What happens to those who don't have jobs 9-months out? Forum

[Bilb0Baggins]

I'm a 0L considering attending a school where about 40% of graduates don't have full-time, long-term jd-required positions 9 months out.

My question is: What is a typical trajectory for the few years post-graduation of someone who hasn't secured a full-time, long-term legal position by 9 months out (But who, I'm assuming, like most law school grads, desires one)?

Knowing that law school grades are fairly unpredictable, I may very well end up in that 40%. Some on tls say these people will "never become attorneys" - I'm wondering, is this true of most grads who don't secure full-time long-term jd-required work @ 9mos? Or do most end up with a legal career, but it just takes longer to get started?

[Nomo]

There is no reliable data on this. But ancedotal musings are that your J.D. becomes stale if you don't use it. Most employers would rather higher a new graduate than someone who has been on the market for over a year. And there are plenty of new graduates.

Also, I think we overstate how important grades are to jobs. They matter a good bit for clerkships and biglaw. But at a school where 40% don't have jobs, hardly anybody is going into those high prestige jobs. People are getting jobs largely through connections and luck. Top third at a place like Temple isn't guaranteeing you a job. But having an uncle who is a successful solo will probably get you a job.

[A. Nony Mouse]

This is anecdotal, so completely unscientific, but at my lower T1, there were a bunch of people who didn't have jobs 9 months out, and everyone I know of eventually found some kind of legal job. (Yes, lots of caveats there.)

Now, whether they're jobs you'd want is a whole other question. A lot are at small firms, but then, my law school's legal market has mostly small firms so that's pretty common. A few have gone solo; they are practicing law, but I have no idea what they earn or how many hours they work or how happy they are.

[Hutz_and_Goodman]

At my school I know of people from last years graduating class (about to be 9 months out) who are still employed by the school. The school gives them office space, access to west law/lexis and directs clients to them. They charge $90 an hour for their legal work. I'm sure there are others unemployed and the people who failed the bar just retook this month.

[Johann]

Anecdotal but from my T3, some people got into law after 9 months. Most people left law completely. The people that left law completely probably have the better job outcomes. THe others are working shitlaw and hustle hard to make a very mediocre living.

[saraea]

They keep searching until they find a job. IMO, if you aren't going to be persistent in your job search then it's probably a waste of your money to get a JD. The entire "there are lots of things you can do with a law degree!" is a big scam. Law is still the best thing to do with a law degree, unless you have a specific alternative career in mind.

[Ron Don Volante]

If being unemployed concerns you, I would suggest retaking and going to a school with better placement numbers.