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

[beach_terror]

Yo what are your guyz thoughts on doing compliance jobs? In light of the legal mkt I've been doing some research on non-law "jd preferred" jobs in case things don't work out with practicing law after graduation.

Even though compliance jobs mostly just require a bachelor's degree, it seems as though once you get experience doing the job for a while you can make a pretty decent amount as a career. Also, these past 3yrs won't seem to have been entirely a waste seeing that you'll be using your legal background/skills to some degree on the job. Any thoughts??

There was a window last summer where I thought I'd be in a compliance/in house hybrid position post LS. Pharma is booming on the consulting side, look for compliance startups in your area. The work is boring but the hours are easy and you'll be brought in as a 2-3 year associate with the LS background.

Curious as to how you go about finding these?

They happened to post on our job site. Google is your best friend. Just google the area and the type of consulting (Philadelphia pharmaceutical consulting) and go to their LinkedIn (a lot don't have employee profiles on their website) and find the JDs. I think a fair number of big firm lawyers end up in the hybrid consultant/IHC roles now. Clients pay a lot to get the OK from a lawyer who worked in the industry at a decent firm. Just gotta get one to take you under their wing for awhile.

[snowpeach06]

I just got an e-mail a few months after my application saying "thank you for submitting your application, we will be contacting applicants for interviews soon." Sadly, that non-rejection is literally the closest I've come to obtaining a position all year. And it's probably just a very nicely worded pre-rejection. Sigh.

I seem to recall you are at a midwest school. How are the prospects going for your class overall?

A lot better than I would have thought but still not great. I think the top 20ish % (minus me, blerg) is mostly settled in with something. I've also been hearing about people in the middle of the class getting stuff.

[BarbellDreams]

I'm top 20%. I'm in the Vale.

[nevdash]

I'm top 20%. I'm in the Vale.

Job searching is a microcosm of society as a whole. Searching for a job during OCI is like a normally-functioning society. You can walk into a grocery store and hand the cashier little pieces of paper with green ink on them, and the cashier will hand you food in return. If somebody is squatting in your apartment, you can show the police a piece of paper with your landlord's signature and the police will remove the person for you. Once you step into the vale of tears, it's like a post-apocalyptic world. It's no longer about who possesses the right pieces of paper, but about who can scrounge and claw and scrape in order to survive. Just like your printed money means nothing in the post-apocalyptic world, your grades mean nothing in the vale. Whatever you have printed on a piece of paper is meaningless.

[Void]

I'm top 20%. I'm in the Vale.

+1

[rad lulz]

I'm top 20%. I'm in the Vale.

Job searching is a microcosm of society as a whole. Searching for a job during OCI is like a normally-functioning society. You can walk into a grocery store and hand the cashier little pieces of paper with green ink on them, and the cashier will hand you food in return. If somebody is squatting in your apartment, you can show the police a piece of paper with your landlord's signature and the police will remove the person for you. Once you step into the vale of tears, it's like a post-apocalyptic world. It's no longer about who possesses the right pieces of paper, but about who can scrounge and claw and scrape in order to survive. Just like your printed money means nothing in the post-apocalyptic world, your grades mean nothing in the vale. Whatever you have printed on a piece of paper is meaningless.

Pretty much

My grades and PREFTIGIOUS school meant SO much less when I was in the Vale

[windowcactus]

I'm top 20%. I'm in the Vale.

Job searching is a microcosm of society as a whole. Searching for a job during OCI is like a normally-functioning society. You can walk into a grocery store and hand the cashier little pieces of paper with green ink on them, and the cashier will hand you food in return. If somebody is squatting in your apartment, you can show the police a piece of paper with your landlord's signature and the police will remove the person for you. Once you step into the vale of tears, it's like a post-apocalyptic world. It's no longer about who possesses the right pieces of paper, but about who can scrounge and claw and scrape in order to survive. Just like your printed money means nothing in the post-apocalyptic world, your grades mean nothing in the vale. Whatever you have printed on a piece of paper is meaningless.

