Top Law Schools

Ask me anything.

What do you do?

gaud wrote:What do you do?

I've been working in a bar to make ends meet. Mostly I apply for jobs. I really want a litigation job in the public sector. My background is family law.

I also make electronic music and grill out as much as possible.

Are you paying back your loans?

zozin wrote:Are you paying back your loans?

My federal loans are in forbearance right now. I have a smaller chunk of loans I am paying, but the bulk of my student loan debt (~90k) is in forbearance.

Where did you go to school (range will suffice)?

Do you still live in that market?

Which market is it?

gaud wrote:Where did you go to school (range will suffice)?

Do you still live in that market?

Which market is it?

I see no need for excessive anonymity here.

I went to UGA. I live in north Carolina.

The Valkyrie wrote:

gaud wrote:What do you do?

I've been working in a bar to make ends meet. Mostly I apply for jobs. I really want a litigation job in the public sector. My background is family law.

I also make electronic music and grill out as much as possible.

When you say your background is family law what do you mean? Did you work as a family lawyer in the past?

Are you pursuing a job in the legal field? Do you have any plans if that doesn't work out?

Good luck to you by the way.

Mal Reynolds wrote:Are you pursuing a job in the legal field? Do you have any plans if that doesn't work out?

Good luck to you by the way.

Yes, of course. I've spent my entire career in law firms (not counting restaurant jobs, which I have had since age 14). I'm looking for public sector jobs, most preferably DA jobs. And thank you!

Have you limited your job search to only those within the public sector or is that only what you'd prefer?

gaud wrote:Have you limited your job search to only those within the public sector or is that only what you'd prefer?

That is what I would prefer, but I certainly haven't limited myself to these jobs. I've applied for a lot of stuff - obviously my background is in family law so those jobs, criminal defense, in house stuff, civil firms, etc. the only lawyer jobs I don't really bother applying for are corporate/m&a type jobs. In this market ther doesn't seem to be much of a point, as the firms/recruiters seeking candidates for this type of work will inevitably have hundreds of candidates who are specifically qualified at their disposal.

I've also applied for paralegal jobs and other office/administrative work, but no responses to thes inquiries so far. I'm experimenting with a "nerfed" resume, but it's difficult because if I take my JD and associate attorney experience off the resume, it looks like I've done nothing for the past 6 years.

Do you think it's the economy or the stigma associated with recent grads that are unemployed that's made it hard to find a job?

Do you believe there are any specific reasons for your lack of job? (eg. poor grades)



EDIT: Thank you for doing this, btw

The Valkyrie wrote:

gaud wrote:Have you limited your job search to only those within the public sector or is that only what you'd prefer?

That is what I would prefer, but I certainly haven't limited myself to these jobs. I've applied for a lot of stuff - obviously my background is in family law so those jobs, criminal defense, in house stuff, civil firms, etc. the only lawyer jobs I don't really bother applying for are corporate/m&a type jobs. In this market ther doesn't seem to be much of a point, as the firms/recruiters seeking candidates for this type of work will inevitably have hundreds of candidates who are specifically qualified at their disposal.

I've also applied for paralegal jobs and other office/administrative work, but no responses to thes inquiries so far. I'm experimenting with a "nerfed" resume, but it's difficult because if I take my JD and associate attorney experience off the resume, it looks like I've done nothing for the past 6 years.

If you have 6 years of associate work under your belt in family law why not try to start your own firm?

zozin wrote:Do you think it's the economy or the stigma associated with recent grads that are unemployed that's made it hard to find a job?

I honestly am not sure. Ive spent my whole career working in law firms that service individuals, and the down economy has just made it really difficult for people to pay legal bills, I know that much. Collections are a huge problem.

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by the stigma associated with recent unemployed grads, but I will say that I think that the baby boomer generation, for the most part, does not respect the skills or intelligence of people my age as much as they perhaps should. I've encountered a lot of older attorneys who assume that anyone under 40 has no value.

I also have encountered stigma just by virtue of being out of work. I don't want this to turn into a discussion about politics, but a lot of GOP assholes seem to think that anyone who wants a job can just go out and get one. That mindset is absolutely infuriating. Lots of people assume that I'm lazy just because I haven't been able to get a full time job. Then they tell me "go solo!", as if it's a piece of cake to get clients to pay you in this economy. I've taken on a few cases by myself since being laid off, and it's a struggle to get clients to pay, and pay on time.

gaud wrote:Do you believe there are any specific reasons for your lack of job? (eg. poor grades)



EDIT: Thank you for doing this, btw

I don't think grades has anything to do with it. I've never been biglaw material (finished law school with a 3.0, just below median I think), so all of my job options haven't really considered grades too much, especially being out of school a couple years.


Edit: you're welcome

The Valkyrie wrote:

zozin wrote:Do you think it's the economy or the stigma associated with recent grads that are unemployed that's made it hard to find a job?

I honestly am not sure. Ive spent my whole career working in law firms that service individuals, and the down economy has just made it really difficult for people to pay legal bills, I know that much. Collections are a huge problem.

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by the stigma associated with recent unemployed grads, but I will say that I think that the baby boomer generation, for the most part, does not respect the skills or intelligence of people my age as much as they perhaps should. I've encountered a lot of older attorneys who assume that anyone under 40 has no value.

