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Would joining local bar associations and listing them on my resume be useful to reinforce my desire to work in a particular market?

How would you convey that information? List them under the law school? or a separate field titled Affiliations?

Thoughts?

Nobody has anything to say about this?

Depends on what market. Do you have family ties? Are you from the state? If it is like Chicago or New York, you probably don't need to do much, everyone know why you want to work there. If you are trying to go to like Cali from a midwest school, you may need to show you have family or that you are from there. I think you need to do something to convey your genuine interest in working in the area and not that you are just blanketing the whole country with apps.

emciosn wrote:Depends on what market. Do you have family ties? Are you from the state? If it is like Chicago or New York, you probably don't need to do much, everyone know why you want to work there. If you are trying to go to like Cali from a midwest school, you may need to show you have family or that you are from there. I think you need to do something to convey your genuine interest in working in the area and not that you are just blanketing the whole country with apps.

Right. And would joining the local bar association help with that in a market where I don't have obvious ties? And if so, should I list it on my resume?

I would think it would, since you have to apply, pay dues, etc. People wouldn't blanket local bar associations throughout the entire country...

bceagles182 wrote:

emciosn wrote:Depends on what market. Do you have family ties? Are you from the state? If it is like Chicago or New York, you probably don't need to do much, everyone know why you want to work there. If you are trying to go to like Cali from a midwest school, you may need to show you have family or that you are from there. I think you need to do something to convey your genuine interest in working in the area and not that you are just blanketing the whole country with apps.

Right. And would joining the local bar association help with that in a market where I don't have obvious ties? And if so, should I list it on my resume?

I'd suggest asking lawfirmrecruiter in her thread

bceagles182 wrote:

emciosn wrote:Depends on what market. Do you have family ties? Are you from the state? If it is like Chicago or New York, you probably don't need to do much, everyone know why you want to work there. If you are trying to go to like Cali from a midwest school, you may need to show you have family or that you are from there. I think you need to do something to convey your genuine interest in working in the area and not that you are just blanketing the whole country with apps.

Right. And would joining the local bar association help with that in a market where I don't have obvious ties? And if so, should I list it on my resume?

I would think it would, since you have to apply, pay dues, etc. People wouldn't blanket local bar associations throughout the entire country...

I don't see how it can hurt. Do something like that then try to put together a paragraph for you cover letter with a sincere tone outlining the reasons why you want to come to the market. I think the reason firms like it when you have ties is so that you are more likely to stay with the firm and not bolt after a year or something. I think you need to convince them that you would stay. If you have a sincere narrative in your cover letter plus the ABA affiliation I think that would look pretty good.

Get a PO box next door to the firm you want to work for, and have that mail forwarded to your actual address. Then put the the PO box on your resume and cover letter

. . . Join the Assoc.

. . Give your self a high-five

. Make it rain, son. Make it rain!

Of course it wouldn't help. Do you really think law firms are that stupid?

I don't think it would help.

Still, it is better than my friend from back home. He is a rising 2L and he really wants to get a job in Cali but he is attending a T1 in the midwest. His idea is to get a Cal Bar Association debit and credit card (apparently B of A offers these). He thinks that will show his commitment to moving to Cali.

I tried to stop him but he is determined. I can't wait to hear the stories about him whipping out his debit card during OCI.

emciosn wrote:Depends on what market. Do you have family ties? Are you from the state? If it is like Chicago or New York, you probably don't need to do much, everyone know why you want to work there. If you are trying to go to like Cali from a midwest school, you may need to show you have family or that you are from there. I think you need to do something to convey your genuine interest in working in the area and not that you are just blanketing the whole country with apps.

This is what I don't understand. If I'm from Tampa and applying for a job in Missoula, then yeah that's suspicious. But if I'm applying for a job in L.A., well, L.A. is the second largest city in the United States. It's a popular place for people to live, especially young professionals. I'm not saying anyone is wrong, I'm just genuinely curious why this applies to the major cities. Why would a boy like me from Florida want to get a job in Chicago? Well, because Chicago is an awesome, bigass city, that's why. You reference Cali specifically. Is Cali just known for being an insular market, despite it's size and desirability?

Best way to do it (besides going to school in that market) is to work there your 1L summer and meet as many people as you can.