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

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have advice on how to pitch yourself in a corporate interview when your experience (and coursework) is primarily litigation?

[EvelynS]

Feel so bummed right now. Not that I am not used to rejections by the firms, but (please!!!) make a damn effort not to make a very generalized rejection that states things that did not happen. Like "thank you for interviewing with our firm"....yeah, ok...except I did not. Just makes me feel that my application went straight to the trash can without ever being looked at. Oh well...

[rinkrat19]

Feel so bummed right now. Not that I am not used to rejections by the firms, but (please!!!) make a damn effort not to make a very generalized rejection that states things that did not happen. Like "thank you for interviewing with our firm"....yeah, ok...except I did not. Just makes me feel that my application went straight to the trash can without ever being looked at. Oh well...

Once in a while there's a rejection that pokes through the numbness and stings more than it should. I feel ya.

[rinkrat19]

I just got a "we consider you a strong candidate; we are keeping your application on file" email from the Army Corps of Engineers Chief Counsel's Honors Program. It's actually the closest thing to actual interest I'd gotten from a FedGov office in 3 years of trying.

I think I interviewed with them last summer (PI fair?). So this rejection/hold took 11 months to arrive.

[drs36]

Anyone have advice on how to pitch yourself in a corporate interview when your experience (and coursework) is primarily litigation?

What type of lit? You can pitch your insight into litigation avoidance and your ability to structure deals/agreements to avoid the problems you dealt with in your lit practice.

[TheFutureLawyer]

x

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have advice on how to pitch yourself in a corporate interview when your experience (and coursework) is primarily litigation?

What type of lit? You can pitch your insight into litigation avoidance and your ability to structure deals/agreements to avoid the problems you dealt with in your lit practice.

Sounds like a decent approach, but my litigation stuff is only from a summer associate position (recent grad), so the insight and examples I could give are limited/insubstantial.

My problem is that while corporate sounds great, I have nothing really to say about it beyond basic platitudes. I found litigation to be fine, too, but think corporate would be a better fit.

[charlesxavier]

I just got a "we consider you a strong candidate; we are keeping your application on file" email from the Army Corps of Engineers Chief Counsel's Honors Program. It's actually the closest thing to actual interest I'd gotten from a FedGov office in 3 years of trying.

I think I interviewed with them last summer (PI fair?). So this rejection/hold took 11 months to arrive.

I got a call for an interview at an awesome firm that I applied to 14 months prior. They said they had hung onto my resume. Half way through the conversation I realized they thought I was a 2L, I corrected the misunderstanding, they apologized and said they weren't interested.

On the other hand, I had a rejection from a cross country mass mailing that said they were very interested but had just hired a few new associates. They said they would hang onto my resume and also pass it along to any other potential employers that they know about. That was appreciated.

[ash0117]

Being in the Vale and studying for the bar is awful. I got another rejection today, and with 14 days til the bar, it just makes me want to give up hope. How are those people in the same position keeping their heads up?

[EvelynS]

Being in the Vale and studying for the bar is awful. I got another rejection today, and with 14 days til the bar, it just makes me want to give up hope. How are those people in the same position keeping their heads up?

On the same boat. I just stopped thinking about the job situation for now. It is hard, but I am more worried about passing the bar at this point. So the bar anxiety keeps me busy. lol

[swimmer11]

Being in the Vale and studying for the bar is awful. I got another rejection today, and with 14 days til the bar, it just makes me want to give up hope. How are those people in the same position keeping their heads up?

On the same boat. I just stopped thinking about the job situation for now. It is hard, but I am more worried about passing the bar at this point. So the bar anxiety keeps me busy. lol

I am taking this approach. Occasionally applying to positions that my career councilor from lawl school sends me. But, that is about it.

If I do not pass the bar, I will definitely not get a job.

