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Columbia job prospects
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:15 pm
by gmreplay
The year is 2014 and I am happy to report that I just graduated from Columbia in the top third of my class, and thanks to President Trump putting down the Robot Revolt of 2013 I am now able to look for legal employment.
My question is, what kind of jobs are available to me? I probably should have done more research in February of 2011, but beyond the words "biglaw" and "government" I really don't know what kind of jobs I have to select from. I've got 150,000 in debt and I really desire to work with civil liberties, though I know I'm unlikely to get to do this right out of the gate. So specifically what kind of jobs might I get at this point, and what kind of job would you recommend I take?
Re: Columbia job prospects
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:16 pm
by bk1
If you don't have a job lined up at graduation, your interview skills have probably nuked what your class rank and school prestige would have gotten you.
Re: Columbia job prospects
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:26 pm
by gmreplay
bk187 wrote:If you don't have a job lined up at graduation, your interview skills have probably nuked what your class rank and school prestige would have gotten you.
That's not at all what I'm looking for, I really just want to know what kind of jobs are available for a Columbia grad.
Re: Columbia job prospects
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:32 pm
by bk1
gmreplay wrote:bk187 wrote:If you don't have a job lined up at graduation, your interview skills have probably nuked what your class rank and school prestige would have gotten you.
That's not at all what I'm looking for, I really just want to know what kind of jobs are available for a Columbia grad.
I know, but your post wasn't funny and I felt like pointing that out in an obtuse way.
Also, I wouldn't assume you end up top third. More often than not, you won't end up in the top third.
Re: Columbia job prospects
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:50 pm
by gmreplay
Really? It made me laugh.
You know some people say 2/3 of Columbia grads don't end up in the top third.
Do you have anything to add that is relevant to my question?
Re: Columbia job prospects
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:54 pm
by bk1
gmreplay wrote:Really? It made me laugh.
You know some people say 2/3 of Columbia grads don't end up in the top third.
Do you have anything to add that is relevant to my question?
Other than don't assume top third, not really.
I mean the general options for grads of anywhere are: biglaw, midlaw, smalllaw, government, clerkship, PI, in-house, solo practitioner, academia, etc. This seems like a very broad question that isn't necessarily CLS specific and doesn't have too much to do with its prestige. You should really spend some time yourself figuring out what you want to do with a JD to see if it is right for you. CLS is going to give you the best chance you can have, barring 3 other schools, at pretty much any of those things, not that some of those things aren't rare/impossible for newly minted grads.
Re: Columbia job prospects
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 8:19 pm
by Unemployed
bk187 wrote:gmreplay wrote:Really? It made me laugh.
You know some people say 2/3 of Columbia grads don't end up in the top third.
Do you have anything to add that is relevant to my question?
Other than don't assume top third, not really.
There's also the matter of not assuming that s/he will get in.
Re: Columbia job prospects
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 8:28 pm
by ImpatientlyWaiting
Jeez guys, have you ever heard of a hypothetical question? The whole point is to assume a set of conditions. OP just wants to know what the employment prospects are for the top third of Columbia, which could be very useful information. I won't personally answer the question, since I'm not going to pretend I have info when I don't actually have it, but surely there must be someone on this website with something relevant to say.
Re: Columbia job prospects
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 8:30 pm
by gmreplay
It is very much CLS related in that I'm trying to ensure that CLS is going to give me the chances I want. You recommend that I try to find out what I want to do with my degree, and that's exactly what I'm attempting to do here. I want to work with issues of civil liberties, and I want to be able to enjoy life at least a little.
I know CLS is good for tax law and corporate law, but how do I determine, short of working in the field, if that's right for me? Is it tenable to take anything but a biglaw job upon graduating from Columbia, or will I be so swamped with debt as to render anything else impossible?
I'm already in at CLS btw.
Re: Columbia job prospects
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 8:32 pm
by bk1
gmreplay wrote:It is very much CLS related in that I'm trying to ensure that CLS is going to give me the chances I want. You recommend that I try to find out what I want to do with my degree, and that's exactly what I'm attempting to do here. I want to work with issues of civil liberties, and I want to be able to enjoy life at least a little.
Jobs in civil liberties are rare and competitive, I wouldn't go to law school assuming you will get that.
gmreplay wrote:I know CLS is good for tax law and corporate law, but how do I determine, short of working in the field, if that's right for me? Is it tenable to take anything but a biglaw job upon graduating from Columbia, or will I be so swamped with debt as to render anything else impossible?
