Bad/risky to acknowledge crappy law job market in PS? Forum

[dingbat]

Just remember - a good PS is unlikely to let you outperform your numbers, but a bad PS can sink you; when in doubt play it safe

[AlanShore]

Just remember - a good PS is unlikely to let you outperform your numbers, but a bad PS can sink you; when in doubt play it safe

Yup absolutely. I really just want a "good" PS. I'm not attempting to wow them with it. I just want something that will leave a generally positive impression.

[kublaikahn]

although I'm in a pretty comfortable position now and I could keep going down my current career path and probably be in a good spot financially/employment-wise in a couple years, I feel compelled to take the risk to go into law. It is a relatively big risk since it is a completely new field but obviously the crappy job market makes it an even bigger risk. I'm trying to show that I've weighed all my options and I'm willing to take a big risk for the sake of doing something I enjoy.

Imagine you have finished your first year of law school and you are sitting in front of a partner at a good size law firm. Would you say something like this?

[AlanShore]

although I'm in a pretty comfortable position now and I could keep going down my current career path and probably be in a good spot financially/employment-wise in a couple years, I feel compelled to take the risk to go into law. It is a relatively big risk since it is a completely new field but obviously the crappy job market makes it an even bigger risk. I'm trying to show that I've weighed all my options and I'm willing to take a big risk for the sake of doing something I enjoy.

Imagine you have finished your first year of law school and you are sitting in front of a partner at a good size law firm. Would you say something like this?

No, I doubt I would say it exactly like this. Partners of law firms are also generally not the audience of PS. I also obviously wouldn't write a PS using those words.

Partners can be known to ask some crazy questions though. If they asked me why I would leave my current job/career path for law I would probably mention that I felt I could find more of the kind of work I enjoy and gets me excited in law so I felt the risk was well worth it.

[kublaikahn]

If they asked me why I would leave my current job/career path for law I would probably mention that I felt I could find more of the kind of work I enjoy and gets me excited in law so I felt the risk was well worth it.

To which the partners would ask why you did not go into law in the first place.

Whatever. IMO you should treat the PS as an interview. To suggest you want to do something that you would enjoy despite the risk may come across as flighty and irresponsible. There is a fine line between intrepid and stupid.

[AlanShore]

If they asked me why I would leave my current job/career path for law I would probably mention that I felt I could find more of the kind of work I enjoy and gets me excited in law so I felt the risk was well worth it.

To which the partners would ask why you did not go into law in the first place.

Whatever. IMO you should treat the PS as an interview. To suggest you want to do something that you would enjoy despite the risk may come across as flighty and irresponsible. There is a fine line between intrepid and stupid.

I don't think any Partners would have a difficult time understanding how a college student could not be 100% sure they wanted to practice law without ever have worked a professional job, or how working can help solidify one's decision to go to law school.

But I agree with you that mentioning the risk part could come cross negatively.