[rinkrat19]

From what I have seen, quite a few state/city/county jobs only accept apps from barred attorneys, even for entry-level, because they want to fill the spots right away, not in several months. (Govts don't like to leave positions empty for long, lest the budget-makers decide that things are going fine without that position and cut it.) So your opportunities to apply should increase once you've passed.

[Anonymous User]

just came back from a call back with a V25 firm non-NYC major market, less than two weeks before bar exam, it just can't come a little earlier :-/ (T14 stuck out during OCI, ended up with slightly above average GPA when graduated) it seems transnational side is really picking up. interviewed with another V25 firm's new office 2 weeks ago but haven't heard back. also have a screener with a V10 firm satellite office set up next week, will likely turn it down if I get an offer. all of these offices are doing financing/M&A corporate type of work.

[BlueLotus]

Turned down by my employer for a fellowship sponsorship. Shit sucks.

[rinkrat19]

Turned down by my employer for a fellowship sponsorship. Shit sucks.

You'd think everyone would jump at the chance to get free labor for a year, but it's surprisingly tricky. Sucks hard. Hang in there.

[anon sequitur]

Yeah, I got turned down for a couple of fellowship placements because they already had people who had been interns during the school-year or previous summer who were doing fellowships and they just didn't have the office space. That sucks.

I believe you are interested in PD work to some extent, BlueLotus? I was able to get a fellowship-placement at a federal PD's office fairly easily, with no connections or anything, might be something to look into. Downside is there's basically a 0% chance of converting it into a real job with the office, but federal experience looks good, even outside of PD work.

Edit: just to be clear, this was a school-funded fellowship, I don't know what the process is like for competitive fellowships.

[BlueLotus]

PD work interests me, however, my work experience is largely civil (family law, immigration, SS disability, public benefits).

I am still shaken over what happened today. I just can't believe that my supervisor rejected my fellowship proposal without fucking reading the application. I placed an envelope with my resume, cover letter, references, and 9 p. writing sample in the executive director's inbox at like 9:30 am, and hardly an hour later my supervisor returned the envelope to me, telling me some bullshit about my "great attention to detail" but that I am not a "good fit" for the fellowship. Seriously, fuck this shit. I am so devastated that my app was not even considered. Sorry if I sound really pissy and entitled. I plan to spam additional public interest orgs in my city over the weekend. I am not going to let this setback define my career.

On a positive note, while I was crying on the train ride home, a small firm lawyer approached me and struck up a conversation with me about my hopeless jobs situation. He gave me his card and told me to contact him, which I did. I set up a meeting with him on Monday. Although he is a private firm attorney, he was the past president of the immigration law non-profit I worked at my 1L summer. I reallllllly hope that I can get a fellowship sponsorship with that org. Fingers crossed.

[Anonymous User]

PD work interests me, however, my work experience is largely civil (family law, immigration, SS disability, public benefits).

I am still shaken over what happened today. I just can't believe that my supervisor rejected my fellowship proposal without fucking reading the application. I placed an envelope with my resume, cover letter, references, and 9 p. writing sample in the executive director's inbox at like 9:30 am, and hardly an hour later my supervisor returned the envelope to me, telling me some bullshit about my "great attention to detail" but that I am not a "good fit" for the fellowship. Seriously, fuck this shit. I am so devastated that my app was not even considered. Sorry if I sound really pissy and entitled. I plan to spam additional public interest orgs in my city over the weekend. I am not going to let this setback define my career.

On a positive note, while I was crying on the train ride home, a small firm lawyer approached me and struck up a conversation with me about my hopeless jobs situation. He gave me his card and told me to contact him, which I did. I set up a meeting with him on Monday. Although he is a private firm attorney, he was the past president of the immigration law non-profit I worked at my 1L summer. I reallllllly hope that I can get a fellowship sponsorship with that org. Fingers crossed.

Sorry to hear that BlueLotus. On the bright side, it small firm lawyer seems like a great lead or at least a great contact.

