2L at Pepperdine, still no luck with summer job - what to do Forum

[Big Shrimpin]

u know who the best TLS person is ever? SOCKPUPPET.

LOL tyft

[OldManHunger]

.

[klounsbe]

I really don't need to be told that I should have gone to a better school. Maybe you are right, but the legal market was supposed to be getting better and my choices were a better school or taking a lot of money here and probably having the opportunity to do law review and be in the top of the class, so I opted for Pepperdine. There are certainly plenty of Pepp alum in SoCal with really good jobs.

So while I totally understand that maybe I made the wrong decision, I'm not in the situation and can't really change it. I'm just trying to see what other 2Ls situations are and what they are possibly doing to work on something at this point?

[zomginternets]

Are you part of any student organizations (APALSA, BLSA, etc.)? From my (limited) understanding, they have job fairs as well that might be worth checking out.

[Julio_El_Chavo]

I really don't need to be told that I should have gone to a better school. Maybe you are right, but the legal market was supposed to be getting better and my choices were a better school or taking a lot of money here and probably having the opportunity to do law review and be in the top of the class, so I opted for Pepperdine. There are certainly plenty of Pepp alum in SoCal with really good jobs.

So while I totally understand that maybe I made the wrong decision, I'm not in the situation and can't really change it. I'm just trying to see what other 2Ls situations are and what they are possibly doing to work on something at this point?

some 2L summer programs at firms START in 4 weeks. i think you better just give up on firm jobs (unless you can find a firm that will take you as a volunteer) and look for PI jobs or volunteer for a judge or something.

[Aberzombie1892]

I really don't need to be told that I should have gone to a better school. Maybe you are right, but the legal market was supposed to be getting better and my choices were a better school or taking a lot of money here and probably having the opportunity to do law review and be in the top of the class, so I opted for Pepperdine. There are certainly plenty of Pepp alum in SoCal with really good jobs.

So while I totally understand that maybe I made the wrong decision, I'm not in the situation and can't really change it. I'm just trying to see what other 2Ls situations are and what they are possibly doing to work on something at this point?

some 2L summer programs at firms START in 4 weeks. i think you better just give up on firm jobs (unless you can find a firm that will take you as a volunteer) and look for PI jobs or volunteer for a judge or something.

OP- look at small firms and state/city government. Also, you may look into interning at a college or university (not in a non-legal position though).

[MrAnon]

I would look for work in another field. If you have done this well at your school then you probably have a spark that many other jobseekers out there in other industries lack. Check out finance and sales. I'm not sure where the information about the legal market improving comes from. I read that every year on here--0Ls and students expecting recovery-- but it hasn't happened. If anything firms are tightening more now than ever, and there is no basis for economic recovery in this country or the greater world right now. Obama just gave an address yesterday warning of recession if the government couldn't find a way to go further into debt for heaven's sakes.

[gwuorbust]

I would look for work in another field. If you have done this well at your school then you probably have a spark that many other jobseekers out there in other industries lack. Check out finance and sales. I'm not sure where the information about the legal market improving comes from. I read that every year on here--0Ls and students expecting recovery-- but it hasn't happened. If anything firms are tightening more now than ever, and there is no basis for economic recovery in this country or the greater world right now. Obama just gave an address yesterday warning of recession if the government couldn't find a way to go further into debt for heaven's sakes.

first off dude, let's chill on the "I read that every year on here" nonsense. You joined in 2010. That's not really "year after year" legitimacy.

second, it it just wrong. most ppl on TLS think the legal market is fucked up. 30k jobs for 45k graduates. it is mostly new users that are bright eyed..ppl who have been here for a little while know the truth.

third, your statements of "find another industry" are not helpful. if someone could make bank in another industry then they probably wouldn't be there in the first place. and the people that can make bank aren't freaking out (like myself) because they know that they have another option. it is the people without other options that freak out. but telling them to "find another industry" isn't going to be helpful at all.

there is a time and place to recommend chance of career field, but

overly general statements are overly general.

[3ThrowAway99]

I am sorry to hear you are having trouble, but I get the impression that maybe you have only applied for paid (or prestigious) jobs? I know it sucks to work without pay, but I think this is something probably many of us will have to put up with for both summers of law school at this point. I would take something legal-related though if at all possible (don't just take a non-legal job out of frustration); you should be able to get financial aid if it is non-paying. Also, maybe you'll get lucky and something good (the type of thing you were initially hoping for) will come along at the last minute.

Edit: my initial post was kind of harsh so I apologize for that. I didn't fully understand what you meant when you said that the 'legal market was supposed to be getting better' (apparently when you applied to law school), but that is all really beside the point now in any case. Good luck.

[3ThrowAway99]

..

