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I'm a PT 1L at Fordham, and I just found out that I'm going to be laid off from my job of two years. I didn't see it coming. I took PT at Fordham so that I could continue working and to pay my way through school. The job didn't really fit into a legal career, as it was communications and development-oriented at a non-profit. The best part was that it was flexible enough that I could take leaves of absence during the summer to get legal experience.

So what do I do now? Paralegal? More communications or development stuff? Temp?

How will future employers view this, especially if I end up with a job where I can't get summers off? I'm kind of freaking out now, and could use the collective wisdom of this site ...

LS-boundNYC wrote:I'm a PT 1L at Fordham, and I just found out that I'm going to be laid off from my job of two years. I didn't see it coming. I took PT at Fordham so that I could continue working and to pay my way through school. The job didn't really fit into a legal career, as it was communications and development-oriented at a non-profit. The best part was that it was flexible enough that I could take leaves of absence during the summer to get legal experience.

So what do I do now? Paralegal? More communications or development stuff? Temp?

How will future employers view this, especially if I end up with a job where I can't get summers off? I'm kind of freaking out now, and could use the collective wisdom of this site ...

Lets start by saying you'll need to borrow a lot more money. Can you borrow enough to cover COL?

I know it's not your original plan, but you might want to consider contacting admissions, explaining your situation and asking if you can be put on the waitlist for full-time

Beyond that: get a job. Any job. (I assume) you need the money.
Employers will understand that there are a lot of layoffs happening now so that shouldn't be a major concern.

dingbat wrote:

LS-boundNYC wrote:I'm a PT 1L at Fordham, and I just found out that I'm going to be laid off from my job of two years. I didn't see it coming. I took PT at Fordham so that I could continue working and to pay my way through school. The job didn't really fit into a legal career, as it was communications and development-oriented at a non-profit. The best part was that it was flexible enough that I could take leaves of absence during the summer to get legal experience.

So what do I do now? Paralegal? More communications or development stuff? Temp?

How will future employers view this, especially if I end up with a job where I can't get summers off? I'm kind of freaking out now, and could use the collective wisdom of this site ...

Lets start by saying you'll need to borrow a lot more money. Can you borrow enough to cover COL?

I know it's not your original plan, but you might want to consider contacting admissions, explaining your situation and asking if you can be put on the waitlist for full-time

Beyond that: get a job. Any job. (I assume) you need the money.
Employers will understand that there are a lot of layoffs happening now so that shouldn't be a major concern.

The whole point was to minimize debt. I know I'll be able to get some sort of work, as I have several well-connected people "interested in my career," to put it bluntly. I guess I'm looking at a more long-term, legal career perspective ... is there a "best case scenario" for someone whose background is in non-profit work? Can I do anything to help my legal career, or if I just bide my time with any gig that pays the bills, am I ok?

Do not take a paralegal job in NYC. You are required to do as much overtime as they want you to do; you will not be given the option to take time off during summer to intern elsewhere. You want a secretarial gig if you're looking at law firm work.

Laid off or fired?

If you stay PT can you get funemployment?

2014 wrote:Laid off or fired?

If you stay PT can you get funemployment?

Laid off - I would be able to get funemployment (that sounds nice right now!) but ultimately I have to explain myself to future employers. So while that will be nice to cushion the blow for a while, It can't be a long term solution.

I also have an unpaid internship lined up for this summer, under the assumption that I'd be taking a leave of absence. So that makes it hard to look for a job now when I'm not even free to work until August. (I also don't know how unpaid internships work with funemployment...)