When I was applying for Skadden/EJW, my proposal got rejected by the org that I worked for 1L summer. I was ready to give them my heart but they sent me some really short bullshitty rejection email. Apparently they found someone more qualified. I guess I'm trying to say that it sucks and I understand your anger.

[Anonymous User]

Received a lunch interview with two partners from the practice group I applied with at a V100 five days before the bar. I never had this type of interview format (for an initial interview), so I am not sure if I should treat it any differently than a normal screener. Either way, I am going to prep like hell and hope Gods show mercy.

Also, I had an interview for a fed clerkship, which will be making a decision in a week or two. Should I mention this or know?

[BlueLotus]

PD work interests me, however, my work experience is largely civil (family law, immigration, SS disability, public benefits).

I am still shaken over what happened today. I just can't believe that my supervisor rejected my fellowship proposal without fucking reading the application. I placed an envelope with my resume, cover letter, references, and 9 p. writing sample in the executive director's inbox at like 9:30 am, and hardly an hour later my supervisor returned the envelope to me, telling me some bullshit about my "great attention to detail" but that I am not a "good fit" for the fellowship. Seriously, fuck this shit. I am so devastated that my app was not even considered. Sorry if I sound really pissy and entitled. I plan to spam additional public interest orgs in my city over the weekend. I am not going to let this setback define my career.

On a positive note, while I was crying on the train ride home, a small firm lawyer approached me and struck up a conversation with me about my hopeless jobs situation. He gave me his card and told me to contact him, which I did. I set up a meeting with him on Monday. Although he is a private firm attorney, he was the past president of the immigration law non-profit I worked at my 1L summer. I reallllllly hope that I can get a fellowship sponsorship with that org. Fingers crossed.

Sorry to hear that BlueLotus. On the bright side, it small firm lawyer seems like a great lead or at least a great contact.

When I was applying for Skadden/EJW, my proposal got rejected by the org that I worked for 1L summer. I was ready to give them my heart but they sent me some really short bullshitty rejection email. Apparently they found someone more qualified. I guess I'm trying to say that it sucks and I understand your anger.

Thanks anon. Of my seven fucking unpaid public interest internships, this summer has been my favorite. It was my DREAM to work there after graduation. I really want to continue my internship into the fall semester on a part-time basis, but I am too damn afraid to ask the Managing Attorney/Executive Director if I can extend my internship. Surely they can't turn down more free labor from a fucking indentured servant?

Sorry if I sound really bitchy and entitled. I am more upset at the unceremonious way I was rejected (envelope being handed back to me hardly an hour after I placed it in the executive director's inbox) than the actual rejection itself. I wish that they at least read my application BEFORE making a decision. Shitty situation all around.

I'll send out additional fellowship apps this weekend/early next week. I am not going to let this setback define my career.

[shredderrrrrr]

If applying for a state judicial clerkship and the job posting calls for materials to be sent to the clerk working for the judge (and that is the only contact information they provide), do I address the cover letter to the clerk or the judge? Or do I leave everything as if I was applying directly to the judge and then just send it to the address provided?

[UnamSanctam]

If applying for a state judicial clerkship and the job posting calls for materials to be sent to the clerk working for the judge (and that is the only contact information they provide), do I address the cover letter to the clerk or the judge? Or do I leave everything as if I was applying directly to the judge and then just send it to the address provided?

I addressed to the clerk (but there were two judges, so YMMV). Got to the screener and following round of interviews, so it didn't seem to matter.

[BlueLotus]

Just set up an informational interview with a small firm attorney doing SS disability. Really stoked. I am recovering well from the devastating blow last Friday.

[BVest]

If applying for a state judicial clerkship and the job posting calls for materials to be sent to the clerk working for the judge (and that is the only contact information they provide), do I address the cover letter to the clerk or the judge? Or do I leave everything as if I was applying directly to the judge and then just send it to the address provided?

I would address it to the judge.

[FSK]

Welp, I guess here I am.