[MrAnon]

first off dude, let's chill on the "I read that every year on here" nonsense. You joined in 2010. That's not really "year after year" legitimacy.

second, it it just wrong. most ppl on TLS think the legal market is fucked up. 30k jobs for 45k graduates. it is mostly new users that are bright eyed..ppl who have been here for a little while know the truth.

third, your statements of "find another industry" are not helpful. if someone could make bank in another industry then they probably wouldn't be there in the first place. and the people that can make bank aren't freaking out (like myself) because they know that they have another option. it is the people without other options that freak out. but telling them to "find another industry" isn't going to be helpful at all.

there is a time and place to recommend chance of career field, but

overly general statements are overly general.

Thanks detective for sleuthing my registration date. Guess it was impossible for me to check out the forums before I registered?

Hmmm well it sure doesn't sound like OP is on his/her way to making bank in law either.

[gwuorbust]

Thanks detective for sleuthing my registration date. Guess it was impossible for me to check out the forums before I registered?

Hmmm well it sure doesn't sound like OP is on his/her way to making bank in law either.

hey, anytime you need some detective work done I'm your man. $25/hour is my going rate.

but the things is, OP is not fucked in law because of some "lack of abilities," but because CDO and lawl schools are essentially worthless when it comes to jobs. Literally, they don't do shit. here, we had several 1L first semester "how to find a jerb sessions" by our CDO. literally, they threw some packets of info that could be printed online at us and recited some stuff that was also online. it sounds like his school is even worse and that is not his fault. He needs to get himself educated. read TLS. read books. ask people. figure out how to network. being proactive is the key.

[98234872348]

.

[seriousstudenttt]

suck it up and get a legal aid job for the summer.

[MrKappus]

it sounds like his school is even worse and that is not his fault. He needs to get himself educated.

Someone missed OP's selftar.

You just can't find good detectives these days.

[gwuorbust]

it sounds like his school is even worse and that is not his fault. He needs to get himself educated.

Someone missed OP's selftar.

You just can't find good detectives these days.

hey, I never said I graduated first in my class from CDU*

Cooley Detective University

[sebastian0622]

Just because you're getting some callbacks doesn't establish that the problem is not you / your interview skills.

Your academic record might be getting you the benefit of the doubt to get through a few OCI first-round interviews despite mediocre interviews, but at callbacks you're competing against people with good credentials and interview/people skills. I would definitely try to get feedback from close friends or family about how you're approaching interviews, how you're presenting yourself, what your attitude is like, etc. You could do a mock interview with someone who is close enough to you to be honest.

It is my opinion that with your credentials, if you were a good interviewee, you'd have a job.

[dood]

Just because you're getting some callbacks doesn't establish that the problem is not you / your interview skills.

yea, though kinda a moot point now. but i agree - every law student should do hella practice interviews prior to OCI. ur career office should be able to offer u at least that and give u a detailed critique.

[Veyron]

Just because you're getting some callbacks doesn't establish that the problem is not you / your interview skills.

yea, though kinda a moot point now. but i agree - every law student should do hella practice interviews prior to OCI. ur career office should be able to offer u at least that and give u a detailed critique.

Practice interviews are worthless. If I wanted to know that I had a great personality and would do just fine I would have asked my mom.

[prezidentv8]

Just because you're getting some callbacks doesn't establish that the problem is not you / your interview skills.

yea, though kinda a moot point now. but i agree - every law student should do hella practice interviews prior to OCI. ur career office should be able to offer u at least that and give u a detailed critique.

Practice interviews are worthless. If I wanted to know that I had a great personality and would do just fine I would have asked my mom.

[klounsbe]

Thought I'd post back that my last chance job came through this morning - got an offer from a well known, mid-size civil litigation firm in Los Angeles that was the only place I hadn't heard back from yet. Also funny enough got an interview request after the fact with a small firm, but for obvious reasons, turned it down. Thanks for all the input on here, I definitely got some decent advice and was going to be working my butt off on this the next few weeks.

[Law Sauce]

Thought I'd post back that my last chance job came through this morning - got an offer from a well known, mid-size civil litigation firm in Los Angeles that was the only place I hadn't heard back from yet. Also funny enough got an interview request after the fact with a small firm, but for obvious reasons, turned it down. Thanks for all the input on here, I definitely got some decent advice and was going to be working my butt off on this the next few weeks.

Congrats!

[Eco]

If those are your stats, which are great, and pepperdine is a well respected school in L.A., then there is something about the way you are interviewing that is wrong.

[Mick Haller]

If those are your stats, which are great, and pepperdine is a well respected school in L.A., then there is something about the way you are interviewing that is wrong.

There are many people at my school with very good grades and very good personalities/interviewing skills who have had no success. I mean it could be poor interviewing skills, but it's not a conclusion we should jump to.