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

[rad lulz]

Checking in. Top 15%, published secondary, philly area t2. Halp?

What happened w that in house thing?

[beach_terror]

Long story ended in dissolution of the legal department during my summer (lol). Working a few part time firm gigs now that should/could turn into something, but probably not north of 80k starting (which is fine from a what I need to live and pay down loans standpoint). Seeking more definite employment ASAP, and obviously more money if possible.

[rad lulz]

Long story ended in dissolution of the legal department during my summer (lol). Working a few part time firm gigs now that should/could turn into something, but probably not north of 80k starting (which is fine from a what I need to live and pay down loans standpoint). Seeking more definite employment ASAP, and obviously more money if possible.

Holy shit. Part time gigs sound like a good call though.

[sadsituationJD]

Here's a decent temp job in NYC:

--LinkRemoved--

If you have 2+ years substantive experience you can get $30 an hour:
______________________________________

New York City Opportunity for a Commercial Real Estate Matter- Rate is $30.00 per hour - Starting Monday November 19th 2012

Merrill Corporation is working with a corporate client who is engaged in a Commercial Real Estate Matter. The project is expected to start Monday at our NYC facility and is expected to last for 3+ months. Candidates must be available to work the entire duration of the project. Qualified candidates must be licensed in NY. Previous Document Review experience is preferred.

The preferred candidate will have:

- 2+ years of experience (litigation or transactional)
- Experience in both commercial litigation and real estate
- Excellent communication skills

Job Description:

- Perform online Document Review ascertaining responsive, issue codes and privilege

Pay is $30.00 per hour

Interested candidates should send resume in Word format to MDRCareers@merrillcorp.com and indicate NY_Nov_Real Estate in the Subject Line of the email.

Merrill Corporation is an EOE.

[beach_terror]

Long story ended in dissolution of the legal department during my summer (lol). Working a few part time firm gigs now that should/could turn into something, but probably not north of 80k starting (which is fine from a what I need to live and pay down loans standpoint). Seeking more definite employment ASAP, and obviously more money if possible.

Holy shit. Part time gigs sound like a good call though.

For reals. I'm not sure what unemployed 3Ls are doing if not trying to work part time during the year. Even if the place doesn't hire fresh grads, the more people that know you the better off you are. I already have my PT employers voluntarily sending out employment inquiries on my behalf. Way better than having to mass mail.

ETA networking events (or Inns) that are dedicated to a specific practice are also awesome resources too.

[rad lulz]

Long story ended in dissolution of the legal department during my summer (lol). Working a few part time firm gigs now that should/could turn into something, but probably not north of 80k starting (which is fine from a what I need to live and pay down loans standpoint). Seeking more definite employment ASAP, and obviously more money if possible.

Holy shit. Part time gigs sound like a good call though.

For reals. I'm not sure what unemployed 3Ls are doing if not trying to work part time during the year. Even if the place doesn't hire fresh grads, the more people that know you the better off you are. I already have my PT employers voluntarily sending out employment inquiries on my behalf. Way better than having to mass mail.

ETA networking events (or Inns) that are dedicated to a specific practice are also awesome resources too.

I'm interning w govt now but would like to look for a PT gig w a small firm. Any tips?

[beach_terror]

Long story ended in dissolution of the legal department during my summer (lol). Working a few part time firm gigs now that should/could turn into something, but probably not north of 80k starting (which is fine from a what I need to live and pay down loans standpoint). Seeking more definite employment ASAP, and obviously more money if possible.

Holy shit. Part time gigs sound like a good call though.

For reals. I'm not sure what unemployed 3Ls are doing if not trying to work part time during the year. Even if the place doesn't hire fresh grads, the more people that know you the better off you are. I already have my PT employers voluntarily sending out employment inquiries on my behalf. Way better than having to mass mail.

ETA networking events (or Inns) that are dedicated to a specific practice are also awesome resources too.

I'm interning w govt now but would like to look for a PT gig w a small firm. Any tips?

Are you in a city or in the suburbs? I've had better luck applying to decently sized Suburban Law firms (20-30 attorneys). Check their website to see if they've hired any grads in the last few years (using the firm website search and typing "J.D. 2011") works, and then email the recruiter or MP. Our school's symplicity posts PT jobs pretty frequently, so check your school's too.

