? The stated reason doesnt make any sense to me. I feel like this has to be my fault but I can't figure out how.

Sorry, just needed to vent. Feeling pretty low right now.

So... you're a rising 2L? Sympathies and all, but you have 2L yr to hustle.

Anonymous User wrote:Just got no offered from my 1L SA. I know its not as damning as getting no offered as a 2L but it still fucking sucks. I had consistently great work product, fit in well, and worked my butt off all summer. Never missed a deadline and didn't piss anyone off (i didn't think so, anyway). Its just pretty shocking and demoralizing. I keep running through this summer in my head... Did I miss something? Did I say something wrong? The stated reason doesnt make any sense to me. I feel like this has to be my fault but I can't figure out how.

Sorry, just needed to vent. Feeling pretty low right now.

Anonymous User wrote:^ Haha!

I'm considering applying as a janitor for one of the big law firms. I can sniff the memos while I work. Closest I'll ever get to them.

Anonymous User wrote:If we are sharing stories, I transferred from a 40-50 ranked to school to MVP and struck out at OCI last year. I worked for an federal agency this summer.

I got straight As this year (and 3/4 of my classes were graded on curve), and why I don't know my exact ranking, I got told unofficially that I'm in the top 3%.

Anyway, is there any list of firms who are hiring. I theoretically should be competitive anywhere if they would consider me.

I am mainly interested in DC or southeast, but would consider NY

Thus far I know

Latham, Cravath, Williams and Conolly, Cleary, Debevoise, Paul Weiss.

Any others?

JenDarby wrote:

Bikeflip wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Just got no offered from my 1L SA. I know its not as damning as getting no offered as a 2L but it still fucking sucks. I had consistently great work product, fit in well, and worked my butt off all summer. Never missed a deadline and didn't piss anyone off (i didn't think so, anyway). Its just pretty shocking and demoralizing. I keep running through this summer in my head... Did I miss something? Did I say something wrong? The stated reason doesnt make any sense to me. I feel like this has to be my fault but I can't figure out how.

Sorry, just needed to vent. Feeling pretty low right now.

So... you're a rising 2L? Sympathies and all, but you have 2L yr to hustle.

The problem might be that this anon apparently can't read or follow straightforward restrictions.

Jessuf wrote:

chrisbru wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:If we are sharing stories, I transferred from a 40-50 ranked to school to MVP and struck out at OCI last year. I worked for an federal agency this summer.

I got straight As this year (and 3/4 of my classes were graded on curve), and why I don't know my exact ranking, I got told unofficially that I'm in the top 3%.

Anyway, is there any list of firms who are hiring. I theoretically should be competitive anywhere if they would consider me.

I am mainly interested in DC or southeast, but would consider NY

Thus far I know

Latham, Cravath, Williams and Conolly, Cleary, Debevoise, Paul Weiss.

Any others?

Posted there, thanks. I'd say for the record, the fact that those firms are doing OCI is n

While you technically fit in this thread, you're going to get much more positive and helpful responses asking that elsewhere. Most of us don't know the firms you are looking for, because we've never even thought about being considered by them.

This.

Add Skadden NY.

Check out the 3L OCI thread instead. Awesome job with the grades, though!

TTH wrote:So I've started looking on job boards for real life attorneys, and it cracks me up to see postings that say, "Law firm seeking attorney with portable business in practice X . . . "

If an attorney has portable business, would they be surfing job boards looking for somewhere to go?

Oh well.

Anyhow, I got laid off from my hourly job yesterday. All summer, they reassured me that it was all good that I could work there on an hourly basis after the bar. Now this. I have an interview at a plaintiff's/union-side labor firm lined up next week, and it's really the only viable lead I've got right now. Here's hoping.

I hate attorneys.

Anyhow, I got laid off from my hourly job yesterday. All summer, they reassured me that it was all good that I could work there on an hourly basis after the bar. Now this. I have an interview at a plaintiff's/union-side labor firm lined up next week, and it's really the only viable lead I've got right now. Here's hoping.

I hate attorneys.

Anonymous User wrote:so.. yesterday afternoon i got a voicemail from a firm i applied to recently, asking for a call back. i didn't have time to return the call until today around 3, at which point i learn that the woman who called me is out of town and won't be back until next Wednesday at the earliest. did i just screw this up for myself by not calling back asap? bites from employers are few and far between these days..