I feel like my career is over before it even began Forum

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I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Dec 04, 2015 4:16 pm

I bid awfully for OCI and I struck out. I ended up grasping at straws for a few months before securing a summer associate position at a non-prestigious midlaw firm (with a reputation bordering on bad locally).
Even if I do get an offer for full time at the end of the summer, I feel like my career is over. My exit options are shit and I don't see any career path that isn't disappointing. My dream job is in-house at a large corporation and now I know that's never going to happen.
I feel awful because I did all the right things, I took on debt and went to the "right" school instead of a not so good one for free, I studied hard and did decently. I just had shit luck for a few months and now I'm screwed for life. This has taken an emotional toll on me, and made me apathetic about school. I'm sure my grades will plummet this semester, which certainly won't help any future prospects. I like the law and I want to be a lawyer...but is there any point in going on in this career path?

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emkay625

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Re: I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by emkay625 » Fri Dec 04, 2015 4:21 pm

What kind of law are you looking to practice? Are you interested in litigation at all? Also, you said you went to the "right" school. do you mean right as in T14 or right as in T50?

I'm asking because clerking might be a good option in your situation if you can manage to buckle down and keep your grades up.

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Re: I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Dec 04, 2015 4:47 pm

Went to a t-14. I don't know if clerking is a good option for me because

1. I'm heavily leaning corporate
2. My grades are only slightly above median
3. I am a permanent resident, so I would have to initiate citizenship proceedings to clerk (a pretty big deal, not really something I'm going to take lightly) -- This is also the reason fed govt jobs are mostly out of the question.

pkraft1

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Re: I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by pkraft1 » Fri Dec 04, 2015 4:49 pm

I'm sorry you went to GTTTown

User outed for using anon to be an asshole. Don't do that.

krads153

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Re: I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by krads153 » Fri Dec 04, 2015 4:51 pm

So if you're not a citizen, that means you took out private loans? I wouldn't think about stuff on a long-term basis, just focus on the short-term. Since you took out loans you need to pay those off (and you don't have federal loans to fall back on presumably).

Also many in house jobs are not "dream" jobs, unlike what TLSers tend to think. And, not to mention, a lot of lawyers restart in other careers after a few years because they realize they don't like practicing law (and I mean A LOT of lawyers). That's not that much different to your situation. Just buckle down and focus on short-term goals, like paying down your loans.

If you get an offer at your summer firm, you can also consider doing 3L OCI. I'm saying though - sometimes when a door closes, a window opens...and lots of lawyers leave the law after a few years in biglaw practice anyway.

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TLSModBot

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Re: I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by TLSModBot » Fri Dec 04, 2015 4:57 pm

Prefacing this with: Sorry for your luck - a decent part of the hiring process is a crapshoot and literally the only school where you are almost guaranteed a good outcome is Yale.

But for 0L readers:
Anonymous User wrote:I did all the right things, I took on debt and went to the "right" school instead of a not so good one for free
Is not necessarily true. Going to a higher-ranked school increases your odds for BigLaw but if you're taking on significant debt to do so (especially if we're talking GULC as opposed to Harvard). This is a very often-repeated refrain on TLS and your outcome is exactly the reason why.

Also krads' point above - 3L OCI is apparently much easier if you have a SA as opposed to completely striking out.

Honestly weigh your options and alternative career paths - if you're one year in, dropping out and doing something else with your life isn't a shameful thing (I know at least one poster here on TLS who did so and from the sounds of it he/she made a smart choice and is happy with it). If you really want to practice law or think you can do well at the firm you have an SA offer with, then stick it out and give it 100% (work on improving grades, 3L OCI, network network network, etc.)

In any case, good luck bro.

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Re: I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by jhett » Fri Dec 04, 2015 5:18 pm

You may not have the easy biglaw -> in-house route available (and sometimes that route still doesn't get you where you want to be), but your career is far from over, in law or outside of law. So don't give up so easily. You may have screwed up OCI, but there are many ways to obtain jobs other than OCI. 3L hiring may be a bit of a crapshoot, but it's still a chance. There are lots of people who start in shitty small or mid law firms and move to better firms or in-house.

Bottom line is you have to hustle and network but you can still build a career you want.

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homestyle28

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Re: I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by homestyle28 » Fri Dec 04, 2015 5:45 pm

Relax, you're really in no position to judge any of this now. If you're headed for midlaw and do corporate, there's a chance you can lateral, there's also good chance big corps. use your firm for stuff, so the direct to in house dream isn't dead either. Also, there's a chance you like it and your law school dreams aren't really worth that much.