[bbmic45]

...

[Anonymous User]

Fuck me with a 10 foot pole. Firm told me they'd get back me when they could, and they just got back to me in the negative. I need a blunt and a punching bag.

[sadsituationJD]

The problem with most law students is that the "disconnect" between horseshit academic crap and real in-the-tranches shitlaw is a very wide one. Shitlaw is all about hustle and half-assed cut n' paste.

[Anonymous User]

i just got a rejection letter signed:

best of luck in your pursuit of a legal career

in my pursuit of a legal career, this firm basically just told me i'm fucked

[Omerta]

Got some good news today. A federal judge agreed to act as a reference for me; hope that'll help.

Long story ended in dissolution of the legal department during my summer (lol). Working a few part time firm gigs now that should/could turn into something, but probably not north of 80k starting (which is fine from a what I need to live and pay down loans standpoint). Seeking more definite employment ASAP, and obviously more money if possible.

Holy shit. Part time gigs sound like a good call though.

For reals. I'm not sure what unemployed 3Ls are doing if not trying to work part time during the year. Even if the place doesn't hire fresh grads, the more people that know you the better off you are. I already have my PT employers voluntarily sending out employment inquiries on my behalf. Way better than having to mass mail.

ETA networking events (or Inns) that are dedicated to a specific practice are also awesome resources too.

Agreed. I work 20-40 hours a week between two different jobs. That plus informational interviews have introduced me to an absurd number of people. Nobody's doing shit right now, but I'm hoping it'll pay dividends in the spring.

[Kobe_Teeth]

Does anybody else feel like breaking into a legal career right now is liking breaking into porn? Like, if the money is right, would you do a lot of types of law that you previously said "oh i would NEVER work for those people."

For instance, if someone offered me a job defending insurance companies for, like, 55k a year, I'd be all like "oh yea, put me in a room full of insurance companies, i'll do anything those insurance companies want, and i'll do it ALLLLLLLL day. Hey insurance companies, wanna see me do terrible things to old ladies? Yea? you like that? Want me to do it again? I'm your slave insurance companies! I'm your slave!"

I'd go home at night ashamed, but I would be happy I could pay the bills. Unfulfilled, I'd probably turn to drugs or alcohol. The one big difference between this and porn though...



...the low level porn actress isn't $100,000 in debt.

[rad lulz]

Does anybody else feel like breaking into a legal career right now is liking breaking into porn? Like, if the money is right, would you do a lot of types of law that you previously said "oh i would NEVER work for those people."

For instance, if someone offered me a job defending insurance companies for, like, 55k a year, I'd be all like "oh yea, put me in a room full of insurance companies, i'll do anything those insurance companies want, and i'll do it ALLLLLLLL day. Hey insurance companies, wanna see me do terrible things to old ladies? Yea? you like that? Want me to do it again? I'm your slave insurance companies! I'm your slave!"

I'd go home at night ashamed, but I would be happy I could pay the bills. Unfulfilled, I'd probably turn to drugs or alcohol. The one big difference between this and porn though...

...the low level porn actress isn't $100,000 in debt.

180

[Omerta]

Does anybody else feel like breaking into a legal career right now is liking breaking into porn? Like, if the money is right, would you do a lot of types of law that you previously said "oh i would NEVER work for those people."

For instance, if someone offered me a job defending insurance companies for, like, 55k a year, I'd be all like "oh yea, put me in a room full of insurance companies, i'll do anything those insurance companies want, and i'll do it ALLLLLLLL day. Hey insurance companies, wanna see me do terrible things to old ladies? Yea? you like that? Want me to do it again? I'm your slave insurance companies! I'm your slave!"

I'd go home at night ashamed, but I would be happy I could pay the bills. Unfulfilled, I'd probably turn to drugs or alcohol. The one big difference between this and porn though...

...the low level porn actress isn't $100,000 in debt.

180

[kalvano]

I would take a job sawing open live babies and feeding their hearts to Biglaw partners if the money were right.

[rad lulz]

I would take a job sawing open live babies and feeding their hearts to Biglaw partners if the money were right.

Have you not heard from your summer firm yet?