Thank you for this insightful tidbit.

[TTH]

I'm top 20%. I'm in the Vale.

Job searching is a microcosm of society as a whole. Searching for a job during OCI is like a normally-functioning society. You can walk into a grocery store and hand the cashier little pieces of paper with green ink on them, and the cashier will hand you food in return. If somebody is squatting in your apartment, you can show the police a piece of paper with your landlord's signature and the police will remove the person for you. Once you step into the vale of tears, it's like a post-apocalyptic world. It's no longer about who possesses the right pieces of paper, but about who can scrounge and claw and scrape in order to survive. Just like your printed money means nothing in the post-apocalyptic world, your grades mean nothing in the vale. Whatever you have printed on a piece of paper is meaningless.

The Vale is The Walking Dead


and, God help me, I might be T-Dogg.

[CFprez]

At least T dog sacrificed himself by letting zombies eat him

[Kobe824]

Well, I'm getting closer to getting out of the vale. I'm going be working part-time as a law clerk for a company up through the bar exam. If they like me, they'll hire me on full-time after bar results.

[sconnielaw13]

I am long time lurker, but I don't think I have ever actually posted. Similar to the above poster I am in the top 20% but I am still in the vale. I just had a callback last week in my home market... received my rejection letter in the mail yesterday. Very frustrating. I have a few other opportunities that might pan out but I am not too hopeful. During 3L I have had 2 callbacks (one at a NLJ250) and four screeners. This is such a draining process.

[gwuorbust]

I have two interviews next week, but am not out of the Vale yet.. God help me.

[tgo2013]

I am long time lurker, but I don't think I have ever actually posted. Similar to the above poster I am in the top 20% but I am still in the vale. I just had a callback last week in my home market... received my rejection letter in the mail yesterday. Very frustrating. I have a few other opportunities that might pan out but I am not too hopeful. During 3L I have had 2 callbacks (one at a NLJ250) and four screeners. This is such a draining process.

Like you I'm a lurker and Top 20%. Got no offered by my mid-size firm but not until the end of last semester. Since then just have had one state clerkship interview and a brief screening interview. Just had the screener; said it would be a week or two before I hear back. Clerkship said I'd hear this week, and I haven't heard yet, so I'm almost assuming it's a ding. Good luck to you.

[sconnielaw13]

I am long time lurker, but I don't think I have ever actually posted. Similar to the above poster I am in the top 20% but I am still in the vale. I just had a callback last week in my home market... received my rejection letter in the mail yesterday. Very frustrating. I have a few other opportunities that might pan out but I am not too hopeful. During 3L I have had 2 callbacks (one at a NLJ250) and four screeners. This is such a draining process.

Like you I'm a lurker and Top 20%. Got no offered by my mid-size firm but not until the end of last semester. Since then just have had one state clerkship interview and a brief screening interview. Just had the screener; said it would be a week or two before I hear back. Clerkship said I'd hear this week, and I haven't heard yet, so I'm almost assuming it's a ding. Good luck to you.

Oh wow that blows man. Well best of luck to you as well! I think we will need all the luck we can get!

[2LsAPlenty]

Looks like Missouri lost another top 50 (in the state) law firm. 3 this year according to article. Not good for prospects looking in that State. Hope there were not any 3Ls with offers.

[Anonymous User]

Looks like Missouri lost another top 50 (in the state) law firm. 3 this year according to article. Not good for prospects looking in that State. Hope there were not any 3Ls with offers.

Bummer....Which firm? I'm from STL and am debating which bar to take - MO or IL?

[Anonymous User]

I heard it was Stolar Partnership. In St. Louis I think.

[2LsAPlenty]

I am long time lurker, but I don't think I have ever actually posted. Similar to the above poster I am in the top 20% but I am still in the vale. I just had a callback last week in my home market... received my rejection letter in the mail yesterday. Very frustrating. I have a few other opportunities that might pan out but I am not too hopeful. During 3L I have had 2 callbacks (one at a NLJ250) and four screeners. This is such a draining process.