All you know about firms as a law student is vault, chambers etc. They tell you jack about what it will be like or your actual satisfaction. Or you know, you can write off your career as dead now based on the fact that you didn't get the firm you thought you needed. That's why my career is a constant disappointment, since I set out to win the Superbowl, playing both offense and defense.

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General_Tso

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Re: I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by General_Tso » Fri Dec 04, 2015 6:42 pm

I started at a 40 attorney insurance defense mill and moved up to a litigation boutique at almost double my previous salary. I wouldn't give up, there are a lot of firms that will hire someone with 2-3 years of mediocre law firm experience.

The people who are really screwed are the ones who never land a legal job straight out of law school.

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Re: I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by dixiecupdrinking » Fri Dec 04, 2015 6:49 pm

If you really "like the law and want to be a lawyer" then go do a great job at your summer job and get an offer to go be a lawyer there. You're in a totally fine position. There's more to being a lawyer than getting a biglaw SA.

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Re: I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Dec 04, 2015 6:56 pm

I know it feels like the end of the world, OP, but it really isn't.

Keep your grades up or improve your grades, and you'll have a decent shot at 3L oci. If you still don't succeed, there's always sticking around for a tax LLM.

And, although it's an *incredible* long shot, SA positions open up in the spring. Last year I had two interviews in the spring semester; and one person from my school switched from basically shit law to regional big law in March. So don't lose hope.

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Re: I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Dec 04, 2015 7:02 pm

Anonymous User wrote:I know it feels like the end of the world, OP, but it really isn't.

Keep your grades up or improve your grades, and you'll have a decent shot at 3L oci. If you still don't succeed, there's always sticking around for a tax LLM.

And, although it's an *incredible* long shot, SA positions open up in the spring. Last year I had two interviews in the spring semester; and one person from my school switched from basically shit law to regional big law in March. So don't lose hope.
Tax LLM for everyone? OP didn't say anything about tax. Isn't tax something you usually decide on before your 3L year?

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Re: I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Dec 04, 2015 7:19 pm

Anonymous User wrote:I know it feels like the end of the world, OP, but it really isn't.

Keep your grades up or improve your grades, and you'll have a decent shot at 3L oci. If you still don't succeed, there's always sticking around for a tax LLM.

And, although it's an *incredible* long shot, SA positions open up in the spring. Last year I had two interviews in the spring semester; and one person from my school switched from basically shit law to regional big law in March. So don't lose hope.
How would you find these spring SA positions?

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emkay625

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Re: I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by emkay625 » Fri Dec 04, 2015 7:25 pm

A tax LLM in your situation—someone who wants to do corporate work—may not be a bad idea. Looking at the employment statistics, it looks like Georgetown's tax LLM has great placement numbers, although most folks go to work for one of the Big 4 rather than a law firm. If that's something that interests you, you might look into it.

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Re: I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by barkschool » Fri Dec 04, 2015 7:34 pm

pkraft1 wrote:I'm sorry you went to GTTTown

User outed for using anon to be an asshole. Don't do that.
I hope you enjoy your first finals of law school

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Re: I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Dec 04, 2015 7:42 pm

I know someone who struck out and got mid law at a firm paying him six figures in a town with a much lower COL than big law would have been. The fact you already have a paid position at a not shit firm for your 2L summer is a decent position to be in. Although you're making less money, you get real responsibility earlier on which will allow you to be a better lawyer quicker.

In big law the people teaching you may be more successful, but you're learning how to be a good lawyer for Partner A more than how to be a good lawyer for Client B, and in-house, you're working with Client B. You should focus on getting offered at the midlaw firm. It's not as bad as you make it out to be now, but if you get no offered it will probably be worse. It would help to know your school and grade range if you're comfortable sharing so that others can analyze how realistic 3L OCI is and if your result is even a bad outcome. It's easy to be close minded and not realize that the specific goal you had could actually be achieved by something else outside of that.
Last edited by Anonymous User on Fri Dec 04, 2015 8:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by BmoreOrLess » Fri Dec 04, 2015 7:44 pm

barkschool wrote:
pkraft1 wrote:I'm sorry you went to GTTTown

User outed for using anon to be an asshole. Don't do that.
I hope you enjoy your first finals of law school
Seriously, you better hope you don't wind up as one of these thirty people.

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Re: I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Dec 04, 2015 7:56 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:I know it feels like the end of the world, OP, but it really isn't.

Keep your grades up or improve your grades, and you'll have a decent shot at 3L oci. If you still don't succeed, there's always sticking around for a tax LLM.

