Unemployment and C+F Forum

[Anonymous User]

Will prolonged unemployment, like 1.5 years (though doing freelance jobs whenever I could), be a problem during C+F?
Whenever I did get freelance work, I put it in the unemployment form, and when I was unable to work (travel), I disclosed that as well (they dont pay you for those times).

During the time, I tried (not very successfully) to get a business off the ground on the side, while continuing to apply for jobs. The economy was so bad, and hit my particular industry really hard. For reference, I talked with someone who recently posted an ad for a part time job (paying VERY little) in my particular industry, and in one day had over 800 resumes for one position, many of whom were overqualified (one had a JD from NU).

Going to be starting school in the fall, and dont want to waste my time if I get C+F owned. I've heard they ding ppl with horrible credit and such, but that they admit felons, so I dont really know what their criteria is.

[bport hopeful]

I think the credit thing is if people intend to renege on their loans

[Anonymous User]

I think the credit thing is if people intend to renege on their loans

OP Here. Hmm, thanks for that. I really dont know how or why they would ding someone for credit, but I guess it makes sense if they arent paying their loans or creditors.

I saw on ATL that someone got dinged because he had high loans. Granted, he was unemployed at the time. They dinged him because he had such high educational debt and no plan to repay it. Seems cruel, and unnecessary. So just confused as to the whole process. A few new lawyers told me that C+F was a pain in the ass (without me mentioning my concern) and these were like vanilla folks. Ppl who probably never even got speeding tickets.

[vanwinkle]

The people who have been dinged for loans have been people who 1) amassed more than $200K in loans and 2) had not been making attempts to pay their current debt. The first guy was someone who'd amassed $400K in total debt over more than a decade from undergrad, failure to pay on his loans post-undergrad, and then law school.

The vast majority of law students today will be graduating with over $100K in debt. They're not just looking at your debt level, they're looking at your responsibility and your likelihood of repaying it. You should have a plan to repay your debt, it's a massive financial obligation, and it can impact you ethically (as a lawyer, you may be responsible for large amounts of other people's money, which can cause temptations if your own finances are that dire). The thing is, though, the times people have actually been denied are rare and involve a near-total lack of financial responsibility. The cases being reported on are the exceptions, not the rule.

[zomginternets]

there is no way unemployment itself could get you dinged. lying on any forms could, but it sounds like you disclosed the work you did.

bad credit needs to be pretty effing bad. it needs to show that you are really financially irresponsible.. it's pretty easy to tell apart people who just fell on bad times, and people who don't give a shit about paying back money they owe.

[Anonymous User]

OP here again. Thanks guys. I appreciate the responses and def makes me feel better. Sounds like the C+F horror stories are rare, and in the most part, if you disclose and honest about everything, you're good to go.

[powerlawyer06]

For reference, I talked with someone who recently posted an ad for a part time job (paying VERY little) in my particular industry, and in one day had over 800 resumes for one position, many of whom were overqualified (one had a JD from NU).

This is scary. One more piece of evidence to show how BS the employment numbers that schools publish are.

[robotclubmember]

For reference, I talked with someone who recently posted an ad for a part time job (paying VERY little) in my particular industry, and in one day had over 800 resumes for one position, many of whom were overqualified (one had a JD from NU).

And you're sure you want to go to law school? I just want to clarify that by NU you mean Northwestern (there are other universities that begin with the letter N out there...)

[vamedic03]

For reference, I talked with someone who recently posted an ad for a part time job (paying VERY little) in my particular industry, and in one day had over 800 resumes for one position, many of whom were overqualified (one had a JD from NU).

This is scary. One more piece of evidence to show how BS the employment numbers that schools publish are.

How is this scary? A JD from anywhere, even Yale, doesn't guarantee that someone will be successful. Seeing 1 JD from a top school is not the same as seeing 50.

[robotclubmember]

For reference, I talked with someone who recently posted an ad for a part time job (paying VERY little) in my particular industry, and in one day had over 800 resumes for one position, many of whom were overqualified (one had a JD from NU).

This is scary. One more piece of evidence to show how BS the employment numbers that schools publish are.

How is this scary? A JD from anywhere, even Yale, doesn't guarantee that someone will be successful. Seeing 1 JD from a top school is not the same as seeing 50.

Eh, I wouldn't take it like that, it's just one more piece of evidence like he said. It's just one drop of water, but you can't get a river without individual drops (and yes we have enough to make a river). If you dismiss every piece of anecdotal evidence as useless, you'll miss a trend. Not getting into ad nauseam argument about job prospects ITE. Just saying, taken by itself it's not scary, but anyone who's been here a while should have heard enough stories like this not to take any of them by themselves.

[Anonymous User]

For reference, I talked with someone who recently posted an ad for a part time job (paying VERY little) in my particular industry, and in one day had over 800 resumes for one position, many of whom were overqualified (one had a JD from NU).

This is scary. One more piece of evidence to show how BS the employment numbers that schools publish are.

How is this scary? A JD from anywhere, even Yale, doesn't guarantee that someone will be successful. Seeing 1 JD from a top school is not the same as seeing 50.

Eh, I wouldn't take it like that, it's just one more piece of evidence like he said. It's just one drop of water, but you can't get a river without individual drops (and yes we have enough to make a river). If you dismiss every piece of anecdotal evidence as useless, you'll miss a trend. Not getting into ad nauseam argument about job prospects ITE. Just saying, taken by itself it's not scary, but anyone who's been here a while should have heard enough stories like this not to take any of them by themselves.

I asked my friend and to be fair, it's a fairly hard industry to break in to, without starting at the bottom. The girl applying for a job went to law school and seems like she wanted a career change, but who knows. Could be that she just struck out and is applying for everything.

[keg411]

I would say there is a 90% chance the post above is about some kind of entertainment/advertising/PR-type job. Pays very little, start from the bottom, 800 resumes in one day, very hard to break into all scream industry to me.

[vamedic03]

For reference, I talked with someone who recently posted an ad for a part time job (paying VERY little) in my particular industry, and in one day had over 800 resumes for one position, many of whom were overqualified (one had a JD from NU).

This is scary. One more piece of evidence to show how BS the employment numbers that schools publish are.

How is this scary? A JD from anywhere, even Yale, doesn't guarantee that someone will be successful. Seeing 1 JD from a top school is not the same as seeing 50.

Eh, I wouldn't take it like that, it's just one more piece of evidence like he said. It's just one drop of water, but you can't get a river without individual drops (and yes we have enough to make a river). If you dismiss every piece of anecdotal evidence as useless, you'll miss a trend. Not getting into ad nauseam argument about job prospects ITE. Just saying, taken by itself it's not scary, but anyone who's been here a while should have heard enough stories like this not to take any of them by themselves.

Um, I'm a 2L. I'm well aware of ITE. Just saying.