[kalvano]

I would take a job sawing open live babies and feeding their hearts to Biglaw partners if the money were right.

Have you not heard from your summer firm yet?

No. If I don't get some communication while I am on vacation, when I return I am going to reduce his $145,000 car to a smoking pile of ash and run off to spend my life tending bar in Fiji.

[rad lulz]

I would take a job sawing open live babies and feeding their hearts to Biglaw partners if the money were right.

Have you not heard from your summer firm yet?

No. If I don't get some communication while I am on vacation, when I return I am going to reduce his $145,000 car to a smoking pile of ash and run off to spend my life tending bar in Fiji.

Think Mrs. Kalvano would go for that?

[Anonymous User]

I would take a job sawing open live babies and feeding their hearts to Biglaw partners if the money were right.

So what you're saying is you'd take a job at Cadwalader?

[kalvano]

I would take a job sawing open live babies and feeding their hearts to Biglaw partners if the money were right.

Have you not heard from your summer firm yet?

No. If I don't get some communication while I am on vacation, when I return I am going to reduce his $145,000 car to a smoking pile of ash and run off to spend my life tending bar in Fiji.

Think Mrs. Kalvano would go for that?

If I can sell an impractical sports for a man to his wife, I can sell living on the beach to my wife.

[kalvano]

Fulbright & Jaworski Dallas has an opening for a 3L in corporate finance.

[cansohei11]

Got a phone call from someone who I had been linked up with through a family friend. Guy is a bigshot in the local community, and a lawyer who runs the biggest firm for a few counties [maybe 10 attorneys]. He also owns a good chunk of the farmland around my hometown.

Phone call went well, and finished with "...well when you get back up here for break come on downtown and meet with me. We need to talk about your future around here."

Winning? I hope so. This is the most forward indication of interest I've gotten so far, although others have been close.

[thegrayman]

i just got a rejection letter signed:

best of luck in your pursuit of a legal career

in my pursuit of a legal career, this firm basically just told me i'm fucked

That's a pretty dick move on their part, sorry they pulled that shit

[Anonymous User]

What helped me this year in finally landing a job (Non-Law) was realizing that law school adds absolutely no value to what you can do for other people (i.e. working for them). The only thing it does add value to is your ability to sell yourself, and that is only if you are able to say you went to a T-10 or T-14 or w.e. Most of you I assume are in your mid to early 20's, you are still really young and may have skills that you didn't even discover because you never worked on them. Try taking MBA finance courses, strategy courses, marketing courses, see if something clicks with you there. Reach out to alumni that work in other areas, not just law. I was really lucky in getting my job and I had to work for months before getting an offer, but it was a blessing in disguise because biglaw sucks and what I am doing, I am much better at and enjoy much more than anything i've done that was law related.

I think from here on out, everything 3L's do should be about adding value. Make yourself into something and then go for it. Law is a dying profession and honestly, I find that law firms on the whole are filled with shitty people that don't really value hard work or improvement. As someone that raised their GPA to median from bottom 10% at a T-14, while working in and commuting to a different city for a "very prestigious" federal agency, and getting high level recommenders to literally call the hiring partners of firms to say that I am a sure thing, only to get exactly 0 firm offers, I think the law can suck it. Time to use that chip on your shoulder.

yawn..

this sort of doomsday, "woe is me" mentality is why law didn't work out for you.

There is more than enough legal need out there. The key is to figure out what need you can fill. If you can't figure that out, well then too bad for you. But I have no sympathy.

What are you talking about? woe is me? Doomsday? I worked my freaking ass off these past two years to get where I am at, there is no attitude, and that is certainly not why law "didn't work out for me." More than enough legal needs? No shit dumbass, but most people that I know didn't go to T-14 law schools to help poor people get medicaid (as nobel as it is) or help tenants with landlord issues in inner cities. Don't have sympathy for me, I have a 6-figure job in finance when I graduate so no sympathy is needed for the fact I won't be some paperpushing banker bitch. I was trying to tell people that you can create other options for yourself by not trying to do what every unemployed law student in the country is doing and by adding skills that you can't learn in law school. But hey, wtf do I know, im just someone that spent 2 years trying to get employed in a high paying job and succeeded without anyone's help.