And, although it's an *incredible* long shot, SA positions open up in the spring. Last year I had two interviews in the spring semester; and one person from my school switched from basically shit law to regional big law in March. So don't lose hope.
How would you find these spring SA positions?
Symplicity. Also reach out to firms you had callbacks with if you improve your grades.

A girl from my school got a callback at Oppenheimer in the spring (not what you're looking for, but if anyone else is interested). I think she cold reached out to the Head of Legal.

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Re: I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by inchipwetrust » Fri Dec 04, 2015 8:48 pm

Related question - whats the time frame look like for receiving a full-time offer for post-grad from your SA and needing to accept it by? I have one set up at a like 98% offer firm and am grateful, but I want to try oci again 3L to see if I can get into my target market post-SA. Wondering if I'll end up in a situation where I have to accept an offer from SA firm before being able to complete oci process

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Re: I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by TLSModBot » Fri Dec 04, 2015 8:52 pm

inchipwetrust wrote:Related question - whats the time frame look like for receiving a full-time offer for post-grad from your SA and needing to accept it by? I have one set up at a like 98% offer firm and am grateful, but I want to try oci again 3L to see if I can get into my target market post-SA. Wondering if I'll end up in a situation where I have to accept an offer from SA firm before being able to complete oci process
Firms vary but it generally ranges from the last week of your SA to 1-2 weeks thereafter (so end of July to mid-August). And you don't have to accept immediately - I forget the NALP guidelines or so but you probably have, bare minimum, 3 weeks and probably much more. You should be able to make 3L firm-shopping work for you, given that a number of people manage to do it every year.

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Re: I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by Johann » Fri Dec 04, 2015 9:10 pm

if you start thinking about your career you desired so much as mutually exclusive with life, you'll prolly start feeling a lot better.

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Re: I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Dec 04, 2015 9:22 pm

Capitol_Idea wrote:
inchipwetrust wrote:Related question - whats the time frame look like for receiving a full-time offer for post-grad from your SA and needing to accept it by? I have one set up at a like 98% offer firm and am grateful, but I want to try oci again 3L to see if I can get into my target market post-SA. Wondering if I'll end up in a situation where I have to accept an offer from SA firm before being able to complete oci process
Firms vary but it generally ranges from the last week of your SA to 1-2 weeks thereafter (so end of July to mid-August). And you don't have to accept immediately - I forget the NALP guidelines or so but you probably have, bare minimum, 3 weeks and probably much more. You should be able to make 3L firm-shopping work for you, given that a number of people manage to do it every year.
Do people reneg on full time offers/acceptances? Is that less kosher than reneging on an SA position?

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Re: I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by Magic Hat » Fri Dec 04, 2015 9:45 pm

If you go into your summer with this attitude the firm will pick up on the fact that you do not want to be there and will no offer you. THEN your career will be over before it started.

Cheer up. I am in mid law and I love it. It's easier to bring in business too.

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Re: I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by pkraft1 » Fri Dec 04, 2015 9:58 pm

BmoreOrLess wrote:
barkschool wrote:
pkraft1 wrote:I'm sorry you went to GTTTown

User outed for using anon to be an asshole. Don't do that.
I hope you enjoy your first finals of law school
Seriously, you better hope you don't wind up as one of these thirty people.
A less terse way to make the same point: OP, what is your office of career services doing to help you? If the answer is "nothing," then you should be outing your school because they've failed you.

I might be an asshole, but that's irrelevant to the fact that OP's school should either help him or be shamed.

By the way, I didn't remember my password, hit reply, my password was autofilled, so I said sweet and clicked through and posted. Didn't realize it was still anonymous. I basically never post on here.

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Re: I feel like my career is over before it even began

Post by Trippel » Fri Dec 04, 2015 10:39 pm

pkraft1 wrote:
BmoreOrLess wrote:
barkschool wrote:
pkraft1 wrote:I'm sorry you went to GTTTown

User outed for using anon to be an asshole. Don't do that.
I hope you enjoy your first finals of law school
Seriously, you better hope you don't wind up as one of these thirty people.
A less terse way to make the same point: OP, what is your office of career services doing to help you? If the answer is "nothing," then you should be outing your school because they've failed you.

I might be an asshole, but that's irrelevant to the fact that OP's school should either help him or be shamed.

By the way, I didn't remember my password, hit reply, my password was autofilled, so I said sweet and clicked through and posted. Didn't realize it was still anonymous. I basically never post on here.
Rarely post, but jumped at the opportunity to rip Gtown and be an asshole... lolz

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

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