1. Talk to some lawyers in that field.
2. LRAP.
Re: Columbia job prospects
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 8:46 pm
by Unemployed
gmreplay wrote:It is very much CLS related in that I'm trying to ensure that CLS is going to give me the chances I want. You recommend that I try to find out what I want to do with my degree, and that's exactly what I'm attempting to do here. I want to work with issues of civil liberties, and I want to be able to enjoy life at least a little.
I know CLS is good for tax law and corporate law, but how do I determine, short of working in the field, if that's right for me? Is it tenable to take anything but a biglaw job upon graduating from Columbia, or will I be so swamped with debt as to render anything else impossible?
I'm already in at CLS btw.
CLS won't get in the way of getting a job having to do with "civil liberties" - it has a good name and (apparently) a fairly generous LRAP program.
I am under the impression that public interest positions select people based on commitment to the cause + proven track record rather than grades or school. If you have a specific vision/plan and you have been working towards it, top 1/3 from Columbia should be more than enough. If not, you may have trouble getting your foot in the door, regardless of where you decide to go to law school.
All of that said, congrats!
Re: Columbia job prospects
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 9:03 pm
by gmreplay
I know I'd love to work for the ACLU or EFF, but I know those are rare positions indeed. So in lieu of that, I'm still at a loss for just what kind of jobs I can expect to have available to me. What sorts of law do most CLS grads go into? Is there any "best" branch of law among these in regards to interesting work, stress, hours, etc? Where can I find more info on this?
I'm aware of LRAP but I believe it requires you to take a very low paying government job for several years. Is this a worthwhile trade off?
Re: Columbia job prospects
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 8:03 am
by piccolittle
I would rather know about job prospects for the bottom 1/3 at CLS, honestly. Obviously I'm hoping for the best, but know your enemy and all that (the enemy being ITE). Any anecdotes from current students?
Re: Columbia job prospects
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 8:44 am
by Anonymous User
gmreplay wrote:The year is 2014 and I am happy to report that I just graduated from Columbia in the top third of my class, and thanks to President Trump putting down the Robot Revolt of 2013 I am now able to look for legal employment.
My question is, what kind of jobs are available to me? I probably should have done more research in February of 2011, but beyond the words "biglaw" and "government" I really don't know what kind of jobs I have to select from. I've got 150,000 in debt and I really desire to work with civil liberties, though I know I'm unlikely to get to do this right out of the gate. So specifically what kind of jobs might I get at this point, and what kind of job would you recommend I take?
Unless you got a sizeable scholarship, you're going to have well more than $150,000 of debt my friend. With gradual tuition increases, cost of living, and accumulated interest (an enemy far worse than the robots), you should expect closer to $200,000, especially if you're going to be spending your summers doing public interest work at places like the ACLU.
CLS won't impair your ability to do public interest. The reason it does so well in big law is quite obvious--it's a top school and it's New York City. Most students come here because they want to work in law firms, or they end up in law firms because they can pay down their debt a lot faster at a firm (or, god forbid, they SA at a firm and like it). Nonetheless, CLS will take you plenty far in public interest. There are plenty of externships/clinical opportunities and many teachers who have have extensive public interest backgrounds. As has been said before, so long as you demonstrate a commitment to public interest (through your extracurriculars, etc.) then you'll be fine. Advise not often given in this forum: law school is what you make of the tools your school provides you.
Re: Columbia job prospects
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 9:05 am
by UnitarySpace
civil liberties work is tuff to break into dood.
Re: Columbia job prospects
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 10:09 am
by Renzo
gmreplay wrote:Really? It made me laugh.
You know some people say 2/3 of Columbia grads don't end up in the top third.
Do you have anything to add that is relevant to my question?
Really, you laugh at your own jokes?
Re: Columbia job prospects
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 10:17 am
by Fresh
Renzo wrote:gmreplay wrote:Really? It made me laugh.
You know some people say 2/3 of Columbia grads don't end up in the top third.
Do you have anything to add that is relevant to my question?
Really, you laugh at your own jokes?
Re: Columbia job prospects
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 3:29 pm
by BeautifulSW
Thing is, you could end up just about anywhere. I worked in child abuse and neglect prosecution in the ninties with a Columbia law grad. He had been out awhile, to be sure, his degree said LLB not JD on it so that should give you some idea but even back then, Columbia was not cheap. He started out on Wall Street (when I was still in high school), decided that he didn't like it, and moved out west.
Gosh, but he was a good lawyer!
Re: Columbia job prospects
Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 11:47 pm
by Veyron
You are making 160k + Bonus or you are socially defective.
With trump as president, I am guessing bonuses are large, huzzah!