I also have encountered stigma just by virtue of being out of work. I don't want this to turn into a discussion about politics, but a lot of GOP assholes seem to think that anyone who wants a job can just go out and get one. That mindset is absolutely infuriating. Lots of people assume that I'm lazy just because I haven't been able to get a full time job. Then they tell me "go solo!", as if it's a piece of cake to get clients to pay you in this economy. I've taken on a few cases by myself since being laid off, and it's a struggle to get clients to pay, and pay on time.

I was referring to the Cravath model and how if you don't get a job during OCI or you lose it quickly after graduation, you're basically unemployable at a firm because the vast majority of hiring is done directly from school. Obviously you're not looking at biglaw, but I was wondering if your field is experiencing the same problem.

RedBirds2011 wrote:

The Valkyrie wrote:

gaud wrote:Have you limited your job search to only those within the public sector or is that only what you'd prefer?

That is what I would prefer, but I certainly haven't limited myself to these jobs. I've applied for a lot of stuff - obviously my background is in family law so those jobs, criminal defense, in house stuff, civil firms, etc. the only lawyer jobs I don't really bother applying for are corporate/m&a type jobs. In this market ther doesn't seem to be much of a point, as the firms/recruiters seeking candidates for this type of work will inevitably have hundreds of candidates who are specifically qualified at their disposal.

I've also applied for paralegal jobs and other office/administrative work, but no responses to thes inquiries so far. I'm experimenting with a "nerfed" resume, but it's difficult because if I take my JD and associate attorney experience off the resume, it looks like I've done nothing for the past 6 years.

If you have 6 years of associate work under your belt in family law why not try to start your own firm?

Sorry, I should clarify. I have 2 years experience as an associate, and 3 years experience as a research clerk/paralegal/gopher.

I've done/am doing some solo work, but I'm no master at the business of running a law practice. Rainmaking/sales was just not emphasized at all at my previous job. I liked this, but it didn't exactly situate me well to start my own law firm.

zozin wrote:

The Valkyrie wrote:

zozin wrote:Do you think it's the economy or the stigma associated with recent grads that are unemployed that's made it hard to find a job?

I honestly am not sure. Ive spent my whole career working in law firms that service individuals, and the down economy has just made it really difficult for people to pay legal bills, I know that much. Collections are a huge problem.

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by the stigma associated with recent unemployed grads, but I will say that I think that the baby boomer generation, for the most part, does not respect the skills or intelligence of people my age as much as they perhaps should. I've encountered a lot of older attorneys who assume that anyone under 40 has no value.

I also have encountered stigma just by virtue of being out of work. I don't want this to turn into a discussion about politics, but a lot of GOP assholes seem to think that anyone who wants a job can just go out and get one. That mindset is absolutely infuriating. Lots of people assume that I'm lazy just because I haven't been able to get a full time job. Then they tell me "go solo!", as if it's a piece of cake to get clients to pay you in this economy. I've taken on a few cases by myself since being laid off, and it's a struggle to get clients to pay, and pay on time.

I was referring to the Cravath model and how if you don't get a job during OCI or you lose it quickly after graduation, you're basically unemployable at a firm because the vast majority of hiring is done directly from school. Obviously you're not looking at biglaw, but I was wondering if your field is experiencing the same problem.

I really don't know about anyone else. I didn't get anything from OCI so I figured something else out. Obviously I'm finding it hard to get a job. It's also true that it's much easier to get a new job if you currently have a job. Sorry if this isn't helpful.

RedBirds2011 wrote:

The Valkyrie wrote:

gaud wrote:What do you do?

I've been working in a bar to make ends meet. Mostly I apply for jobs. I really want a litigation job in the public sector. My background is family law.

I also make electronic music and grill out as much as possible.

When you say your background is family law what do you mean? Did you work as a family lawyer in the past?

Yeah, my first job out of law school was 100% family law, mostly custody cases.

The Valkyrie wrote:

RedBirds2011 wrote:

The Valkyrie wrote:

gaud wrote:Have you limited your job search to only those within the public sector or is that only what you'd prefer?

That is what I would prefer, but I certainly haven't limited myself to these jobs. I've applied for a lot of stuff - obviously my background is in family law so those jobs, criminal defense, in house stuff, civil firms, etc. the only lawyer jobs I don't really bother applying for are corporate/m&a type jobs. In this market ther doesn't seem to be much of a point, as the firms/recruiters seeking candidates for this type of work will inevitably have hundreds of candidates who are specifically qualified at their disposal.

I've also applied for paralegal jobs and other office/administrative work, but no responses to thes inquiries so far. I'm experimenting with a "nerfed" resume, but it's difficult because if I take my JD and associate attorney experience off the resume, it looks like I've done nothing for the past 6 years.

If you have 6 years of associate work under your belt in family law why not try to start your own firm?

Sorry, I should clarify. I have 2 years experience as an associate, and 3 years experience as a research clerk/paralegal/gopher.

I've done/am doing some solo work, but I'm no master at the business of running a law practice. Rainmaking/sales was just not emphasized at all at my previous job. I liked this, but it didn't exactly situate me well to start my own law firm.

Oh ok, I see. Well, I wish you future luck and thanks for sharing!

Thanks, and you're welcome!

Why did you decide to go to school in Georgia? I know the market in California is terribly depressed, any chance you might try anther state?

At least grilling and electronic music are honorable pastimes.