Like you I'm a lurker and Top 20%. Got no offered by my mid-size firm but not until the end of last semester. Since then just have had one state clerkship interview and a brief screening interview. Just had the screener; said it would be a week or two before I hear back. Clerkship said I'd hear this week, and I haven't heard yet, so I'm almost assuming it's a ding. Good luck to you.

That really @#$!s. I hope things start to look up. I am not sure how much if any hiring will go on now until graduation/bar, but let's all hope.

[Anonymous User]

I too applied and got referred for the USCIS position. However, I've been referred a number of times with nothing else happening beyond that.

I'm a second-year law clerk shopping around for positions with firms etc. I'll be following along to see if anyone hears anything on the USCIS front.

I interviewed last week and was told they would be making offers "as soon as possible" after they finished interviews this week, so hopefully offers will go out early next week?

[Anonymous User]

I too applied and got referred for the USCIS position. However, I've been referred a number of times with nothing else happening beyond that.

I'm a second-year law clerk shopping around for positions with firms etc. I'll be following along to see if anyone hears anything on the USCIS front.

I interviewed last week and was told they would be making offers "as soon as possible" after they finished interviews this week, so hopefully offers will go out early next week?

How soon did you get your interview after being referred to the selecting official? I guess that means those who did not get an interview will not get one.

[Anonymous User]

I too applied and got referred for the USCIS position. However, I've been referred a number of times with nothing else happening beyond that.

I'm a second-year law clerk shopping around for positions with firms etc. I'll be following along to see if anyone hears anything on the USCIS front.

I interviewed last week and was told they would be making offers "as soon as possible" after they finished interviews this week, so hopefully offers will go out early next week?

How soon did you get your interview after being referred to the selecting official? I guess that means those who did not get an interview will not get one.

I got my interview offer within like 2 days of being referred, but I do NOT think this is normal for USAJobs. They had a different hiring process (letters of rec, no real questionnaire, etc.) and I think they skipped a few of the HR phases speeding things along.

I will say the sent that "24 hours" email and it was 26 hours before they told me I had been referred. That is NOT COOL, government.

[TTH]

What are the odds that I could just fill in DLA Piper's or Jones Day's information on BarBri's "Bill to Firm" form and they'd get so many of them that they would just toss it on the pile and pay it out?

[Anonymous User]

I too applied and got referred for the USCIS position. However, I've been referred a number of times with nothing else happening beyond that.

I'm a second-year law clerk shopping around for positions with firms etc. I'll be following along to see if anyone hears anything on the USCIS front.

I interviewed last week and was told they would be making offers "as soon as possible" after they finished interviews this week, so hopefully offers will go out early next week?

How soon did you get your interview after being referred to the selecting official? I guess that means those who did not get an interview will not get one.

I got my interview offer within like 2 days of being referred, but I do NOT think this is normal for USAJobs. They had a different hiring process (letters of rec, no real questionnaire, etc.) and I think they skipped a few of the HR phases speeding things along.

I will say the sent that "24 hours" email and it was 26 hours before they told me I had been referred. That is NOT COOL, government.

I think Friday was the last day for interviews, so not likely that they'll be doing any more for these positions. Apparently they got 2700 applications (!!!).

[Anonymous User]

I got my interview offer within like 2 days of being referred, but I do NOT think this is normal for USAJobs. They had a different hiring process (letters of rec, no real questionnaire, etc.) and I think they skipped a few of the HR phases speeding things along.

I will say the sent that "24 hours" email and it was 26 hours before they told me I had been referred. That is NOT COOL, government.[/quote]

I think Friday was the last day for interviews, so not likely that they'll be doing any more for these positions. Apparently they got 2700 applications (!!!).[/quote]

Also, please post if/when you DO hear back!!

[snowpeach06]

It's great that LinkedIn has job postings now, but the search function doesn't work at all. I can barely get it to bring up legal jobs. Anyone know of any other sites with postings? I've just been using my school's Symplicity and PSJD.org.